Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- Software Development
- Founded
- 2015
- Employees
- 33
University of Washington Students Pitch AI and Tech Startups After 10-Week Entrepreneurship Course Led by Greg Gottesman
The University of Washington offers a popular 10-week entrepreneurship class led by venture capitalist Greg Gottesman, culminating in student pitches of tech startups at Pioneer Square Labs. The course attracted strong demand, featured high-profile guest speakers like Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and highlighted trends such as AI and computer vision.
Seattle Venture Capitalists Say AI Boosts Startup Opportunities but Competition Is Fierce
Seattle-area venture capitalists highlight that AI advancements make now an excellent time to start startups due to lower capital needs and broad industry opportunities, but warn of intense competition as many similar ventures emerge rapidly. Founders are encouraged to develop unique advantages to stand out and attract investment amid a flood of new ideas and competitors.
Seattle's Foundations Launches Founder-in-Residence Program Without Equity Requirement for Early-Stage Startups
Seattle-based startup community Foundations has launched a new Founder-in-Residence program designed to support early-stage founders without requiring equity. The program offers mentorship, accepts companies at various development stages, and operates on a rolling basis with a typical six-month participation.
Seattle Startup Official AI Raises $2 Million to Advance AI-Powered Content Creation Platform
Official AI, a Seattle startup enabling brands and talent to create AI-generated image and audio content, raised $2 million in seed funding led by Pioneer Square Ventures. The funding will help scale its engineering team and enhance its patented vault technology for secure collaboration and rights management.
Seattle’s Madrona Venture Firm Absorbs Madrona Venture Labs After 10 Years, Following $770M Fundraise
Seattle’s Madrona venture firm has absorbed its startup studio Madrona Venture Labs after over 10 years of independent operation and 30 incubated startups. This restructuring aligns with Madrona’s recent $770 million fundraise to consolidate efforts under one organization amid Seattle’s growing startup ecosystem.
Conduit Venture Labs Expands with Conduit Beacon to Support External Hard-Tech Startups
Conduit Venture Labs, a Seattle-based startup studio founded in 2022 by Amish Patel and Susan Paley to launch hardware-focused companies, has expanded its services with Conduit Beacon to support external founders, companies, VCs, and research entities in scaling and de-risking hard-tech ventures.
Fortive Leads $2M Pre-Seed Round for Seattle Startup Glue, Founded by Ex-Tektronix VP David Sulpy, to Automate Hardware Testing
Glue, a Seattle startup led by former Tektronix exec David Sulpy, raised $2 million in a pre-seed round led by Fortive to advance its AI-driven hardware test automation software. The company originated from a collaboration between Fortive and Pioneer Square Labs to accelerate product testing and market readiness.
Seattle Startup Overland AI Raises $32M Series A to Develop Off-Road Autonomous Tech for U.S. Military
Seattle startup Overland AI raised $32 million in a Series A funding round led by 8VC to advance its off-road autonomous driving technology for the U.S. military. The company, founded in 2022, has contracts with the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and DARPA to develop systems enabling robotic vehicles to operate in complex terrain without GPS or human drivers.
Seattle VCs, Including Pioneer Square Labs, Invest $8.5M in Denver Startup Kamiwaza to Boost Enterprise AI Adoption
Kamiwaza, a Denver-based startup founded in 2023, raised $8.5 million in a seed round led by S3 Ventures and Pioneer Square Labs to provide a software platform enabling enterprise AI adoption without major data migration. The company's tools support AI across cloud, on-premise, and edge infrastructure, serving Fortune 500 and government clients.
Seattle Spinout Certivo, Led by Kunal Chopra, Uses AI to Cut Compliance Management Costs by 90%
Certivo, a new Seattle-based spinout led by tech veteran Kunal Chopra and backed by Pioneer Square Labs and Fortive, uses AI to automate and streamline compliance management for manufacturers. Its platform offers cost-effective, multi-agent AI-driven solutions that integrate with major systems and provide real-time regulatory monitoring and predictive analysis.
Ex-Google Director Manish Sainani Launches AI Investment Firm Hushh Technologies; Nathan Brown Named CFO of Treasury4
Manish “Manny” Sainani, former Google director, launched Hushh Technologies, an AI-driven investment management startup, while Nathan Brown became CFO of Treasury4, a fintech company serving corporate finance professionals.
Seattle Startup Ever.green Advances Clean Energy Financing Amid Trump’s Fossil Fuel Support and IRA Uncertainty
Ever.green, a Seattle-based clean energy startup, remains optimistic about advancing climate projects despite President-elect Trump's support for fossil fuels and criticism of clean energy policies. The startup leverages the Inflation Reduction Act's tax credits to connect corporations with clean energy developers, navigating political uncertainties while noting strong Wall Street investment in the sector.
Julie Sandler to Shift from Managing Director to Venture Partner at Pioneer Square Labs in Late 2024
Julie Sandler, managing director at Pioneer Square Labs since 2017, will transition to a venture partner role in late 2024 while continuing to engage with the firm and its portfolio. She will also chair the Washington Roundtable next year, reflecting her ongoing influence in the Pacific Northwest tech and business communities.
