Nate Bek
Nate Bek is Principal at Ascend, where he also serves as Senior Associate and Head of Research. He has expertise in deeptech and applied AI, and previously worked as a reporter at GeekWire.
Seattle Recruiting Startup SeekOut Cuts 7% Staff Amid Restructuring, Plans Growth to 225 Employees in 2024
Seattle-based recruiting software startup SeekOut laid off 16 employees (7% of its workforce) in a restructuring but plans to grow its team to 225 employees by year-end. The company, valued at over $1.2 billion after raising $115 million last year, uses AI technology and serves over 1,000 clients including Salesforce and McKinsey.
First Row Partners Launches $150K–$200K Startup Competition to Revive Pacific Northwest Angel Investing
Seattle venture capital firm First Row Partners has launched The Ensemble Event Fund, a startup competition offering $150,000–$200,000 to early-stage companies nationwide, aiming to revitalize the Pacific Northwest's angel investor network. The competition engages over 15 angel investors to boost capital deployment amid declining venture funding and a shrinking local angel community.
Rippl Care Hires Jamie Sharp as Chief Medical Officer to Lead Senior Mental Health Program; Other Seattle Tech Startups Announce Key Executive Appointments
Seattle startup Rippl Care appointed Jamie Sharp, former Aetna VP and chief medical officer, as its new chief medical officer to advance its mental health care program for seniors. Additionally, Diego Oppenheimer joined Guardrails AI as co-founder, PitchBook hired Paul Stoddart as CMO, and Tasso appointed Monica Williams as CFO.
NorthStar Care Raises $6M Seed Round Led by Tony Robbins to Expand Telehealth Addiction Treatment
Seattle startup NorthStar Care raised $6 million in seed funding led by Tony Robbins and Starting Line to expand its telehealth program treating alcohol and opioid addiction. Founded by Amanda Wilson, the company offers a year-long program combining medication, professional care, and peer support with an 86% success rate.
Seattle AI Startup Revefi Secures $10.5M to Enhance Cloud Data Observability Platform
Seattle startup Revefi raised $10.5 million to expand its AI-powered Data Operations Cloud, helping companies optimize data usage and costs in cloud warehouses. Founded in 2021 by industry veterans Sanjay Agrawal and Shashank Gupta, Revefi offers zero-touch data observability with AI-driven insights to quickly resolve critical data issues.
Scaled Foundations Launches AI Platform GRID to Enable Natural Language Programming of Robots, Backed by Khosla Ventures and E14
Scaled Foundations, a Seattle-based startup led by former Microsoft executive Ashish Kapoor, has launched an AI-powered platform called GRID to simplify programming robots through natural language prompts. Backed by Khosla Ventures and E14, the platform enables non-technical users to command robots like drones for complex tasks by integrating AI models and simulations.
EchoMark Raises $10 Million Seed Round for Digital Watermarking to Identify Document Leakers
EchoMark, a Seattle-area startup led by former Microsoft VP Troy Batterberry, raised $10 million in seed funding to develop digital watermarking technology that helps organizations identify document and email leakers. The technology uses visible and invisible watermarks, including subtle text alterations, to make documents uniquely traceable and support leak forensics.
Ex-Tableau Execs Damon Fletcher and Michael Arvold Launch Seattle Startup Millworks Analytics to Manage Rising AI-Driven Cloud Costs
Former Tableau CFO Damon Fletcher and ex-Tableau senior director Michael Arvold launched Seattle-based Millworks Analytics to help tech companies manage rising cloud costs fueled by AI. Their flagship platform Caliper enables finance leaders to analyze and reduce cloud spending, initially supporting AWS.
Voyager Capital Targets $100M Sixth Fund to Support Early-Stage B2B Startups in the Pacific Northwest
Voyager Capital is aiming to raise $100 million for its sixth fund to invest in early-stage B2B startups in the Pacific Northwest, targeting software, SaaS, AI, and cloud infrastructure sectors. Founded in 1997, the firm has backed over 75 companies and manages more than $520 million in assets.
Outreach Cuts 12% of Staff Amid Economic Pressures, Aiming for 2024 Profitability
Seattle-based sales software startup Outreach laid off 12% of its staff amid shifting economic conditions and ongoing cost-cutting efforts, aiming for profitability next year. This follows previous layoffs of 5% in August 2022, 7% in February 2023, and another 5% last month, with some business functions being offshored to Mexico City and India.
Seattle Startup MotherDuck Raises $52.5M Series B at $400M Valuation to Expand DuckDB-Based Analytics Platform
MotherDuck, a Seattle-based analytics startup founded by former Google engineer Jordan Tigani, raised $52.5 million in a Series B round at a $400 million valuation to advance its collaborative serverless analytics platform built on DuckDB. The funding follows prior rounds led by Andreessen Horowitz and Redpoint Ventures and aims to offer a simpler, cost-effective SQL analytics solution for businesses without petabyte-scale data.
Seattle’s Deverra Therapeutics Raises $2.4M to Develop Cellular Immunotherapies with Fred Hutch License
Seattle biotech startup Deverra Therapeutics, founded by oncologist Colleen Delaney, is raising $2.4 million through debt and warrants to advance its cellular immunotherapy platform licensed from Fred Hutch. The company recently secured $3.5 million from the Andy Hill CARE Fund and licensed an immuno-oncology platform from Coeptis Therapeutics for $570,000 plus shares.
