Microsoft
Facts
- HQ
- NASDAQ:MSFT
- Sectors
- Technology, Workplace tools, Cloud
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 221000
- Stage
- Public
Techstars Seattle Demo Day 2024 Unveils 24 Startups Poised to Rival 2011 Unicorn Trio Including Discoverist and TalkStack AI
The 2024 Techstars Seattle Demo Day showcased 24 startups, with experts optimistic that this cohort could rival the successful 2011 group that included three billion-dollar companies. Notable startups like Discoverist and TalkStack AI are leveraging AI for personalized retail recommendations and conversation analysis, respectively.
Fullcast Raises $34M, Moves HQ from Seattle to Salt Lake City with New CEO Ryan Westwood Leading Acquisition Strategy
Fullcast, a Seattle-founded revenue operations software startup, will relocate to Salt Lake City after raising $34 million in a new investment round led by Epic Ventures. The company is now led by Ryan Westwood and former Simplus executives, with plans to actively acquire other go-to-market firms and merge them into Fullcast's platform.
Pacvue Names Ex-Microsoft Leader Zhenbin Xu as Chief Product Officer Amid Multiple Seattle Tech Hires and Board Additions
Pacvue hired Zhenbin Xu, a former Microsoft leader, as chief product officer and recently added another Microsoft veteran, Sunava Dutta, as SVP of product. Other Seattle-area companies also made key hires and advisory appointments, including LeoStella, Adaptiva, WestRiver Group, Spectio, and Trilogy Equity Partners.
Kirkland Startup Steller Raises $5M to Launch AI-Enhanced 'Trips' Feature Combining Human and Machine Travel Insights
Steller, a Kirkland-based travel tech startup, raised $5 million to launch its 'Trips' feature, combining human travel insights with AI to enhance trip planning. Founded in 2014 and acquired in 2018 by its current team, the app leverages social media-style short videos and curated content to inspire and assist travelers.
Textio CEO Kieran Snyder Steps Down, Co-founder Jensen Harris Becomes CEO of Seattle AI Writing Startup
Kieran Snyder, co-founder and CEO of Seattle-based Textio, has stepped down to become chief scientist emeritus, with co-founder Jensen Harris taking over as CEO. Textio, founded in 2014, uses AI to reduce bias in workplace language and recently launched its fastest growing product, Textio Lift.
Symbiosys, led by ex-Google exec Bashar Kachachi, raises $9M Series A to modernize retail media advertising
Symbiosys, an adtech startup led by former Google and Microsoft exec Bashar Kachachi, raised $9 million in a Series A round to enhance collaboration between retailers and brands in the $45 billion retail media market. The company offers real-time analytics and collaborative bidding technology to optimize off-site product advertising.
Tagboard CEO Nate Peterson led turnaround to $6M ARR and closed $14.2M Series A in 2021 to scale cloud live-production tools
Nate Peterson, CEO of Tagboard, described his path from corporate roles at Microsoft and T-Mobile through startups and Privateer Holdings to joining Tagboard, where he led a turnaround and helped grow the company to $6M ARR before raising a $14.2M Series A in 2021. Tagboard pivoted from social-aggregation displays to cloud-based live production tools (Tagboard Producer and Cloud Graphics), now serving 500+ media brands, powering major live events, and delivering hundreds of billions of impressions annually.
Sandbox VR's 'Squid Game Virtuals' Generates $4.5M in Two Months Amid Growing VR Arcade Expansion
Sandbox VR, a startup with over 45 locations worldwide, offers group VR experiences including the popular 'Squid Game Virtuals' based on the hit Netflix show, generating $4.5 million in two months. Despite the fun and advanced technology, virtual reality has yet to achieve mainstream adoption.
Salesforce-Backed Cybersecurity Startup Oleria Raises $30 Million Following $8 Million Seed Round
Seattle cybersecurity startup Oleria, backed by Salesforce Ventures and led by former Salesforce chief trust officer Jim Alkove, is raising an additional $30 million according to a recent SEC filing. The company recently emerged from stealth with an $8 million seed round and features leadership with significant industry experience.
Microsoft, Google, and LevelTen Energy Form Granular Certificate Trading Alliance to Create 24/7 Clean Energy Marketplace
Microsoft, Google, LevelTen Energy, and others launched the Granular Certificate Trading Alliance, a marketplace enabling buyers to purchase 24/7 carbon-free energy verified by granular certificates. This initiative supports diverse clean energy sources beyond solar and wind to supply continuous carbon-free power.
Seattle-based Field Operations Software Startup Zuper Raises $32M Series B Led by FUSE, Total Funding Hits $46.1M
Zuper, a Seattle-based field operations software startup founded in 2018, raised $32 million in a Series B funding round led by FUSE, bringing total funding to $46.1 million. The company, led by CEO Anand Subbaraj, serves multiple industries and has offices in Seattle and India.
Audiosocket Launches Subscription Service Granting Instant Access to 85,000 Licensed Songs for Digital Creators
Audiosocket, a Seattle-based music-licensing startup founded in 2009, has launched a new subscription service called Music as a Service (MaaS) Integration Plan that offers instant access to a catalog of over 85,000 licensed songs for digital creators, bypassing traditional licensing delays. The company, led by co-founder and CEO Jenn Anderson-Miller, has also expanded partnerships with major platforms like TikTok, Canva, and YouTube to increase use of its licensed music in various digital ecosystems.
