Techstars Seattle
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- Accelerator, Startup Support
- Founded
- 2010
Founders’ Co-op celebrates 15 years, reflecting on 2008 founding and mission to fund Pacific Northwest technical founders
Founders’ Co-op marks its 15th year, reflecting on founding in 2008 and its mission to build a day-zero launchpad for technical founders in the Pacific Northwest and connect them to Series A+ capital. The partners describe learning the hard lessons of venture investing—how VC’s long, deliberate cycles and irrevocable decisions differ from startup speed and scale.
Former Starbucks Exec Adam Brotman and Investor Andy Sack Raise $10M for Forum3 to Expand NFT Loyalty Tech
Seattle tech veterans Adam Brotman and Andy Sack raised $10 million to launch Forum3, a startup offering NFT-based customer engagement tech designed to simplify blockchain use for consumer brands. Forum3 aims to provide a white-labeled version of Starbucks' NFT loyalty program, Odyssey, removing cryptocurrency barriers for users.
Techstars CEO Maelle Gavet Highlights Economic Downturn Challenges and Startup Support Role Amid $2.5B Raised by Accelerated Firms
Maelle Gavet, CEO of Techstars, warns of a significant market reset in the tech industry due to an economic downturn but highlights Techstars’ role in helping startups build resilient businesses and secure funding. Since launching in 2006, Techstars has accelerated nearly 3,000 startups, with its Seattle program producing over 130 companies that have raised $2.5 billion collectively.
Round, founded by ex-Microsoft leaders Ryan Fuller, Mani Gill and Brian Jansen, raises $12M seed to build vetted network for senior tech leaders
Round, a Seattle startup founded by former Microsoft leaders, raised a $12 million seed round to build a vetted network for senior tech leaders; other Pacific Northwest deals include PTO Exchange's $5.4 million raise and funding and licensing activity at PupPod.
CoderPad acquires Seattle startup AdaptiLab’s technical interviewing platform as founders James Wu and Allen Lu launch a new developer-focused company
Seattle startup AdaptiLab has sold its technical interviewing platform to CoderPad; terms were not disclosed. Founders James Wu and Allen Lu, who raised $1.8M in a 2019 seed and $2.2M total, are launching a new developer-focused company later this year with existing and new investors.
StormX signs five-year, eight-figure jersey patch deal with Portland Trail Blazers starting 2021-22
Seattle crypto startup StormX signed a five-year, eight-figure jersey patch deal with the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers starting in the 2021-22 season, becoming the first cryptocurrency company to sponsor an NBA jersey. The agreement includes in-arena branding, exclusive blockchain partner rights, international marketing/distribution rights, and highlights StormX’s growth (3M+ app downloads, $209M token market value).
Techstars Seattle launches 12th virtual cohort of 10 startups in January, achieves gender parity for first time
Techstars Seattle launched its 12th cohort as a fully virtual 3-month accelerator in January, applying lessons from the pandemic to expand investor outreach and eliminate commutes while accepting trade-offs in-person networking. The cohort of 10 startups — led to gender parity for the first time — includes alumni-backed ecosystem growth and highlights founders like Afriblocks operating across Harare and Los Angeles.
Founders’ Co-op closes $50M Fund V to back pre-seed and seed Pacific Northwest startups
Founders’ Co-op announced the close of its fifth fund, a $50M largest-to-date vehicle focused on pre-seed and seed investments in Pacific Northwest technical founding teams, highlighting the region's growth since 2008 and the firm's track record with over 200 portfolio companies.
Techstars Seattle launches 12th cohort virtually, achieves first-ever gender parity among CEOs
Techstars Seattle announced its 12th cohort, which will run largely virtually using lessons from its 2020 remote program and starting a few weeks earlier to improve virtual connection. The 2021 class achieved gender parity among CEOs, and Techstars Seattle says virtual programming has not hurt fundraising and broadened investor interest.
Symbl raises $4.7M led by Crosscut Ventures with Amazon Alexa Fund to expand conversational AI for enterprise
Seattle startup Symbl raised $4.7 million in a round led by Crosscut Ventures with participation from Amazon’s Alexa Fund and several other investors to expand its conversational AI API that transcribes real-time conversations and extracts insights for meetings, customer care, and sales. Founded in 2018 by Surbhi Rathore and Toshish Jawale, the 30-person company says pandemic-driven digital communication growth has increased demand for its services.
Russell Benaroya
Russell has been a Seattle area healthcare and technology entrepreneur for a long time and has a background in corporate finance and private equity. In 2018-2019, Russell re-architected his life and moved abroad with his family to Costa Rica. That posed an interesting challenge. He needed a profession that he could perform from outside the United States while also tapping into his passion of supporting other entrepreneurs to achieve their highest and best use. Today, Russell is the co-founder of Stride Services, a national bookkeeping and accounting firm serving over 100 high growth companies. He regularly speaks on boring accounting…
GeekWire Awards Preview: Airbnb cleaning startup Neu
Like many businesses entering 2020, Neu was riding a wave of optimism and growth. With its marketplace that connects Airbnb hosts with hotel-grade cleaners, the Seattle-based startup had found its niche. Just as Neu was joining the 11th cohort of Techstars Seattle to further fuel its success, the coronavirus pandemic arrived and changed everything. The economic fallout was swift, and travel was among the hardest hit industries. "It was a one-two punch that definitely knocked us down a little bit," Neu co-founder Kwame Boler told GeekWire. "We had a lot of momentum going into February. We were developing a lot…
Techstars Seattle’s 2020 cohort shifts programming online, prepares for virtual Demo Day May 6 as startups pivot amid COVID-19
Techstars Seattle's 11th accelerator cohort of 10 startups began in February and has adapted to COVID-19 by moving in-person programming online, pivoting business models, and accelerating product development where needed ahead of a virtual Demo Day on May 6, 2020.
Chris DeVore
Chris DeVore, Managing Partner of Founders’ Co-op and former Managing Director of Techstars Seattle, shares how he’s helped over 200 Pacific Northwest startups raise over $1.5 billion in investor capital. You’ll learn what is unique about Seattle’s startup ecosystem, how seed rounds came to be and details on what the venture capital process is like for investors. Chris talks about how he’s now raised four funds, why he’d always rather back a founder who has been told she or he isn't 'enough' and is hellbent to prove otherwise, the lessons he learned from working at Patagonia and the founders/companies he’s…
Techstars Seattle announces 2018 class with improved diversity: 3 women CEOs, 2 African American CEOs in 10-company cohort
Techstars Seattle reports a more diverse 2018 class after targeted outreach: three women CEOs and two African American CEOs among 10 companies, plus founders from Jordan, Iran and Pakistan, though Latinx representation remains absent and women are still underrepresented.
Swym Launches Platform to Help E-Commerce Retailers Offer Amazon-Like Multi-Device Shopping Experiences
Swym, a Seattle-based startup, offers a platform that helps e-commerce retailers track shopper behavior across devices to provide personalized shopping experiences similar to Amazon's. Founded to enhance mobile shopping convenience, Swym aims to level the playing field for smaller retailers competing against giants like Amazon and Walmart.
People
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Chris DeVore Managing Director
