Washington Technology Industry Association
Facts
- HQ
- Washington
- Sectors
- IT Services and IT Consulting
- Employees
- 116
ModernVivo uses AI to analyze millions of animal studies, cutting literature review from weeks to minutes
ModernVivo, a Seattle startup, uses AI to scan millions of published animal studies and related data to help researchers design preclinical drug experiments faster, reducing literature review time from weeks to minutes and aiming to improve experiment quality while using fewer animals.
Elon Musk's Starlink swagger, SpaceX vs. the cloud giants, and Seattle’s tech universe revisited
This week: SpaceX reports its first quarter as a public company, and Elon Musk says Starlink could deliver a majority of the world's internet within a decade, leveraging production facilities in Redmond. Musk also explains the company's data center ambitions, calling terrestrial infrastructure a trivial problem next to reusable rockets. Plus: we bring two Washington tech universe posters into the studio, 17 years apart. The 2009 original turns up gems including Boeing's unlikely connection to Classmates.com, a 1990s forerunner to Facebook. The 2009 poster also brings back memories of Teledesic, the Craig McCaw venture backed by Bill Gates that tried…
Washington AI task force ends after two years as state enacts four of 11 recommendations, debate over stricter rules vs. compliance costs persists
Washington’s two-year AI task force produced the state’s first AI laws and recommended additional regulations, but legislators adopted only four of its eleven proposals, leaving debate between consumer/labor advocates pushing for stronger rules and tech startups warning about compliance costs unresolved.
Seattle Tech Week 2026 Draws ~250 Events Over Five Days, Showcasing City’s Tech Talent and Innovation
Seattle Tech Week 2026 ran five days with roughly 250 events across diverse venues, celebrating Seattle’s dense tech talent and community connections while highlighting themes from founders, investors, and academics. Organizers view the event as a community-led showcase that reinforced Seattle’s historic and ongoing contributions to cloud, AI, and other innovations.
CoMotion: University of Washington founders linked to 143 startups, second to Microsoft’s 161 on Washington Tech Universe Map 2026
The Washington Tech Universe Map 2026 shows 625 Washington companies traced by founder lineage, with the University of Washington linked to 143 startups—second only to Microsoft’s 161—and together with Amazon and Google accounting for over half of the map. The visualization emphasizes founder mobility, collaborations (44% worked at two or more Washington organizations), and UW’s role in launching and supporting innovation through CoMotion.
Elizabeth Liu announces Crowd Cow-sponsored WTIA Seattle Tech Week BBQ Throwdown: Team Startup wins 1st place again
Crowd Cow sponsored WTIA Seattle Tech Week BBQ Throwdown with Creative Destruction Lab where Team Startup — three founders — won first place again, beating teams of angels and VCs.
WTIA’s 2026 ‘Tech Universe Map’ shows Microsoft (161) and UW (143) produced most founders of 625 mapped Washington tech firms
The Washington Technology Industry Association's 2026 "Tech Universe Map" visualizes founder lineage for 625 Washington tech companies and finds Microsoft (161 companies) and the University of Washington (143) are the largest founder hubs, followed by Amazon (58) and Google (20). WTIA says the map highlights regional connectivity, is broader than the 2015 Seattle-focused version, and signals emerging hubs are often out-of-state companies with local engineering centers.
WTIA launches 2026 Washington Tech Universe Map detailing 625 companies and founder lineages — first update since 2015
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) released the 2026 Washington Tech Universe Map on July 27, 2026 — the first update since 2015 — visualizing 625 notable Washington tech companies and the founder lineages linking Microsoft, Amazon, the University of Washington, and new hubs. The wall-sized map organizes companies by founder origin to highlight how major organizations act as launchpads for successive generations of local tech founders.
Microsoft’s Latest Layoffs Impact Xbox Amid Seattle Startups’ Rise, GeekWire 200 Highlights Hardware Growth
The GeekWire founder open house highlighted Microsoft's recent layoffs, including major changes at Xbox, and noted the surprising growth of hardware companies within the GeekWire 200. The event was supported by Delta Air Lines, Prime Team Partners, WTIA, and ALLtech.
GeekWire Founder Open House Spotlights Microsoft’s 4,800-Job Cuts, Xbox Overhaul and Hardware Surge on GeekWire 200
GeekWire’s founder open house covers Microsoft’s latest layoffs and Xbox overhaul, the rise of hardware companies on the GeekWire 200, and discussions with founders about how AI is reshaping product development and company operations.
WTIA Selects 21 Startups for 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program to Boost Washington Tech Growth
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced 21 startups selected for its 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program, aimed at supporting early-stage technology companies in Washington through mentorship and structured growth curriculum. The four-month program focuses on building leadership skills, connections, and accelerating startup growth in the state.
WTIA Selects 21 Startups for 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator to Boost Washington State Innovation
The Washington Technology Industry Association selected 21 early-stage startups across Washington state for its 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program, focusing on fields like AI, cybersecurity, and healthcare. The four-month program offers mentorship, peer learning, and investor connections to support entrepreneurial growth.
Ken Yeung: Seattle Has AWS, UW Research and Aerospace Talent — It Could Be America’s Next AI Capital but Lacks Funding and Recognition
A Substack piece argues Seattle has the infrastructure, talent, and aerospace expertise to become the U.S. next AI hub, but needs stronger storytelling, funding, and national recognition to realize that potential.
