SeekOut
Facts
- HQ
- Bellevue, Wash.
- Sectors
- Software Development
- Founded
- 2017
- Employees
- 160
- Stage
- Startup
- Founders
- Aravind Bala
Tech Community Mourns S. 'Soma' Somasegar, Microsoft Veteran and Madrona VC, at Age 59
S. 'Soma' Somasegar, a respected Microsoft veteran and Madrona Ventures investor, passed away at age 59, prompting widespread tributes highlighting his kindness, mentorship, and lasting impact on the tech community. Colleagues remembered him as a humble servant leader and champion of developers whose legacy went beyond his business contributions.
Seattle’s Talairis Law Group, Founded by Ex-Perkins Coie Attorneys, Launches AI-Driven Startup Law Firm for Broad Legal Support
Talairis Law Group, founded by former big law and in-house attorneys Sam Shaddox and Matt Souza, launches in Seattle using AI to perform much of the legal work associates traditionally do, aiming to offer startups lower-cost legal services. Unlike other AI-powered law firms focused on singular practice areas, Talairis seeks to provide broad, day-to-day legal support leveraging AI.
Seattle Students Compete in TiE Young Entrepreneurs Finals with AI Startup Winning Spot in Global Contest
Over 100 students from 20 teams competed in the TYE Seattle Chapter Finals pitching startups in AI, healthcare, nutrition, and recycling, with an AI-powered email assistant winning first place. The event featured a panel from Amazon, Microsoft, and OpenAI discussing career navigation in the AI era, and Seattle aims for a third consecutive global title next month.
Seattle Startups Navigate AI-Driven Shift with Fewer Venture Deals, Amazon Bets, and Allbirds’ AI Infrastructure Pivot
Seattle-area startups face new challenges as the AI era drives fewer but larger venture investments, with regional tech hub definitions blurring and workforce reductions occurring among leading companies. Amazon is making strategic bets, and Allbirds is shifting focus toward AI infrastructure amid these changes.
Anoop Gupta Steps Down as SeekOut CEO, Sean Thompson Named Successor to Drive AI Recruiting Growth
Anoop Gupta is stepping down as CEO of SeekOut on May 4 to become executive chairman, passing leadership to Sean Thompson, who will focus on scaling SeekOut's AI recruiting service and pursuing acquisitions for growth. Thompson, an enterprise tech veteran, previously led NAVEX and has experience with SAP, Microsoft, and AI startups.
Sabrina Albert (Wu) Promoted to Partner at Madrona Venture Group, Highlights Enterprise AI Agents Transforming Workflows
Sabrina Albert (Wu) has been promoted to partner at Madrona Venture Group amid rapid technological change and emphasizes the rise of enterprise AI agents as autonomous coworkers transforming software interaction. She focuses on founder-market fit in startups and values dynamic iteration to meet evolving customer needs.
Bala Vishwanath Named SeekOut CMO; Zillow’s Chad Cohen and Zulily’s Darrell Cavens Join Grindr and Match Group Boards
Bala Vishwanath joined SeekOut as chief marketing officer, while former Zillow CFO Chad Cohen and ex-Zulily CEO Darrell Cavens joined the boards of Grindr and Match Group, respectively. These appointments highlight leadership changes in prominent Seattle-area tech and dating companies.
Seattle Startups Airloom AI, Artemis Software Works, and Genmark Innovate in Security Video Search, Software Tools, and Marketing Automation
The article spotlights Seattle-based tech startups Airloom AI, Artemis Software Works, and Genmark, highlighting their founders, focus areas, and recent developments. These startups work in video operations for security footage, secretive software tools, and marketing automation, respectively.
GeekWire 200 Updates Top Pacific Northwest Tech Startups Featuring Chainguard's $140M Raise and $1.1B Valuation
The GeekWire 200 ranking updates the top privately held tech startups in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, highlighting companies like Chainguard that raised $140 million and reached a $1.1 billion valuation. The list spans various industries and regions including Oregon and British Columbia, emphasizing the area's strong B2B enterprise software and consumer tech sectors.
Devin Lammers Named CEO of TerraClear to Drive Growth After $15M Series A for Rock-Clearing AI Technology
Devin Lammers was appointed CEO of TerraClear, a rock-mapping and picking startup, to lead its market expansion following a $15 million Series A funding round. TerraClear develops AI-driven technology to help farmers remove large rocks from fields, addressing a common agricultural challenge.
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.
Seattle High School Team Soundwave Wins $2,750 at TiE Young Entrepreneur Finals with AI Accent Softening Tool for Call Centers
Seattle-area high schoolers from the team Soundwave won the TiE Young Entrepreneur Seattle chapter finals with an AI-enabled accent softening tool for call center agents, earning a $2,750 prize. Other notable winners included KEY Beauty and MyPath, which created technology platforms addressing makeup shade matching and AI-driven college counseling, respectively.
Seattle Startup Humanly Acquires AI Recruiting Firm Teamable, Expands Team and Product Leadership
Seattle startup Humanly has acquired San Francisco-based Teamable to enhance its AI-driven recruiting technology. The acquisition brings Teamable CEO Matthew Raymond to Humanly as vice president of product, expanding Humanly's team to just under 50 employees.
