Lisa Stiffler
Lisa Stiffler is a journalist who covers nonprofits, companies, and researchers applying technology to environmental, energy, health, transit, education and other societal challenges; she has worked at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, freelanced for The Seattle Times, and written for outlets including Seattle's Child, Sightline Institute, NPR, MSNBC, Smithsonian Magazine, GeekWire and CoMotion News.
Recurrent wins $256,000 NSF Phase 1 SBIR grant to expand battery-data platform, eligible for $1.5M follow-on
Recurrent, a Seattle startup that provides third-party battery health and range reports for used electric vehicles, received a $256,000 NSF Phase 1 SBIR grant and could compete for an additional $1.5 million; the company launched in September, has 11 employees, raised a $3.5M seed round, and is building a large real-world EV range database.
TwinStrand Biosciences, led by Jesse Salk, raises $50M Series B from Section 32 to scale ultra-accurate gene-sequencing
TwinStrand Biosciences, co-founded and led by Jesse Salk, raised $50 million in a Series B led by Section 32 to expand its high-accuracy gene-sequencing technology for detecting rare mutations with applications in cancer detection, therapy monitoring, and safety testing.
Icosavax, UW IPD Spinout, Raises $100M Series B to Advance Computer-Designed Virus‑Like Particle Vaccines
Seattle biotech Icosavax, a University of Washington Institute for Protein Design spinout, raised $100 million in a Series B to develop computer-designed, virus-like particle vaccines including programs for COVID-19, RSV, and hMPV. The company, backed by investors led by RA Capital and supported by a $10 million Gates Foundation grant, has 17 employees and cites strong preclinical immune responses.
Brothers David and Connor Wallace launch CODA Farm Technologies to bring IoT irrigation to their historic Wallace potato farm
Brothers David and Connor Wallace left tech jobs to found CODA Farm Technologies, an IoT agriculture startup built from their multigenerational Wallace potato farm in Skagit Valley. The company focuses on applying David’s data-science and Connor’s software skills to irrigation and other farm problems using connected devices.
Presage Biosciences raises $13M, inks collaborations with Merck and Maverick to test cancer drugs using CIVO
Seattle-based Presage Biosciences raised $13 million in its first venture round, bringing total equity to $35 million, and announced new collaborations with Merck and Maverick Therapeutics to use its CIVO platform for testing cancer drugs in human tumors. The CIVO device enables micro-dosing and biomarker tracking in phase 0 trials, aiming to improve preclinical screening and reduce failures in costly phase I trials.
Notch Therapeutics raises $85M Series A (total $91M) to fund stem cell–derived T cell therapies and open Seattle lab
Notch Therapeutics raised an $85 million Series A, bringing total funding to $91 million, to advance stem cell–derived T cell immunotherapies and expand with a new Seattle research lab. The 2018-founded biotech plans to grow from 35 to about 100 employees by end of 2022 and is collaborating with Allogene Therapeutics on treatments for blood cancers.
Ozette, a Fred Hutch spinout incubated at AI2, raises $6M seed to scale AI immune-monitoring platform
Ozette, a Seattle biotech spun out of Fred Hutch and incubated at AI2, raised a $6 million seed round to scale its eight-person team and commercialize an AI-driven Immune Monitoring Platform that analyzes high-dimensional single-cell protein data, initially focused on cancer. The founders say the platform automates analysis of billions-to-trillions of protein-expression combinations and increases usable information from roughly 10% to 100% of study data.
Ensoma launches in Boston with $70M Series A to commercialize Engenious gene‑editing adenoviral vectors developed by Fred Hutch and UW researchers
Boston-based biotech spinout Ensoma launched, announcing a $70 million Series A to commercialize Engenious adenoviral vectors developed by Drs. Hans-Peter Kiem (Fred Hutch) and André Lieber (UW) that aim to deliver single‑injection gene therapies without stem cell harvest or chemotherapy.
Advancing Women in Product partners with Madrona Venture Group to expand female founder training and access to capital
Advancing Women in Product (AWIP), a nonprofit with over 16,000 members, is partnering with Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group and Madrona Venture Labs to expand training, mentoring, networking and help women launch startups, join boards and secure VC. AWIP founder and CEO Nancy Wang and Madrona managing director Hope Cochran say the collaboration aims to increase female leadership and diversify Madrona's portfolio across its roughly 80 companies.
Gates-led Breakthrough Energy Ventures raises second $1B fund to back 40–50 hard-to-abate climate tech startups
Breakthrough Energy Ventures, led by Bill Gates, has raised a second $1 billion fund to invest in 40–50 startups developing hard-to-abate climate technologies like low-emission steel and cement, carbon capture, and long-haul transportation, using a 20-year "patient capital" approach focused on large CO₂ reductions.
Shuffl founders Matthew Lee and Chris Watts launch Slack and Teams app to match coworkers; ~1,000 teams installed
Shuffl is a startup launched in 2019 by CEO Matthew Lee and CTO Chris Watts that creates randomized or intentional introductions for coworkers through Slack and Microsoft Teams to encourage workplace connection. The app automatically creates channels, schedules one-on-one or group meetups, provides video links and icebreakers, and has been installed by about 1,000 teams.
AltPep, UW spinout led by Valerie Daggett, raises $23.1M Series A to develop early-detection and therapeutics for Alzheimer’s
Seattle biotech AltPep, spun out of the University of Washington in 2019 and led by founder/CEO Valerie Daggett, raised $23.1 million in a Series A to develop detection tools and preclinical therapies for Alzheimer’s and other amyloid protein diseases. The company’s technology, based on UW-licensed research into alpha-sheet protein structures, will support early detection efforts and expansion into a new 7,500 sq ft Seattle lab.
