Facts
- HQ
- Madrona
- Sectors
- Financial Services
- Founded
- 1995
- Employees
- 135
- Stage
- Seed
- Last fund
- MADRONA VENTURE FUND X, L.P. · $489.6M · 2025 SEC Form D
- Funds raised
- 10 funds SEC Form D filings
- Total capital
- $1.7B SEC Form D filings
Amperity Undertakes Layoffs Amid AI-Driven Operational Shift Under New Co-CEOs Shahani and Slager
Seattle-based customer data startup Amperity conducted unspecified layoffs as it shifts its operations toward increased artificial intelligence integration under new co-CEOs Kabir Shahani and Derek Slager. The company, with over 200 employees globally, aims to build a stronger AI-driven future following leadership changes including the CEO transition earlier in 2024.
Gradial Raises $65M Series C Led by Insight Partners at $675M Valuation to Expand AI Marketing Platform
Gradial, a Seattle-based AI startup founded in 2023, raised $65 million in a Series C round led by Insight Partners to expand its AI platform for automating enterprise marketing workflows. The funding will support growing its 100-person team, focusing on engineering, sales, and marketing.
Gradial Raises $65M Series C Led by Insight Partners to Scale AI Marketing Platform with $675M Valuation
Seattle-based startup Gradial raised $65 million in a Series C funding round led by Insight Partners, bringing total funds raised to over $110 million in 16 months. The company builds an AI orchestration platform for enterprise marketing that integrates with tools like Adobe and Salesforce, and plans to use the funds to scale engineering, sales, and cloud infrastructure.
Indian-American Tech Executive Soma Somasegar Honored by U.S. Congress for Contributions to Innovation and Community
Indian-American tech leader Soma Somasegar was honored by the U.S. House of Representatives for his leadership at Microsoft and contributions to entrepreneurship and community service. Currently a managing director at Madrona Venture Group, he has significantly influenced technology innovation and startup growth.
Golden Analytics Raises $14M Seed Extension Led by Insight Partners and Launches AI Analytics Platform in Public Beta
Golden Analytics, founded by former Tableau product chief Francois Ajenstat, secured a $14 million seed extension led by Insight Partners, raising total seed funding to $21 million. The company launched its AI-powered analytics platform in public beta, attracting early interest from around 1,000 companies, including Fortune 500 firms.
Golden Analytics Raises $14 Million Seed Extension; Insight Partners Joins NEA and Madrona as Company Launches Public Beta
Golden Analytics announced a $14 million seed extension on June 9, 2026, led by Insight Partners joining NEA and Madrona as the company launches a public beta after strong early demand.
Oren Etzioni Outlines 10 Key Commandments for AI Startups Following 10 Classic Startup Rules
Oren Etzioni shares ten foundational commandments for AI startups focused on business models, distribution, costs, and model dependency, preceded by ten general startup principles from industry veterans. These guidelines draw on his extensive experience as an AI entrepreneur and investor to help founders navigate unique challenges in AI ventures.
WTIA Selects 21 Startups for 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator to Boost Washington State Innovation
The Washington Technology Industry Association selected 21 early-stage startups across Washington state for its 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program, focusing on fields like AI, cybersecurity, and healthcare. The four-month program offers mentorship, peer learning, and investor connections to support entrepreneurial growth.
SpaceX IPO Filing Details Starlink Factory; Jeff Bezos Discusses Wealth and AI on CNBC; John Uses ChatGPT and Gemini for FIFA Ticketing Support
SpaceX's IPO filing reveals new details about the Starlink satellite factory in Redmond. Jeff Bezos discusses wealth and AI on CNBC, while John seeks help from ChatGPT and Gemini after FIFA’s ticketing support fails.
Tech Community Mourns S. 'Soma' Somasegar, Microsoft Veteran and Madrona VC, at Age 59
S. 'Soma' Somasegar, a respected Microsoft veteran and Madrona Ventures investor, passed away at age 59, prompting widespread tributes highlighting his kindness, mentorship, and lasting impact on the tech community. Colleagues remembered him as a humble servant leader and champion of developers whose legacy went beyond his business contributions.
S. Somasegar, Microsoft Veteran and Venture Capital Leader, Passes Away Leaving Lasting Tech Legacy
S. Somasegar, a respected Microsoft leader and venture capitalist known for his technical brilliance and kindness, passed away recently. He made significant contributions to Microsoft’s developer ecosystem and supported many startups, leaving a lasting impact on the technology community.
Seattle-Area Tech Veterans Acquire New England Eagles Minor League Cricket Team to Develop USA Talent Pipeline
Five Seattle-area tech veterans with leadership experience from major companies have acquired the New England Eagles Minor League Cricket franchise in Boston to support the sport's talent pipeline. They prioritize developing pathways for local players to reach Team USA, despite the team being located 3,000 miles away.
Anoop Gupta Steps Down as SeekOut CEO, Sean Thompson Named Successor to Drive AI Recruiting Growth
Anoop Gupta is stepping down as CEO of SeekOut on May 4 to become executive chairman, passing leadership to Sean Thompson, who will focus on scaling SeekOut's AI recruiting service and pursuing acquisitions for growth. Thompson, an enterprise tech veteran, previously led NAVEX and has experience with SAP, Microsoft, and AI startups.