Microsoft Veteran Priyanka Kulkarni Launches Seattle AI Startup Casium to Simplify Work Visa Applications
Priyanka Kulkarni, a former Microsoft employee, launched the Seattle startup Casium in April to use AI for streamlining U.S. work visa applications, inspired by her own challenging visa process. By July, Casium had paying customers, aiming to transform how immigration paperwork is prepared and submitted with attorney collaboration.
Former Blue Origin Vets Chris Le and Andrew Woodfield Launch Actuate Ventures to Fund and Support Space and Deep-Tech Startups
Former Blue Origin employees Chris Le and Andrew Woodfield launched Actuate Ventures, a venture studio focused on space and deep-tech startups, currently raising a $25 million fund. The studio combines incubation and investment to actively support emerging companies with specialized resources and expertise.
Pioneer Square Labs' Greg Gottesman Forecasts Generative AI Will Transform Venture Capital Operations by 2033
Greg Gottesman of Pioneer Square Labs predicts venture capital will fundamentally change in the next 5-10 years, increasingly leveraging generative AI to provide startups with more than just funding, including operational and coding support. Sheila Gulati of Tola Capital adds that early-stage investing is becoming more democratized, with a broader investor pool amid the recent AI-driven revival in venture capital.
Aviel Ginzburg and Team Launch Foundations to Foster Seattle’s Startup Community with In-Person Support Network
Foundations, a new startup community group led by Aviel Ginzburg and others in Seattle, aims to create a supportive 'serendipity factory' for early-stage founders by fostering in-person connections among entrepreneurs, mentors, and investors. The group hosted a launch party in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood to build a vibrant local tech startup ecosystem.
Seattle Startup Outgo Raises $15M and Secures $50M Credit Facility to Speed Cash Access for Trucking Carriers
Outgo, a Seattle-based startup providing banking services to trucking carriers, raised $15 million in a previously undisclosed funding round alongside a $50 million credit facility. The company offers finance software helping carriers access cash within hours and manages invoice processing with lower fees than traditional factoring companies.
Pioneer Square Labs Assembles Expert Technical Advisory Board Featuring Seattle Tech Leaders to Support Early-Stage Startups
Pioneer Square Labs has formed a new Technical Advisory Board comprising leading technology researchers, executives, and startup veterans to support its early-stage startups, with a focus on AI and technology innovation. The board includes prominent figures from the University of Washington, Microsoft, Google, and other notable tech companies.
Seattle Venture Capital Firm Flying Fish Files for New Fund III to Continue Investing in AI Startups
Seattle-based venture capital firm Flying Fish is raising a new fund called Flying Fish Fund III, following previous funds of $37 million and $70 million raised in 2016 and 2022 respectively. The firm focuses on early-stage AI, machine learning, and robotics startups, initially in the Pacific Northwest but now with a broader geographic scope.
Fortive expands four-year partnership with Pioneer Square Labs to run recurring weeklong "sprint weeks" incubating startups from employee ideas
Everett-based Fortive has partnered with Seattle startup studio Pioneer Square Labs for about four years to spin new ventures from employee ideas and expanded the program last year to run frequent weeklong "sprint weeks" that incubate concepts from its 17 subsidiaries. During sprint weeks teams perform discovery, validate economics, pitch to PSL, iterate, and pursue further development or pilot opportunities within Fortive.
Google Veteran Stephen Konig Leads Seattle-Based Mudita Studios Spinning Out B2B Software Startups
Stephen Konig, a former Google product leader, runs Mudita Studios in Seattle, a startup studio spun out from Detroit-based Mudita Venture Partners focusing on early-stage B2B software startups. The studio has launched four startups, including Official AI, Stellis AI, and Predict.law, and aims to reduce risk for entrepreneurs by testing and funding ideas, with a 95% idea rejection rate.
Seattle VCs Warn AI Startups Against Overusing 'AI' Buzzword, Urge Focus on Customer Problems
Seattle-area venture capitalists advise AI startups to avoid overusing the term 'AI' in pitches, emphasizing the importance of focusing on real customer problems instead of hype. Investors like Vivek Ladsariya and Heather Redman stress that credible companies should integrate AI soundly without overselling it.
Copper Halts Banking Services After Synapse Bankruptcy Forces Deposit Account Lockouts
Fintech startup Copper has discontinued its banking services and debit card offerings due to its banking-as-a-service provider Synapse filing for bankruptcy and shutting down its platform. Affected customers are temporarily unable to access deposit accounts, but Copper plans to pivot to its 'Earn' product focused on surveys and games.
UW Spinout Overland AI Raises $10M to Develop Off-Road Autonomous Tech for U.S. Military
Seattle startup Overland AI raised $10 million to advance its off-road autonomous driving technology, which is being developed for U.S. military use. The company recently secured a potential $18.6 million contract with the U.S. Army to develop its OverDrive platform for robotic combat vehicles.
People
See all 11-
Geoff Entress Founder, Co-founder and Venture Partner
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Greg Gottesman Founder, Managing Director, Co-Founder
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Julie Sandler Founder, Co-founder & General Partner, PSL Ventures, Former Managing Director , Venture Partner (upcoming), Venture Partner, Managing Director, PSL