WTIA Names 33 Washington Startups for Free 10th Founder Cohort Program with $10K AWS Credits
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced 33 Washington-based startups for its free, six-month 10th Founder Cohort Program, designed for seed-stage companies with under $1 million in revenue. The program offers mentorship, $10,000 in AWS credits, and leadership training, with one-third of participants led by female CEOs.
Amazon Alumni Raise $12.5M for Griptape, a Seattle Startup Building Secure AI App Frameworks for Enterprises
Amazon veterans Kyle Roche and Vasily Vasinov raised $12.5 million for Griptape, a Seattle startup creating a secure AI application framework for enterprises. Griptape offers an open-source Python toolkit and cloud platform to help companies safely build and manage large language models, with a commercial launch planned for October 2023.
Former Fabric CEO Faisal Masud Joins HP as SVP and President of New WW Digital Services Division
Former Fabric CEO Faisal Masud has joined Hewlett-Packard as senior vice president and president of the new WW Digital Services division within HP Workforce Solutions, remaining based in Seattle. Masud brings extensive experience from Amazon, eBay, Groupon, Staples, and Alphabet's Wing, while Fabric continues to grow under new leadership after a $140 million funding round.
Seattle’s Perimetrics Gains FDA Approval for InnerView Tooth-Tapping Diagnostic Device with ML Platform
Seattle-based Perimetrics received FDA clearance for InnerView, a handheld tooth-tapping device that uses machine learning to detect underlying dental issues like cracks and mobility not easily identified by X-rays. The technology aims to help dentists diagnose problems earlier to avoid invasive procedures and tooth loss.
Seattle’s Founders Bash 2023 Highlights AI’s Role as Transformational Yet Nuanced Tech Wave
At Founders Bash 2023 in Seattle, over 1,000 entrepreneurs and investors gathered to celebrate the tech innovation sector, with many discussing the impact of AI. Attendees like Charlotte Massey and Saurabh Jain viewed AI as both a useful creative tool and a transformational wave with significant potential to automate inefficiencies.
Seattle Startups APImetrics and Contxt Merge to Deliver Combined API Monitoring and Security Solutions
Seattle-based API monitoring and security companies APImetrics and Contxt have merged to offer combined tools for comprehensive API visibility and security, serving enterprise clients like Microsoft and Telus. The deal, announced Thursday, responds to growing industry demand driven by cybersecurity risks and regulatory pressures.
Seattle Startup Gable.ai Raises $7M Seed to Build 'GitHub for Data' Platform Led by Former Convoy Data Leaders
Seattle startup Gable.ai, founded by former Convoy data leaders, announced $7 million in seed funding to develop a data collaboration platform aimed at bridging gaps between software developers and data teams. Investors liken the platform to a 'GitHub for data,' focusing on efficient data sharing while protecting existing infrastructure.
Former Uber Engineers’ Startup Rengage Raises $3.2M to Streamline Customer Journey Mapping for Consumer Brands
Rengage, founded by former Uber engineers Shujun Liu and Akram Hassan, raised $3.2 million to develop a no-code platform that helps consumer businesses map and optimize customer journeys. The Seattle-based startup aims to consolidate marketing tools and target industries like fintech and gaming with its product rollout planned for early next year.
Seattle Food-Tech Startup RipeLocker Raises $10M to Upgrade Preservation Chambers, Total Funding at $30M
Seattle startup RipeLocker raised $10 million to enhance its food and flower preservation technology, bringing total funding to $30 million. Their chambers extend produce shelf-life by controlling atmospheric conditions and have seen revenue growth from items like roses and blueberries.
EasyKnock Acquires Seattle Home Maintenance Startup Onder; CEO David Krieger Joins as Chief Product Strategy Officer
New York-based EasyKnock has acquired Seattle home maintenance startup Onder, integrating Onder's subscription-based services into EasyKnock's home equity platform. Onder's CEO David Krieger joins EasyKnock as chief product strategy officer amid a challenging venture capital environment prompting the merger.
Six Former Amazon Execs Including Flexport CEO Dave Clark Depart $8 Billion Logistics Startup
Flexport saw the departure of six former Amazon executives, including CEO Dave Clark and president Teresa Carlson, highlighting recent executive turnover at the $8 billion-valued logistics company. Several of these leaders had long Amazon tenures before joining Flexport, which offers cloud-based freight forwarding and saw $3.3 billion in revenue in 2021.
Seattle NFT Startup Niftmint Joins Andreessen Horowitz TxO Accelerator, Receives $100K Seed Funding
Seattle-based NFT startup Niftmint joined Andreessen Horowitz's Talent x Opportunity accelerator in fall 2023, receiving $100,000 in seed funding to expand its API services for enterprise clients amid the changing crypto market. Founded in 2021 by Jonathan G. Blanco, Niftmint aims to integrate NFT technology into mainstream e-commerce platforms.
Kevin Conroy Resigns from Adaptive Biotechnologies Board; Tagboard COO Tyler Singletary Steps Down; Ron Andrews Named TwinStrand CEO
Kevin Conroy resigned from the board of Adaptive Biotechnologies, and Tagboard's COO Tyler Singletary is stepping down. Additionally, Ron Andrews was named CEO of TwinStrand Biosciences, while David Meininger stepped down as CEO of Link Immunotherapeutics.
Organizations
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Ascend Principal 2026–present, Senior Associate / Head of Research 2025–present, Associate 2024–2025 · current
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GeekWire Photographer · current
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GeekWire Reporter 2022–2023 · past
Education
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University of Hawai‘i - Shidler College of Business Bachelor's degree, Finance · 2020–2022
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University of Hawaii Bachelor of Arts - BA, Journalism · 2019–2022