Former Tableau Chief Product Officer Francois Ajenstat Launches Golden Analytics with $7M Seed to Create AI-Native BI Platform
Francois Ajenstat, former Tableau chief product officer, has launched Golden Analytics with $7 million in seed funding to build an AI-native business intelligence platform that emphasizes automated insights and user control. The Seattle-based startup aims to advance BI by integrating AI at its core rather than as an add-on.
Ridge AI Raises $2.6M Pre-Seed to Accelerate Dashboards and AI Data Agents for B2B Software
Ridge AI, a Seattle-based company that provides a platform for B2B software firms to deploy interactive dashboards and AI data agents quickly, raised $2.6 million in pre-seed funding. The round will support the company’s efforts to enable customers to ship dashboards and AI agents in hours.
Data Visualization Veterans Ellie Fields and Jeffrey Heer Launch Ridge AI with $2.6M Led by Madrona to Enhance SaaS Analytics
Data visualization experts Ellie Fields and Jeffrey Heer launched Ridge AI with $2.6M in pre-seed funding from Madrona and prominent angels to help SaaS companies embed interactive analytics and AI data agents quickly into their products. Ridge AI aims to fix persistent issues in web-based data presentation by enabling rapid creation of interactive dashboards and data agents sharing the same dataset.
Rec Room, Seattle Social Gaming Platform Valued at $3.5B, Shuts Down June 1 Amid Profitability Challenges
Seattle-based social gaming platform Rec Room, once valued at $3.5 billion, will shut down on June 1 after a decade in operation due to difficulties in achieving profitability. This ends the run of one of Seattle's most notable startup unicorns.
OpenAI's $1.1B Statsig Acquisition and Other Billion-Dollar Deals Finalists for 2026 GeekWire Deal of the Year
The 2026 GeekWire Awards feature finalists including billion-dollar deals by OpenAI and others, a rare Seattle-area IPO, and a $5 billion mega-round, all recognized for their significant impact on Northwest tech. Voting for the Deal of the Year, which highlights key transactions in innovation, runs through April 16.
Ramp Acquires 2024-Founded Corporate Travel Startup Juno Backed by Madrona
Ramp acquired Juno, a 2024-founded corporate travel expense startup backed by Madrona and Bungalow Ventures, with Juno’s founders continuing as co-CEOs. The acquisition aims to integrate Juno’s platform for managing non-employee expenses into Ramp’s fintech offerings while preserving Juno’s brand and team.
UW Students Pitch AI Startup Ideas to Seattle Venture Capitalists After 10-Week Program at Pioneer Square Labs
University of Washington students from seven teams pitched AI-driven startup ideas to influential Seattle investors at Pioneer Square Labs, concluding a 10-week entrepreneurship program led by venture capitalist Greg Gottesman and UW professor Ed Lazowska. The event featured realistic pitch rounds, attracting prominent tech leaders as guests throughout the course.
Temporal Raises $300M Series D Led by Andreessen Horowitz, Valued at $5B Amid AI Infrastructure Surge
Temporal, led by CEO Samar Abbas, raised $300 million in a Series D round at a $5 billion valuation, driven by surging demand for its durable execution infrastructure supporting AI agents. The company’s revenue grew over 380% year-over-year as it positions itself as a core infrastructure provider for the emerging AI agent platform shift.
Temporal Raises $300M at $5B Valuation to Support Reliable AI Agent Workflows in Production
Temporal raised $300 million in a Series D round led by Andreessen Horowitz, doubling its valuation to $5 billion by supporting reliable execution for AI systems. The Bellevue-based company's software powers long-running workflows for clients like OpenAI, with revenue and usage surging significantly as AI agent deployments grow.
Scala Raises $8.5 Million Seed Round Co‑Led by Madrona Venture Group and FUSE
Scala, an operational intelligence platform for modern contact centers based in Bellevue, Washington, raised $8.5 million in a Seed funding round co-led by Madrona Venture Group and FUSE. The announcement was reported by Ben Murray on February 17, 2026.
Highspot to Merge with Seismic in Major Sales Software Deal Led by Seismic CEO Rob Tarkoff
Seattle-based enterprise software companies Highspot and Seismic have signed a definitive agreement to merge, with the combined company operating under the Seismic name and led by Seismic CEO Rob Tarkoff. The merger unites two major revenue enablement platforms, with Highspot CEO Robert Wahbe joining the board and Permira remaining as controlling shareholder.
Seattle Startup Accelerator Foundations Expands to San Francisco with New 5,000-Sq-Ft Location in Q2 2024
Seattle-based startup accelerator Foundations is opening a new 5,000-square-foot location in San Francisco to support founders who split time between the two tech hubs, responding to shifting market dynamics and growing startup momentum in the Bay Area. The expansion aims to bridge Seattle and San Francisco communities without abandoning Seattle, enabling members to access both spaces starting in Q2 2024.
Fund History
People
See all 16-
Bill Ruckelshaus Founder, Founder and Strategic Director
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Paul Goodrich Founder
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Steve Singh Founder, Co-founder of Concur and Managing Director
