Kurt Schlosser
Kurt Schlosser is a photographer and reporter associated with GeekWire and Recompose, mentioned in multiple GeekWire articles.
Ex-Axon Leader Luke Larson Launches Vale, a Nationwide Automated Matcha Beverage Startup from Seattle
Luke Larson, former Axon president, is building Vale, a Seattle-based automated matcha beverage startup aiming to scale nationally like Starbucks. He leverages his tech and leadership experience to grow Vale from local cafes to thousands of automated dispensers across the U.S.
Lime Prepares 15,000 Bikes and Scooters at Seattle Warehouse for FIFA World Cup Ridership Surge
Lime's Seattle warehouse is preparing its fleet of 15,000 electric bikes and scooters to support expected ridership surges during the FIFA World Cup and other summer events, following a 50% increase in rides over last year. The company plans to roll out new services like valet parking and maintenance to accommodate demand, aiming to assist residents and visitors at major city events.
Seattle Launches First of 50 IKE Smart City Digital Wayfinding Kiosks Downtown Near Pike Place Market
Seattle unveiled its first of 50 planned IKE Smart City digital wayfinding kiosks downtown, starting at First Avenue and Pike Street near Pike Place Market. The kiosks, developed by Orange Barrel Media in partnership with the Downtown Seattle Association, aim to provide modern, interactive street-level information for residents and tourists.
Alitheon Raises $8M to Scale FeaturePrint Optical AI for Label-Free Physical Object Identification
Alitheon, a Bellevue startup, has raised $8 million to expand its FeaturePrint technology that uses optical AI to create unique digital fingerprints for physical objects without labels. The technology enhances security and traceability across industries, with customers including Argor-Heraeus and Pentagon contracts.
WTIA Selects 21 Startups for 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator to Boost Washington State Innovation
The Washington Technology Industry Association selected 21 early-stage startups across Washington state for its 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program, focusing on fields like AI, cybersecurity, and healthcare. The four-month program offers mentorship, peer learning, and investor connections to support entrepreneurial growth.
Seattle Startup Picnic Shuts Down, Sells $50M Pizza Robot Assets to Undisclosed Buyer in May 2024
Seattle-based food automation startup Picnic, which raised about $50 million to develop pizza-making robots, has shut down and liquidated its assets after becoming insolvent. Its assets and intellectual property were sold to an undisclosed buyer in May 2024 through a liquidation process overseen by CMBG Advisors.
Temporal, $5 Billion Bellevue Startup, Named Crystal Palace Front-of-Shirt Sponsor for 2026/27 EPL Season
Temporal, a Bellevue-based developer tools startup valued at $5 billion, will be the front-of-shirt sponsor for Crystal Palace Football Club starting in the 2026/27 English Premier League season. This sponsorship deal aligns with the Premier League's new ban on gambling company logos on shirts, opening opportunities for new sponsors like Temporal.
Tech Community Mourns S. 'Soma' Somasegar, Microsoft Veteran and Madrona VC, at Age 59
S. 'Soma' Somasegar, a respected Microsoft veteran and Madrona Ventures investor, passed away at age 59, prompting widespread tributes highlighting his kindness, mentorship, and lasting impact on the tech community. Colleagues remembered him as a humble servant leader and champion of developers whose legacy went beyond his business contributions.
Tin Can CEO Chet Kittleson and Founders Share Key Startup Lessons at Seattle Flow Day on May 15
At Seattle Flow Startup Day, experienced founders including Tin Can CEO Chet Kittleson shared lessons from their hardships, emphasizing building passionate companies, maintaining emotional stability, hiring capable people, disciplined fundraising, questioning the need for venture capital, and considering acquisition early. Kittleson recounted surviving a disastrous network outage that nearly ended his startup, highlighting resilience and customer-driven growth.
Seattle Ranks 4th in US Population Growth Amid Rising Tech Layoffs, Sparking Concern Among Industry Leaders
Seattle's tech industry remains a major economic force driving population growth, but rising tech layoffs and growing doubts among business leaders highlight emerging concerns about the city's long-term economic resilience and confidence.
Seattle’s Talairis Law Group, Founded by Ex-Perkins Coie Attorneys, Launches AI-Driven Startup Law Firm for Broad Legal Support
Talairis Law Group, founded by former big law and in-house attorneys Sam Shaddox and Matt Souza, launches in Seattle using AI to perform much of the legal work associates traditionally do, aiming to offer startups lower-cost legal services. Unlike other AI-powered law firms focused on singular practice areas, Talairis seeks to provide broad, day-to-day legal support leveraging AI.
Cowboy Space Raises $275M at $2B Valuation, Plans 40-60 Hires for Seattle Satellite and Rocket Hub
Cowboy Space Corp., founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, raised $275 million in a Series B round valuing the company at $2 billion and is hiring 40-60 employees for its new Seattle satellite and rocket engineering hub. The company develops solar-powered satellites that function as data centers and builds integrated rockets to launch them, competing for talent in Seattle's aerospace sector.
Anduril Raises $5 Billion in Series H Funding to Expand Autonomous Naval Vessel Operations in Seattle
Anduril Industries secured $5 billion in a Series H funding round valuing the company at $61 billion to expand manufacturing and R&D of autonomous defense systems, including a maritime operation in Seattle. This investment highlights Seattle and the Pacific Northwest as emerging hubs for advanced defense technology development.