AWS Community Head Emily Freeman Departs; UW Medicine Names Dr. Timothy Dellit CEO; Pfizer Exec Joins Truveta Board
Emily Freeman, head of community at AWS, is leaving after several years, coinciding with another AWS leader's departure. Meanwhile, Dr. Timothy Dellit became UW Medicine CEO, William Johnson stepped down from Vancouver Tech Journal, and Pfizer exec Dr. Patrick Caubel joined Truveta's board.
Seattle’s Tola Capital Raises $230M Third Fund to Back 25–30 Early-Stage AI and Enterprise Software Startups
Seattle-based Tola Capital has raised $230 million for its third fund aimed at investing in 25-30 early-stage AI and enterprise software startups, focusing on cloud computing and AI innovation. Founded by former Microsoft managers Sheila Gulati and Stacey Giard, Tola has invested in over 20 companies and plans seed to Series B investments ranging from $1 million to $15 million.
Seattle Startup Expanso Raises $7.5M Seed Round Led by General Catalyst and Hetz Ventures to Expand Edge Data Processing Software
Seattle startup Expanso raised $7.5 million in a seed round led by General Catalyst and Hetz Ventures to advance its distributed data processing software powered by open source Bacalhau. The company is led by CEO David Aronchick, a former Amazon, Microsoft, and Google veteran.
No New Seattle Unicorns in 2023 as Venture Capital Slows and Former Unicorn Convoy Collapses
Seattle saw no new unicorn startups in 2023 amid a broader venture capital slowdown following a boom during the pandemic, with some existing unicorns like Convoy collapsing and others cutting costs or staff. This trend reflects a global decrease in new unicorns, dropping from 619 in 2021 to only 64 through Q3 2023.
Bill Gates-backed Graphyte Develops $100-per-Ton Plant-Based Bricks for 1,000-Year Underground Carbon Storage
Graphyte, backed by Bill Gates-led Breakthrough Energy Ventures, has developed affordable plant-based bricks that can store carbon underground for up to 1,000 years at under $100 per ton, meeting the Biden administration's climate funding goals. The technology uses waste biomass compressed into stable blocks for scalable, long-term carbon storage.
Seattle Startup Zuplo Raises $9M Seed Round to Expand API Management Platform Handling 4B Monthly Requests
Seattle-area startup Zuplo, founded by former Microsoft and Auth0 leaders, raised $9 million in a seed round led by Trilogy Equity Partners to support its API launch and management platform. Zuplo manages over 4 billion API requests monthly and focuses on developer productivity and cost efficiency amid a growing $14 billion API management market.
John Stanton of Trilogy Equity Partners Discusses Steady Venture Investments and AI Acquisition Challenges Amid Regulation
John Stanton of Trilogy Equity Partners highlights steady investment activity despite venture capital downturn, emphasizing AI-driven opportunities and regulatory challenges facing tech acquisitions. Speaking at a Harvard Business School event, Stanton also noted US regulators' impact on major tech companies' ability to acquire AI startups.
Jeff Bezos Moves from Seattle to Miami, Raising Questions on Washington's Capital Gains Tax Impact
Jeff Bezos is moving from Seattle to Miami, marking a symbolic end of an era for the Seattle region where he influenced business and philanthropy for three decades. The move raises questions about Washington state's capital gains tax and its impact on local leadership, while Bezos remains executive chairman of Amazon.
Yifan Zhang Joins AI2 Incubator as Managing Director; Dropbox, Marchex, and Seattle Startups Appoint New Tech Leaders
Yifan Zhang, former Loftium co-founder, is joining the AI2 Incubator as managing director starting February 2024, while several Seattle tech companies made key executive hires including Dropbox, Marchex, Simply Augmented, and Chainguard.
Seattle-Area Startup Chainguard Raises $61M Series B to Secure Open Source Software Supply Chains
Chainguard, a Kirkland-based cybersecurity startup focused on securing open source software supply chains, raised $61 million in a Series B funding round led by Spark Capital. The company has tripled its annual recurring revenue recently and counts Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Snowflake among its customers.
Seattle’s Neon Machine Raises $20M Series A to Develop Blockchain Web3 Shooter Game Shrapnel
Neon Machine, a Seattle startup developing the blockchain-based Web3 combat shooter Shrapnel, raised $20 million in a Series A funding round led by investors including Polychain Capital and Griffin Gaming Partners. The company plans to launch an early access paid version of Shrapnel in December and a free-to-play version next year.
Seattle Startup PerfectRec Uses AI and Expert Reviews to Simplify Electronics Shopping
PerfectRec, founded by Joe Golden, is a Seattle-based AI-driven product recommendation startup launched in early 2024 that helps users find electronics by combining expert reviews and data science to simplify online shopping decisions. The company employs freelance product experts and around 10 full-time employees, aiming to become the primary starting point for online shopping in a market worth hundreds of billions.
Convoy CEO Dan Lewis Discloses Near-M&A Deals Before Trucking Startup's Shutdown Amid Freight Recession
Convoy CEO Dan Lewis revealed on LinkedIn that the company reached advanced stages of two potential M&A deals before shutting down amid a prolonged freight recession and declined investor interest. The Seattle-based trucking startup, which had about 500 employees before the shutdown, had raised $260 million at a $3.8 billion valuation 18 months earlier.
People
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Ali Farhadi Executive, Former Allen Institute for AI CEO
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Bill Gates Executive, Former CEO, Co-founder
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Gaurav Sareen Executive, Chief Technology Officer - CAP
