Oren Etzioni
Oren Etzioni is the Founder at AI2 Incubator, Columnist at GeekWire, Venture Partner at Madrona Venture Group, Founder and CEO at Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and works at Anthropic. He founded AI2 Incubator and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, both of which are still running, as well as Decide and Farecast, which were acquired, and TrueMedia.org, which closed. His expertise includes fundamental problems in AI, machine reading, deepfake detection, and agents.
Jacob Colker announces Seattle startup gathering at Showbox Market thanking J.P. Morgan, Google, Fenwick & West and Pilot.com
Jacob Colker thanks sponsors, Seattle founders, and the AI House team after a gathering at the historic Showbox Market, expressing enthusiasm for the local startup community.
Anthropic acquires Vercept, the AI job crisis scenario, and Microsoft's past Epstein connections
Anthropic acquired Seattle startup Vercept on Wednesday, raising familiar questions about the impact of early exits on the broader Seattle startup ecosystem, and the question of whether AI startups can compete long-term against the giants of the field. We dig into the deal, the public feud between two of the company's early investors on LinkedIn, and why one co-founder's prior departure to Meta may have been worth more than the entire acquisition. Plus, a new research paper envisions a 2028 "global intelligence crisis" driven by AI-fueled white collar job losses, and we're already seeing early signs in the news. Then…
Anthropic acquires Vercept, the AI desktop-agent start-up founded by ex-AI2 researchers, for undisclosed sum
Anthropic acquired Seattle-based AI interface start-up Vercept, founded in 2024 by former AI2 researchers, to bolster Claude’s agentic capabilities; the purchase price was not disclosed. Vercept, maker of the Vy natural-language desktop agent, had raised over $50M (including a $16M round in Jan 2025) and some founders expressed disappointment about the acquisition and platform shutdown plans.
Anthropic Acquires Seattle AI Startup Vercept to Boost Claude’s Desktop Automation Capabilities
Anthropic has acquired Seattle AI startup Vercept, integrating its desktop 'computer use' technology and team to enhance Claude's ability to perform multi-step tasks within live applications. As part of the deal, Vercept will shut down its Vy application and encourage users to switch to Claude.
Amazon Announces $200 Billion AI Infrastructure Investment Amid Microsoft Market Value Drop and AI Industry Insights from Oren Etzioni
Amazon plans $200 billion in capital expenses this year mainly to expand AI infrastructure, while Microsoft experiences a significant market value drop due to OpenAI reliance. AI expert Oren Etzioni discusses AI agents, deepfakes, and AI industry dynamics in a GeekWire Podcast interview.
Amazon's big bet, a 'MySpace for bots', and a conversation with AI veteran Oren Etzioni
Upcoming GeekWire Podcast Live Event: Join us from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb 12 at Fremont Brewing for a live recording of the GeekWire Podcast with Todd Bishop and John Cook. Free for Fremont Chamber members, $15 otherwise. Register here. This week on the show: Andy Jassy tells Wall Street that Amazon is planning $200 billion in capital expenses this year, mostly to build out AI infrastructure, and investors give it a thumbs down. Microsoft's financial results beat expectations but the company loses $357 billion in market value in a single day after investors learn the extent of…
Vercept CEO Kiana Ehsani Creates AI Tool Vy to Automate Workflow, Encourage Outdoor Time
Kiana Ehsani, co-founder and CEO of Seattle AI startup Vercept, developed Vy, an AI tool that automates repetitive computer tasks via natural language commands, enabling users to spend more time outdoors and focus on creativity. Ehsani blends her passion for nature with technology innovation to simplify software use and improve workflow.
Seattle’s AI2 Incubator Closes $80M Third Fund to Back 70 New AI Startups Over Four Years
AI2 Incubator, a Seattle-based startup incubator focused on AI and real-world applications, has closed an $80 million third fund to support about 70 new ventures over the next four years. The incubator has a successful track record with nearly 25% of its 50+ alumni acquired and 90% securing venture funding.
AI2 Incubator Raises $80M Third Fund to Accelerate Early-Stage AI Startups in Seattle
AI2 Incubator, a Seattle-based AI startup accelerator, has raised about $80 million for its third fund, significantly larger than its previous funds of $30 million in 2023 and $10 million in 2020. The incubator has spun out over 40 companies valued at $1.4 billion and recently moved to a new AI-focused headquarters in Seattle.
Seattle AI Startup Vercept Raises $16M Seed Round Led by Fifty Years to Automate Computer Tasks with AI
Seattle startup Vercept, backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and other tech veterans, raised $16 million in seed funding to develop AI-powered automation software called Vy, designed to automate repetitive computer tasks by understanding and mimicking user workflows. The company aims to create a new computer interaction paradigm that differs from traditional robotic process automation by eliminating the need for hardcoded interactions.
Seattle Startups Axtrolite, Context Nature, and Chassy Develop Software for Real Estate, Green Tax Credits, and Robotics, with Chassy Raising $1.2M Pre-Seed
Seattle-area startups highlighted include Axtrolite, developing real estate property management software; Context Nature, aiding finance professionals in finding green energy tax credits; and Chassy, which secured $1.2 million to build software for robotic fleets. These companies feature experienced founders with backgrounds at Amazon, Microsoft, Lyft, and more.
