Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Spurs Government Deposit Backstop and Startup Banking Shifts
The sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, which served 80% of Seattle's venture-backed startups, triggered immediate government intervention to secure deposits and is expected to impact startup fundraising and banking preferences. Founders are now spreading funds across multiple banks, while some investors believe the fallout might lead to lower interest rates.
Ex-Facebook and Adobe Engineers’ Seattle Startup Marble Raises $2M to Automate Rental Management for Small Landlords
Marble, a Seattle startup co-founded by ex-Facebook and ex-Adobe engineers, raised $2 million to provide software-enabled rental management for small landlords, currently managing over 600 homes and generating $30,000 monthly revenue. The company offers a subscription service to handle tenant placement, rent collection, and maintenance, aiming to automate tasks typically done by landlords.
Investor Announces Funding for Yoodli, an AI App Delivering Real-Time Feedback to Cure Public-Speaking Fear
The author announces their investment in Yoodli, an AI-powered app that gives real-time verbal and nonverbal feedback, progress tracking, peer review, and coach connections to help users overcome fear of public speaking.
Investor Announces Funding for Game Jolt, a Gen‑Z Focused Community Platform Founded by Yaprak and David DeCarmine
The author announces an investment in Game Jolt, a game-agnostic social platform led by founders Yaprak and David DeCarmine that serves Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha gamers and creators with community features for over 3 million monthly users and 40,000+ games.
Madrona partner Daniel Li leaves to co-found Plus with Chloe Qi; Plus raises $5.5M seed led by Madrona
Daniel Li is leaving Madrona Venture Group to co-found Plus with Chloe Qi; the startup raised a $5.5 million seed round led by Madrona to build a no-code/low-code, multiplayer productivity product for sharing live data.
George “Skip” Battle resigns from Expedia Group board; Vacasa hires Jamie Cohen as CFO; Wyze adds Jennifer Ceran to board
Expedia Group board member George “Skip” Battle resigned after serving since 2005; the departure was not due to any disagreement, the company said. Vacasa named Jamie Cohen as CFO and Wyze Labs added former Smartsheet CFO Jennifer Ceran to its board.
Madrona Venture Group Names Anu Sharma and Daniel Li Partners, Expanding Deal Leadership and Technical Expertise
Madrona promotes Anu Sharma and Daniel (Dan) Li to Partners, citing their leadership, technical expertise, deal sourcing, and contributions to the Seattle/Pacific Northwest startup ecosystem.
Madrona Ventures Announces Investment in Rec Room, Citing 10M Players and 1M Creators
Madrona announced its investment in Rec Room, an online social gaming universe with over 10 million players and 1 million creators that offers easy cross-platform play and low-code content creation tools. The firm praised Rec Room’s founders, community-first approach, and alignment with trends in online communities and maker-focused development.
GeekWire: Pacific NW startups raise big rounds — Vacasa $108M, Remitly $85M, Auth0 $120M, OfferUp $120M, Outreach $50M; Qumulo hits $1B
Pacific Northwest privately-held tech startups raised large funding rounds and increased valuations during the 2020 economic crisis, with several firms hitting or exceeding $1 billion valuations and total H1 2020 investment of $2.3 billion across 135 deals.
Madrona: Low-Code/No-Code Platforms Unlock Faster, Cheaper App Development and Broaden Who Can Build Software
Madrona's third investment-theme essay argues that low-code and no-code platforms will accelerate software adoption by enabling domain experts to build applications faster and widening the pool of people who can create software amid shortages of traditional developers.
Seattle Startup GawkBox Raises $3.7M to Boost Game Streamer Earnings Through Sponsored Tipping on Twitch and YouTube
Seattle startup GawkBox raised $3.7 million in Series A funding to help live game streamers earn 'sponsored tips' when viewers download and engage with games. This platform offers an alternative revenue stream by enabling tipping without direct payments, benefiting both streamers and app developers.
Madrona Venture Labs names entrepreneur Jay Bartot as CTO, joining May 2017 to lead ML and big-data initiatives
Madrona Venture Labs has hired Jay Bartot as Chief Technology Officer; Bartot is a four-time cofounder with expertise in big data, machine learning, and computer vision, and his startups include Farecast, AdRelevance, Medify, and Vhoto.
Madrona Venture Group Promotes Julie Sandler to Partner and Daniel Li to Senior Associate
Madrona Venture Group promoted Julie Sandler to Partner and Daniel Li to Senior Associate, citing Sandler’s investments, board roles, and active support of the Pacific Northwest startup community. Sandler founded the Seattle Entrepreneurial Women’s Network, teaches entrepreneurship at the University of Washington, and previously held product management roles at Amazon and TeachStreet.
Cascadia Plan Proposes Phased Autonomous Vehicle Rollout on I-5 from Shared HOV to AV-Only Restrictions
The report proposes a decade-long plan for the I-5 Cascadia Corridor (Seattle–Vancouver B.C.) to progressively introduce autonomous vehicles—starting with shared HOV lanes, moving to AV-only lanes, and ultimately restricting non-AVs during peak times—to reduce congestion, improve travel, and showcase regional innovation.
Organizations
See all 6
Education
-
University of Pennsylvania Huntsman Program (BA and BS), Economics, International Studies, and Psychology · 2008–2012
-
Exeter Township Senior High School
