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

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…

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…

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…

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…

#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…

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.

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…

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…

GeekWire Awards Winners Revealed

The strength and success of the people and companies across the Pacific Northwest tech ecosystem was on full display Thursday night at the GeekWire Awards. GeekWire's Jonathan Sposato, John Cook and Todd Bishop share highlights and clips from the night on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. More highlights here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ambika Singh

Ambika Singh is the Founder and CEO of Armoire, a high-end clothing rental service that’s evolving the way women shop and dress. The idea was born during her time getting an MBA at MIT and the company launched in 2016 after she spent time at impressive companies like Microsoft, The Boston Consulting Group and Rover. Ambika shares her thoughts on mentors, molding your definition of success as you progress in your career and the importance of family. She’s been recognized on the 40 Under 40 List and is extraordinarily humble and relatable. Listen to her discuss what it’s like to…

Epic week for startup funding

Seattle startups raked in hundreds of millions of dollars this week. What's behind the flurry of big-dollar deals? Plus, a new service that lets you rent your car out, Airbnb-style, and Seattle's iconic Space Needle gets a makeover See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Week in Geek: Bezos, Rover, and Pokemon

It was a busy news week in Seattle. Rover announced it is acquiring its biggest competition; the Bezos family made a record-breaking donation to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; and the University of Washington released a heartwarming study on the effects of Pokemon Go on family bonding. Catch it all on this episode of the Week in Geek. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People

Online