Jesse Proudman
Jesse Proudman is Co-Founder, President and CTO at Venice.ai. He previously founded Blue Box Group, Makara, and Strix Leviathan, all of which were acquired, and he is currently leading Venice.ai.
Auger — Dave and Leigh Anne Clark’s $150M AI supply-chain startup — moves HQ from Seattle area to Dallas
Auger, an AI supply-chain startup co-founded in 2024 by former Amazon executive Dave Clark and Leigh Anne Clark, is relocating its headquarters from the Seattle area to Dallas after raising $150 million; development work remains in Seattle and the Dallas office is expected to reach about 30 employees by year-end.
Seattle AI Startup Venice.ai Raises $65M Series A at $1 Billion Valuation to Expand Privacy-First Chatbot Services
Seattle startup Venice.ai raised $65 million in its first funding round, reaching a $1 billion valuation as it expands its privacy-focused AI services. The company, with 3.5 million users, offers an uncensored chatbot alternative emphasizing data privacy and user control, and has become profitable.
Erik Voorhees, Bitcoin Entrepreneur and Venice AI CEO, Raised $65M Series A in 2026
Erik Voorhees is a Bitcoin entrepreneur and CEO of Venice AI, a privacy-focused AI startup that raised $65 million in Series A funding in 2026. He founded early crypto ventures like ShapeShift and SatoshiDice, building significant wealth through these and advocating for decentralized finance and limited government regulation.
Organizations
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Venice.ai Co-Founder, President and CTO 2025–present · current
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Venice President and Chief Technology Officer · current
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Betterment Vice President 2022–2025 · past
Education
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Entrepreneurs Organization Entrepreneurial Masters Program Certificate - Class of 2014 · 2012–2014
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University of Puget Sound BA, Business Leadership Program · 2003–2007
