Seattle Sounders
Arkero signs Bolton Wanderers for three-month AI project to build club intelligence layer after $6M funding
Seattle startup Arkero, founded last fall and backed by $6 million in funding, signed Bolton Wanderers FC to a three-month project to rebuild the club’s data infrastructure and create a custom AI-powered “club intelligence layer” to centralize data and workflows. Arkero already serves several U.S. and U.K. clubs, and CEO Shivaas Gulati emphasizes that AI transformation starts with organizing a club’s data, systems, knowledge and workflows.
NFL Owners Unanimously Approve Khosla Family's Record $9.6B Purchase of Seattle Seahawks
NFL owners unanimously approved the Khosla family's $9.6 billion purchase of the Seattle Seahawks, a record NFL franchise sale that names Neeru Khosla as controlling owner though the deal is not yet final.
Rick Turoczy’s Silicon Florist (Jul 31, 2026) Reviews Portland Startup News, Angel Oregon Finalists and LLM Insights
Rick Turoczy's July 31, 2026 Silicon Florist episode recaps a 'quiet-ish' week in Portland startup news, highlighting five Angel Oregon finalists, how LLMs discuss startups, community support tips, and local ecosystem critiques.
Seattle Sounders honor S. ‘Soma’ Somasegar, Madrona VC and former Microsoft exec, with pregame tribute after his May death at 59
The Seattle Sounders honored late Microsoft executive and Madrona venture capitalist S. “Soma” Somasegar, a minority owner who died in May at 59, with a pregame tribute and moment of silence recognizing his impact on Seattle’s tech and sports communities. Somasegar, who joined the Sounders ownership group in 2019, was remembered for his leadership at Microsoft, mentorship of startups, and efforts to bring people together through sports.
2026 GeekWire Awards Celebrate Seattle Tech Scene with Over 300 Attendees and Winners Including Carbon Robotics, HouseWhisper AI, and Omeros
The 2026 GeekWire Awards celebrated Seattle's vibrant tech community with over 300 attendees honoring top startups, founders, and leaders across multiple categories at Showbox SoDo. The event highlighted Seattle as a hub for innovation with winners like Carbon Robotics, HouseWhisper AI, and Omeros recognized for their contributions.
Arkero Raises $6M to Use AI in Managing Operations for Pro Soccer Teams, Led by Remitly Co-Founder Shivaas Gulati
Arkero, a Seattle startup founded by Remitly veterans including CEO Shivaas Gulati, raised $6 million in pre-seed funding to use AI for improving sports teams' business operations. The platform integrates with existing tools to help pro soccer clubs like Seattle Sounders FC and San Diego FC optimize matchday planning and season ticket renewals.
Julie Van Ullen Joins iSpot as President and CRO; Ashley Fidler Named Chief Product Officer at MoxiWorks
Julie Van Ullen has been appointed president and chief revenue officer at iSpot, a media impact measurement company, while Ashley Fidler became chief product officer at Seattle-based real estate platform MoxiWorks. Both bring significant leadership and industry experience to their roles.
Remitly Co-founder Shivaas Gulati Launches Arkero AI to Leverage Artificial Intelligence in Sports and Live Events in Seattle
Shivaas Gulati, co-founder of Remitly, is launching Arkero AI in Seattle to help sports and live event organizations leverage artificial intelligence. Drawing from his experience with Southend United and Seattle Sounders FC, he aims to create business value with AI in these industries.
Zulily Shuts Seattle Headquarters and Two Warehouses, Laying Off Over 792 Employees in 2023
Zulily is closing its Seattle headquarters and two warehouses in Nevada and Ohio, resulting in layoffs of over 792 employees. The company, recently acquired by Regent private equity, has faced financial difficulties including lawsuits for unpaid invoices and multiple rounds of layoffs in 2023.
Hootsuite Names Jessica Hartigan CRO and Ellen Terchila CCO; EMOTIV, Institute for Protein Design, Appen, and Outreach Announce Executive Hires
Hootsuite appointed Jessica Hartigan as Chief Revenue Officer and Ellen Terchila as Chief Customer Officer, while other tech companies also announced key executive hires including Gary Flake at EMOTIV and Lynda Stuart at the Institute for Protein Design.
Brad Evans launches Contrib to auction athlete memorabilia online and boost charity fundraising
Former Seattle Sounders defender Brad Evans has launched Contrib, a digital fundraising startup that auctions athlete memorabilia and leverages social media and game-time hype to raise more money for charities than traditional in-person donations. Evans says building the tech company has been a steep learning curve and is giving him new, sometimes sleepless, challenges compared with his 12-year pro soccer career.
Russell Wilson and Spencer Rascoff back MOJO app to give parent coaches pro-grade youth-sports drills
MOJO is a new Los Angeles-based mobile app, backed by Russell Wilson and Spencer Rascoff, offering professionally produced coaching guidance for parent coaches and families in youth sports starting with soccer and expanding to basketball, baseball and softball. Founded by Ben Sherwood and Reed Shaffner, the app aims to simplify youth-sports instruction, make practices more fun, and reduce dropout rates among children ages roughly 4–13.
Amperity Adds Ciara to Board to Lead Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Initiatives
Seattle-based customer data platform Amperity appointed Grammy-winning singer and entrepreneur Ciara to its board to lead corporate social responsibility efforts and advise on community initiatives.
Shotcall CTO Gordon Li — Techstars alum — helps fans play live with creators after $2.25M seed round
Gordon Li, co-founder and CTO of Shotcall, turned his passion for gaming into a company that connects content creators with fans for live, bookable play sessions; Shotcall joined Techstars in 2020 and raised a $2.25 million seed round last fall.
Stalking Seattle's unicorns
Seattle's tech community just reached a new milestone: 10 unicorns, privately held companies valued at more than $1 billion. Their characteristics say a lot about the direction and state of the tech industry in the region, both positive and negative. Read more: Seattle area boasts 10 fast-growing unicorns: Can you name the billion-dollar startups? Joining us as a guest commentator this week: Heather Redman, co-founder and managing partner of Flying Fish Partners, a Seattle-based venture capital firm that focuses its investments on machine learning and artificial intelligence. Also up for discussion: the challenges of running a big tech hub like…
GeekWire Awards 2020 Goes Virtual; Ally Wins Startup of the Year as Bill Gates and Celebrities Celebrate
GeekWire held a virtual GeekWire Awards livestream honoring top Pacific Northwest tech companies and leaders across 12 categories, with winners accepting via Zoom and special video messages from figures like Bill Gates. Seattle startup Ally won Startup of the Year, and the event included entertainment such as The Drunken Tenorperforming an "Opera di Zoom."
Seattle confronts the coronavirus
Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. Seattle became ground zero in the U.S. coronavirus outbreak this week and tech firms were trying to adjust. Meetings and conferences were cancelled or moved online and many firms told employees to work from home for the rest of the month. GeekWire was no exception: Our annual awards event has been postponed. How will the virus impact Seattle’s tech scene in the short term and in the long run? Will it change the way many of us work? We discuss … Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in…
Satya Nadella and Seattle Tech Leaders Join Sounders FC Ownership; Cray Gets $600M DOE Supercomputer Contract Ahead of $1.3B HPE Acquisition
Seattle tech leaders, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, have joined a revamped Sounders FC ownership group. Cray is developing a $600 million exascale supercomputer for the U.S. Department of Energy and is being acquired by HPE for $1.3 billion.
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