Waymo
Facts
- HQ
- Denver
- Sectors
- Autonomous vehicles, Robotics, Transportation, Mobility
- Founded
- 2009
- Stage
- Public
EP12: Kirby Winfield - Founders first VC
## Key Points ### Keywords venture capital, investment strategies, AI technology, founder insights, decision-making frameworks, early stage investing, capital allocation, startup funding, Overland AI, Kirby Winfield ### Summary In this conversation, Martin Tobias interviews Kirby Winfield, a seasoned venture capitalist and founder, discussing his journey in venture capital, particularly focusing on his investment in Overland AI. Kirby shares insights into his decision-making frameworks, the importance of founder evaluation, and the evolution of his investment strategies over the years. He emphasizes the need for confidence in capital allocation and highlights common pitfalls that investors face in early-stage ventures. The discussion culminates…
AgentMail raises $6M seed to provide inbox-first APIs for AI agents as email reply handling becomes a new product category
Sending email from AI agents is easy, but providing durable inboxes, threading, and reply-handling is the emerging product category; AgentMail exemplifies this with a seed-funded inbox-first API and features for multi-tenant agent inboxes. Established transactional providers (Postmark, Resend, Mailgun, SendGrid, Amazon SES, Mailtrap) remain strong for send-only use cases, while inbound and thread management distinguish newer entrants.
AIM Intelligent Machines, led by founder Adam Sadilek, retrofits excavators and bulldozers for full autonomy from its Redmond HQ
AIM Intelligent Machines, founded in 2021 by former Google engineer Adam Sadilek, is developing a physical AI platform to retrofit existing excavators, bulldozers and other heavy equipment for fully autonomous operation from its Redmond, Washington headquarters and nearby proving grounds. The company aims to transform construction, mining and hauling work on Earth—and eventually enable similar autonomous heavy machinery for off‑planet tasks on the Moon or Mars.
UW Grad Sky Yang Launches SnapMatePhoto to Connect Customers with Human Photographers Amid AI-Image Trend
Sky Yang, a University of Washington graduate, launched SnapMatePhoto, a Seattle-based startup that connects customers with skilled human photographers amid concerns about AI-generated images. The platform offers photography services for events like graduations, weddings, and maternity shoots.
Simular Raises $21.5M Series A Led by Felicis to Launch AI PC Agents on Mac and Windows
Simular, a startup creating AI agents for Mac OS and Windows that can control PCs by mimicking human actions, has raised $21.5 million in Series A funding led by Felicis. The company recently released its Mac OS agent and is collaborating with Microsoft on a Windows version as part of the Windows 365 for Agents program.
Seattle Startup Overland AI Raises $32M Series A to Develop Off-Road Autonomous Tech for U.S. Military
Seattle startup Overland AI raised $32 million in a Series A funding round led by 8VC to advance its off-road autonomous driving technology for the U.S. military. The company, founded in 2022, has contracts with the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and DARPA to develop systems enabling robotic vehicles to operate in complex terrain without GPS or human drivers.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Mandates Full-Time Office Return to Foster Startup Culture Amid E-Commerce Challenges
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy plans to return employees to office full-time to revive startup agility amid e-commerce challenges, while GeekWire revisits driverless car experiences highlighting progress and controversy.
Amazon's quest to become a startup again; Driverless cars, 6 years later
Amazon's decision to bring its employees back to the office five days a week is a window into the challenges facing the e-commerce and technology giant, and CEO Andy Jassy's larger plan to get the company to operate like "the world's largest startup" again. Plus, GeekWire's John Cook gets into the back seat of a driverless car for the first time since 2018, and has a very different experience. Coverage of Amazon's announcement: Amazon ‘will return to being in the office the way we were’ before the pandemic, CEO tells employees ‘The way we were’: Amazon tries to rekindle its…
UW Spinout Overland AI Raises $10M to Develop Off-Road Autonomous Tech for U.S. Military
Seattle startup Overland AI raised $10 million to advance its off-road autonomous driving technology, which is being developed for U.S. military use. The company recently secured a potential $18.6 million contract with the U.S. Army to develop its OverDrive platform for robotic combat vehicles.
Madrona and Goldman Sachs Publish Inaugural IA40 of Top 40 Private AI Business-App Startups; Four Seattle Firms Included
Madrona Venture Group and Goldman Sachs released the inaugural Intelligent Applications Top 40 (IA40) list of private companies building business AI applications, based on votes from 40 venture firms plus Amazon and Microsoft and narrowed by 50 judges from over 220 nominees. Four Seattle-area companies — Amperity, OctoML, SeekOut, and one unnamed here — made the list; Amperity recently raised $100 million to reach unicorn status and OctoML raised $85 million.
SeekOut raises $65M Series B led by Tiger Global at nearly $500M valuation after 10x ARR growth
Seattle recruiting startup SeekOut raised $65 million in a Series B led by Tiger Global at a near-$500M valuation to expand its Talent 360 recruiting software, after growing ARR 10x in 21 months and remaining profitable.
Interview: Uber Chief Legal Officer Tony West
Uber has run into more than a few legal troubles in the last two years. Tony West is the man who has to deal with them. We're sharing Tony's full interview with GeekWire Civic Innovation Editor Monica Nickelsburg on this episode, including his take on Uber's data breach cover-up and how the company can regain the trust of its customers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
