Rover

Rover is a Seattle-based pet care company that operates the largest network of pet sitters and dog walkers, functions as an online...

Facts

HQ
United States
Sectors
Marketplace, Pet care, Platform
Stage
Public
News 36 Podcasts 12 Videos 2
GeekWire Podcast

The Agentic Entrepreneur: How the next wave of AI is changing the startup playbook

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: How artificial intelligence is changing the way companies are created, built, and operated. We're on location at Pioneer Square Labs in Seattle with investor and entrepreneur T.A. McCann, a managing director at the startup studio and venture capital firm. He explains how AI agents are automating complex functions, letting small teams do the work that once required large groups of people. As AI makes product development easier, he says, the key strategic moat for many startups is now shifting to distribution and data. Other topics include: The wearable AI recorder that captures everything he…

50 min
the weekly seattle

week of may 12: Dan Shapiro - Glowforge

We're talking entrepreneurship, production facilities, and acquisitions with the founder and CEO of Glowforge - Dan Shapiro. As we break down the top stories of the week, he also shares how he came up with the idea of a 3D laser printer, how the tariffs are going to impact his business, and what he got wrong about Rover. Top Stories: 1. Glowforge makes production changes Amid tariff turmoil, Glowforge turns to Seattle for new production factory — with help from AI (Geekwire) 2. Tutta Bella expands Kroger deal Tutta Bella ramps up production after landing major Kroger deal (PSBJ) 3…

48 min
Taylor Soper / GeekWire

Madrona Raises $770M for Two New Funds to Back Early and Late-Stage Tech Startups Amid VC Slowdown

Madrona, the largest venture capital firm in the Pacific Northwest, raised $770 million for two new funds focusing on early-stage and more mature tech startups despite a challenging VC fundraising environment in 2024. The firm plans to invest in about 30 companies at early stages and 12 at later stages, maintaining its strong position amid a slowdown in the broader venture capital sector.

TiE Seattle Featured

Gen AI Series - The AI agent redefining travel: Managing Director Mike Fridgen, Madrona Venture Labs

New episode location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO5SOfXRduE&list=PLqH2XogpwLRmYvCCxOj-W-eOAlCrhrk7i&index=22 Learn about the founding of Otto from Mike Fridgen, the Managing Director of Madrona Venture Labs where this concept was incubated. Otto is your personal AI travel agent that seeks to be as valuable and insightful as a dedicated personal assistant. Otto offers enterprise-grade travel booking and servicing capabilities through an easy-to-use AI travel agent that autonomously plans, books, and manages your travel, even during your trip. As Managing Director of Madrona Venture Labs (MVL), Mike Fridgen leads the studio's mission to partner with founders from day one to create extraordinary companies. Mike co-founded multiple MVL…

43 min
GeekWire Podcast

Who will be the Next Tech Titan? Previewing the GeekWire Awards

This week on the show, we get a sneak preview of the GeekWire Awards, coming up at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle on Thursday, May 9. We look back at the past winners of the Next Tech Titan title in the awards, and consider the event's track record in predicting major companies to emerge from Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. We also contemplate the evolution of the "Workplace of the Year" category through the rise of remote and hybrid work. And finally, we consider the impact of migration on another part of state: Spokane, Wash., and the Inland Northwest. See…

29 min
the weekly seattle

week of march 4: Emily Parkhurst - Formidable

Top Stories: 1. Expedia layoffs Geekwire article 2. Microsoft and Mistral AI Seattle Times article 3. Techstars accelerator closes Geekwire article 4. Blackstone acquires Rover PSBJ article 5. FTC blocks Kroger acquisition Seattle Times article 6. Burb’s Burgers closes Seattle Eater article Co-Host Emily Parkhurst: Emily Parkhurst was most recently the VP of Content at 6AM City. Prior to this role, she was the Publisher and Market President of the Puget Sound Business Journal. She was a Senior Reporter at The Forecaster where she won the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award for Investigative Reporting in 2010. She…

26 min
Nate Bek / GeekWire

Seattle’s Felix&Fido Raises $4M Pre-Seed Led by PSL Ventures and Rover to Launch Subscription Veterinary Care

Seattle startup Felix&Fido announced a $4 million pre-seed funding round led by PSL Ventures and Rover to launch subscription-based veterinary care combining telemedicine, in-clinic, and at-home services. Founded by former Army captain and Expedia executive Gavin Woody, the company aims to tackle the veterinary shortage with an innovative membership model.

