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’s Foundation, led by ex-Staples exec Shiv Agarwal, raises $3M seed to expand its B2B wholesale e-commerce platform
Seattle startup Foundation, led by former Staples exec Shiv Agarwal, raised a $3 million seed round to grow its B2B wholesale e-commerce platform focused exclusively on streamlining wholesale transactions. Foundation connects manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers to simplify ordering, inventory sharing, and logistics integration.
Koru Founder Kristen Hamilton Joins Enjoy the Work as General Partner; Portland Seed Fund Adds Principal Devon Horace
Kristen Hamilton, founder of predictive hiring startup Koru, has joined San Francisco-based startup advisory firm Enjoy the Work as a general partner, focusing on Seattle and beyond. Additionally, Portland Seed Fund added Devon Horace as principal, expanding its leadership team with experienced regional executives.
Rad Power Bikes Executes Fourth Round of Layoffs Since April 2021 Amid Economic and Legal Challenges
Rad Power Bikes has laid off employees for the fourth time since April 2021, reducing its workforce amid economic challenges and legal issues. The Seattle-based e-bike company now has around 400 employees and is working to become more sustainable under new leadership.
Magnify Hires Apptentive Co-Founder Mike Saffitz as VP of Engineering; Amazon Names Eric Rimling Technical Advisor
Enterprise software startup Magnify appointed Mike Saffitz, co-founder of Apptentive, as its new VP of engineering following the departure of former CTO Jacob Sajo. Additionally, Eric Rimling was named technical advisor to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, replacing Sara Duffer, while Seattle-based Almas Insights added William Tincup as an advisor.
Seattle's Curevo Vaccine Appoints Guy De La Rosa as CMO to Challenge GSK's $2.3B Shingles Vaccine Market
Seattle vaccine developer Curevo Vaccine hired Guy De La Rosa as chief medical officer to advance its shingles vaccine targeting GSK's Shingrix. Additionally, notable hires include Christopher A. Klebanoff as Affini-T Therapeutics scientific co-founder and Buffy Alegria joining Loud Capital as managing partner.
Seattle Startup Groundlight Raises $10M Seed to Revolutionize Warehouse Monitoring with AI and Natural Language Computer Vision
Seattle startup Groundlight, co-founded by former Amazon and Picobrew execs Leo Dirac and Avi Geiger, emerged from stealth with a $10 million seed fund to simplify warehouse monitoring using AI-powered computer vision. Their platform enables businesses to query real-time video feeds through natural language prompts for instant, customizable insights.
98point6 Raises $30.7M to Expand Software Licensing After $100M Sale to Transcarent
Seattle-based digital health company 98point6 raised $30.7 million in mixed debt and option financing to support its transition into a software licensor following its sale of a virtual care and primary care business to Transcarent. The new funding led by L Catterton, Activant Capital, and Transcarent will scale its software platform and develop AI innovations.
Seattle Cybersecurity Startup SpecterOps Raises $25M Series A to Expand Attack Path Management Platform
Seattle-based cybersecurity startup SpecterOps raised $25 million in Series A funding led by Decibel to expand its BloodHound Enterprise attack path management platform used by clients such as Capital Group and the University of Texas at Austin. Founded in 2016 and led by CEO David McGuire, the company targets enterprise cloud platforms to analyze cyberattack routes in Microsoft's Active Directory and Azure.
POSaBIT Cancels $4M Acquisition of Three Cannabis Compliance Software Firms After Superior Third-Party Offer
POSaBIT has abandoned its $4 million plan to acquire three cannabis compliance software firms after a third-party made a superior offer, choosing instead to focus on integrating its recently acquired payment tech assets. The Seattle-based fintech company, which raised $11 million for the initial deal, reported a $1.2 million loss in Q3 but expects $60-$63 million revenue in 2023.
University of Washington Startup Freyr Wins $15,000 for Autonomous Fertilizer Monitoring and Application System at 2023 Environmental Innovation Challenge
Freyr, a student-led ag-tech startup from the University of Washington, won $15,000 as the grand prize at the 2023 Environmental Innovation Challenge for developing a system to monitor and apply fertilizer efficiently using data analytics and plans for an autonomous plane to reduce environmental runoff. The startup aims to minimize fertilizer waste on farms, protecting waterways from toxic runoff caused by excess fertilizer.
Seattle Startup Payscore Raises $2.2M to Combat Application Fraud with Income Verification Technology
Seattle-based startup Payscore, which helps property managers and dealerships verify income by analyzing bank deposit history, raised $2.2 million. Founded in 2017 by CEO Mark Fiebig and CTO Stephen Arifin, Payscore's service covers over 700,000 rental units and 2,500 dealerships, experiencing rapid customer growth amid rising application fraud.
Seattle Startup Aivot, Founded by Ex-Dell EMC Engineers, Deploys AI Humanoid Robots to Automate Tasks for Businesses Amid Labor Shortages
Aivot, a Seattle startup founded by former Dell EMC engineers, develops AI-powered humanoid robots to automate monotonous tasks for mid-sized businesses, helping companies like Evergreens and Marjorie with labeling and packaging amid labor shortages. The firm has bootstrapped since 2017 and focuses on using advanced deep learning to enable robots to operate in unstructured environments.
