University of Washington
Facts
- HQ
- University of Washington
- Sectors
- Higher Education, Research, Healthcare, Arts
- Founded
- 1861
- Registered name
- University of Washington Seattle business license
- Stage
- Public
Bellevue’s tech boom draws Amazon, Apptio and major firms as city positions itself as Seattle alternative
Bellevue has become a major tech hub attracting companies like Amazon, Apptio, T-Mobile, Smartsheet, OfferUp and Icertis thanks to its downtown, livability, low crime and business-friendly policies, with major expansions including Amazon’s plan to employ 25,000 there.
Ignite's Meet the Investor with Greg Gottesman of Pioneer Square Labs
Catch the replay of the October 2021 edition of Ignite's Meet the Investor program featuring Greg Gottesman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Pioneer Square Labs and Co-Founder of Rover.com. Meet the Investor is sponsored by Witherspoon Kelley.
Life Science Washington CEO Leslie Alexandre to retire after leading state’s biotech resurgence as 2021 IPOs raise hundreds of millions
Leslie Alexandre, president and CEO of Life Science Washington, is retiring after five years leading the group during a period of strong growth in Washington state's biotech sector that recovered from a 2016 slump. The region has seen several major biotech IPOs in 2021 (including Sana Biotechnology's $587M, Absci's $200M, and Icosavax's $180M+), growing research strength and recognition as an emerging biotech market.
Gopuff adds Sanjay Shah, Dan Beranek and Komal Kashiramka to Seattle leadership as company valued at $15B after $1B funding
Gopuff expanded its Seattle leadership team by hiring three executives — Sanjay Shah (SVP North America fulfillment), Dan Beranek (VP product for fresh food) and Komal Kashiramka (director of engineering for Gopuff Kitchen) — after a $1 billion funding round that valued the company at $15 billion. Other regional moves include Vinayak Hegde promoted to president of Wheels Up and FlavorCloud hiring Telved Devlet as VP of customer success and operations.
Oscilla Power and C-Power Begin First Commercial-Scale Wave Energy Tests in Hawaii as DOE Pours $27M into PacWave South
Two Pacific Northwest companies, Oscilla Power (Seattle) and C-Power (Oregon State University spinout), are beginning commercial-scale tests of wave-energy systems this fall at the U.S. Navy Wave Energy Test Site in Hawaii, while the U.S. Department of Energy awarded $27 million for wave energy R&D at PacWave South off Newport, Oregon. Researchers say wave power has been challenging but may be reaching a proving stage after years of lagging behind solar and land-based wind.
Jesse Proudman
Jesse Proudman is the co-founder and CEO of Makara, a new investment platform democratizing access to the cryptocurrency markets, and the co-founder of Strix Leviathan, a crypto investment manager powered by a sophisticated proprietary trading platform. Prior to Strix Leviathan and Makara, Jesse founded Blue Box, a cloud computing startup that he led to a successful acquisition by IBM. During his time at IBM as an IBM Distinguished Engineer, Jesse focused on blockchain technology and cryptocurrency applications. With more than two decades of experience as a technical entrepreneur, Jesse serves on the board for the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship at…
Cloudentity Names Jason Needham as CEO After $13M Series A; Leafly Appoints Suresh Krishnaswamy as CFO; Chris Suh Joins Cardlytics Board; Three Named HHMI Investigators
Seattle startup Cloudentity named Jason Needham, ex-CloudCoreo and VMware multi-cloud security lead, as CEO and board member after a $13M Series A; Leafly hired Suresh Krishnaswamy as CFO as it prepares for a SPAC, and Microsoft CVP Chris Suh joined Cardlytics' board. Trevor Bedford, Frederick Matsen IV and David Veesler were named 2021 HHMI Investigators, each receiving roughly $9M over seven years.
98point6 board ousts co-founder Robbie Cape to seek CEO who can scale growth; Jeff Greenstein named interim leader
98point6's board removed co-founder and CEO Robbie Cape last month to install a leader better suited to scale the telehealth startup, according to board member Lisa Brummel, who said the decision was routine and not due to impropriety; interim CEO Jeff Greenstein is now leading the company after Cape left the board. The Seattle company has raised $247 million and saw large customer demand during the pandemic.
