Graham & Walker
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle, Washington, US
- Sectors
- Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
- Founded
- 2021
- Employees
- 30
- Last fund
- Graham & Walker Venture Fund II, LP · 2025 SEC Form D
- Funds raised
- 2 funds SEC Form D filings
Leslie Feinzaig Shares 2025 Year in Review and Plans First Offline Vacation in Eight Years
Leslie Feinzaig reflects on her eighth annual Year in Review, sharing honest insights from her entrepreneurship journey and announcing her plan to take a one-week offline family vacation after years of continuous work.
Seattle's Founders' Co-op Raises $50M Sixth Fund to Back Early-Stage Pacific Northwest Tech Startups
Seattle venture firm Founders' Co-op has raised a $50 million sixth fund, focusing on early-stage Pacific Northwest tech startups with initial investments of $1 million to $1.5 million. Founded in 2008, the firm has backed billion-dollar companies like Remitly, Outreach, and Auth0 and aims to invest in about 30 new companies without targeting specific verticals.
Venture Capitalists Warned on AI Bubble Risks Amid Frenzied Investment Surge in 2025
The article discusses the current AI investment surge, comparing it to past bubbles like the Web3 frenzy, and warns venture capitalists to avoid reckless investments driven by hype and FOMO. It emphasizes the importance of due diligence despite the pressure to quickly invest in AI startups.
FoundHer House, San Francisco’s All-Female AI Hacker House Founded by Seattle Natives, Eyes Expansion to Seattle Amid $1.2B Funding Surge for Female-led Startups
FoundHer House, an all-female AI entrepreneur co-living space launched in San Francisco by Seattle natives Miki Safronov-Yamamoto and Anantika Mannby, is gaining attention as a model to support female founders amid the AI boom. With Seattle’s growing female-led startup funding surpassing $1.2 billion in 2024, the city is being considered for expansion of this initiative to help close the tech industry’s gender gap.
TechCrunch names first five VC judges for Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2025; $100,000 prize on Oct. 27–29 in San Francisco
TechCrunch announced the first five venture capitalists who will judge Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2025 (Oct. 27–29, San Francisco), where 20 finalists will compete for a $100,000 equity-free prize. The event spotlights alumni like Dropbox and Cloudflare and invites attendees to register for tickets and watch founders pitch to top investors.
Martin Tobias's Incisive Ventures Raises $10.5M for Early-Stage B2B Software Fund Focused on AI
Martin Tobias's Incisive Ventures closed a $10.5 million fund targeting nearly 30 early-stage enterprise software companies, focusing on AI-driven B2B solutions. Tobias emphasizes backing startups with strong customer insight and distribution strategies, aiming to invest primarily in U.S. startups but remaining open globally.
Fortson VC Raises $50M to Fund Early-Stage B2B Software Startups Led by Cole Younger in Seattle
Fortson VC, led by Cole Younger, has raised $50 million to invest in early-stage B2B software startups, primarily in the Pacific Northwest. The fund plans 25 to 30 investments with check sizes between $500,000 and $1 million, focusing on founders with unique internal compasses.
Seattle VC Firm Ascend Raises Third Fund to Back Early-Stage AI Startups After $25M Second Fund in 2023
Seattle venture capital firm Ascend is raising its third fund to invest in early-stage tech startups focused on vertical AI and infrastructure, following a $25 million second fund in 2023. Founder Kirby Winfield launched Ascend in 2019 and the firm primarily supports Seattle-area founders with investments ranging from $250,000 to $750,000.
Convoy Co-Founder Grant Goodale Joins Ryder as Chief Product and Technology Officer
Grant Goodale, co-founder and former CTO of Convoy, has joined Ryder as chief product and technology officer, marking his return to the trucking industry. Additionally, Seattle startups Shipium and Graham & Walker announced key leadership hires with Geoff Tamman named CFO and Ryan Hughes as chief of staff, respectively.
Seattle VCs Madrona, Maveron, Founders' Co-op Highlight Key Founder Red Flags at Graham & Walker’s Founder Day
Seattle venture capitalists from Madrona, Maveron, and Founders' Co-op advised early-stage startup founders to display growth mindset, customer obsession, and strong storytelling skills as key factors for securing investment. These insights were shared at Graham & Walker’s Founder Day event to guide founders on investor red flags.
Mark Cuban Backs Seattle Startup Skylight Social Developing TikTok-Like App on AT Protocol Amid TikTok Ban Concerns
Seattle startup Skylight Social, founded by Victoria White and Reed Harmeyer, raised funding from Mark Cuban and Graham & Walker to develop a TikTok-like short-form video app built on the AT Protocol, enabling users to own and transfer their data across platforms. The app is a Public Benefit Corporation committed to positive social impact and aims to capitalize on TikTok's uncertain future amid a potential U.S. ban.
Seattle Opens AI House and Foundations Startup Hubs Amid Growing AI Ecosystem
Seattle launched two new startup hubs, AI House and Foundations, to support its growing AI ecosystem, hosting events with notable figures like venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and Mayor Bruce Harrell. These hubs aim to foster collaboration and growth within Seattle's burgeoning AI startup community.
