Kurt Schlosser
Kurt Schlosser is a photographer and reporter associated with GeekWire and Recompose, mentioned in multiple GeekWire articles.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Taiwan’s eNeural Technologies Opens North American HQ in Bellevue with $3.5M Investment and 30 Jobs, Targets 500 Employees
Taiwan-based AI startup eNeural Technologies is establishing its North American headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, planning to invest $3.5 million and create around 30 jobs initially, with a long-term goal of expanding to over 500 employees as a core edge AI R&D center. The company specializes in lightweight, low-power AI software and chips for on-site device intelligence in logistics, vehicles, and smart city infrastructure.
Amperity Undertakes Layoffs Amid AI-Driven Operational Shift Under New Co-CEOs Shahani and Slager
Seattle-based customer data startup Amperity conducted unspecified layoffs as it shifts its operations toward increased artificial intelligence integration under new co-CEOs Kabir Shahani and Derek Slager. The company, with over 200 employees globally, aims to build a stronger AI-driven future following leadership changes including the CEO transition earlier in 2024.
Syndio Acquires Embrace.ai to Advance AI-Powered Pay Equity Platform
Syndio, a Seattle-based pay equity startup, made its first acquisition by acquiring Austin-based agentic AI startup Embrace.ai to enhance its AI-powered compensation platform. The acquisition brings Embrace.ai's founders and team to Syndio to accelerate development in real-time pay decision governance.
Seattle Startup Yoodli Scores Free FIFA World Cup Broadcast Ad with Cardboard Sign at Pier 62
Seattle startup Yoodli used a cardboard sign to get its name and web address featured on Fox Sports' live FIFA World Cup broadcast from Pier 62. This guerrilla marketing effort was a spontaneous move by Yoodli's team during the 2021-founded company's participation at AI House events nearby.
Solius Labs Raises $23M Series A to Launch FDA-Cleared $2,995 At-Home UVB Light Therapy Device
Solius Labs, a Bainbridge Island startup founded in 2013, raised $23 million in Series A funding to launch the Solius Pro, a $2,995 FDA-cleared at-home UVB light therapy device that delivers safe, personalized vitamin D stimulating treatment via a smartphone-controlled wall-mounted unit. The device uses a patented skin-scanning sensor to customize UVB dosage in under five minutes per weekly session, enabling convenient home use previously only available in clinics.
Robbie Cape Launches The Instrument to Disrupt Trillion-Dollar Insurance Industry with Pioneer Square Labs Backing
Seattle entrepreneur Robbie Cape is launching The Instrument, a new startup backed by Pioneer Square Labs, to disrupt the trillion-dollar insurance industry. After a nine-month job search and drawn by the sector's complexity and financial potential, Cape aims to build generational wealth unlike his previous mission-driven ventures.
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