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.
Teal Acquires Seattle Life-Career Social Startup OwnTrail; Founder Rebekah Bastian to Join as Advisor
Seattle-based life-and-career social startup OwnTrail, launched in 2020 with 6,600 users, is being acquired by Miami-based job platform Teal, with founder Rebekah Bastian joining as an advisor. OwnTrail faced funding challenges despite raising $1.5 million and will make its features free following the acquisition.
Convoy Co-founder Grant Goodale Steps Down as Chief Experience Officer After Eight Years Amid Company Growth and Layoffs
Grant Goodale, co-founder of Seattle-based trucking startup Convoy, is stepping down as chief experience officer after eight years to spend more time with his family. Convoy, valued at $3.8 billion, aims to optimize trucking logistics but recently faced layoffs amid economic challenges.
Seattle Health-Tech Startup DexCare Raises $75M to Expand Patient Appointment Platform
Seattle health-tech startup DexCare raised $75 million to enhance its healthcare patient demand and access platform, one of the Pacific Northwest's largest venture capital deals this year. DexCare, spun out of Providence in 2021, serves major customers including Kaiser Permanente and Providence, aiming to address healthcare system capacity and patient appointment booking challenges.
Madrona Venture Labs Raises $11M for Fifth Fund to Accelerate AI Startups, Including Generative AI
Madrona Venture Labs raised $11 million for its fifth fund to support AI startups, planning to back 12 new companies with a focus on intelligent applications and generative AI. Since its 2014 founding, the Seattle-based studio has raised $40 million, backed 32 companies, and offers funding and advisory services to early-stage startups.
Outbound AI Raises $16 Million to Expand GPT-Powered Healthcare Billing Automation Amid Rising Patient Demand
Outbound AI, a Seattle-based startup specializing in AI tools for healthcare billing automation, raised $16 million to advance its GPT-powered solutions that streamline insurance claims processes. The company aims to reduce administrative burdens on healthcare workers amid rising patient volumes by offering faster, cost-effective, and HIPAA-compliant AI services.
Seattle's Picket Homes Raises $20M Series B Led by LL Funds to Expand Single-Family Rental Investment Platform
Seattle startup Picket Homes raised $20 million in a Series B funding round led by LL Funds to enhance its real estate investment and property management platform, which covers over 50 million US single-family properties. The platform assists investors with property analysis, transactions, and management services including digital leasing and maintenance.
Convoy CEO Dan Lewis Shares Leadership Insights as Startup Raises $260M at $3.8B Valuation Amid Layoffs
Convoy CEO Dan Lewis discussed his leadership philosophy emphasizing conviction and consistency at GeekWire’s Views and Brews event while highlighting the company's growth, funding, and recent layoffs amid economic challenges. Founded in 2015, Convoy automates trucking transactions and recently raised $260 million at a $3.8 billion valuation.
Seattle Startup Meetingflow Raises $760K to Expand AI Platform Improving Sales Meeting Efficiency
Seattle startup Meetingflow, formerly Panda.AI, raised $760,000 from previous investors to grow its AI-driven platform that enhances sales meetings by automating preparation, note-taking, and follow-ups, led by CEO Aaron Goldfeder. The pivot aims to address inefficient client meeting processes by integrating calendar, CRM, and OpenAI’s GPT technology.
Humanly Raises $12M to Expand AI Recruiting Software Used by Microsoft and Seattle Storm
Seattle-based recruiting automation startup Humanly raised $12 million to expand its AI-powered hiring software, which is used by clients like Microsoft and Seattle Storm. The company is enhancing its SMS chatbots and generative AI tools to improve efficiency, reduce bias, and maintain consistent candidate data throughout the hiring process.
Statsig Releases Warehouse Native Platform and AI Experimentation Tools Under CEO Vijaye Raji
Statsig, founded by Vijaye Raji in 2021, has released Statsig Warehouse Native, enabling privacy-conscious companies to run A/B testing via their own data warehouses. The Seattle startup also launched generative AI experimentation tools and now serves hundreds of paying customers including Microsoft and Notion.
Seattle Tech Companies Cyemptive, Roku, Porch, and CalmWave Announce Key Executive and Board Appointments in 2024
Seattle-area tech companies made several executive and board changes, including Cyemptive appointing Ray McCay as chief revenue officer and Roku adding former Amazon exec Jeff Blackburn to its board. Other notable moves include Porch naming Alan Pickerill as lead independent director and CalmWave hiring Seth Falcon as VP of engineering.
GeerGarage Launches Outdoor Gear Rental Marketplace with Lend-to-Own Program, Plans Expansion Beyond Washington
GeerGarage, a Seattle startup founded by Microsoft product manager Adam Wise, is developing a peer-to-peer outdoor equipment rental marketplace with plans to expand beyond Western Washington and introduce a lend-to-own program. The company aims to make outdoor activities more affordable and accessible amid a growing $120 billion outdoor recreation market.
Mozart Therapeutics Raises $25M to Advance Autoimmune Disease Drug MTX-101 with FDA IND Planned for Early 2024
Seattle biotech Mozart Therapeutics secured $25 million to advance MTX-101, its drug candidate for autoimmune gastrointestinal diseases, aiming for FDA IND submission by early 2024. The company, led by CEO Katie Fanning and supported by notable investors, has raised a total of $80 million since its 2020 launch.