Seattle Venture Firm Graham & Walker Files to Raise $15M Second Fund for Early-Stage Tech Startups
Seattle-based venture firm Graham & Walker is raising a $15 million second fund focused on early-stage tech companies across North America, following a $10 million first fund in 2021. The firm, founded by Leslie Feinzaig, has a portfolio including Seattle startups Tokki, Planette, Proxi, and PairTree.
PairUp Raises $2.8M to Enhance Corporate Knowledge Sharing with AI, Led by CEO Emily Harburg
Startup PairUp, led by CEO Emily Harburg, offers AI-powered software to improve how companies capture and access both documented and undocumented knowledge across employees. The company recently secured $2.8 million in funding to support its mission of enhancing internal knowledge sharing, especially amid challenges posed by remote work.
Seattle Venture Capitalists Say Founder Support, Not Local Money, Is Key Missing Piece in Startup Ecosystem
Seattle's startup ecosystem is often criticized for a lack of local venture capital firms, but experts highlight that the true opportunity lies in fostering greater founder-to-founder investment and community support to strengthen the scene. Panelists at the Seattle AI Investor Summit emphasized that being a net importer of investment capital is positive, and more connectivity among founders could boost the city's startup success.
Madrona Adds Jeff Mills as Partner to Lead Silicon Valley Expansion; Nex Hires Former Walmart Execs; Amperity CEO Steps Down
Seattle venture firm Madrona hired Jeff Mills as partner to expand its Silicon Valley presence, while Nex appointed two former Walmart tech leaders, and Amperity's CEO Barry Padgett stepped down. Other Pacific Northwest tech industry moves include leadership changes at Zendesk and Cohesity.
Seattle Startups Report 12% Down Rounds in 2023, Lower Than Bay Area's 17% and NYC's 24%, Reflecting Revenue Focus
Seattle startups experienced fewer down rounds in funding during the first nine months of 2023 compared to Bay Area and New York City, with 12% versus 17% and 24% respectively. This is attributed to Seattle founders' focus on revenue and profitability, which aligns better with current investor preferences amid broader tech market challenges.
WTIA Names 33 Washington Startups for Free 10th Founder Cohort Program with $10K AWS Credits
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced 33 Washington-based startups for its free, six-month 10th Founder Cohort Program, designed for seed-stage companies with under $1 million in revenue. The program offers mentorship, $10,000 in AWS credits, and leadership training, with one-third of participants led by female CEOs.
Seattle VC Firm Ascend Raises $25M Second Fund to Boost AI Investments Amid Market Downturn
Seattle-based pre-seed venture capital firm Ascend, led by Kirby Winfield, raised a $25 million second fund focused on doubling down on artificial intelligence investments amid a challenging startup funding environment. Winfield, who has backed over 70 startups, predicts a further valuation correction but remains committed to early-stage investing.
Unlock Venture Partners raises $60M second fund to back Seattle and L.A. startups, bringing total raised to $85M
Unlock Venture Partners, a seed-stage firm focused on Seattle and Los Angeles startups, raised a $60 million second fund and has now raised more than $85 million total to back early-stage companies including gaming, Web3 and metaverse plays.
Graham & Walker names six startups for fourth Ready Set Raise cohort; each gets $50,000 and Demo Night on March 3
Seattle-based Graham & Walker (formerly Female Founders Alliance) announced six companies selected for its fourth Ready Set Raise accelerator; each will receive $50,000, six weeks of training and present at Demo Night on March 3. The cohort includes Bilin Academy, Blink Date Inc., LocalAway, Obánj, OpenField and Sayso.ai led by their named CEOs.
Seattle VC Fuse announces $170 million inaugural fund, backing 17 Pacific Northwest B2B startups
Seattle-based early-stage VC firm Fuse disclosed its inaugural fund is $170 million, which has backed 17 Pacific Northwest B2B software startups and plans 25–30 total investments.
Kirby Winfield, ex-founder and exec, raises $15M for Ascend.vc to back Pacific Northwest early-stage startups
Kirby Winfield, a longtime Seattle startup leader who experienced burnout after multiple exits, founded Ascend.vc to invest in early-stage Pacific Northwest tech companies and raised a $15 million first fund after recovering his health and shifting from founder roles to venture investing.
Dance Church raises $4.7M seed to scale Dance Church Go subscription platform, led by MaC Ventures
Seattle-based Dance Church raised $4.7 million in seed funding to expand its Dance Church Go online subscription platform, which offers on-demand classes for $19/month or $199/year and a pay-as-you-go live option. The company, founded by Kate Wallich and recently hiring CEO Clara Siegel, plans to scale after growing to 144,000 online streamers with backing led by MaC Ventures and participation from several Pacific Northwest investors.
Graham & Walker (formerly Female Founders Alliance) raises $10M fund to back female-led startups
Seattle-based Female Founders Alliance rebranded as Graham & Walker and launched a $10 million venture fund to invest in female-led early-stage tech startups, led by founder and managing director Leslie Feinzaig. The fund raised capital from 105 backers (two-thirds women, 40% first-time fund investors) and has already made 11 investments with average checks of $25,000–$400,000.
Fund History
People
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Leslie Feinzaig Founder, Founder & General Partner
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Court Lorenzini LP Investor
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Lowell Ricklefs Investor/Mentor
