Facts
- HQ
- Seattle, USA
- Sectors
- Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
- Founded
- 1998
- Employees
- 18
Booster Fuels launches public mobile gas service at three Seattle Safeway lots, first in Washington
Booster Fuels has begun offering mobile gasoline service to the general public at three Safeway parking lots in the Seattle area, marking the first consumer-facing deployment of its trucks in Washington state. Customers pay by smartphone while a Booster employee refuels vehicles, with prices tied to nearby station averages and no immediate expansion plans announced.
Maveron, co-founded by Dan Levitan and Howard Schultz, becomes Certified B Corporation after rigorous assessment
Maveron, the venture capital firm co-founded by Dan Levitan and Howard Schultz, became a Certified B Corporation to formalize its commitment to balancing profit with social and environmental goals. The firm pursued the certification after working with B Corp portfolio companies like Allbirds and completed a rigorous assessment covering governance, demographics, and environmental impact.
Updater acquires Seattle on-demand moving startup Dolly; terms undisclosed
New York moving services company Updater has acquired Seattle on-demand moving startup Dolly; terms were not disclosed and Dolly will operate as an Updater subsidiary with its Seattle team retained.
Rec Room raises $100M, becomes $1.25B Seattle unicorn after pandemic-fueled 566% revenue surge
Seattle-based social gaming startup Rec Room raised $100 million at a $1.25 billion valuation after explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by 15 million lifetime users and a 566% year-over-year revenue increase. The five-year-old company offers cross-platform tools for creating virtual rooms and games, has over 2 million creators, isn’t yet profitable, and plans an Android launch later this year.
Seattle VCs Report 28% Women in Senior Roles, Nearly Double U.S. Average of 14.2%
Seattle-area venture capital firms have nearly double the national share of women in senior roles (28% vs. 14.2%), with 25 women among 88 partners across 21 Washington firms, though overall parity remains distant and 61% of U.S. VC firms still have no women in key decision-making roles.
Former Zulily Execs Jason LeeKeenan and Kevin Saliba Raise $150M to Buy and Scale E‑Commerce Brands
Two former Zulily executives, Jason LeeKeenan and Kevin Saliba, raised over $150 million to launch Cap Hill Brands, a firm that buys and operationally scales profitable e-commerce businesses and has acquired 10 companies since last summer.
University of Washington taps Justin Dunnicliff as NSIN university program director; Meredith Han named VP of Product at FlyHomes
The University of Washington partnered with the Department of Defense’s National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) and named UW alumnus Justin Dunnicliff as university program director to run NSIN programs at UW, connecting students to DoD-related research and employment opportunities. The article also notes Meredith Han, an early Amazon employee and angel investor, has become VP of product at FlyHomes.
Ex-Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff and dotloop Founder Austin Allison Launch Pacaso, Raise $17M Seed and $250M Debt to Fractionalize Second-Home Ownership
Former Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff and dotloop founder Austin Allison launched Pacaso, a startup that fractionalizes second-home ownership and manages co-owned properties. The company announced a $17 million seed round led by Maveron plus $250 million in debt to buy homes and partners with agents to form LLCs for shared ownership.
Ignition Partners investors spin out Fuse Venture Partners led by Kellan Carter, Cameron Borumand and Seahawks star Bobby Wagner
A group of investors from Seattle VC firm Ignition Partners, including managing partner John Connors, have launched a spinoff called Fuse Venture Partners led by general partners Kellan Carter and Cameron Borumand and featuring Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner as a venture partner. Ignite will sunset its brand while Fuse focuses on doubling down in Seattle and managing new investments, with Wagner committing to active involvement.
Maveron leads $30M Series B in Wave with Scooter Braun and Alex Rodriguez to scale virtual concert platform
Los Angeles-based virtual entertainment startup Wave raised $30 million in a Series B led by Seattle VC Maveron, with participation from Griffin Gaming Partners, Scooter Braun, and Alex Rodriguez to expand its live virtual concert platform. Wave will use the funding to build new in-stream experiences, expand into markets including Japan and China, and has hosted over 50 events with up to 400,000 attendees.
Seattle Startup CEOs Condemn Racism, Urge Action and Investment in Black Founders After George Floyds Death
Seattle startup leaders publicly condemned racism after George Floyd’s death and pledged concrete actions — including learning, speaking up, and pushing for investments in entrepreneurs of color — while noting tech’s role in inequality and recent moves like SoftBank’s $100 million fund.
Pro.com lays off 52 employees as COVID-19 halts construction; CEO Matt Williams confirms WARN filing
Seattle-based Pro.com laid off 52 employees after COVID-19 halted its construction work, and the company is resuming jobs with new safety and contact-tracing measures. CEO Matt Williams said the cuts were disclosed in a Washington WARN filing and affect a company that employs about 150 people on LinkedIn.
Co-living Startup Common Launches Two Shared-Living Buildings in Seattle with $1,600 Monthly Rent
Common, a New York-based co-living startup, has launched two buildings in Seattle offering private rooms with shared amenities for about $1,600 per month, aiming to provide more affordable housing alternatives in the city's expensive market. The company highlights these flexible, community-driven homes as a solution to Seattle's housing supply and demand challenges.
Seattle's Portal VR Founder Compares Current VR/AR Hype to 1990s Internet Video Struggles
Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technology is currently experiencing hype similar to the early days of internet video, with startups and companies investing heavily despite limited consumer adoption. Industry insiders, like Tim Harader who runs Portal VR in Seattle, see parallels but remain uncertain if VR/AR will eventually achieve mass market penetration akin to digital video.
TrueFacet Secures $6M Series A Funding Led by Maveron LLC for Pre-Owned Luxury Marketplace
TrueFacet, a marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned luxury items, raised $6 million in a Series A funding round led by Maveron LLC with participation from several other venture firms.
People
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Dan Levitan Founder, Co-Founder and General Partner, Co-Founder & Partner
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Jason Stoffer Investor
