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 VC Aviel Ginzburg Launches Double Dinosaur Farm on 40 Acres in Oregon, Applying Startup Lessons to Farming
Aviel Ginzburg, a Seattle-based venture capitalist and general partner at Founders’ Co-op, bought a 40-acre farm in Oregon and started Double Dinosaur Farm, finding new entrepreneurial inspiration. He relates the lessons learned from farming, such as adaptability and resilience, to guiding startup founders amid economic challenges.
Seattle Startup Cheq Raises $8M to Expand Stadium and Restaurant Mobile Ordering with Social Gifting Feature
Seattle-area startup Cheq raised $8 million to expand its mobile ordering and social gifting platform used in stadiums and restaurants, aiming to boost vendor sales and enhance customer experience. The platform supports vendors like the Miami Dolphins and University of Washington, with over 100,000 monthly users and an average 28% sales increase per order.
Augment AI, Led by Napster Co-Founder Jordan Ritter, Launches Private Beta of AI-Powered Productivity Tools After $3.5M Seed Round
Seattle startup Augment AI, spun out of AI2 and led by Napster co-founder Jordan Ritter, has launched a private beta of its AI-powered productivity sidekick designed to take meeting notes and organize research. The company raised $3.5 million in seed funding and offers two apps, Meeting Augment and Memory Augment, to enhance workflow integration with tools like Zoom.
Seattle Startup Taqtile Raises $5M to Expand AR Job Training Software Across Global Enterprise Sectors
Seattle-based AR startup Taqtile raised $5 million to expand hiring and marketing for its Manifest software, which provides mixed reality job training to enterprise clients globally across multiple sectors. The funding will support its partner ecosystem amid growing labor shortages and retirement trends increasing demand for employee training technology.
Envoy Acquires Seattle Hybrid Workplace Startup Worksphere, Integration of Teams Announced
Seattle-based startup Worksphere, which created a platform for managing hybrid workplace experiences, has been acquired by San Francisco-based competitor Envoy. Envoy, which raised $111 million in January and recently acquired OfficeTogether, will integrate Worksphere's team and technology to enhance its workplace management offerings.
QA Wolf Raises $20.1M from Peter Thiel to Expand Code Vetting Services as Startup Exits Stealth
QA Wolf, a Seattle-based startup helping companies vet lines of code for bugs, emerged from stealth after raising $20.1 million led by Peter Thiel to expand engineering and marketing. The firm, founded in 2019, serves clients from startups to large enterprises and has seen fivefold revenue growth in nine months.
Seattle Startup Stack Raises $2.7M to Build Crypto Investing and Education Platform for Teens
Seattle-based startup Stack raised $2.7 million to develop its education-focused crypto investing platform for teens, aiming to differentiate with tailored content alongside investment tools. The company plans iOS and Android app launches, targeting a waitlist of 5,000, backed by investors including Madrona Venture Group and Santa Clara Ventures.
Arrived Homes Launches Vacation Rental Investment Platform with $5M in Properties Including Joshua Tree and Scottsdale
Arrived Homes, a Seattle startup, has launched vacation rental properties on its investment platform, allowing users to buy shares in short-term rental homes like those on Airbnb and VRBO. The company listed seven properties totaling $5 million, with one property, "The Oasis," selling out on its first trading day.
Seattle Startup Spice AI Raises $13.5M Seed Round to Build AI Infrastructure for Web3 Blockchain Applications
Seattle-based startup Spice AI raised a $13.5 million seed round to provide infrastructure for developers to build AI-driven applications on blockchain networks like Bitcoin and Ethereum. The platform indexes blockchain data for use in Web3 applications across sectors including financial services, fraud detection, and retail.
Seattle Startup Picnic Partners with Domino’s to Test Pizza-Assembly Robot in Berlin Store Amid Global Expansion
Seattle startup Picnic is partnering with Domino’s to pilot its pizza-assembly robot in a Domino’s store in Berlin as part of a collaboration started in 2021 amid labor shortages and Domino’s global expansion. Domino’s plans to double its restaurant count over the next decade, making automation a key focus.
Seattle AI Startup Falkon Raises $16M to Enhance Sales and Marketing Analytics
Seattle-based startup Falkon, which uses AI to generate sales and marketing recommendations by integrating data from platforms like Salesforce and Google Analytics, has raised $16 million to expand its team and customer base. Founded in 2019 by tech veterans including CEO Mona Akmal, the company currently serves 15 customers with pricing up to $100,000.
Telehealth Startup 98point6 Raises $20M, Licenses Virtual Care Platform to MultiCare's Indigo Health in Washington
Seattle-based telehealth startup 98point6 raised over $20 million through a convertible note offering and licensed its virtual care platform to MultiCare Health System's Indigo Health urgent care division. This move marks 98point6's expansion as a third-party software provider amid a healthcare industry trend of increased technology investments.