Oren Etzioni - Founder of TrueMedia.org
Dr. Oren Etzioni is the founder of TrueMedia.org, a free-use product that allows critical election audiences from around the world to quickly and effectively detect deepfakes. He was the Founding Chief Executive Officer at the Allen Institute for AI (AI2), having served as CEO from its inception in 2013 until late 2022. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington where he helped to pioneer meta-search, online comparison shopping, machine reading, and open information extraction. He has also authored several award-winning technical papers, and founded and sold many companies. In addition to his role at TrueMedia.org, he is currently…
Washington State Allocates $800,000 to Establish Seattle AI-Focused Startup Incubator Starting July
Washington state lawmakers approved $800,000 in funding to create a Seattle-based AI-focused incubator for startups, with involvement from the University of Washington and Seattle’s Chamber of Commerce. The initiative aims to support AI entrepreneurs by providing workspace, educational opportunities, and computing resources to boost Seattle as an AI hub.
Tech Veterans Joseph Sirosh and Oren Etzioni Advocate Daily AI Experimentation at PAN-IIT Seattle 2024, Spotlighting Generative AI’s Transformative Impact
Tech veterans Joseph Sirosh and Oren Etzioni urge daily experimentation and learning with AI to stay current amid a pivotal shift driven by generative AI innovations. Sirosh's new startup, CreatorsAGI, focuses on empowering creators to build conversational AI agents, highlighting AI's transformative potential despite existing limitations.
Melissa Hutchins Launches Certifi AI to Fight Deepfake Abuse Targeting Women After Cyberstalking Experience
Melissa Hutchins, CEO and co-founder of Certifi AI, founded the Seattle-based startup to combat harmful deepfake content targeting women and girls after her personal experience with cyberstalking. The startup aims to identify and reduce the impact of malicious deepfake images, such as those circulating of Taylor Swift in January, which went largely unaddressed by the tech sector.
AI Investing in Seattle with Ascend.vc General Partner Kirby Winfield
In this episode of Shift AI, Kirby Winfield General Partner at Ascend.vc shares his journey from founding multiple successful startups to becoming a leading AI investor and outlines lessons learned, insights on the Seattle startup ecosystem, and his optimistic yet pragmatic views on generative AI and the future of work. Summary of topics covered: Background and early career: Kirby gained experience as an entrepreneur early in his career through founding multiple companies. Transition to Venture capital: Looking for a new challenge, Kirby leveraged his experience operating startups to co-found Ascend and advise other founders. Investment thesis and framework for evaluating…
Amazon's AI strategy, how AI startups can stand out, and hope for AI and humanity
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we look at how Amazon is positioning itself in the emerging era of generative artificial intelligence. We play and assess clips of Amazon CEO Andy Jassy explaining the company's AI strategy on its earnings call this week. We also discuss the history of AI usage by startups, and consider advice from investors and startup leaders at Seattle Tech Week for emerging tech companies looking to stand out with their own AI applications and solutions. And finally, we reconsider our approach to interacting with machines and contemplate the possibility of artificial intelligence reflecting not just…
Madrona Summit Panel Highlights Shift from Big Data to Foundation AI Models Enabling Startups
At the Madrona Intelligent Applications Summit, experts highlighted that big data is no longer a priority as AI models now solve complex problems with less data. They emphasized advances in foundation AI models like DALL-E and GPT-3, which enable new startups but face challenges like hallucination and bias.
Tom Alberg Remembered as Influential Mentor and Venture Capitalist Who Empowered Seattle Entrepreneurs
Tom Alberg was a deeply curious, humble, generous, and kind mentor who profoundly influenced the Seattle tech community and venture capital world. He empowered young entrepreneurs with trust and wisdom, helping build Madrona and Perkins Coie LLP into industry leaders while delighting in others' successes.
Seattle Rises to No. 9 Globally in Startup Genome Rankings with $8.5B VC Investment in 2021
Seattle ranked ninth globally and second in North America in Startup Genome's 2021 global startup ecosystem rankings, highlighted for strengths in AI, big data, and life sciences. The region saw $8.5 billion invested in 549 venture capital deals in 2021, with an estimated ecosystem value of approximately $109 billion.
Kirby Winfield, ex-founder and exec, raises $15M for Ascend.vc to back Pacific Northwest early-stage startups
Kirby Winfield, a longtime Seattle startup leader who experienced burnout after multiple exits, founded Ascend.vc to invest in early-stage Pacific Northwest tech companies and raised a $15 million first fund after recovering his health and shifting from founder roles to venture investing.
Read, founded by ex-Placed team members David Shim, Elliott Waldron and Rob Williams, raises $10M seed to analyze faces and voices on video calls
Seattle startup Read — founded by David Shim, Elliott Waldron, and Rob Williams — raised $10 million in seed funding for software that uses AI to analyze participants' facial expressions and voice during video calls to measure engagement and sentiment in real time.
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.
WhyLabs, AI2 Spinout Led by Ex-Amazon Engineers, Raises $4M from Madrona, Bezos Expeditions and Others
WhyLabs, an AI monitoring startup spun out of the Allen Institute for AI, emerged from stealth after raising $4 million from investors including Madrona, Defy Partners, Bezos Expeditions and Ascend VC to commercialize a platform for monitoring ML data and models. The company is led by CEO Alessya Visnjic, joined by former Amazon ML engineers Andy Dang and Sam Gracie plus ex-Madrona principal Maria Karaivanova.
Panda AI, spun out of AI2, raises $3.3M with AI2 as first investor from its new pre-seed fund
Panda AI, a stealth startup spun out of the Allen Institute for AI (AI2), raised $3.3 million in a round led by PSL Ventures with participation from AI2 and others; it is the first company to receive funding from AI2’s new pre-seed fund.
Organizations
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GeekWire Columnist 2026–present · current
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AI House Founder 2014–present · current
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Madrona Venture Partner 2000–present · current
Education
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Carnegie Mellon University Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), computer science · 1986–1991
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Harvard University B.A., computer science · 1982–1986
