Sujal Patel

Co-founder at Isilon
Seattle

Sujal Patel is currently Co-founder at Isilon Systems. He founded Isilon Systems in 2001, which was later acquired, and has previously served as CEO at Isilon Systems, Executive Officer and Director at Nautilus Biotechnology, Inc., and Director at QUMULO, INC.

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Charlotte Schubert / GeekWire

Andreessen Horowitz, Madrona and other tech VCs ramp up bets on AI-driven biotech startups as founders from software enter life sciences

Tech venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz and Seattle’s Madrona Venture Group are increasingly investing in life-science startups that use AI, machine learning and data science to speed drug discovery and development. Investors are following founders who transitioned from software to biotech—such as Sujal Patel of Nautilus and Terry Myerson of Truveta—seeing reduced perceived risk and new opportunity at this intersection.

Charlotte Schubert / GeekWire

Former Tech Leaders Join Biotech: Isilon Founder Sujal Patel, Ex-Microsoft Terry Myerson and Others Lead AI-Driven Life Sciences Startups

Several former software and tech executives are moving into biotech and life sciences startups, bringing AI, machine learning, and tech-style business models to companies that analyze proteins, microbes, and medical records. Their tech backgrounds are reshaping product development and funding approaches at firms such as Nautilus Biotechnology, Truveta, insitro and Viome.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire

Seattle startups raise record $3.1B in H1 2021, producing 12 local unicorns as Auth0 exits for $6.5B

Seattle-area startups raised a record $3.1 billion across 205 deals in H1 2021, driven by mega-rounds that produced at least 12 local unicorns and broader Pacific Northwest tech funding topping $5 billion. National VC activity and IPO/M&A dollar volumes are also surpassing prior records, with major exits like Auth0’s $6.5 billion acquisition by Okta highlighting regional maturation.

Charlotte Schubert / GeekWire

Nautilus Biotechnology (NAUT) goes public via SPAC, raises $345 million to commercialize proteome analysis

Nautilus Biotechnology, co-founded by Sujal Patel and Parag Mallick, is going public on Nasdaq as NAUT through a SPAC merger that raised $345 million to advance a new proteome analysis platform aimed at accelerating biomedical research and drug development. Institutional backers include Bezos Expeditions, Vulcan Capital and Madrona Venture Group, and the deal closes on the 25th anniversary of Patel’s arrival in Seattle.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire

Bain Capital and Crosspoint Capital to buy Seattle cybersecurity firm ExtraHop for $900 million; founders stay

Private equity firms Bain Capital and Crosspoint Capital will acquire Seattle cybersecurity startup ExtraHop for $900 million; the 14-year-old company, with about 1,000 customers and 500+ employees, reported $100 million ARR and expects 40% growth this year. Founders and current leaders will remain, the deal aims to accelerate growth and is expected to close this summer.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire

Creative Destruction Lab to launch nine-month, equity-free Seattle accelerator with Microsoft and UW for 20–25 computational health startups this November

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is launching a Seattle hub this November at the University of Washington to run a nine-month, equity-free accelerator for 20–25 computational health startups in partnership with Microsoft and UW’s business, engineering, and computer science schools; UW students can shadow the program. The program is funded by founding members, enforces objective milestones with the possibility of booting nonperforming companies, and stems from UW’s Innovation Roundtable efforts led by Emer Dooley and others.

John Cook / GeekWire

SPACs Let Founders Reach Public Markets Faster and Keep Larger Equity Stakes, Say Startup Observers

The article explains how SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies) let founders and early employees reach liquidity faster and often retain larger ownership stakes than through later-stage VC or private equity rounds. Using examples like Sana Biotechnology and Seattle entrepreneur Sujal Patel, it argues SPACs can preserve founders' equity by bypassing dilutive funding rounds.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire

Nautilus Biotechnology to go public via Arya Sciences Acquisition Corp III SPAC, raising $350M at $900M valuation

Nautilus Biotechnology, a Seattle proteomics startup led by Sujal Patel and Parag Mallick, will go public via a SPAC merger with Arya Sciences Acquisition Corp III, raising about $350 million and valuing the company at $900 million. The deal includes a $150 million SPAC component and a $200 million PIPE, expects to close in Q2, and the combined company will trade on Nasdaq as NAUT.

Taylor Soper / GeekWire

Nautilus Biotechnology raises $76M Series B led by Vulcan Capital; Bezos Expeditions among investors, total funding tops $100M

Nautilus Biotechnology, co-founded by Stanford scientist Parag Mallick and Isilon co-founder Sujal Patel, revealed a platform to study the human proteome and announced a $76 million Series B led by Vulcan Capital with participation from Bezos Expeditions, Perceptive Advisors and others. The round brings total funding above $100 million for the 50-person startup as it exits stealth to accelerate proteomics-driven therapeutics development.

Organizations

  • Nautilus Biotechnology Co-founder and CEO, Executive Officer, Director 2021 · current
  • Isilon Co-founder, Former CEO · current
  • Qumulo logo
    Qumulo Director 2016 · past