Rich Barton
Rich Barton is currently Co-founder and Co-Executive Chair at Zillow, Board Director at Netflix, and Partner at Sea 2 Sky Partners. He founded Expedia, which went public, Glassdoor, and Zillow, which also went public and where he remains involved. His expertise includes entrepreneurship and leadership in technology-driven companies.
Expedia and Zillow Co-Founder Rich Barton Relocates to Las Vegas Amid Washington State Wealth Tax Concerns
Rich Barton, the co-founder of Expedia and Zillow, has moved from Washington to Las Vegas, joining other tech magnates like Jeff Bezos who left due to Washington state's new wealth taxes. His departure is seen as a significant loss to the Seattle tech startup ecosystem amid growing debates over taxes on wealthy residents.
Zillow and Expedia Co-founder Rich Barton Officially Moves to Las Vegas Amid Seattle Tech Exodus
Rich Barton, co-founder of Zillow and Expedia, has officially moved from Seattle to Las Vegas, marking a new chapter in his life after his children left home. His departure is notable amid other high-profile Seattle tech leaders relocating and ongoing debates about Washington's tax policies on wealthy residents.
UW Students Pitch AI Startup Ideas to Seattle Venture Capitalists After 10-Week Program at Pioneer Square Labs
University of Washington students from seven teams pitched AI-driven startup ideas to influential Seattle investors at Pioneer Square Labs, concluding a 10-week entrepreneurship program led by venture capitalist Greg Gottesman and UW professor Ed Lazowska. The event featured realistic pitch rounds, attracting prominent tech leaders as guests throughout the course.
Zillow Group Cuts 200 Employees in Performance-Related Layoffs Amid Revenue Growth in Q3 2026
Zillow Group laid off about 200 employees, roughly 2% of its workforce, due to performance-related reasons as part of its annual review process, unrelated to market conditions. The Seattle-based real estate company continues to grow, reporting a 16% revenue increase and increased user traffic in Q3 2026.
Seattle Outpaces Toronto as Superior Tech Hub Despite Toronto's High-Valued AI Startups Amid ALCS Baseball Rivalry
Seattle and Toronto, both strong tech hubs, are compared on various metrics like talent rankings, corporate presence, and startups, with Seattle leading in corporate tech depth and number of unicorns, while Toronto boasts high-value AI startups like Cohere. Seattle ranks higher globally and has more engineering centers from major US tech firms, though Toronto shows strong growth in AI and security startups.
University of Washington Students Pitch AI and Tech Startups After 10-Week Entrepreneurship Course Led by Greg Gottesman
The University of Washington offers a popular 10-week entrepreneurship class led by venture capitalist Greg Gottesman, culminating in student pitches of tech startups at Pioneer Square Labs. The course attracted strong demand, featured high-profile guest speakers like Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and highlighted trends such as AI and computer vision.
Gaurav Oberoi’s Lexion Acquired by DocuSign for $165 Million, Marking Third Successful Exit for the Entrepreneur
Serial entrepreneur Gaurav Oberoi, co-founder of AI-based legal tech startup Lexion, will exit successfully as Lexion is acquired by DocuSign for $165 million. Oberoi, known for his customer-centric approach and expertise, has now had three startups acquired, earning strong respect in Seattle’s tech community.
Flyhomes raises $150 million to scale cash-offer homebuying and mortgage services nationwide
Seattle startup Flyhomes raised $150 million to expand its cash-offer homebuying model and integrated mortgage and selling services nationwide, positioning itself against iBuyers and Zillow. CEO Tushar Garg said the funding supports building an end-to-end home-buying experience that gives clients a competitive edge in a chaotic market.
Pioneer Square Labs spins out 25 startups in five years; six launched during pandemic surge
Seattle startup studio Pioneer Square Labs (PSL) spun out 25 startups in five years — six during a six-month pandemic stretch — by rapidly testing ideas, though it has yet to produce a breakout unicorn and faces criticism over founder dilution.
Former Zillow Leaders Greg Schwartz and Carey Armstrong Raise $40M Seed for Tomo Networks to Build Tech-Driven Mortgage Platform
Former Zillow leaders Greg Schwartz and Carey Armstrong launched Tomo Networks, a fintech startup building a tech-driven mortgage and transaction platform, and raised a $40 million seed round led by prominent real estate investors. The company, founded a few months ago, is targeting agents and consumers while keeping specific business model details private.
