Bizible founder Aaron Bird raises $5.1M to launch Seattle B2B startup studio Pienza
Aaron Bird, founder of Bizible, launched Seattle startup studio Pienza and raised $5.1 million from MHS Capital, Version One Ventures, Vulcan Capital and angels to build a small portfolio of B2B software companies. Pienza will focus on fewer, highly concentrated bets, put most of the funding into portfolio companies, keep a lean internal team, and Bird will forgo a salary.
Pandemic Accelerates Adoption of Enterprise Software in Seattle, Boosting Cloud and Cybersecurity Startups
The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating adoption of enterprise software in the Seattle and Pacific Northwest tech scene, highlighting startups in cloud computing and cybersecurity that dominate the GeekWire 200. Analysts say enterprise cloud firms appear relatively resilient to recessionary pressures compared with consumer-facing startups, though risks remain if businesses cut spending.
Igneous lays off staff amid ‘difficult economic environment’; CEO role held by Dean Darwin
Seattle-based unstructured data management startup Igneous has conducted a reduction in force amid a difficult economic environment; the company declined to disclose the number of layoffs and lists 69 employees on LinkedIn. Founded in 2013, Igneous raised $25 million in a 2019 Series C (bringing total funding to $70M) and recently replaced co-founder Kiran Bhageshpur with Dean Darwin as CEO.
Optimize.health raises $15.6M to scale remote patient monitoring platform amid telehealth surge
Seattle health-tech startup Optimize.health raised $15.6 million to expand its remote patient monitoring platform, which integrates with EHRs, supports communication and billing, and has seen revenue grow over 800% year-over-year.
