S. "Soma" Somasegar
S. 'Soma' Somasegar is Managing Director and Board Member at Madrona Venture Group. He previously held executive roles at Microsoft.
Highspot closes multi‑billion‑dollar merger with Seismic on August 18 after regulatory approval
Highspot completed its multi-billion-dollar merger with Seismic on August 18 after regulatory approval, capping a journey since 2012 that built a leading AI-driven sales enablement platform used by over a million users and 1,000 customers.
SpaceX IPO filing reveals Starlink's impact, Bezos sounds off on CNBC, and Gemini owes John a beer
This week on a supersized Memorial Day Weekend edition of the GeekWire Podcast: A massive IPO filing from SpaceX includes new details about Elon Musk's Starlink business and its satellite factory in Redmond. Jeff Bezos talks about wealth, inequality and eventually tech in an hour-long CNBC appearance. John goes to World Cup ticketing hell and turns to ChatGPT and Gemini when FIFA's support falls short. And a special Sam Altman/Seattle startup edition of GeekWire Trivia. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Related Links: SpaceX is churning out 70 Starlink satellites a week in Redmond, and other tidbits from…
Icertis Co-founder and Former CEO Samir Bodas Dies at 61 After Battling Cancer
Samir Bodas, co-founder and former CEO of Icertis, passed away at 61 after battling cancer, leaving behind a legacy of leadership that emphasized team success over individual accolades. His close friendships, including with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, reflected his entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to fostering company culture rooted in personal values.
OpenAI Acquires Seattle Startup Statsig for $1.1 Billion Amid Its Unique Five-Day In-Office Work Policy
Seattle-area startup Statsig, acquired by OpenAI for $1.1 billion, mandates five-day-a-week in-office work, contrasting with common hybrid models. CEO Vijaye Raji credits this policy for fostering strong collaboration, faster decision-making, and a high-performing culture.
OpenAI Expands Seattle Footprint with $1.1B Acquisition of Bellevue Startup Statsig
OpenAI is expanding its Seattle-area presence by acquiring the Bellevue-based product development platform Statsig for $1.1 billion, with Statsig continuing to operate independently. The move strengthens OpenAI's access to Seattle's tech talent and aligns with its existing local office near Microsoft.
OpenAI Acquires Statsig for $1.1 Billion, Appoints CEO Vijaye Raji as CTO of Applications
OpenAI is acquiring Statsig for $1.1 billion in an all-stock deal, appointing Statsig CEO Vijaye Raji as its new CTO of Applications. The startup will operate independently post-acquisition from its Seattle office, while its employees may join OpenAI.
Seattle Tech Week 2024 Draws ~75 Events, Organizers Thank JP Morgan, Ascend, Google Cloud and Sarah Studer
Seattle Tech Week 2024 featured about 75 events that brought together founders, investors, and startups, showcasing Seattle as a vibrant tech hub. Organizers thanked hosts, sponsors (including JP Morgan, Ascend, Google Cloud), community builder Sarah Studer, and noted the program expanded from last year with spillover weekend activities and large community turnout.
Former Microsoft Exec Yatharth Gupta’s Codified Raises $4M Seed to Advance AI-Powered Data Governance
Seattle startup Codified, founded by former Microsoft executive Yatharth Gupta, raised a $4 million seed round led by Madrona Venture Group to develop an AI-driven data governance platform. The company aims to simplify and improve internal data access management by enabling users to create data access rules in plain English, addressing industry challenges around data access complexity and security.
Investor Spotlight: A Conversation with Madrona's Soma Somasegar
Hear from Madrona Managing Director Soma Somasegar as he discusses his path to venture capital by way of 27 years at Microsoft. He shares invaluable insights about what he looks for in a founder, the importance of passion in founders, the state of cloud technology, and the future of AI and Startups. Tim also shares Madrona's core principles, his favorite books for entrepreneurs, and his personal interests outside of work, including his passion for outdoor sports and the nonprofit Global Partnerships. This chat is a must-watch for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for insights into the venture capital world or strategies to…
Bellevue VC Fuse Raises $250M Second Fund, Reaching $420M Total Since 2020
Bellevue-based venture capital firm Fuse raised $250 million for its second fund, bringing its total raised to $420 million across two funds since launching in 2020. The firm will continue investing in Pacific Northwest and western Canada B2B tech startups, leading seed and Series A rounds with $1 million–$10 million checks.
Typeface Founder Abhay Parasnis on Shaping Enterprise GenAI Strategy
In this episode, Madrona Managing Director Soma Somasegar talks with Typeface Founder and CEO Abhay Parasnis. Typeface combines generative AI platforms with its own brand-personalized AI, so all businesses can create content that is multimodal and on-brand. Typeface just announced $100 million in new funding, and Madrona couldn't have been happier to participate in the round. Abhay and Soma have known each other for almost 20 years from their time at Microsoft. But In 2022, Abhay left Adobe, where he was CTO and CPO, because he saw an inflection point coming that he wanted to be a part of. This…
Aseem Datar leaves Microsoft to join Madrona Venture Group as partner; Madrona promotes Chris Picardo and hires Birkan Uzun; Jaime Teevan promoted to Microsoft CVP
Microsoft Azure GM and COO Aseem Datar is leaving Microsoft to join Madrona Venture Group as a partner later this month, while Madrona also promoted Chris Picardo to partner and hired Birkan Uzun as an investor; separately, Microsoft promoted Chief Scientist Jaime Teevan to corporate vice president. The article notes Datar’s 17+ years at Microsoft and prior roles, Picardo’s and Uzun’s backgrounds, and Teevan’s reaction to her promotion.