Seattle Students Compete in TiE Young Entrepreneurs Finals with AI Startup Winning Spot in Global Contest
Over 100 students from 20 teams competed in the TYE Seattle Chapter Finals pitching startups in AI, healthcare, nutrition, and recycling, with an AI-powered email assistant winning first place. The event featured a panel from Amazon, Microsoft, and OpenAI discussing career navigation in the AI era, and Seattle aims for a third consecutive global title next month.
2026 GeekWire Awards Celebrate Seattle Tech Scene with Over 300 Attendees and Winners Including Carbon Robotics, HouseWhisper AI, and Omeros
The 2026 GeekWire Awards celebrated Seattle's vibrant tech community with over 300 attendees honoring top startups, founders, and leaders across multiple categories at Showbox SoDo. The event highlighted Seattle as a hub for innovation with winners like Carbon Robotics, HouseWhisper AI, and Omeros recognized for their contributions.
Seattle Startup Tin Can Launches Tin Can Communities Program for Bulk Adoption of Kids’ Screenless Phones
Seattle startup Tin Can launched Tin Can Communities, a program allowing schools and neighborhoods to adopt their $100 screenless Wi-Fi-enabled kids' phone in bulk. The company, founded in 2024 and having raised $15.5 million, aims to delay smartphone adoption by enabling collective group use, supported by bulk pricing and onboarding.
Seattle-Area Tech Veterans Acquire New England Eagles Minor League Cricket Team to Develop USA Talent Pipeline
Five Seattle-area tech veterans with leadership experience from major companies have acquired the New England Eagles Minor League Cricket franchise in Boston to support the sport's talent pipeline. They prioritize developing pathways for local players to reach Team USA, despite the team being located 3,000 miles away.
Seattle AI Startup Convexus Uses Anthropic’s Claude API to Turn Civic Debate into Coordinated Action
Seattle startup Convexus, co-founded by mother and daughter Merrill and Doña Keating, uses AI to transform fragmented civic debates into coordinated actions for local governments and community groups. Their platform employs AI-assisted facilitation to identify shared goals and foster productive dialogue, aiming to move beyond division prevalent in traditional social media.
Bellevue AI Startup Summation Unveils Billboard to Boost Visibility After $35M Funding
Bellevue startup Summation launched a large billboard near SR 520 to increase visibility and signal the region's growing startup energy, inspired by Silicon Valley's prominent tech advertising. Founded in 2024 by former Opendoor and Square executives, Summation raised $35 million from Benchmark and Kleiner Perkins to develop its AI platform for enterprise data insights.
GeekWire Names mpathic, ElastixAI, Dropzone AI, Dopl Technologies, and Loopr AI as 2026 Startup of the Year Finalists
The 2026 GeekWire Awards Startup of the Year finalists include mpathic, ElastixAI, Dropzone AI, Dopl Technologies, and Loopr AI, representing innovations from AI safety to robotic ultrasounds. The event will be held on May 7 in Seattle, with voting open for selecting the winner.
2026 GeekWire Awards Young Entrepreneur Finalists: Emily Choi-Greene's Clearly AI Raises $8.4M Seed, Alongside Robotics and AI Startups
The 2026 GeekWire Awards Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalists include Emily Choi-Greene (Clearly AI), Caleb John (Pioneer Square Labs), Kavian Mojabe (MediScan AI), Charles Wu (Orchard Robotics), and Zheqing (Bill) Zhu (Pokee AI), showcasing innovation in AI, robotics, and cybersecurity. The event takes place May 7 in Seattle, with public voting for the winner open through April 16.
Humanly Acquires Anthill to Expand AI Hiring Platform with Employee Engagement Features
Humanly, an AI-powered hiring startup based in Bellevue, Washington, acquired Anthill to enhance its employee engagement capabilities. This acquisition follows Humanly's previous purchases of three recruiting technology companies and aims to integrate post-hire engagement with its existing candidate attraction, screening, and interviewing tools.
Humanly Raises $25M to Deliver AI-Vetted Job Seekers and Launch Candidate Coaching Products
Humanly raised $25 million in Series B funding to expand from providing AI-powered recruiting tools for employers to delivering pre-vetted, ready-to-hire job seekers on demand, alongside launching AI coaching products for candidates. The company aims to build a continuously updated database of screened job seekers to serve as a staffing agency replacement.
2026 GeekWire CEO of the Year Finalists Announced Across Fintech, Climate, Real Estate, and AI
The 2026 GeekWire Awards CEO of the Year finalists include Tony Huang of Possible Finance and others leading innovations in fintech, climate tech, real estate, and AI. The awards event takes place on May 7, with voting open through April 16.
Seattle Entrepreneur Robbie Cape Launches New Stealth Startup After Nine-Month Job Search
Seattle tech entrepreneur Robbie Cape ended his nine-month job search by launching a new startup incorporated in March, with key early team members including CTO T Van Doren and CPO Matt Witcher. Cape is keeping the venture details private but is enthusiastic about shaping the company's future and applying lessons from his prior startups like 98point6 and Mt. Joy.
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