Membrion adds $3M to Series A, will double Seattle manufacturing facility and hire 10
Seattle startup Membrion added $3 million to its earlier Series A to expand production of ceramic desalinization membranes for treating toxic industrial wastewater and plans to double its Seattle facility and hire 10 more people.
AI2 Adds Bioengineer Jenny Cronin to Incubator; Icosavax Names Bekiroglu, Russo and Two Board Members; Proprio’s CMO Browd Expands Role
AI2 hired bioengineer Jenny Cronin as a principal for its startup incubator, bringing experience from s2s Public Relations, NanoString, and a UW bioengineering Ph.D.; AI2 has incubated startups like Ozette, Modulus and MajorBoost. Seattle biotech Icosavax named Elizabeth Bekiroglu general counsel, Thomas Russo CFO, and added Heidi Kunz and Ann Veneman to its board; pediatric neurosurgeon Samuel Browd is taking partial leave from UW/Seattle Children’s to expand as CMO of surgical tech startup Proprio.
City Pods founder Keenan O’Leary pivots startup to build PVC-panel indoor mini-homes for Seattle’s homeless
City Pods, founded by Keenan O'Leary, pivoted from building low-cost hostel pods for travelers to designing durable, low-cost indoor mini-homes to help shelter people experiencing homelessness in unused buildings during the COVID-19 crisis. The redesigned units use PVC panels for durability and can be installed inside underutilized spaces like warehouses, aiming to provide private, hygienic alternatives to tents and crowded shelters.
Chloe Harford Joins Roofstock Board as Kymeta Names Walter Berger and Doug Hutcheson Co-CEOs
Chloe Harford, a former Zillow and OfferUp executive, joined Roofstock's board as the fintech firm continues to expand after acquiring Great Jones and raising $133 million; Kymeta named Walter Berger and Doug Hutcheson co-CEOs and partnered with OneWeb to test mobile satellite broadband. Seattle startups Optimize Health and CityBldr announced leadership moves: Todd Haedrich became Optimize Health CEO, and Convoy CEO Dan Lewis joined CityBldr’s advisory board.
Cyrus Biotechnology signs protein-engineering deal with Selecta Biosciences worth up to $1.5 billion to develop IL-2/ImmTOR immune therapy
Seattle-based Cyrus Biotechnology struck a protein-engineering collaboration with Boston’s Selecta Biosciences to engineer IL-2 combined with Selecta’s ImmTOR, a deal that could pay Cyrus up to $1.5 billion if milestones are met. Cyrus will use its software and lab testing to enhance IL-2 stability and function, adding to its existing partnerships and commercial sales of Cyrus Bench.
Nordstrom to sell Viome’s $199 Health Intelligence microbiome test online and in select stores in 2022
Nordstrom will sell Viome Life Sciences’ Viome Health Intelligence microbiome test for $199 online and in select stores in 2022, with the kit requiring a stool sample. Viome sequences RNA to profile gut microbes and offers AI-driven diet/supplement recommendations plus a $149/month supplement service, though its clinical claims rely on non–peer-reviewed data and have drawn outside skepticism.
A-Alpha Bio raises $20M Series A led by Madrona to expand Seattle lab and scale protein-discovery platform
University of Washington spinout A-Alpha Bio raised $20 million in Series A funding led by Madrona Venture Group to expand downtown Seattle lab space and grow its machine-learning team for its protein-discovery platform. The company combines computational tools and yeast-based experiments to generate large protein-interaction datasets used to predict therapeutic protein candidates for diseases including COVID-19.
Study Finds Seattle Startup Tasso’s Tasso‑SST Self‑Collection Device Matches Venous COVID‑19 Antibody Results
A study led by Seattle researchers found the Tasso-SST self-administered upper-arm blood collection device produced antibody results nearly identical to venous draws and worked for a high proportion of users, even after simulated 48-hour shipping. The device, made by Seattle startup Tasso, could replace some clinic blood draws for COVID-19 antibody testing.
