Charlotte Schubert
Charlotte Schubert is a GeekWire contributing writer focused on biotech, healthcare, and life sciences; she is a Seattle native with a Ph.D. in developmental biology.
Seattle Startup Cajal Neuroscience Raises $96M to Develop New Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Treatments
Seattle-based startup Cajal Neuroscience, founded in 2020, has raised $96 million to develop treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's by exploring diverse drug targets beyond amyloid-beta. The company aims to understand genetic variants' roles in disease mechanisms to identify key molecules involved in neurodegeneration.
Seattle Startup One Item Expands CDC-Funded Heart Health Study with UAMS to Enroll Over 200 in Rural Arkansas
Seattle-area health startup One Item is partnering with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in a CDC-funded study targeting rural Arkansas communities at risk of poor heart health, using its Health Science Index app to help over 200 participants improve wellness. The app prioritizes health improvement areas, provides daily reminders, and tracks user progress to support preventive health behaviors.
Karat Hires Crystal Moore as VP to Expand Brilliant Black Minds Program, Boosting Black Engineers in Tech
Seattle-based startup Karat appointed Crystal Moore as VP of its Brilliant Black Minds program, aiming to double Black engineers in tech within ten years by providing interview coaching and support. Karat raised $110 million in 2021 and boasts clients like Compass and Intuit, with investor Serena Williams helping to scale its diversity initiatives.
Seattle Biotech Bonum Therapeutics Raises $93M After Roche Acquires Parent Good Therapeutics for $250M
Seattle-based biotech startup Bonum Therapeutics raised $93 million shortly after its parent company Good Therapeutics was acquired by Roche for $250 million. Bonum, led by founder and CEO John Mulligan, uses the same platform technology spun out from Good Therapeutics and aims to develop targeted therapies leveraging continued investor support.
Seattle Startup Joylux Raises $5.5M in Series A to Expand Menopausal Health Device Line Globally
Seattle-based startup Joylux raised $5.5 million as part of a $13 million Series A round to expand its non-hormonal menopausal health products like vFit and vSculpt. The company aims to grow in Latin America and Europe through a partnership with Essity while addressing various menopause-related health needs.
Consensus Startup Partners with AI2, Raises $1.25M to Launch AI Tool for Public Access to Research Studies
Consensus, a startup co-founded by Eric Olson and Christian Salem, partners with the Allen Institute for AI to make research study information accessible to the public through a tool built on Semantic Scholar. Funded with $1.25 million, Consensus launched an early version of its AI-powered search tool in September to help nonspecialists find accurate research answers.
Madrona Summit Panel Highlights Shift from Big Data to Foundation AI Models Enabling Startups
At the Madrona Intelligent Applications Summit, experts highlighted that big data is no longer a priority as AI models now solve complex problems with less data. They emphasized advances in foundation AI models like DALL-E and GPT-3, which enable new startups but face challenges like hallucination and bias.
Seattle Biotech Intrinsic Medicine to Go Public via SPAC Merger Raising $178.8M for Human Milk-Based Therapies
Seattle biotech startup Intrinsic Medicine, developing therapies based on human milk molecules, plans to go public via a SPAC merger with Phoenix Biotech Acquisition Corp to raise $178.8 million. The company aims to initiate a phase 2 trial for irritable bowel syndrome with top-line data expected in the first half of 2024.
Seattle Health Data Analytics Firm Advata Lays Off 32 Employees Following Merger of Six Companies
Advata, a Seattle-area health data analytics company formed from six merged firms owned by Providence, laid off 32 employees amid broader tech industry cutbacks. The company offers AI-powered healthcare tools and recently launched a new revenue cycle management product.
Google Acquires Seattle Startup Sound Life Sciences, Developer of FDA-Cleared Sonar Breathing Monitoring App
Google has quietly acquired Seattle-based Sound Life Sciences, a University of Washington spinout that developed an FDA-cleared app to monitor breathing using sonar technology. The app targets easier diagnosis of sleep apnea and respiratory condition monitoring, with the startup ceasing public activity post-acquisition.
Algorithmia Founder Diego Oppenheimer Joins Venture Firm Factory to Open Seattle Office; Expedia Appoints Brad Bentley and Tript Singh Lamba to Executive Roles
Diego Oppenheimer, former CEO of Algorithmia, has joined venture capital firm Factory as partner and CEO-in-residence to open its new Seattle office, focusing on AI startups. Additionally, Expedia Group hired Brad Bentley as COO of Expedia Brands and Tript Singh Lamba as SVP of consumer product.
Viome Raises $67 Million in Latest Funding Round to Expand Microbiome and Diagnostic Testing
Seattle-based microbiome startup Viome Life Sciences has raised $67 million in a new funding round, bringing its total funding to over $125 million. The company offers stool, saliva, and blood testing kits for personalized health insights and is developing an FDA-designated diagnostic test for oral and throat cancer.