Washington Supreme Court Upholds 7% Capital Gains Tax on Stock Sales Over $250,000, Impacting Seattle Startup Founders
Washington state's Supreme Court upheld a new 7% capital gains tax on stock and bond sales over $250,000, affecting startup founders and employees. Reactions from Seattle tech entrepreneurs and investors were mixed, with concerns about its impact on the business environment.
PitchBook Introduces VC Exit Predictor Tool Analyzing Successful Exit Chances for Top Pacific Northwest Startups
PitchBook has launched a new machine learning tool called the VC Exit Predictor that forecasts the likelihood and type of successful exits for venture-backed startups using data from over 120,000 companies. The tool was applied to analyze the top 50 Pacific Northwest tech startups in the GeekWire 200, highlighting several with notable opportunity scores, but it is not intended to replace traditional due diligence.
Seattle AI Startup CareerFlow Helps Over 20,000 Job Seekers Refine Resumes Amid Tech Layoffs Using GPT Technology
Seattle startup CareerFlow uses AI, including OpenAI's GPT, to help job seekers optimize resumes and organize job searches amid tech layoffs, serving over 20,000 users. Co-founded by Nikita Gupta, the company has raised $100,000 in pre-seed funding and plans to monetize through universities and career services.
Seattle’s Felix&Fido Raises $4M Pre-Seed Led by PSL Ventures and Rover to Launch Subscription Veterinary Care
Seattle startup Felix&Fido announced a $4 million pre-seed funding round led by PSL Ventures and Rover to launch subscription-based veterinary care combining telemedicine, in-clinic, and at-home services. Founded by former Army captain and Expedia executive Gavin Woody, the company aims to tackle the veterinary shortage with an innovative membership model.
Tempo Software Acquires Seattle's LiquidPlanner to Expand Project Management Tools and Workforce
Boston-based Tempo Software is acquiring Seattle-based LiquidPlanner, a 17-year-old project management startup with 27 employees, to integrate its predictive scheduling software into the Atlassian Marketplace. The acquisition enhances Tempo's workforce to over 350 employees and expands its product offerings amid a decline in startup M&A activity.
Silicon Valley Bank Urges Customers to Return Deposits After Collapse, Backed by U.S. Government
Silicon Valley Bank, now backed by the U.S. government, is urging customers to return their deposits after its recent collapse, assuring them of full protections. The newly formed Silicon Valley Bridge Bank is operational, making new loans, honoring credit facilities, and seeing some customers already returning funds.
Security Hardware Firm Allegion Ventures Invests in Seattle Startup Latchel's Rental Property Management Platform
Latchel, a Seattle-based startup managing single-family rental properties, received undisclosed funding from Allegion Ventures, the corporate venture arm of the security hardware company Allegion. Latchel provides software for landlords and property managers to handle tenant requests and services, with growing demand due to institutional investors buying rental properties.
UW Professor Byron Boots Launches Overland AI to Develop Off-Road Autonomous Vehicles for Complex Terrain
University of Washington professor Byron Boots leads Overland AI, a Seattle startup developing off-road autonomous vehicle technology to improve safety and address labor shortages in challenging terrains. The company, co-founded by UW RACER team members and registered in January 2023, has raised undisclosed funding and maintains close ties to DARPA's RACER program.
Brinc Unveils Lemur 2 Drone with Advanced Features, Raises $80M, and Hires Ex-Amazon Engineers Amid US DJI Blacklist
Seattle-based drone startup Brinc unveiled its Lemur 2 drone featuring 3D mapping and obstacle avoidance, aiming to support public safety agencies amid U.S. efforts to blacklist Chinese drone maker DJI. Founded by Blake Resnick, Brinc has hired former Amazon Prime Air engineers and raised $80 million to compete with well-funded rivals like Skydio.
Outreach Lays Off 70 Employees, 7% of Workforce, and Pauses Office Expansion Amid Missed Revenue Targets
Seattle-based sales software startup Outreach is laying off 70 employees, about 7% of its workforce, following a failure to meet revenue targets and amid a broader tech industry slowdown. The company will also suspend merit increases and delay office expansion as it aims for operational efficiency and profitability.
Onder Startup Led by Ex-Expedia Director David Krieger Offers Biannual Home Maintenance Checkups
Onder, a Seattle startup led by former Expedia director David Krieger, offers homeowners twice-yearly home maintenance inspections and a digital platform to identify and manage upkeep tasks. The 8-person company provides routine checkups akin to vehicle oil changes, aiming to prevent and address maintenance issues before they escalate.
Seattle-based Sentio Raises $6.4M Led by Lightspeed to Expand Blockchain Observability Platform
Sentio, a Seattle startup co-founded by Fuyao Zhao and Chongzhe Li, raised $6.4 million led by Lightspeed Venture Partners to expand its blockchain application monitoring tool and increase its team size. The company plans to grow its headcount from 10 to 15-20 employees by next year with support from investors including Hashkey Capital and GSR Ventures.
Seattle AI Startup Kaito Raises $5.3M Led by Dragonfly to Build Crypto-Focused Google-Like Search Engine
Seattle startup Kaito, founded in 2022 by Yu Hu, raised $5.3 million led by Dragonfly to develop an AI-powered search engine that aggregates scattered cryptocurrency information from across the web. Kaito aims to simplify crypto research by integrating AI tools like GPT-3 and offering both free retail and subscription-based institutional versions.
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
