Kurt Schlosser
Pay-i Rebrands as Ascerta and Raises $18M Series A Led by Dell Technologies Capital to Expand AI ROI Platform
Bellevue startup Pay-i has rebranded as Ascerta and raised an $18M Series A led by Dell Technologies Capital to expand from AI cost tracking into measuring enterprise AI ROI and adoption.
Databricks acquires Row Zero to embed high-performance enterprise spreadsheet into its platform
Databricks has acquired Seattle startup Row Zero, which built a high-performance cloud spreadsheet for millions of rows, and plans to embed the technology into its platform and Genie AI assistant while keeping the standalone product available to existing users. Row Zero, founded in 2021 by former AWS engineers Breck Fresen and Nick End, raised a $10 million Series A and will leverage Databricks’ customer base to scale distribution.
Hubble Network raises $200M Series C to hit $1.6B valuation, plans 60-satellite Bluetooth IoT constellation
Seattle-based Hubble Network raised $200 million in a Series C led by Smith Point Capital to reach a $1.6 billion valuation and bring total funding to $300 million, aiming to connect off-the-shelf Bluetooth devices directly to space. The startup operates six low-Earth orbit satellites, plans a 60-satellite constellation with Muon Space by 2030, and already serves pilot customers like Samsara.
John Boyle launches Music for Business Finder using Gemini, Claude and autonomous bots to build licensing comparison platform
John Boyle, a solo founder and former Mood Media VP, built Music for Business Finder — a free platform that helps small businesses compare commercial music streaming options and calculate licensing compliance — by leveraging AI models (Gemini, Claude) and autonomous bots to handle development, design, analytics, and marketing. Boyle says the AI-enabled approach let him ship a product in days that would otherwise have required a four-person team and continuous bot-run UX monitoring.
Mainstay acquires Truelist in $18M round; ex-Zillow VP Carey Armstrong named chief strategy officer
Seattle startup Truelist, founded by ex-Zillow VP Carey Armstrong in 2024, was acquired by San Francisco real estate tech firm Mainstay as part of an $18 million growth funding round to expand AI listing and transaction tools across the residential market. Armstrong will join Mainstay as chief strategy officer as the company broadens from serving institutional investors to brokerages, agents and smaller property owners.
Plug and Play Seattle selects 11 startups for 12-week Batch 4, including Tokyo’s Aeterlink; demo day Dec. 3
Plug and Play Seattle selected 11 startups for its fourth 12-week accelerator cohort—10 from Seattle and one from Tokyo—working on technologies from space robotics and data-center optical links to wireless power and antibody therapeutics, with the program running through mid-December and a demo day on Dec. 3 at the Boeing Future of Flight.
Local Crew launches in Seattle to use AI-analyzed videos for no-visit home repair estimates
Seattle startup Local Crew, founded in 2026 by Saad Nadeem, uses AI to convert customer-submitted videos into structured job posts with recommended prices so homeowners can get bids without in-person estimate visits. The service aims to simplify finding and hiring local labor for tasks from yard work to house repairs, letting pros accept or counter the AI-generated offers.
Nuance Labs raises $50M Series A to build full‑duplex AI that processes and generates real‑time human cues
Seattle-based Nuance Labs, founded in early 2025 by former Apple PhD researchers Fangchang Ma, Edward Zhang, and Karren Yang, raised $50 million in Series A to build a single "full-duplex" foundation model that simultaneously processes and generates real-time conversational cues from live audiovisual signals. The startup aims to create AI avatars that respond with human-like facial expressions, tone, and timing to enable more natural, in-the-moment interactions.
Temporal raises $550M Series E at $12.55B valuation as agentic AI demand lifts revenue past $250M ARR
Temporal raised $550 million in a Series E at a $12.55 billion valuation as demand for agentic AI systems drives rapid growth; its annualized revenue run rate recently surpassed $250 million, up over 200% year-over-year. The Bellevue-based open-source platform, co-founded by Samar Abbas and Maxim Fateev, doubled headcount to 570 to support major customers like OpenAI, NVIDIA, Netflix and JPMorgan Chase using its durable execution engine for multi-step AI workflows.
Remitly co-founder Matt Oppenheimer inducted into Dartmouth Entrepreneur Hall of Fame after stepping down as CEO
Remitly co-founder and chairman Matt Oppenheimer was inducted into Dartmouth College’s Entrepreneur Hall of Fame after stepping down as CEO seven months earlier, honored for making lasting positive impacts through his ventures. He credited Dartmouth’s social psychology teachings for shaping his people-focused approach to business and thanked admissions officers who gave him a chance despite “OK grades.”
Resect AI launches from stealth with $25M to stop AI hallucinations in-stream, headquartered in Washougal, Wash.
Resect AI, founded by scientists and engineers in Washougal, Washington, launched from stealth with $25 million to commercialize an open-source, in-stream technology that detects and prevents AI hallucinations by intervening inside large language models in real time. The startup employs about 30 people across the U.S., maintains a four-person office in its small-town HQ, and aims to provide transparent, auditable controls for enterprises in regulated industries.
Wyze launches AI-powered 'Wyze Stories' to stitch multi-camera clips into single events, included in $19.99/month Cam Unlimited Pro
Wyze launched 'Wyze Stories,' an AI feature that stitches clips from multiple cameras into a single chronological highlight reel with written summaries to reduce notification fatigue. The feature is available on the Cam Unlimited Pro subscription ($19.99/month) and excludes several older Wyze models.