Startup Project Featured

#20 Mike Fridgen: Seattle based Startup Incubator Madrona Venture Labs

In this Episode of Startup Project, Nataraj talked to Mike Fridgen, Managing Director at Madrona Venture Labs a Seattle based tech startup incubator. Some of the companies incubated include Style Genome (Acq by Wayfair), Chatitive (Acq by MailChimp), Message Yes (Acq by Nordstrom) & more. Before joining Madrona Venture Labs Mike was part of founding teams at Farecast (Acq by Microsoft) & Decide (Acq by Ebay) where he led product and growth strategies. Full Conversation includes: Farecast.com (Predicting prices) - Acquired by Microsoft Decide.com (next gen consumer reports) - Acquired by Ebay Through line across being part of multiple acquisitions…

32 min
What Fuels You Podcast

Scott Jacobson

Scott Jacobson is a Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group, where he has spent over 14 years helping early-stage technology entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest build and scale their companies. Scott is on the boards of companies like Rover, Flexe, and CommerceIQ, and focuses much of his energy on consumer businesses or business technologies that have a significant consumer component. Prior to joining Madrona, Scott worked at Amazon, where he did two tours of duty, leading product management for Amazon’s 3rd-party seller platform and working on the launch of the original Kindle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

51 min
John Cook / GeekWire

GeekWire: Pacific Northwest records 55 exits and 282 VC deals this year, including Rad Power Bikes’ $154M round

GeekWire reports a surge in deal activity across the Pacific Northwest this year, tracking 55 acquisitions, SPACs, IPOs and private equity buyouts and 282 venture financings (nearly one per day). Notable transactions include Nintendo’s Jan. 5 acquisition of Next Level Games, BitTitan’s sale to Idera, and Rad Power Bikes’ $154 million funding round.

GeekWire Podcast

Startup secrets; Windows 11 launch; In defense of the Blue Yeti

A global pandemic might seem like the wrong time to pursue a new startup idea, given all the uncertainties, but in many ways, the timing couldn't be better. That's one of the insights from our GeekWire Podcast conversation this week with Seattle-area entrepreneur and investor Shirish Nadkarni, author of the book From Startup to Exit: An Insider’s Guide to Launching and Scaling your Tech Business. The changes in user behavior and tech platform shifts caused by the pandemic dovetail with one of the lessons Nadkarni is hoping to get across to entrepreneurs. "Look for opportunities where there is either some…

35 min
GeekWire Podcast

How SPACs are shaking up Seattle's startup scene

An online marketplace that helps to facilitate trade between marijuana sellers and buyers will soon see its own stock traded on the Nasdaq. Another that connects pet owners with walkers, boarders and other caregivers just posted its first earnings as a publicly traded company. And a 3-year-old Redmond-based biotech company with a mere 25 employees just raised $80 million its stock market debut. SPACs are shaking up Seattle's startup scene. On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we examine how special purpose acquisition companies are turning startups into publicly traded stocks at a rapid clip. The SPAC phenomenon is giving…

40 min
Taylor Soper / GeekWire

Seattle startups raise record $3.1B in H1 2021, producing 12 local unicorns as Auth0 exits for $6.5B

Seattle-area startups raised a record $3.1 billion across 205 deals in H1 2021, driven by mega-rounds that produced at least 12 local unicorns and broader Pacific Northwest tech funding topping $5 billion. National VC activity and IPO/M&A dollar volumes are also surpassing prior records, with major exits like Auth0’s $6.5 billion acquisition by Okta highlighting regional maturation.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire

Zenoti raises $80M extension from TPG Capital, total funding $330M and valuation near $1.5B after December Series D

Zenoti raised an $80 million extension to its December Series D led by TPG Capital, bringing total funding to $330 million and valuing the company near $1.5 billion; the enterprise software serves over 12,000 spas, salons and wellness businesses across 50 countries. The company, founded by Sudheer and Dheeraj Koneru, charges per-store subscriptions, has a growing payments arm, saw revenue double in 2020, expects 120% growth in 2021, and plans expansion into pet grooming and fitness.

Cara Kuhlman / GeekWire

GeekWire Awards finalists highlighted as voting closes; virtual winners announced May 20

GeekWire's annual Awards event will be held virtually on May 20 after nearly 200 community nominations and over 6,000 reader votes; finalists are being highlighted for their rising positions on the GeekWire 200 ranking of Pacific Northwest private tech companies. Several finalists have 'exited' the ranking through IPOs or acquisitions, including Auth0, Accolade, Rover, and Sana Biotechnology, while others are not yet ranked.

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