Kellan Carter
Kellan Carter is a Founding Partner at FUSE and serves as a board member at avante and Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue. He founded Fuse, a fund that he continues to lead, and is an investor in Griptape and Icertis.
Jacob Colker announces Seattle startup gathering at Showbox Market thanking J.P. Morgan, Google, Fenwick & West and Pilot.com
Jacob Colker thanks sponsors, Seattle founders, and the AI House team after a gathering at the historic Showbox Market, expressing enthusiasm for the local startup community.
Thira Secures $21 Million Seed Funding to Automate Enterprise Back-Office Workflows with AI
Thira, founded by Apptio co-founders in 2026, has raised $21 million in a seed round led by Madrona to develop an AI-native platform that automates complex enterprise back-office workflows while ensuring security and compliance.
Thira Secures $21M Seed Funding Led by Madrona to Develop AI-Driven Self-Running Enterprise Back-Office
Thira, founded by Apptio co-founders Sunny Gupta and Kurt Shintaffer, raised $21 million in a seed round led by Madrona to develop a secure, self-learning AI system aimed at automating enterprise back-office IT processes. The funding round also includes participation from FUSE and prominent advisors, with key industry veterans joining the founding team.
Icertis Co-founder and Former CEO Samir Bodas Dies at 61 After Battling Cancer
Samir Bodas, co-founder and former CEO of Icertis, passed away at 61 after battling cancer, leaving behind a legacy of leadership that emphasized team success over individual accolades. His close friendships, including with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, reflected his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to fostering company culture rooted in personal values.
Fuse Leads $10 Million Seed Round in Avante as VC Investment Surges Amid AI Boom, Say Panelists
At a Seattle AI Week panel, Fuse's Kellan Carter and Avante CEO Rohan D’Souza shared that early-stage startups should focus on solving specific problems, building strong conviction, and prioritizing distribution amid the AI boom. Fuse led Avante’s $10 million seed round in late 2023, highlighting the importance of trust and relationships between founders and investors during the current venture capital landscape where AI drives significant funding.
Manny Medina’s AI Billing Startup Paid Raises $21M Seed Round Led by Lightspeed, Valued Above $100M
Manny Medina, former CEO of Outreach, has launched Paid, a London-based startup focused on AI agent billing, securing $21 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed. Paid aims to help companies monetize AI agents with innovative pricing models, and it is already valued at over $100 million.
Freightmate, Founded by Former Flexport and Amazon Employees, Raises $5M Seed to Automate Freight Forwarding Documents
Freightmate, a Seattle-based startup founded by ex-Flexport and Amazon veterans, raised $5 million in seed funding led by Fuse to automate document and data processing for freight forwarders. Its product, Docmate, digitizes and validates shipment documents, helping freight forwarders reduce errors and save time.
Tech Startups Shift to Profitability and Sustainable Growth Amid Tight 2023-2024 Venture Capital Market
Tech startups are shifting from growth-at-all-costs to focusing on profitability and efficient growth without relying on new investor funding amid tighter venture capital conditions and challenging market factors. This new approach, termed 'default alive,' emphasizes sustainable business models and cautious investment amid a decline in funding and more down rounds.
Avante Raises $10 Million Seed Round Led by FUSE; Kellan Carter to Join Board
Avante, a stealth Seattle startup led by former OliveAI executives Rohan D’Souza and Carly Eckert, raised $10 million in seed funding led by Bellevue-based FUSE with participation from Ascend Venture Capital, Highsage and angel investors. The funding will accelerate product development, expand engineering and data science teams, and FUSE’s Kellan Carter will join Avante’s board as the company scales after beginning development in fall 2023.
Seattle Startup Avante Raises $10M Seed Round Led by Fuse Venture Partners with Ex-Olive AI and Amperity Leaders
Seattle startup Avante, led by former Olive AI and Amperity executives, raised $10 million in a seed round led by Fuse Venture Partners to build an employee intelligence platform focused on healthier workforces. The company remains in stealth mode without detailed public disclosures about its plans.
Bellevue VC Fuse Raises $250M Second Fund, Reaching $420M Total Since 2020
Bellevue-based venture capital firm Fuse raised $250 million for its second fund, bringing its total raised to $420 million across two funds since launching in 2020. The firm will continue investing in Pacific Northwest and western Canada B2B tech startups, leading seed and Series A rounds with $1 million–$10 million checks.
Seattle VC Firm Fuse Raises $250M Second Fund to Back 30-35 Pacific Northwest Startups
Seattle-based venture capital firm Fuse raised $250 million for its second fund to invest in early-stage enterprise software startups across the Pacific Northwest, aiming to back 30-35 companies despite a broader venture capital slowdown. Founded in 2020 with an initial $170 million fund, Fuse credits its growth to the strong local talent and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Fuse closes $250M second fund to back 30–35 Pacific Northwest software and AI startups
Seattle-area VC firm Fuse has closed a $250 million second fund to invest in 30–35 Pacific Northwest software and AI-enabled startups, writing $1M–$10M checks and co-leading rounds. Backers include state-affiliated accounts, foundations, universities and prominent Seattle software executives, and Fuse aims to back companies that automate business processes or augment workers.
Seattle VC Fuse announces $170 million inaugural fund, backing 17 Pacific Northwest B2B startups
Seattle-based early-stage VC firm Fuse disclosed its inaugural fund is $170 million, which has backed 17 Pacific Northwest B2B software startups and plans 25–30 total investments.
GeekWire surveys Seattle-area VCs to name Pacific Northwest startups they predict will become unicorns in 2022
GeekWire surveyed more than a dozen Seattle-area venture capitalists for their picks of Pacific Northwest startups likely to reach unicorn status this year, compiling a list of candidate companies with reasons for each selection. The piece notes rising valuations nationwide and excludes VCs' own portfolio companies to reduce bias.
Brendan Wales joins Seattle VC Fuse as third founding GP as firm raises more than $118M for Fund I
Brendan Wales, a longtime Bay Area startup investor, has joined Seattle-based VC firm Fuse as its third founding general partner, and Fuse has raised over $118 million (nearly $120M) for its first fund to invest in B2B software across the Pacific Northwest.
TiE Seattle VC Panel: 2020 Ended with Record Startup Funding and SPAC Surge, Investors Expect Strong 2021
A TiE Seattle panel of four Seattle-area VCs said despite early pandemic layoffs and valuation fears, 2020 ended with record startup funding, VC capital raises, and strong exits, and they expect continued momentum in 2021 driven by SPAC activity and pandemic-driven innovation. Panelists highlighted increased founding activity, higher valuations, and pandemic-forced business improvements creating investor opportunities.
Ignition Partners investors spin out Fuse Venture Partners led by Kellan Carter, Cameron Borumand and Seahawks star Bobby Wagner
A group of investors from Seattle VC firm Ignition Partners, including managing partner John Connors, have launched a spinoff called Fuse Venture Partners led by general partners Kellan Carter and Cameron Borumand and featuring Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner as a venture partner. Ignite will sunset its brand while Fuse focuses on doubling down in Seattle and managing new investments, with Wagner committing to active involvement.
Organizations
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Education
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University of Montana B.S. Business Administration - Finance, Finance · 2005–2009