Providence Spinout DexCare Acquires E-Commerce Platform Womp to Enhance Healthcare Access Technology
Providence spinout DexCare has acquired Womp Inc., a Bellingham-based e-commerce platform, to enhance its healthcare access technology with Womp's fast-loading web page capabilities. Womp will operate as independent subsidiaries under DexCare, with its leadership and team retained.
TwinStrand Biosciences CEO Jesse Salk Steps Down Amid Layoffs; Chad Brown Named Interim CEO
TwinStrand Biosciences co-founder Jesse Salk has stepped down as CEO but will remain chief scientific officer and board member, with Chad Brown named interim CEO amid reported layoffs cutting nearly 50% of the workforce at the Seattle-based gene sequencing startup. The company, founded seven years ago and backed by a $50 million Series B round in 2021, declined to comment on the layoffs.
Former Microsoft Teams VP Bhrighu Sareen Named Highspot President of Product & Engineering As Startup Hits $3.5B Valuation
Bhrighu Sareen, former Microsoft Teams corporate VP, joined Highspot as president of product & engineering, a startup valued at $3.5 billion. Other leadership changes include DocuSign naming Google exec Allan Thygesen as CEO amid layoffs, and Edifecs and Acumatica hiring seasoned executives.
Seattle Startup Outbound AI Launches PayerVA Console to Automate Medical Insurance Claims Processing
Outbound AI, a Seattle startup spun out of Madrona Venture Labs with $7 million in seed funding, launched PayerVA Console, a software product that automates and expedites medical insurance claims processing by reducing time spent on payer communications. The tool transcribes calls, extracts key information, and assists human workers to alleviate burdensome tasks in the healthcare payment system.
Truveta Partners with Boston Scientific to Share Data from 65 Million Patients and Releases COVID-19 Findings
Seattle-based health data startup Truveta partnered with Boston Scientific to provide access to de-identified data from over 65 million U.S. patients for medical research. Truveta also released preliminary analyses on peripheral artery disease and COVID-19, while expanding its network to 24 health systems.
Zócalo Health Raises $5M to Launch Latino-Focused Virtual Primary Care, Backed by Former Amazon Care Veterans
Zócalo Health, a Seattle-based virtual healthcare startup founded by former Amazon Care leaders Erik Cardenas and Mariza Hardin, raised $5 million to provide culturally tailored primary care for Latino patients. The company currently serves California and plans to expand to Texas and Washington by the end of 2022, offering a membership model with a care team including community health workers.
Seattle Startup Alongside Raises $5.5M Seed to Launch Adolescent Mental Health App in Schools
Seattle-based startup Alongside raised $5.5 million in seed funding to develop a mental health app for adolescents, partnering with schools to offer resources and crisis support. The app uses a chatbot to guide students to therapy exercises, journaling tools, and connects them with school support teams.
UW spinout AltPep raises $44.4M as its Alzheimer’s blood test earns FDA breakthrough designation
University of Washington spinout AltPep raised $44.4 million and is developing experimental blood tests to detect Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases early, plus treatments; its Alzheimer’s test received FDA breakthrough device designation. The three-year-old Seattle startup has 25 employees, raised $23.1M in a 2021 Series A, is hiring, and is pursuing partnerships and clinical-ready development.
Nortis, Seattle organ-on-a-chip startup founded in 2011, raises $6 million
Seattle-area startup Nortis, founded in 2011, has raised $6 million for its organ-on-a-chip microfluidic technology used to model human organs for research.
Seattle Startup Pattern Computer Develops Rapid COVID-19 Test Using Light Patterns from Saliva with Proprietary AI System
Seattle startup Pattern Computer is developing a rapid COVID-19 test using light pattern analysis from saliva with a proprietary computer system, attracting top biotech and tech experts. The company, founded by notable figures including CEO Mark Anderson, has kept details secret but has garnered significant industry interest.
Amarjit Kaur Sandhu joins Ozette as VP of Engineering; AWS marketing chief Rachel Thornton to depart after 10 years
Amarjit Kaur Sandhu joined Ozette Technologies as vice president of engineering, bringing experience from Nuance Communications and Saykara. Additionally, AWS executive Rachel Thornton is leaving, and various leadership moves across Pacific Northwest tech firms have been announced.
Seattle Startup HDT Bio Secures $1.8M U.S. Army Grant to Develop Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Nasal Spray by 2025
Seattle startup HDT Bio received a nearly $1.8 million U.S. Army grant to develop a nasal spray using proprietary RNA technology that targets a broad range of respiratory viruses, with clinical trials expected to begin in 2025. The spray aims to prevent virus replication and transmission and could be used by both military personnel and civilians.
SEngine Precision Medicine Raises $10M to Advance Paris Test for Personalized Cancer Drug Treatment
Seattle startup SEngine Precision Medicine raised $10 million to advance its Paris Test, which tailors cancer drug treatments by culturing patient tumor cells and testing drug responses. The test aims to provide personalized treatment options beyond traditional genomic tests and has been used by about 800 patients so far.
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