Laurel Deppen
Laurel Deppen is mentioned in the article "Wall Street goes to pot, and to the dogs — and that’s a good thing for Seattle’s startup scene."
TaxBit raises $130M at $1.33B valuation after opening Seattle HQ, led by IVP and Insight Partners
Cryptocurrency tax and accounting startup TaxBit raised $130 million at a $1.33 billion valuation after opening a second headquarters in Seattle; the company plans to double its workforce, expand U.S. and U.K. offices, and recently partnered with the IRS. The Series round was led by IVP and Insight Partners with participation from Madrona Venture Group.
Former Amazon VP D. Sangeeta launches Gotara mentoring platform to retain women in STEM
Gotara, founded by former Amazon VP D. Sangeeta, launched a mentoring software in February that offers anonymous one-off and programmatic mentorship to help retain women in STEM. The platform is free for individuals and also sells employee retention programs to 12 employers, including Cisco.
Kyte launches in Seattle, offers app-based delivered rentals with $19 delivery/return fee and day‑to‑month bookings
On-demand car rental startup Kyte launched service in Seattle, delivering rental cars to customers who book via app or website for day-, week- or month-long rentals across several neighborhoods, charging a daily rate plus a $19 delivery/return fee.
Chronus raises $78M from Level Equity to expand mentoring platform as hybrid work and DEI demand rises
Chronus, a Bellevue-based mentoring software maker, raised $78 million from Level Equity to expand its platform, sales and marketing as hybrid work and DEI demand grow; the company has about 85 employees and counts Amazon and Hearst among customers.
Saltbox opens 31,000+ sq ft co-warehousing facility in Seattle’s SoDo with 47 suites, pricing from $600/month
Saltbox, a co-warehousing provider for small and mid-size e-commerce businesses, opened a more than 31,000 sq ft Seattle facility in SoDo with 47 suites and month-to-month memberships starting at $600. Founded in 2019, the company offers storage, private offices, logistics and on-demand workforce services and plans further expansion to Denver and Los Angeles.
BECU and UWs CoMotion Admit Joola, PYT Funds, Bumper and Stack to Third Annual Year-Long Seattle Fintech Incubator
Four Seattle startups—Joola, PYT Funds, Bumper, and Stack—were selected for the third annual year-long fintech incubator run by BECU and the University of Washingtons CoMotion, receiving support, mentorship, training, and space. Each company offers a distinct fintech product: Joola (co-savings/rewards), PYT Funds (education financing matchmaking), Bumper (Gen Z investing app), and Stack (API for brands to connect with brokerages).
ZoomInfo to Buy Chorus.ai for $575M Cash, Adds Conversation-Analysis AI; Jim Benton to Become SVP
ZoomInfo will acquire conversation intelligence startup Chorus.ai for $575 million in cash, adding AI-driven analysis of calls, meetings and emails to its sales and marketing data platform. The deal expands ZoomInfo’s addressable market to $70 billion, values the company at about $21 billion, and names Chorus CEO Jim Benton as SVP of emerging products.
TaxBit opens second headquarters in Seattle, plans to expand local team to 40 after $100M Series A
Utah-based crypto tax and accounting firm TaxBit is opening a second headquarters in Seattle’s South Lake Union to tap local tech talent and grow its team. Founded in 2018, TaxBit recently raised $100 million in a Series A (bringing total funding to $105 million), has a partnership with the IRS, and expects to grow its Seattle headcount from six to about 40 by year-end.
Seattle Tech CEOs — Icertis, Syndio, Qumulo, Remitly, Outreach, Convoy, Zenoti, Skilljar — Share First-Job Lessons That Shaped Their Careers
Seattle-area tech startup CEOs shared lessons from their first jobs—ranging from car washing to programming—highlighting practical skills, work ethic, and enduring lessons that shaped their leadership and product thinking.
Amazon Web Services acquires encrypted messaging startup Wickr; financial terms undisclosed
Amazon Web Services announced it has acquired Wickr, an end-to-end encrypted messaging platform used by government entities and security-conscious users; financial terms were not disclosed and AWS is offering Wickr immediately.
Sendle raises $35M Series C to expand U.S. operations, using unused delivery-truck space to cut costs
Australian e-commerce shipping startup Sendle raised $35 million in a Series C to expand in the U.S., using unused space on existing delivery trucks to offer lower-cost, faster shipping for small merchants. The company, which integrates with Etsy, eBay and Shopify, touts carbon-neutral operations, compostable packaging and plans to invest the funds in logistics, delivery and tech partnerships.
Coinme raises $10M to expand crypto cash network enabling bitcoin purchases at 15,000+ MoneyGram and Coinstar locations
Seattle-based Coinme raised $10 million from existing investors to expand its cryptocurrency cash network that lets customers buy and sell bitcoin at over 15,000 physical locations through partners like MoneyGram and Coinstar.
ZoomInfo acquires Insent.ai to add AI-driven chat; 35 employees join, co-founders named VPs
ZoomInfo is acquiring Insent.ai to add AI-powered real-time website chat to its workflow offerings; terms were undisclosed, Insent’s 35 employees will join ZoomInfo, and Insent’s co-founders will take VP roles.
Ganaz raises $7M Series A led by Trilogy Equity to expand ag workforce software and launch Mastercard Payroll Card
Seattle-based Ganaz raised $7 million in a Series A led by Trilogy Equity to expand its workforce-management and emerging financial tools for the agricultural sector, serving over 175,000 workers and 75 employers across the U.S. and Mexico. The company plans to roll out a Mastercard Payroll Card to digitize pay and paperwork, expand into eight Latin American countries this year, and grow headcount by 30+.