Seattle Entrepreneurs Dave Parker and Kathy Cox Launch $1,900 Trajectory Playbook Education Platform for Startup Founders
Seattle tech veteran Dave Parker and educator Kathy Cox launched Trajectory Playbook, a $1,900 education platform to help startup founders bridge the gap from ideation to product-market fit through a 10-module AI-enhanced curriculum. The program combines Parker's 2021 methodology with community networking and expert feedback to accelerate entrepreneurial success.
Seattle Startup Leaders Oppose Washington's SB 6229, HB 2292 Expanding Capital Gains Tax on Small Business Stock
Seattle startup leaders, including Clearly AI CEO Emily Choi-Greene, oppose Washington State's proposed bills SB 6229 and HB 2292 that would expand the capital gains tax to include profits from qualified small business stock, threatening the viability of startups by taxing founders, early employees, and investors on significant gains. Critics warn this could drive founders and investors to build companies outside Washington, undermining the local tech ecosystem.
Washington Proposal SB 6229 Targets Capital Gains on Startup Stock, Sparking Seattle Tech Backlash Ahead of 2026 Tax Implementation
A new Washington state proposal, SB 6229, aims to tax capital gains from qualified small business stock sales despite existing federal exemptions, prompting concerns from Seattle startup leaders about its potential to discourage local company building. Public hearings are scheduled for January 27, 2026, and the tax would apply to gains on or after that date.
Washington State Bills 2292 and 6229 Threaten to Remove Tax Benefits for Entrepreneurs and Early Investors
Two proposed Washington state bills, House Bill 2292 and Senate Bill 6229, threaten to eliminate long-standing federal tax advantages for entrepreneurs, early employees, and investors, potentially harming local startups and economic growth. The author urges opposition to these bills, emphasizing the high risks of entrepreneurship and the societal need to support it.
Washington State Bills 2292 and 6229 Threaten Tax Benefits for Entrepreneurs and Early Investors
Two proposed Washington state bills, House Bill 2292 and Senate Bill 6229, threaten to eliminate federally recognized tax advantages for entrepreneurs, early employees, and investors, potentially harming local startup ecosystems. The article urges opposition to these bills, emphasizing the importance of incentivizing entrepreneurship despite its inherent risks.
Seattle Startup Radar Features Four Early-Stage Tech Companies Including Axel AI and DrunR
Seattle's Startup Radar highlights four early-stage tech companies: Axel AI, which offers AI-powered retail media sales solutions; DrunR, a nutrition app focusing on personalized dining guidance; Eluum, and profileAPI, each innovating in distinct tech sectors.
WTIA Founder Cohort 13 presentations delivered in Bellevue on January 21, 2026, featuring Dave Parker's "The Startup Trifecta" on revenue, pricing and fundraising
On January 21, 2026, presentations were delivered to WTIA Founder Cohort 13 in Bellevue, WA, including a summarized talk by Dave Parker titled "The Startup Trifecta: Mastering Revenue, Pricing, and Fundraising." The materials emphasize that startups more often fail due to business model and revenue issues than product-build problems.
Former Microsoft CVP Jigar Thakkar Named VP of Amazon Quick Suite as Chartis and Supio Announce New Leadership
Jigar Thakkar, former Microsoft corporate vice president, has joined Amazon Quick Suite as vice president, focusing on agentic AI platform development. Additionally, Sara Vaezy returned to Chartis as chief product and technology officer, and legal-tech startup Supio named new executives following a $60 million funding round.
WTIA Selects 19 Startups for 13th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program to Support Growth in Washington State
Washington Technology Industry Association selected 19 startups for its 13th Founder Cohort Accelerator, a four-month program providing mentorship and resources to early-stage Washington state startups. Since its start, the program has supported over 300 companies that have collectively raised more than $400 million.
Auger Names Yuqing Sun Chief Data and AI Officer After $100M Series A; WTIA Hires Amy Harris for Public Policy Role
Auger appointed Yuqing Sun, a Johnson & Johnson supply chain and AI veteran, as chief data and AI enablement officer, and recently hired AI economist Justine Hastings after raising $100 million in Series A funding. The Washington Technology Industry Association also named Amy Harris as its new public policy and government relations director.
Seattle Shield Initiative Proposes Raising B&O Tax Exemption to $2M, Increasing Rates for Large Tech Firms Starting November Vote
Seattle voters will decide in November on the Seattle Shield initiative, which raises the B&O tax exemption from $100,000 to $2 million, relieving small businesses but increasing taxes for larger ones. For tech startups, this means early-stage companies pay less in taxes, while those scaling past $2 million in revenue will face higher rates.
Innovation in Turbulent Times: Voices from the GeekWire Awards
Recorded live at the 2025 GeekWire Awards in Seattle, this episode features industry leaders navigating a shifting tech and political landscape. Amid celebrations of AI breakthroughs, startup milestones, and community-building, guests discuss deeper concerns: capital flight, regulatory headwinds, and what the region needs to retain its innovation edge. Featured on the show: Ambika Singh, founder and CEO of Armoire (Workplace of the Year winner) Joseph Williams, Washington State Department of Commerce (Public Policy Champion for Innovation) Emer Dooley, Creative Destruction Lab, University of Washington (Geeks Give Back honoree) Laura Ruderman, CEO of the Technology Alliance Aviel Ginzburg, co-founder at Foundations…
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Michael Schutzler Executive, Former CEO, Former Chief Executive Officer, Former WTIA Leader
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Nick Ellingson Executive, VP, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
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Arry Yu Chair of the Advanced Technologies Cluster
