GeekWire
GeekWire provides technology news, analysis, and resources for tech professionals, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts. It covers developments in the technology industry, produces events and podcasts, and offers tools such as job boards and startup rankings to support the tech community. Its mission is to inform and connect people interested in technology and startups.
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- Online Audio and Video Media
- Founded
- 2011
- Type
- LLC Seattle business license
- Employees
- 26
- Registered name
- GeekWire LLC Seattle business license
- Founders
- John Cook, Todd Bishop
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Publication
- Last published Oct 15
Authors & Editors
Craig McCaw’s Holicity to Merge with Astra in $2.1 Billion SPAC Deal That Could Raise $500 Million
Craig McCaw’s Holicity SPAC is merging with launch startup Astra in a deal that values Astra at $2.1 billion and would yield up to $500 million in cash proceeds, aiming to fund daily low-Earth-orbit access despite Astra not yet having achieved routine orbit success.
Sana Biotechnology ups IPO to 22M shares at $23–$24, targeting ~$517M at midpoint after $700M+ VC funding
Sana Biotechnology raised its IPO target to 22 million shares at $23–$24 each, expecting about $517 million at the midpoint, after previously aiming much lower and following over $700 million in venture funding. The Seattle gene- and cell-therapy startup plans near-term cancer treatments and broader goals to modify any gene or replace damaged cells.
Lockstep raises $10M Series A to expand cloud-based 'connected accounting' tools for cash-flow management
Seattle startup Lockstep raised $10 million in a Series A to expand its cloud-based "connected accounting" tools that automate receivables/payables communications and provide shared accounting inboxes to improve cash flow and remote collaboration.
Seattle Startup Brightloom Raises $15M Led by Ex-Starbucks Digital Chief Adam Brotman to Personalize Customer Marketing
Seattle startup Brightloom, led by ex-Starbucks digital chief Adam Brotman, raised $15 million to help companies use customer data for personalized marketing campaigns. The company evolved from restaurant automation startup Eatsa and targets smaller brands lacking advanced marketing resources.
Convoy’s 2020 Freight Insights Report: COVID-19 drove March panic buying, April–May collapse, then summer rebound in U.S. trucking
Convoy's 2020 Freight Insights Report shows the pandemic caused a March panic-buying spike, a sharp drop in April–May, then a summer rebound and year-end freight dynamics aligning with normal cycles, driven by shifts from services to goods and increased e-commerce.
Qualtrics raises $1.55B in Nasdaq IPO, priced at $30 valuing firm near $15B (shares closed >$27B)
Qualtrics completed a $1.55 billion IPO on the Nasdaq, pricing shares at $30 and valuing the company around $15 billion (shares later closed at $45.50 valuing it over $27 billion). The company — spun out from SAP after a 2018 $8 billion acquisition — plans to keep Seattle as a second headquarters with about 800 employees and will move into the renamed Qualtrics Tower when offices reopen.
Tanium raises $150 million from Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan after HQ move to Kirkland, Wash.
Tanium, a cybersecurity firm that relocated its headquarters from Emeryville, Calif. to Kirkland, Wash., raised $150 million in common stock from the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to fund growth and expand its Seattle-area engineering presence. The privately held company, co-founded by David and Orion Hindawi, reported over $430 million in revenue in 2019 and now employs about 1,500 people.
Robert Downey Jr.’s Footprint Coalition Ventures backs Seattle’s Cloud Paper as it launches two sustainability-focused funds
Actor Robert Downey Jr. launched two venture funds under Footprint Coalition Ventures focused on sustainable technology and is backing Seattle startup Cloud Paper, a tree-free toilet paper maker. The funds, led by Jonathan Schulhof and Steve Levin, will invest in early- and late-stage companies across sustainability, food and agtech, materials, energy, transportation, education, media and environmental solutions.
Madrona pauses Create33 co-working space, shifts to free virtual membership after COVID-19 forces closure
Madrona’s Create33, a Seattle founder center launched in July 2018, has closed its co-working space and is converting to a free virtual membership program after pandemic-related event cancellations and lost rental revenue; key staff including executive director Rebecca Lovell have departed.
Parse Biosciences raises $7M led by Bioeconomy Capital to scale single-cell RNA-seq tech; total funding $9M
Parse Biosciences (formerly Split Biosciences) raised $7 million to grow its single-cell RNA-seq 'Whole Transcriptome Kit' that profiles up to 100,000 cells across 48 samples; the 16-person startup spun out of UW in 2018 and has 40+ labs using its kit.
Kevala raises $4M led by Vulcan Capital to help long-term care facilities fill nursing shifts with staffing and compliance software
Seattle startup Kevala raised $4 million led by Vulcan Capital to provide staffing, compliance and workforce-management software for long-term care facilities, helping them fill nursing shifts via a curated on-call pool and earning revenue from software sales and a cut of supplemental staff wages.
Usermind raises $14M led by WestRiver Group as pandemic-driven digital demand boosts Seattle startup
Seattle marketing startup Usermind raised $14 million in a funding round led by WestRiver Group as demand for digital customer-experience software surged during the pandemic; total funding is $60 million and headcount has recovered to just over 50 employees.
i2 Holdings acquires Ambassador from Intrado, adds 11 employees and folds product into ContextLink
Seattle-based i2 Holdings acquired Ambassador, a refer-a-friend platform from Intrado, and will operate it within its ContextLink platform while retaining all 11 Ambassador employees; this is i2's third acquisition in 18 months.