Kinside Acquires Seattle’s LegUp to Simplify Child Care Enrollment Amid $16M Funding
Pasadena-based child care matching startup Kinside is acquiring Seattle-based child care enrollment startup LegUp, consolidating their teams to simplify child care search and enrollment. LegUp, founded in 2019 and having raised $1.2 million, will join Kinside's 25-person workforce, with Kinside having raised $16 million since 2018.
Abodu, Backed by Redfin CEO, Launches Prefab Backyard Homes in Seattle to Boost Affordable Housing
Abodu, a Redwood City-based startup backed by Redfin CEO, is expanding its prefabricated backyard homes business to Seattle, leveraging local policies that support accessory dwelling units. The company aims to address housing affordability by offering pre-approved DADUs that add gentle density to single-family neighborhoods.
Seattle Lumber Marketplace Startup Yesler Raises $5M to Disrupt Volatile Lumber Industry
Seattle-based startup Yesler, which offers a software platform to simplify lumber market transactions and analytics, has raised $5 million despite initial adoption challenges due to market volatility. Founded in 2019 and spun out of Pioneer Square Labs, Yesler's marketplace transactions grew tenfold this year amid a fragmented lumber industry ripe for disruption.
Seattle Startup Tangibly Raises $1.3M to Expand Trade Secret Management Platform
Seattle startup Tangibly raised $1.3 million to enhance its trade secret management platform, supporting sales and product development. Founded by Tim Londergan and co-led by CTO Liat Belinson, the platform helps companies organize and control access to sensitive documents across industries.
RipeLocker Raises $7.5M to Expand Production of Shelf-Life Extending Containers
RipeLocker, a food-tech startup specializing in containers that extend the shelf-life of produce and flowers, raised $7.5 million to boost production and upgrade its systems. Their patented containers can extend the freshness of items like roses by 2 to 4 weeks and are currently used by customers including The Queen’s Flowers.
Ex-Facebook and Adobe Engineers’ Seattle Startup Marble Raises $2M to Automate Rental Management for Small Landlords
Marble, a Seattle startup co-founded by ex-Facebook and ex-Adobe engineers, raised $2 million to provide software-enabled rental management for small landlords, currently managing over 600 homes and generating $30,000 monthly revenue. The company offers a subscription service to handle tenant placement, rent collection, and maintenance, aiming to automate tasks typically done by landlords.
Christie's Launches Venture Arm Led by Seattle's Devang Thakkar to Invest in Web3 and Art Tech Startups
Christie's has launched a new venture capital arm to fund early-stage tech startups in Web3, fintech for the art market, and AR/VR art experiences, led globally by Seattle-based Devang Thakkar. This move follows the auction house's notable involvement in NFTs, including facilitating Beeple's $69.3 million sale, amid a cooling NFT market now seen as an opportune investment period.
Seattle’s Arrived Homes Raises $50M for Fractional Property Investment Amid Housing Affordability Debate
Real estate tech startups like Seattle-based Arrived Homes are enabling fractional ownership of properties, funding about $50 million in assets across 20 U.S. cities, but critics argue these platforms reduce scarce housing inventory and drive up prices. Experts suggest the root issue is limited housing supply rather than the rise of investing platforms.
Seattle Startup Shelf Engine Lays Off 43 Employees Amid Economic Challenges
Seattle startup Shelf Engine laid off 43 employees due to challenging economic conditions, reducing its workforce from about 200 to around 150. The company, which uses machine learning to help grocers manage orders and reduce food waste, continues pursuing its mission despite the cuts.
98point6 Lays Off 10% of Workforce on July 6 but Maintains Growth and Hiring in Medical and Tech Roles
Seattle-based telemedicine startup 98point6 laid off 10% of its workforce on July 6 but claims it remains in growth mode and is hiring for medical and technology roles. The cuts affected creative and marketing teams, and despite the layoffs, the company continues to focus on delivering primary care access nationwide.
U.S. Venture-Backed Startups See Exit Values Plunge to Lowest in Over Five Years with IPOs at 13-Year Low in 2023
Exit opportunities for U.S. venture capital-backed startups have sharply declined in 2023, with only 831 exits totaling $49 billion in the first half of the year compared to 883 exits worth $372.2 billion in 2021. The number of IPOs hit a 13-year low due to rising interest rates and recession fears, forcing startups to reconsider their exit strategies.
Seattle Startup Peer Raises $14M to Build Blockchain Social Network with NFT Monetization and Cryptocurrency
Seattle startup Peer raised $14 million to develop a blockchain-based social network where users can own and monetize content as NFTs, backed by its own cryptocurrency, Peer Metaverse Coin. The company is in beta with 20,000 users and plans to expand into hardware and AI as part of its long-term goals.
Possible Finance and Lending Club Thrive Amid Rising Interest Rates by Serving Underserved Markets and Leveraging Banking Charters
Some tech-driven lending companies like Possible Finance and Lending Club are benefiting or remaining stable despite rising interest rates, as they cater to underserved or recession-resistant markets and have diversified revenue streams. Possible Finance expects growth fueled by increased demand for consumer credit among lower-income Americans, while Lending Club's banking charter helps buffer economic downturn impacts.
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