Nine ex-Microsoft founders say Satya Nadella’s cultural shift helped turn Microsoft alumni into more successful startup builders
Former Microsoft employees once struggled to raise startup funding and adapt to startup life because of the company’s pace, bureaucracy and internal politics, but Satya Nadella’s post-2014 cultural changes have shifted perceptions. Today Microsoft veterans are increasingly prominent in Seattle startups, with their experience building platforms and brand recognition seen as both an advantage and a potential blind spot for new founders.
Pioneer Square Labs and Fortive launch TeamSense, a COVID-19 symptom‑tracking SaaS that reached paying customers in six weeks
Pioneer Square Labs and Fortive launched their first spinout, TeamSense, a SaaS platform that lets employers screen and communicate with hourly workers about COVID-19 symptoms via quick daily texts or emails. TeamSense moved from initial funding to paying customers in six weeks and provides dashboards, rosters, and 1-on-1 chat to support workplace health, planning and compliance.
Madrona Venture Labs spinout Weekdays and other startups build tech to help parents manage childcare gaps during COVID-19
Seattle startup studio Madrona Venture Labs and spinout Weekdays are among tech entrepreneurs building services to help working parents handle childcare challenges compounded by COVID-19 — from closed schools and canceled camps to safety worries and financial strain. Single parents like Maria Hess report daily struggles juggling work and parenting, driving increased demand for tech-enabled in-home caregiver matching and other solutions.
Pioneer Square Labs and Fortive launch joint innovation studio to build spinout companies, starting with a COVID-19 workplace-safety concept
Seattle startup studio Pioneer Square Labs (PSL) has partnered with publicly traded industrial company Fortive to form a joint innovation studio that will build and spin out new companies and products, starting with a confidential workplace-safety concept prompted by COVID-19. PSL will apply its in-house startup studio model to create standalone venture-backed businesses or concepts Fortive may acquire, while Fortive aims to accelerate innovation and cultural change.
TalentWorks raises $2.4M from Lowercase, Founder’s Co-op and Felicis to guarantee job interviews for $10/week
TalentWorks, co-founded by Kushal Chakrabarti and Ajit Banerjee, emerged from stealth with $2.4M from investors including Lowercase Capital, Founder’s Co-op and Felicis to offer a $10/week AI-driven job-interview matching service that guarantees interviews or refunds fees after 60 days.
Pioneer Square Labs Raises $12.5M from Foundry Group, Bezos Expeditions and 50 Angels to Build Start-Ups
Pioneer Square Labs, a Seattle "start-up studio," raised $12.5 million from over a dozen VC firms and 50 angel investors to build companies from in-house ideas. Backers include Bezos Expeditions, Rich Barton, and lead investor Foundry Group among others.
Pioneer Square Labs raises $12.5M from 13 VCs and 50+ angels; Foundry Group led, Brad Feld joins board
Pioneer Square Labs, a new Seattle startup studio co-founded by Geoff Entress, Greg Gottesman, Mike Galgon and Ben Gilbert, raised $12.5 million from 13 VC firms and over 50 angels. Foundry Group led the round and Brad Feld will join PSL's board.
eBay acqui-hires Decide.com as Oren Etzioni scores sixth straight exit; FareCast founder's startups attracted $17M in funding
Oren Etzioni, a University of Washington CS professor and Madrona partner, has co-founded a string of successful tech startups culminating in Decide.com being acqui-hired by eBay, marking his sixth consecutive exit. His prior ventures include MetaCrawler, NetBot, ClearForest, FareCast (sold to Microsoft for $110M), and Decide.com, which raised about $17M before the eBay deal.
Seattle 2.0 Names Finalists From Nearly 7,000 Nominations; Public Voting Open Through May 11 — Winners Revealed May 19
Seattle 2.0 announced finalists for its annual Seattle tech startup awards after nearly 7,000 nominations across 11 categories, opening public voting through May 11 and scheduling the awards event for May 19 with keynote Jonathan Sposato.
Organizations
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Sea 2 Sky Partners Partner 2025–present · current
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Zillow Co-founder and Co-Executive Chair 2024–present, CEO 2019–2024, Executive Chairman 2010–2019, CEO 2004–2010, Former CEO · current
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Netflix Board Director 2002–present · current
Education
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Stanford University B.S. General Engineering: Industrial Economics, ENGINEERING · 1985–1989
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New Canaan High School 1981–1985
