Zulily
Facts
- HQ
- Seattle
- Sectors
- E-commerce, Retail, Consumer Goods
Shipium raises $8M to help retailers optimize fulfillment and compete with Amazon
Seattle startup Shipium raised $8 million to provide API-driven fulfillment software that helps online retailers optimize shipping decisions and compete with Amazon amid a pandemic-driven e-commerce surge.
Seattle-area startups raise record $1.64B in Q1 as U.S. VC funding jumps to $69B, PitchBook/NVCA say
PitchBook and NVCA report U.S. VC activity surged in Q1 2021 to $69 billion across 3,987 deals, while Seattle-area startups raised a Q1 record $1.64 billion across 88 deals, up from $616 million a year earlier. Mega-deals, fundraises, exits and SPAC activity all hit notable highs, and industry leaders say ample dry powder and economic recovery are driving larger investments.
Madrona hires John Torrey as first partner outside Pacific Northwest, expands Acceleration Fund investing to Texas and Utah
Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group hired John Torrey, its first investment partner based outside the Pacific Northwest, to help source and support Acceleration Fund investments from Texas and Utah as the firm expands geographically. Madrona also raised $161 million for its Acceleration Fund II and hired Katie Chiupka as manager of business development and partnerships.
SPACs Let Founders Reach Public Markets Faster and Keep Larger Equity Stakes, Say Startup Observers
The article explains how SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies) let founders and early employees reach liquidity faster and often retain larger ownership stakes than through later-stage VC or private equity rounds. Using examples like Sana Biotechnology and Seattle entrepreneur Sujal Patel, it argues SPACs can preserve founders' equity by bypassing dilutive funding rounds.
Wyze names former Nike exec Francis Lee as first CFO; OutSystems raises $150M at $9.5B valuation as CMO relocates to Seattle
Wyze Labs named longtime Nike executive Francis Lee as its first CFO as the Kirkland smart-home startup expands after a Series A; OutSystems closed a $150M funding round valuing it at $9.5B while moving CMO Robson Grieve to Seattle. Additional regional moves include Lisa Nelson joining Flying Fish Partners as a venture partner and Apptio naming Kevin Meeks chief customer officer.
Rad Power Bikes raises $150M minority investment to scale global e-bike business
Rad Power Bikes raised a $150 million minority investment to expand globally after pandemic-driven demand, planning to double its 325-person workforce and grow its showrooms and service stations. The profitable Seattle-based company — claiming 200,000 riders in 30+ countries and roughly $100M revenue in 2019 — will use the funds to scale operations and international footprint.
Former Zulily Execs Jason LeeKeenan and Kevin Saliba Raise $150M to Buy and Scale E‑Commerce Brands
Two former Zulily executives, Jason LeeKeenan and Kevin Saliba, raised over $150 million to launch Cap Hill Brands, a firm that buys and operationally scales profitable e-commerce businesses and has acquired 10 companies since last summer.
Crowd Cow hires ex‑Amazon leaders Ian McAllister, Julie Pruitt, Jeremy Sievert and adds Flexe CTO David Glick to board; Snap! Raise names Stuart Silberg as CTO
Seattle meat and seafood marketplace Crowd Cow hired Ian McAllister as chief product officer, Julie Pruitt as chief merchant, and Jeremy Sievert as VP of operations, and added Flexe CTO David Glick to its board; Crowd Cow says revenue grew over 400% this year. Digital fundraising platform Snap! Raise hired former Expedia CTO Stuart Silberg as its new chief technology officer.
OfferUp names Niti Bashambu CPO after $120M raise and $1.4B valuation; Flyhomes appoints Amy Sellers VP of Marketing
OfferUp hired Niti Bashambu as chief product officer after raising $120 million and reaching a $1.4B valuation; Flyhomes named Amy Sellers VP of marketing as it expands across five markets. Promethean also hired Chris Hand as chief revenue officer.
Outreach CMO Margaret Arakawa departs; FlyHomes CMO Ryan Steingard joins Persona; Brian Goldfarb named Amperity CMO
Several Seattle-area marketing executives have changed roles: Margaret Arakawa left Outreach as CMO to pursue a new venture, FlyHomes CMO Ryan Steingard moved to chief growth officer at Persona, and Brian Goldfarb joined Amperity as CMO. Outreach recently raised $50 million in a Series F at a $1.33 billion valuation and serves over 4,000 companies.
Vouched raises $3M to expand AI ID-verification as COVID-19 drives demand; will expand to Europe
Seattle startup Vouched raised $3 million to expand AI-powered ID verification services as COVID-19 boosts demand for remote identity checks; the company has 80+ customers and has verified over 850,000 people across 50 countries.
WhyLabs, AI2 Spinout Led by Ex-Amazon Engineers, Raises $4M from Madrona, Bezos Expeditions and Others
WhyLabs, an AI monitoring startup spun out of the Allen Institute for AI, emerged from stealth after raising $4 million from investors including Madrona, Defy Partners, Bezos Expeditions and Ascend VC to commercialize a platform for monitoring ML data and models. The company is led by CEO Alessya Visnjic, joined by former Amazon ML engineers Andy Dang and Sam Gracie plus ex-Madrona principal Maria Karaivanova.
People
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Mark Vadon Founder, Co-founder