Carbon Robotics raises $27M to scale AI laser weed-zapping robots as farmers report pesticide-free savings
Seattle startup Carbon Robotics raised $27 million to scale its AI-powered, laser-based autonomous weed-removal robots, which farmers say cut pesticide use, save time, and improve soil health while the company has sold out 2021–2022 models and reported over $20 million in bookings.
Mason founders Jim and Nancy Xiao swap CEO and President roles as startup, backed by $25M Series A, tops 50 employees; Microsoft CVP Gavriella Schuster departs to focus on DEI
Seattle IoT startup Mason is swapping CEO Jim Xiao and President Nancy Xiao, with Nancy becoming CEO after the company raised $25M in Series A and grew to 50+ employees; longtime Microsoft CVP Gavriella Schuster has left Microsoft to focus on DEI work.
David Wolf
David Wolf is the founder and CTO of JetClosing, a tech startup in the Real Estate space working to make all-digital home closings the new normal. A UW and Stanford CS graduate, he has worked in the Seattle area tech scene for over 20 years. Prior to JetClosing, he worked At Amazon, where he ran the team who built the Amazon retail shopping iPhone app, used by millions worldwide. He also led teams at other local tech companies like Xome, Motricity, and Infospace. David also happened to be one of Redfin’s first customers in 2006, and is passionate about transforming…
Hillrom to complete $367M acquisition of Bardy Diagnostics after Delaware judge orders deal to proceed
Hillrom will proceed with its previously announced $367 million acquisition of Seattle startup Bardy Diagnostics after a Delaware judge ordered the deal to close following a dispute over sharp Medicare reimbursement cuts that briefly led Hillrom to try to withdraw.
Icosavax IPO: Seattle biotech raises $180M, stock jumps 200% on first trading day (ICVX)
Seattle biotech Icosavax surged more than 200% on its NASDAQ debut after raising over $180 million by pricing shares at $15; the company develops virus-like particle vaccines and recently began phase 1/2 trials for a COVID-19 vaccine supported by a $10 million Gates Foundation grant.
Simon Yu, ex-Bomba Fusion owner, leads crypto startup StormX and lands Portland Trail Blazers sponsorship
Seattle entrepreneur Simon Yu closed his Korean-Mexican food truck Bomba Fusion and pivoted to cofound StormX, a fast-growing crypto startup he launched in 2015; recently StormX secured a sponsorship deal with the Portland Trail Blazers as Yu reflects on his journey from financial hardship to startup success.
Modulus Therapeutics, spun out of the Allen Institute for AI, raises $3.5M to engineer enhanced NK cell therapies
Modulus Therapeutics, a Seattle cell-therapy startup spun out of the Allen Institute for AI, raised $3.5 million in seed funding to use lab research and machine learning to engineer enhanced natural killer (NK) cells for anti-tumor therapies. Founders Max Darnell and Bryce Daines aim to develop a discovery platform to generate NK cell product candidates for larger cellular therapy companies.
BECU and UWs CoMotion Admit Joola, PYT Funds, Bumper and Stack to Third Annual Year-Long Seattle Fintech Incubator
Four Seattle startups—Joola, PYT Funds, Bumper, and Stack—were selected for the third annual year-long fintech incubator run by BECU and the University of Washingtons CoMotion, receiving support, mentorship, training, and space. Each company offers a distinct fintech product: Joola (co-savings/rewards), PYT Funds (education financing matchmaking), Bumper (Gen Z investing app), and Stack (API for brands to connect with brokerages).
Joe Ottinger
Joe Ottinger is a management consultant, board member, author, and thought leader in the areas of entrepreneurial leadership, Innovation, and strategy execution. After a 15 year technology career, Joe co-founded a global management consulting firm called Kotter International with Harvard Business School professor John Kotter. After Kotter International, Joe founded his own management consulting firm called Iinnovate which provides comprehensive strategic advisory services to CEOs and senior teams that are scaling, as well as CEO peer forum groups for CEOs of companies that are scaling. Joe is the author of books and articles on entrepreneurial leadership, that have appeared in…
People
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Oren Etzioni Executive, Former CEO, Founder and Emeritus Professor, Former Professor, Former Leader of TrueMedia
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Avi Geiger Lecturer, Affiliate Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
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Babak Parviz Professor
