Unlock Venture Partners
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle, WA, US
- Sectors
- Venture Capital and Private Equity Principals
- Founded
- 2017
- Employees
- 23
- Registered name
- Lri Vision Management LLC Seattle business license
Seattle Tech Week Kickoff Spotlights Founders Building an AI WhatsApp Agent for Seattle Orcas Logistics and Other Startup Tools
At the Seattle Tech Week kickoff, founders and leaders described diverse projects including an AI agent that manages a professional cricket team's logistics via WhatsApp, and other startups building B2B tools and voice AI for bar inventory. The event drew over 29,000 registrations and included panels showcasing regional entrepreneurs and investors.
Possible Finance Reaches $125 Million Revenue Run Rate and First Profit, Expands Seattle Office as Founders Reunite
Seattle fintech Possible Finance achieved a $125 million revenue run rate and its first annual profit after pandemic challenges, including layoffs. The company is expanding its Seattle office and reuniting its founding team, with co-founder Prasad Mahendra returning to lead AI initiatives.
Seattle Startup Picnic Shuts Down, Sells $50M Pizza Robot Assets to Undisclosed Buyer in May 2024
Seattle-based food automation startup Picnic, which raised about $50 million to develop pizza-making robots, has shut down and liquidated its assets after becoming insolvent. Its assets and intellectual property were sold to an undisclosed buyer in May 2024 through a liquidation process overseen by CMBG Advisors.
Unlock Venture Partners Q3 2025: Possible Finance tops 1M customers and $750M saved; Fund III targets $150M
Unlock Venture Partners’ Q3 2025 newsletter highlights portfolio wins, sector insights, and a new fund — Possible Finance reached record ARR with over 1M customers saving $750M from predatory lending, while SpaceTech raised $5.8B in Q3 and portfolio companies Auriga Space and Sophia Space achieved notable funding and validation. The firm announced Fund III targeting $150M, celebrated community events like a Singapore F1 founders’ gathering, and reiterated focus on AI, SpaceTech, and Robotics.
Seattle Startup Hyphen AI Raises $5M Seed to Automate Cloud Deployments Using Generative AI
Seattle startup Hyphen AI raised $5 million in a seed round led by Unlock Venture Partners to develop Hyphen Deploy, a generative AI platform that automates cloud infrastructure setup using natural language. The platform supports multiple cloud providers and aims to reduce infrastructure setup from weeks to minutes.
Nikesh Parekh Advises Microsoft and Amazon Execs on Engaging with Seattle Startups as Advisors, Board Members, and Investors
Nikesh Parekh shares a guide for Microsoft and Amazon employees on engaging with the Seattle startup ecosystem through roles like advisors or board members and by strategic investing, highlighting common practices and compensation details.
Sophia Space Raises $3.5M Pre-Seed to Develop TILE Orbital Data Centers for In-Space AI and Edge Computing
Sophia Space, a Seattle- and California-based startup co-founded by former NASA and tech veterans, raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding to develop its TILE orbital data center platform for in-space AI and edge computing. The platform aims to reduce latency by processing data closer to its source in space using radiation-resistant, solar-powered compute modules.
Taskrabbit Absorbs Seattle Moving Service Dolly in April 2024, Expanding Its On-Demand Delivery Reach
Taskrabbit acquired Seattle-based moving service Dolly in April 2024, integrating its operations while keeping the two brands separate. Dolly, founded in 2014 and previously acquired by Updater in 2021, now operates as a Taskrabbit division with key executive transitions occurring since the acquisition.
Picnic Raises $5M Led by Cercano Management with Investor Andy Liu Joining Board to Scale Pizza-Making Robot
Picnic, a food automation startup known for its pizza-making robots, raised $5 million in a new funding round led by Cercano Management, with investor Andy Liu joining the board. The funds will support scaling operations and meeting growing demand for Picnic's pizza-making technology used in high-volume venues.
Ascend Launches Seattle-Focused Co-Founder Matching Program at Annual Founders Bash
Ascend, an early stage venture firm, launched a Seattle-focused co-founder matching program at its annual Founders Bash, emphasizing the importance of selecting co-founders with complementary skills and past working experience. Entrepreneurs highlight trust and proven partnerships as key factors for startup success.
Seattle Venture Capital Firm Flying Fish Files for New Fund III to Continue Investing in AI Startups
Seattle-based venture capital firm Flying Fish is raising a new fund called Flying Fish Fund III, following previous funds of $37 million and $70 million raised in 2016 and 2022 respectively. The firm focuses on early-stage AI, machine learning, and robotics startups, initially in the Pacific Northwest but now with a broader geographic scope.
Seattle VC Firm Ascend Raises $25M Second Fund to Boost AI Investments Amid Market Downturn
Seattle-based pre-seed venture capital firm Ascend, led by Kirby Winfield, raised a $25 million second fund focused on doubling down on artificial intelligence investments amid a challenging startup funding environment. Winfield, who has backed over 70 startups, predicts a further valuation correction but remains committed to early-stage investing.