Seattle Startup Flyhomes Lays Off Staff Third Time in a Year, Workforce Shrinks from 700 to 470 Amid Housing Market Downturn
Seattle real estate startup Flyhomes, led by CEO Tushar Garg, laid off employees for the third time in a year to focus on profitability amid a challenging housing market. The company's workforce has declined from about 700 in November to roughly 470 currently, reflecting broader layoffs in the Seattle real estate tech sector amid declining home prices and sales.
Bobby Wagner, NASA Astronaut Kayla Barron, and 'Love is Blind' Star Share Teamwork Wisdom at 2023 GeekWire Awards
At the 2023 GeekWire Awards in Seattle, Seattle Seahawks linebacker and Fuse venture partner Bobby Wagner, NASA astronaut Kayla Barron, and a 'Love is Blind' star shared insights emphasizing teamwork, culture, and empowerment with the Pacific Northwest tech community.
Groopit Raises $3.5M to Expand Employee Data Crowdsourcing Platform with Generative AI Tools
Groopit, an employee data crowdsourcing startup founded by ex-Microsoft leaders Tammy Savage and John Vert, raised $3.5 million to expand its go-to-market strategy and develop generative AI tools. The company's platform gathers real-time insights from employees across multiple tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack, applying a unique 'crowdsolving' model to business data collection.
OncoResponse Raises $27M to Advance Antibody-Based Cancer Immunotherapies OR502 and OR2805
Seattle biotech firm OncoResponse secured $27 million to advance testing of its antibody-based cancer immunotherapy candidates OR502 and OR2805. The funding includes a $13 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and $14 million from investors led by RiverVest Venture Partners.
Heptio Founder Craig McLuckie and Luke Hinds Launch Stacklok, Raising $17.5M for Software Supply Chain Security
Stacklok, a new software supply chain security startup led by Heptio founder Craig McLuckie and Luke Hinds, has raised $17.5 million in Series A funding to help enterprises authenticate open-source code and mitigate vulnerabilities. The platform aims to enhance software development security by bridging enterprise needs with open-source standards.
Glowforge Raises $20M in Series E Extension to Expand AI-Powered 3D Laser Printer Features and Subscription Services
Glowforge, a 3D laser printer startup, raised $20 million in an extension of its Series E funding to enhance new product features and expand its subscription business. This follows the recent launch of Magic Canvas, an AI image generator that creates copyright-free artwork for use with its printers.
Seattle Startup The Waves Launches Monthly Artisanal Wine Subscription with 300+ Small-Batch Wines
The Waves, a Seattle startup founded last year by ex-Amazon tech leader Gaurav Tiwari and former GQ editor Andy Comer, offers a monthly artisanal wine subscription featuring over 300 small-batch wines from a global network of farmers. The company aims to differentiate itself in the crowded $1 billion U.S. craft wine market through a product recommendation tool, editorial content, and direct engagement with small-batch winemakers.
Seattle Startup Cascade Health Raises $2M Pre-Seed to Boost AI-Powered Healthcare Pricing Transparency
Seattle startup Cascade Health raised $2 million in a pre-seed round to enhance its AI-powered software that makes healthcare pricing data more transparent and accessible. Founded by former Microsoft AI and cloud employees Ana-Maria Constantin and Pulak Goyal, Cascade uses public pricing data and advanced AI to help enterprises and consumers navigate healthcare costs more easily.
Hootsuite Names Jessica Hartigan CRO and Ellen Terchila CCO; EMOTIV, Institute for Protein Design, Appen, and Outreach Announce Executive Hires
Hootsuite appointed Jessica Hartigan as Chief Revenue Officer and Ellen Terchila as Chief Customer Officer, while other tech companies also announced key executive hires including Gary Flake at EMOTIV and Lynda Stuart at the Institute for Protein Design.
Genemod Raises $4.5M to Expand Life Sciences Data Collaboration Platform with Clients Like AstraZeneca and Merck
Seattle startup Genemod raised $4.5 million to expand its cloud-based collaboration platform for life sciences data management, aiming to improve research reproducibility. Key clients include AstraZeneca and Merck, with total funding reaching $6.2 million to date.
Microsoft Vet Amish Patel and Ex-Beats CEO Susan Paley Launch Seattle Hardware-Focused Startup Studio Conduit Venture Labs
Conduit Venture Labs, founded by Amish Patel and Susan Paley in Seattle, is a new startup studio focused on hardware companies, aiming to overcome traditional barriers by providing engineering, design, and mentorship resources. The studio targets sectors including IoT devices, ag-tech, and health technologies, leveraging a network of over 100 hardware professionals to support physical-tech business creation.
Seattle Veterans of Urbanspoon, Crowd Cow, Algorithmia Launch Blueprint AI to Automate Product Team Tasks
Seattle startup Blueprint AI, led by veteran founders of Urbanspoon, Crowd Cow, and Algorithmia, develops an AI platform to streamline task management and communication in product development teams. The company, launched in December and recently revealed to the public, uses AI agents to automate routine tasks and provide insights to enhance team productivity.
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