Former Facebook Seattle Head Vijaye Raji Raises $10.4M Series A for Statsig to Speed Feature Rollouts
Vijaye Raji, a former Facebook and Microsoft engineering leader, raised $10.4 million in Series A funding for Statsig, a Kirkland startup that helps developers quickly roll out and measure product features. Sequoia Capital, Madrona Venture Group and angel investors participated, and the company aims to bring Facebook-style experimentation tools to broader developer teams.
GeekWire Names Common Room, Ozette, SeekOut, Shelf Engine and Strike Graph as 2024 Startup of the Year Finalists; Voting Open
GeekWire has announced five finalists for Startup of the Year — Common Room, Ozette, SeekOut, Shelf Engine, and Strike Graph — highlighting Seattle and Pacific Northwest entrepreneurship; community voting runs through April 30 and winners will be revealed May 20 at the virtual GeekWire Awards.
Coinbase IPO Soars to $85 Billion, Nets Windfalls for Early Backers Including Version One Ventures
Coinbase’s IPO pushed its valuation to $85 billion and delivered major returns to early investors like Version One Ventures, which made a highly profitable bet years ago. The article examines how Seattle and Pacific Northwest investors view crypto and blockchain as the region seeks to grow its fintech presence amid emerging local startups and initiatives.
PlexTrac raises $10M Series A led by Madrona Venture Group and Noro-Moseley Partners; total funding $11M
Boise-based cybersecurity startup PlexTrac raised a $10 million Series A led by Madrona Venture Group and Noro-Moseley Partners, bringing total funding to $11 million. Its platform unifies red and blue teams to streamline penetration testing, reporting and remediation workflows for security teams.
Former Facebook Seattle Chief Vijaye Raji launches Statsig to bring feature-testing tools to developers
Vijaye Raji, a former Facebook engineering leader, founded Seattle-area startup Statsig to provide feature-testing and analytics tools (like feature gates and metric maps) to developers, with usage-based pricing and a free tier. The company hopes to democratize internal tools Facebook used, has competitors, disclosed no funding but attracted endorsement from investor S. 'Soma' Somasegar.
Common Room exits stealth with $52M in funding to monetize community engagement for enterprises
Seattle startup Common Room exited stealth after one year, announcing $52 million in total funding and enterprise customers testing its community-management software. The company integrates signals from platforms like Slack, Twitter and Discord to help companies grow user engagement and advocacy.
SeekOut raises $65M Series B led by Tiger Global at nearly $500M valuation after 10x ARR growth
Seattle recruiting startup SeekOut raised $65 million in a Series B led by Tiger Global at a near-$500M valuation to expand its Talent 360 recruiting software, after growing ARR 10x in 21 months and remaining profitable.
Ally raises $50M Series C led by Green Oaks, Tiger Global and Madrona as remote work fuels demand
Seattle startup Ally raised $50 million in a Series C led by Green Oaks Capital, Tiger Global and Madrona, bringing total funding to $76 million as remote work drove demand for its OKR goal-tracking software that tripled revenue in 2020.
Madrona Ventures Announces Investment in Rec Room, Citing 10M Players and 1M Creators
Madrona announced its investment in Rec Room, an online social gaming universe with over 10 million players and 1 million creators that offers easy cross-platform play and low-code content creation tools. The firm praised Rec Room’s founders, community-first approach, and alignment with trends in online communities and maker-focused development.
NEA leads $37.5M Series B in Seattle cloud startup Pulumi, bringing total funding to $57.5M
Seattle startup Pulumi raised $37.5 million in a Series B led by NEA, bringing its total funding to $57.5 million to expand R&D and sales/marketing. NEA partner Aaron Jacobson will join Pulumi’s board alongside existing investors Madrona Venture Group and Tola Capital.
Snowflake raises $3.4B in largest software IPO, opens at $245 and closes at $253.93 valuing company over $60B; Madrona an early investor
Snowflake raised $3.4 billion in the largest-ever software IPO, pricing at $120 and opening at $245 before closing at $253.93 to value the company above $60 billion; early investor Madrona Venture Group, which invested in 2017, benefited though it holds under 5% and did not disclose stake value.
Anu Sharma leaves AWS to join Madrona Venture Group as investor after eight years at Amazon
Anu Sharma left an eight-year product management role at Amazon/AWS to join Madrona Venture Group’s investment team, turning a long-standing personal interest in investing into a full-time career where she plans to apply engineering rigor to evaluating and growing startups.
Coda raises $80M Series C led by Kleiner Perkins; Madrona and others join to scale document-as-app platform
Coda, a Bay Area startup led by ex-Microsoft and Google director Shishir Mehrotra, raised an $80 million Series C led by Kleiner Perkins with participation from Madrona Venture Group and others to expand its document-as-app collaboration platform used by companies like Spotify and Uber. Madrona said the investment aligns with its focus on Future of Work and low-code/no-code tools as remote work increases demand for collaboration software.
Organizations
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Madrona Managing Director and Board Member, Former Microsoft Executive · current -
Madrona Venture Labs Managing Director · current
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Microsoft and Madrona Venture Group Leader · current
