Hope Cochran
Hope Cochran is Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group and serves as Board Observer at GawkBox.
Madrona Venture Group Marks 30 Years with $770M Raised for New Funds, Continuing Strong Seattle Investments
Madrona Venture Group, a Seattle-based venture capital firm celebrating its 30th anniversary, has invested in major startups like Amazon and recently raised $770 million for two new funds to support about 40 investments. While expanding beyond the Pacific Northwest with a Palo Alto office, Madrona continues to focus most of its investments locally.
Madrona Leads Series Seed in Codified to Deliver AI-Powered Policy-Driven Data Governance
Madrona led a Series Seed investment in Codified, an AI-powered, policy-driven data governance platform founded by Yatharth Gupta, aiming to provide seamless, secure, least-privilege access to data amid rising privacy and security concerns.
Madrona Venture Labs raises $8M and turns investors like Spencer Rascoff into co‑founders of spinouts
Madrona Venture Labs has raised $8 million for its fourth fund and introduced a model that makes investors — including Spencer Rascoff, Julie Larson-Green and Elena Donio — co-founders, board members, and advisors of its spinouts to attract talent and accelerate startup formation. Founded in 2014, the Seattle-based studio has spun out more than a dozen companies, including recent spinouts Zeitworks, Simplata, and Stratify.
Madrona Venture Labs Raises $8M Led by Madrona, Adds Former CEOs and Operators as Investors
Madrona Venture Labs (MVL), the incubation arm of Madrona Venture Group, has raised $8M with Madrona leading the round and brought on a roster of experienced operators and former CEOs as investors to help build spun-out companies. MVL will continue partnering closely with Madrona’s investment professionals on startups like Stratify and Strike Graph as it expands its incubation efforts.
Madrona’s Elisa La Cava interviews Madrona Venture Labs’ Mike Fridgen and FFA’s Leslie Feinzaig on studios vs. accelerators
This Founded and Funded episode compares two paths to venture funding—startup studios (Madrona Venture Labs) and accelerators (Female Founders Alliance’s Ready Set Raise)—with Madrona investor Elisa La Cava interviewing Mike Fridgen and Leslie Feinzaig about how each model supports different types of companies.
Advancing Women in Product partners with Madrona Venture Group to expand female founder training and access to capital
Advancing Women in Product (AWIP), a nonprofit with over 16,000 members, is partnering with Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group and Madrona Venture Labs to expand training, mentoring, networking and help women launch startups, join boards and secure VC. AWIP founder and CEO Nancy Wang and Madrona managing director Hope Cochran say the collaboration aims to increase female leadership and diversify Madrona's portfolio across its roughly 80 companies.
Madrona Venture Group Raises $345M for 8th Fund and $161M for 2nd Later-Stage Fund in Largest Ever $500M Capital Raise
Madrona Venture Group raised over $500 million for its largest fundraise ever, including $345 million for an eighth early-stage fund targeting 35-40 Pacific Northwest startups and $161 million for a second later-stage Acceleration Fund. The firm continues to focus on supporting the Pacific Northwest tech ecosystem while also backing later-stage companies across North America.
PNW Startups Raised $1.1B in Q3 2020 Across 65 Deals as Investors Keep Funding Amid Pandemic
Pacific Northwest startups raised $1.1 billion across 65 deals in Q3 2020, with funding in July and August exceeding last year’s levels as investors continue backing tech despite the pandemic.
Seattle tech CFO survey: 37 respondents say three-quarters expect full COVID-19 recovery; nearly half raise 2020 spending forecasts
A survey of 37 Seattle-based tech CFOs finds the local tech industry remains resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic, with three-quarters expecting full recovery and nearly half raising 2020 spending forecasts versus early March. Many CFOs report higher Q2 bookings expectations and over 40% say their companies are increasing headcount despite widespread industry layoffs elsewhere.
Sila raises $7.7M seed led by Madrona and Oregon Venture Fund to scale fintech infrastructure
Portland fintech startup Sila raised $7.7 million in a seed round led by Madrona Venture Group and Oregon Venture Fund to expand its API that lets developers add compliant banking and payment features. Led by CEO and Simple co-founder Shamir Karkal, Sila offers ACH processing, transfers, digital wallets, a built-in SILA stablecoin, tiered pricing, and partnerships with Plaid, Evolve Bank & Trust, and Alloy.
Founded and Funded Episode 2: Amperity CEO Kabir Shahani on Building Culture, Values and Management Lessons
The Founded and Funded podcast interviews Amperity founder and CEO Kabir Shahani about building company culture and values since the company's 2017 launch, including a practical one-hour exercise Shannon Anderson shares for founding teams to create core values. The episode also discusses Amperity's client work, a company-only book that inspired the podcast, and lessons Shahani learned about management and entrepreneurship.
Madrona promotes Troy Cichos to COO and Partner; Jennifer Chambers named Administrative Partner; Tasha Tieu joins as Controller; Ted Kummert becomes Chief Product Officer in Residence
Madrona announced administrative team changes: Troy Cichos promoted to COO and Partner, Jennifer Chambers promoted to Administrative Partner, Tasha Tieu hired as Controller, Ted Kummert’s role expanded to Chief Product Officer in Residence, and Hope Cochran named Managing Director. The moves support operations as Madrona manages nearly $1.6 billion across five active funds with a 35-person staff.
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.
Organizations
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GawkBox Board Observer · current
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Madrona Managing Director · current