Techstars Seattle launches 12th cohort virtually, achieves first-ever gender parity among CEOs
Techstars Seattle announced its 12th cohort, which will run largely virtually using lessons from its 2020 remote program and starting a few weeks earlier to improve virtual connection. The 2021 class achieved gender parity among CEOs, and Techstars Seattle says virtual programming has not hurt fundraising and broadened investor interest.
Brightly founders Laura Alexander Wittig and Liza Moiseeva raise $1M to scale eco-focused content, community and e-commerce
Seattle startup Brightly, founded by Laura Alexander Wittig and Liza Moiseeva, raised $1 million to expand its eco-focused content, community and upcoming e-commerce platform after growing from a popular 2019 podcast into a social-media-driven brand reaching over 250,000 women daily. The founders leveraged accelerators (Snapchat Yellow, Female Founders Alliance), a 10,000+ ambassador program, and brand partnerships to monetize recommendations and will expand the five-person team later this year.
WTIA selects 22 Washington seed-stage startups for six-month Founder Cohort to accelerate fundraising and growth
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) selected 22 Washington-headquartered, seed-stage tech startups for its six-month virtual Founder Cohort Program to help founders with fundraising, governance and customer development. The cohort is led by experienced founders and investors including Dave Parker, Susan Preston and Leslie Feinzaig and requires companies to have under $1M revenue and at least one product in development.
WTIA launches eight-week Canadian XR Startup Market Accelerator to ready 10 AR/VR/voice startups for U.S. expansion
WTIA launched an eight-week Canadian XR Startup Market Accelerator to prepare 10 Canadian AR, VR and voice startups for U.S. market expansion with curriculum, mentorship and U.S. go-to-market support. The nonprofit is partnering with Global Affairs Canada and Trade and Invest British Columbia to provide workshops on sales, fundraising, localization and market validation.
MagniX Moves Into 40,000 sq ft Everett Plant to Build Motors for Eviation’s All‑Electric Alice, Targets Summer Test Flights
MagniX has relocated its operations into a new 40,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Everett, Washington, to produce electric motors for the all-electric Eviation Alice commuter aircraft, with work starting within weeks. The company aims to have the first MagniX-powered Alices ready for summer test flights and is hiring several dozen workers as it consolidates operations near Eviation's Arlington plant.
Flexe expands Series C with additional $10M, total funding reaches $144M
Seattle warehousing marketplace Flexe expanded its Series C by $10 million after stronger-than-expected investor interest, bringing total funding to $144 million and serving nearly 2,000 warehouses in the U.S. and Canada.
Gates-led Breakthrough Energy Ventures raises second $1B fund to back 40–50 hard-to-abate climate tech startups
Breakthrough Energy Ventures, led by Bill Gates, has raised a second $1 billion fund to invest in 40–50 startups developing hard-to-abate climate technologies like low-emission steel and cement, carbon capture, and long-haul transportation, using a 20-year "patient capital" approach focused on large CO₂ reductions.
Hillrom to Buy Bardy Diagnostics for $375M, Deal to Close in Q2 with Possible Milestone Payments
Hillrom will acquire Seattle-based Bardy Diagnostics for $375 million, adding Bardy’s week-long CAM cardiac monitor and related cardiology products to its portfolio; the deal may include future milestone payments and is expected to close in Q2. Bardy, founded in 2013, has about $30 million in annualized revenue, over $20 million in net operating losses, roughly 230 employees, and has raised more than $71 million to date.
Shuffl founders Matthew Lee and Chris Watts launch Slack and Teams app to match coworkers; ~1,000 teams installed
Shuffl is a startup launched in 2019 by CEO Matthew Lee and CTO Chris Watts that creates randomized or intentional introductions for coworkers through Slack and Microsoft Teams to encourage workplace connection. The app automatically creates channels, schedules one-on-one or group meetups, provides video links and icebreakers, and has been installed by about 1,000 teams.
Integris co-founder Raghu Gollamudi launches Included to use employee data for scalable DEI, after Integris’ $16M raise and OneTrust acquisition
Raghu Gollamudi, co-founder of Integris, left OneTrust to start Included, a platform that integrates with employee data systems to help companies scale DEI efforts, retention, and belonging. The move follows his prior success with Integris (which raised $16 million and was acquired by OneTrust) and reflects growing demand for data-driven DEI tools amid increased corporate focus since 2020.
Armoire raises $3.5M from Satya Nadella, Aman Bhutani after pivoting to casual inventory and community tools
Seattle clothing subscription service Armoire adapted to pandemic-driven demand shifts by cutting costs, adding casual items, and building community-driven discovery tools, helping long-tenured members stay. The four-year-old startup raised $3.5 million from investors including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani as it regains growth momentum.
Gemma Labs raises $2.75M from PSL Ventures to expand Gemmist personalized shampoo service
Seattle-based Gemma Labs raised $2.75 million from PSL Ventures and other investors to expand its Gemmist custom shampoo service and roll out new products after reaching $1.5M in annualized sales. The company creates personalized shampoos using customer surveys and in-house scientists, with bottles starting at $18 and a $25 scalp balancing bar.
People
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John Cook Founder, Co-founder and Publisher, GeekWire
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Jonathan Sposato Founder, Chairman & co-founder
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Todd Bishop Founder, Co-Founder