Unlock Venture Partners Closes $62 Million Seed Fund for LA and Seattle Startups Focused on Metaverse and Web3
Unlock Venture Partners has closed a $62 million seed fund targeting startups in Los Angeles and Seattle, focusing on metaverse, Web3, and gaming sectors. The firm aims to raise a total of $75 million and has already made 16 investments, including L.A.-based DressX and Pasadena-based Continuum Space Systems.
Unlock Venture Partners raises $60M second fund to back Seattle and L.A. startups, bringing total raised to $85M
Unlock Venture Partners, a seed-stage firm focused on Seattle and Los Angeles startups, raised a $60 million second fund and has now raised more than $85 million total to back early-stage companies including gaming, Web3 and metaverse plays.
UN PRI Report Calls for More ESG in Venture Capital as Unlock Venture Partners Launches $60M Fund for LA and Seattle Startups
Venture capital lags behind other asset classes in integrating ESG metrics, according to a new UN PRI report urging the industry to do more. Unlock Venture Partners announced a $60 million fund targeting startups in Los Angeles and Seattle, while a supply chain tech startup highlights growing market interest.
Unlock Venture Partners Raises $60 Million for Second Fund Focused on LA and Seattle Startups
Unlock Venture Partners, founded by Sanjay Reddy, Andy Liu, and Raazi Imam, has raised $60 million for its second fund targeting early-stage startups in Los Angeles and Seattle, bringing its total capital to $85 million. The fund focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage investments to support entrepreneurial talent in these cities, which lack sufficient early-stage venture capital despite their strong startup communities.
Irreverent Labs, led by Rahul Sood and backed by Andreessen Horowitz, raises $5M and unveils MechaFightClub — a Solana-based AI + NFT fighting game
Irreverent Labs, a Seattle startup led by Microsoft veteran Rahul Sood that raised a $5 million seed round backed by a16z, unveiled MechaFightClub, a Solana-based, cruelty-free play-to-earn fighting game using AI, NFTs and an in-game currency called nuggets set to release this spring. The game features unique tradable ‘mechabots,’ genetics/breeding systems, and aims to attract traditional gamers by offering character ownership and monetization.
GeekWire surveys Seattle-area VCs to name Pacific Northwest startups they predict will become unicorns in 2022
GeekWire surveyed more than a dozen Seattle-area venture capitalists for their picks of Pacific Northwest startups likely to reach unicorn status this year, compiling a list of candidate companies with reasons for each selection. The piece notes rising valuations nationwide and excludes VCs' own portfolio companies to reduce bias.
UNest Secures $26M Series B Led by The Artemis Fund to Expand Financial Tools for Parents
UNest raised $26 million in a Series B round led by The Artemis Fund to expand its fintech platform for parents saving for their children, including launching new features like UNest Legacy for stock and crypto investments. The company plans to grow its user base to 1 million by the end of next year and explore ESG portfolios, Europe expansion, and B2B partnerships.
Andreessen Horowitz leads $5M round for Rahul Sood’s Irreverent Labs to build NFT, blockchain and AI-powered metaverse game
Seattle startup Irreverent Labs, led by entrepreneur Rahul Sood, raised $5 million in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz to build an NFT- and blockchain-based metaverse game that uses AI-powered, ownable characters and will debut its first game next month.
Concreit launches app enabling $1 real-estate investments after $6M seed round led by Matrix Partners
Seattle-based Concreit launched a mobile app this week that lets users invest in its real estate fund from as little as $1, backed by a $6 million seed funding round. The fund, co-founded by CEO Sean Hsieh, has an annualized return of 5.47% (July 1, 2020–July 1, 2021) and offers weekly payouts or on-demand withdrawals.
Updater acquires Seattle on-demand moving startup Dolly; terms undisclosed
New York moving services company Updater has acquired Seattle on-demand moving startup Dolly; terms were not disclosed and Dolly will operate as an Updater subsidiary with its Seattle team retained.
Seattle startup Plunk raises $6.5M seed from Unlock Ventures to recommend remodels that boost home value
Seattle startup Plunk raised a $6.5 million seed round led by Unlock Ventures to expand its app that uses image processing, AI and machine learning to recommend remodels that raise home value. The free app has analyzed over 1 million homes in Seattle, identifying about $400 billion in combined potential "Plunk Value," while the company focuses on establishing credible analytics before announcing monetization plans.
Seattle VCs Report 28% Women in Senior Roles, Nearly Double U.S. Average of 14.2%
Seattle-area venture capital firms have nearly double the national share of women in senior roles (28% vs. 14.2%), with 25 women among 88 partners across 21 Washington firms, though overall parity remains distant and 61% of U.S. VC firms still have no women in key decision-making roles.
Jungle Scout raises $110M and acquires Seattle Amazon-ad startup Downstream, adding its 11-person team
Jungle Scout, an Austin-based company serving Amazon sellers, raised $110 million and announced the acquisition of Seattle startup Downstream, which provides Amazon advertising recommendations and will join Jungle Scout with its 11-person team; terms were not disclosed. Downstream, founded in late 2017, has 5,000 customers, >200% year-over-year revenue growth, and has raised $5 million from multiple investors.
People
-
Andy Liu Partner
-
Court Lorenzini LP Investor