Fledge founder Michael “Luni” Libes launches Angel Accelerator for accredited investors with free webinars starting Wednesday
Fledge founder Michael “Luni” Libes is launching the Angel Accelerator, an online training program for accredited angel investors with free webinars starting Wednesday through February and paid courses from March to mid-May, plus a simultaneous Africa track. The program builds on last June’s inaugural session and Seattle Angel Conference ties to scale angel investing in socially focused startups.
Opticyte raises $4.6M to test real-time Cell O2 Monitor for early sepsis-induced organ failure
UW spinout Opticyte raised $4.6 million — $2.9M in federal grants and $1.7M in seed funding — to test a non-invasive Cell O2 Monitor that measures cellular oxygen in real time to detect early organ failure from sepsis. The company will begin an observational study at Harborview Medical Center in May or June and use funding to hire staff and continue device development.
Freespira raises $10M led by Lightspeed to scale FDA-approved CO2-based treatment for panic disorder and PTSD
Seattle-area startup Freespira raised $10 million to advance a CO2-measurement and breathing-coaching platform that treats panic disorder and PTSD and has FDA approval; the 30-person company has generated revenue for two years and counts Highmark, Comcast and the VA among customers. Founded by Beth Siegelman from Stanford research, Freespira says users typically see benefits within 28 days and the round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Tom Alberg invested in Amazon’s 1995 seed round, joined its board and co-founded Madrona to build Seattle’s tech scene
Tom Alberg invested in Amazon’s 1995 seed round, joined its board, and later co-founded Madrona Investment Group to back Pacific Northwest internet startups, helping shape Seattle’s tech ecosystem. His early bets and leadership influenced regional tech growth and left a legacy noted by Jeff Bezos and others.
Algorithmia CEO Diego Oppenheimer urges resilience amid COVID slump; startup has raised $37.9M including $25M Series B
Algorithmia CEO Diego Oppenheimer encourages professionals stuck in a COVID-19 rut to balance survival with seizing opportunities, citing family background and a focus on employee growth; Algorithmia is a 58-person startup that has raised $37.9 million, including a $25 million Series B last year.
Seattle’s HDT Bio raises $3M seed (updated to $6M) to fund replicating-RNA COVID-19 vaccine HDT-301 and clinical trials
Seattle biotech HDT Bio raised about $3 million in seed funding to advance its replicating RNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate HDT-301 and hire staff with clinical trial experience; the company reported promising preclinical results and plans human trials beginning in Brazil this month with U.S. and India trials possible later in the year. An update notes an additional $3 million raised, bringing the round to $6 million led by Zoic Capital to support three products entering clinical trials.
Phase Genomics wins $3.9M in NIH grants to advance Hi-C and AI tests for chromosomal abnormalities
Seattle biotech Phase Genomics received $3.9 million in NIH grants to fund three-year projects using Hi-C proximity ligation and AI to detect chromosomal abnormalities linked to infertility and cancers.
Nori raises $4M seed from Placeholder-led round to scale crypto carbon-offset marketplace
Seattle startup Nori raised $4 million in a seed round led by Placeholder to expand its crypto-based carbon-offset marketplace that pays farmers for regenerative practices; the platform has sold nearly 13,000 metric tons of CO2 offsets and aims to sell 20,000 more by year-end.
Sironix Renewables Raises $1.8M to Scale Plant-Based Cleaning Chemical Production Using Eosix Technology
Seattle-based clean-tech startup Sironix Renewables raised $1.795 million, including $645,000 in seed funding and $1.15 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, to scale production of its plant-based Eosix technology that replaces hazardous petroleum-derived chemicals in cleaning products. Founded in 2016 and spun out from the University of Minnesota, Sironix's technology meets consumer demands for sustainable, safe, and high-performance products.
Recurrent launches Seattle startup offering independent ML-based used EV battery reports to reduce buyer risk
Seattle startup Recurrent is launching a service that generates independent, machine-learning–based reports on used EV battery performance to help buyers assess battery health and reduce the risk of buying a vehicle with a failing battery.
Seattle startup Nexme raises $500,000 seed round after toll-free call leads to angel investment
Seattle startup Nexme raised a $500,000 seed round after an unexpected toll-free call from real estate investor Mark Montgomery led to meetings and him becoming their first angel backer. Nexme, founded by Arian Abdulkader and Vanessa Alvarez, offers a lower-cost real estate marketplace charging sellers a 1.5% commission and connecting users with experienced licensed agents.
Tempered CEO and F5 Co‑founder Jeff Hussey Leaves Retirement, Says Remote Work Hinders Creativity
Jeff Hussey, co-founder and former F5 Networks leader who later founded Seattle-based Tempered, returned from retirement because he prefers in-person collaboration and believes long-term remote work undermines creative teamwork. Hussey built F5 in 1996, saw it go public in 1998, step down as CEO in 2000, left the board in 2004, and now leads Tempered advocating for on-site interaction.
Seattle startup Weekdays connects families and instructors to form 2–8 child microschools as remote K–12 returns
As many K–12 districts return to remote learning, parents are turning to microschools or "pandemic pods"—small, pooled groups of children supervised by caregivers or teachers—to handle the hands-on demands of young students' online schooling. Seattle startup Weekdays builds a platform to connect families and instructors for microschools, offering options like outdoor education for groups of 2–8 children while states such as Washington urge remote learning.
Organizations
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CoMotion News Reporter · current
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GeekWire Reporter · current