Arkero signs Bolton Wanderers for three-month AI project to build club intelligence layer after $6M funding
Seattle startup Arkero, founded last fall and backed by $6 million in funding, signed Bolton Wanderers FC to a three-month project to rebuild the club’s data infrastructure and create a custom AI-powered “club intelligence layer” to centralize data and workflows. Arkero already serves several U.S. and U.K. clubs, and CEO Shivaas Gulati emphasizes that AI transformation starts with organizing a club’s data, systems, knowledge and workflows.
Digs raises $25.3M Series A led by Builders FirstSource and inks five-year integration deal for 140,000 builders
Digs, a Vancouver, Wash. startup building AI software for residential construction, raised $25.3 million in a Series A led by Builders FirstSource and signed a five-year agreement to integrate its AI platform into Builders FirstSource’s digital ecosystem for 140,000 builder clients.
Immersive Gamebox opens first Pacific Northwest location at Westfield Southcenter in Tukwila; grand opening Friday
Immersive Gamebox, a UK-founded interactive group gaming company, opens its first Pacific Northwest location this week at Westfield Southcenter in Tukwila, offering controller-free, body-tracked games for groups of 2–6 with bookings already available and a grand opening celebration Friday.
Overland AI opens Burlingame office to tap Bay Area AI talent, plans to double local staff
Seattle-based autonomous ground vehicle maker Overland AI is opening a Burlingame, Calif. office to access Bay Area AI and robotics talent, creating a command center for remote vehicle operations and planning to double its Bay Area staff in six months as it advances off-road navigation software.
Wenxin Fang launches ZeroPivot Protractor on Kickstarter, raises $2,200+ after July 26 campaign to produce $19 anodized-aluminum tool
Seventeen-year-old Wenxin Fang of Redmond, Wash., designed the ZeroPivot Protractor — a precision-machined anodized-aluminum replacement for flimsy classroom protractors — and launched a Kickstarter on July 26 that reached its initial funding goal within 48 hours and has raised over $2,200. Priced at $19, the tool uses a guide-rail sliding mechanism and will be manufactured through HKAA Industrial in Shenzhen to cover tooling and production costs.
Remitly launches Remitly Global Card — Visa debit account with preferred FX, USD/USDC balances, instant P2P and 0% APR line
Remitly launched the Remitly Global Card, a Visa debit card and linked account that lets cross-border customers get paid, spend, save, and send money across countries with direct deposits, fee-free local spending, and global ATM access. The card, issued via Lead Bank with a Stripe wallet and funds held at Fifth Third Bank, includes preferred FX rates, support for USD or USDC balances, instant P2P transfers between Remitly cards, and a US 0% APR open-end line of credit for eligible users.
ABC Fitness acquires Seattle agentic-AI startup Replify; founders and 12-person team to join company
Seattle startup Replify, which uses agentic AI to automate calls, emails, chats and texts for fitness and wellness businesses, is being acquired by Dallas-based ABC Fitness so its AI agents can reach ABC’s global customer base.
AIM Intelligent Machines, led by founder Adam Sadilek, retrofits excavators and bulldozers for full autonomy from its Redmond HQ
AIM Intelligent Machines, founded in 2021 by former Google engineer Adam Sadilek, is developing a physical AI platform to retrofit existing excavators, bulldozers and other heavy equipment for fully autonomous operation from its Redmond, Washington headquarters and nearby proving grounds. The company aims to transform construction, mining and hauling work on Earth—and eventually enable similar autonomous heavy machinery for off‑planet tasks on the Moon or Mars.
Augmodo Raises $21M at $350M Valuation to Expand Smartbadge Spatial AI from Retail into Warehouses and Factories
Seattle startup Augmodo raised $21 million at a $350 million valuation to expand its AI-powered Smartbadge technology from retail shelves into warehouses, factories, delivery, and other parts of the physical workforce.
Vinod Khosla-led Family Agrees to Buy Seattle Seahawks for Reported $9.6 Billion
Veteran venture capitalist Vinod Khosla and his family agreed to buy the Seattle Seahawks from the Paul Allen estate for a reported $9.6 billion; Khosla is a longtime Silicon Valley investor who founded Khosla Ventures and was an early OpenAI backer.
Seattle Startup Conduit Venture Labs Launches Sniff App Connecting Neighbors via Their Dogs to Combat Social Isolation
Seattle startup Conduit Venture Labs, founded by Amish Patel, launched Sniff, an iOS app that connects neighbors through their dogs by turning dog encounters into social connections, aiming to combat loneliness and isolation. The app verifies users' identities and neighborhoods using AI for safety, focusing on dog profiles to initiate neighborly interactions.
Creative Destruction Lab Seattle Accelerator Graduates 17 Startups, Raising Over $330M Since 2022
Creative Destruction Lab's Seattle accelerator, based at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business, graduated 17 early-stage startups in its fifth cohort since 2021. These startups, specializing in advanced manufacturing and computational health, have collectively raised over $330 million in venture funding since 2022.
Zoom Acquires Seattle AI Startup Common Room to Enhance Sales Signal Tracking in Zoom Revenue Accelerator
Zoom has acquired Seattle-based startup Common Room, which developed an AI-powered platform for sales and marketing teams to track buyer signals, in a move to enhance its Zoom Revenue Accelerator platform with deeper buyer intelligence. Common Room, founded in 2020, had raised $52 million in funding and was named Startup of the Year at the 2022 GeekWire Awards.