Madrona Adds Jeff Mills as Partner to Lead Silicon Valley Expansion; Nex Hires Former Walmart Execs; Amperity CEO Steps Down
Seattle venture firm Madrona hired Jeff Mills as partner to expand its Silicon Valley presence, while Nex appointed two former Walmart tech leaders, and Amperity's CEO Barry Padgett stepped down. Other Pacific Northwest tech industry moves include leadership changes at Zendesk and Cohesity.
Seattle Recruiting Software Startup SeekOut Lays Off 30% of Workforce, Second Round in Eight Months
Seattle-based recruiting software startup SeekOut cut 30% of its workforce last week, marking its second round of layoffs in eight months amid a tech downturn. The company raised $115 million in 2022, was valued at $1.2 billion, but did not disclose exact numbers of employees affected.
Anoop Gupta - SeekOut - What Fuels You
Anoop Gupta is the CEO and Co-Founder of SeekOut, an AI-powered Talent Intelligence Platform helping organizations recruit, retain, and grow talent. Anoop started SeekOut after an 18-year career at Microsoft. During his tenure, Anoop was the Corporate Vice-President of the multibillion-dollar Unified Communications Group (Skype + Exchange). He was TA to Bill Gates, advising on technology and product strategy, and as a Distinguished Scientist at MSR, he led work on AI, Natural User Interfaces, and Telepresence. Prior to Microsoft, Anoop was a tenured professor at Stanford University and he holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University.
Anoop Gutpa - CEO and Co-founder at SeekOut
Anoop Gupta is the CEO and Co-Founder of SeekOut, an AI-powered Talent Intelligence Platform helping organizations recruit, retain, and grow talent. Anoop started SeekOut after an 18-year career at Microsoft. During his tenure, Anoop was the Corporate Vice-President of the multibillion-dollar Unified Communications Group (Skype + Exchange). He was TA to Bill Gates, advising on technology and product strategy, and as a Distinguished Scientist at MSR, he led work on AI, Natural User Interfaces, and Telepresence. Prior to Microsoft, Anoop was a tenured professor at Stanford University and he holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. See…
Seattle Recruiting Startup SeekOut Cuts 7% Staff Amid Restructuring, Plans Growth to 225 Employees in 2024
Seattle-based recruiting software startup SeekOut laid off 16 employees (7% of its workforce) in a restructuring but plans to grow its team to 225 employees by year-end. The company, valued at over $1.2 billion after raising $115 million last year, uses AI technology and serves over 1,000 clients including Salesforce and McKinsey.
Former Microsoft Teams VP Graham Sheldon Becomes UiPath Chief Product Officer; Sage Bionetworks Appoints Luca Foschini as President
Graham Sheldon, former Microsoft Teams corporate vice president of product, has been appointed chief product officer at UiPath, an AI and automation company. Additionally, Sage Bionetworks named Luca Foschini president, and UiPath promoted Munil Shah to CTO of cloud.
IA40 Spotlight: SeekOut CEO Anoop Gupta and VP of People Jenny Armstrong-Owen on AI-powered talent solutions, developing talent, and maintaining culture
This week on Founded and Funded, we spotlight our next IA40 winner – SeekOut. Investor Ishani Ummat talks to SeekOut Co-founder and CEO Anoop Gupta and VP of People Jenny Armstrong-Owen about their AI-powered intelligence platform, the importance of not only finding and recruiting new hires but also developing and retaining employees within a company, and maintaining SeekOut's own culture while seeing significant growth over the last year.
GeekWire returns in person for 2022 Awards at Showbox SoDo, honoring 60+ finalists across 15 categories with 16,000+ votes
GeekWire held its first in-person GeekWire Awards in three years at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, honoring 60+ finalists across 15 categories with over 16,000 community votes and appearances by local tech leaders and entertainers.
Seattle-Area Startups Raise $1.5 Billion in Q1 2022 Amid U.S. VC Funding Slowdown from $95.4B Q4 2021
Seattle-area startups raised $1.5 billion in Q1 2022 across 112 deals, down from $2.7 billion in Q4 2021 but still higher than Q1 2021, amid a broader U.S. venture capital slowdown driven by inflation, interest rates, and geopolitical uncertainty. Despite lower funding levels, the venture capital market is experiencing a healthy recalibration with strong business models and significant dry powder available to support startups.
U.S. VC Hits $330B in 2021; Washington State Pulls $8.5B Across 549 Deals, 9 New Seattle Unicorns
Venture capital hit record highs in the U.S. in 2021 with $330 billion across 17,054 deals, and Washington state saw $8.5 billion invested in 549 deals (a 77% increase over 2020), driven in part by newly minted unicorns in the Seattle area.
GeekWire updates Seattle list as Highspot raises $248M at $3.5B; SeekOut and Icertis added to 16 local unicorns
GeekWire updated its list of Seattle-area 'unicorn' startups (privately held companies valued at $1B+) after additions and a valuation change for Icertis, noting recent entrants like SeekOut and Highspot, which raised $248 million at a $3.5 billion valuation. The article highlights that the Seattle cohort includes 16 unicorns, none led by a female or Black CEO, and that many CEOs have Microsoft backgrounds amid a global surge in unicorns and venture funding.
Highspot raises $248M Series F at $3.5B valuation as remote-selling demand surges
Seattle-based sales enablement startup Highspot raised $248 million in a Series F at a $3.5 billion valuation, driven by increased demand for remote-selling tools as the pandemic shifted sales work online.
People
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Anoop Gupta Founder, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, Executive Chair
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Aravind Bala Executive, CEO
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Sean Thompson Executive, CEO, Advisor to the Board
