Taylor Soper
Taylor Soper is Director of Community and Programming at AI House and serves as a board member at the University of Washington, Board of Student Publications. He previously held editorial and reporting roles at GeekWire and Major League Baseball, with expertise in technology startups, programming, and community building.
Pioneer Square Labs and Mayfield Partner to Co-Invest $1.5M Minimum in AI Startups
Seattle's Pioneer Square Labs and Silicon Valley venture capital firm Mayfield have formed a partnership to co-invest at least $1.5 million in AI-focused startups spun out from PSL. This collaboration combines PSL's startup incubation with Mayfield's venture funding strength to accelerate AI technology ventures.
Flexport Relaunches Convoy Trucking Marketplace After Acquiring Technology Post-Startup Shutdown
Flexport has relaunched the Convoy digital trucking marketplace after acquiring Convoy's technology and some employees following the startup's shutdown. The relaunch quickly attracted major customers, dispatching nearly 200 truckloads on its first day.
Techstars CEO Maëlle Gavet Rebukes Former Seattle MD Chris DeVore Over Criticism Amid Seattle Program Closure
Techstars CEO Maëlle Gavet responded critically to former managing director Chris DeVore's blog post blaming strategic decisions for the closure of Techstars Seattle, emphasizing ongoing support for local entrepreneurs despite the program's shutdown. DeVore had publicly criticized Techstars' reliance on corporate sponsors and changes in incentives prior to the announcement.
Techstars to Close Seattle Accelerator by Fall 2024, Shifting Focus to Cities with Higher VC Activity
Techstars announced it is shutting down its Seattle accelerator program by Fall 2024 to focus on cities with more robust venture capital activity like San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. The Seattle program, a foundational part of the local startup ecosystem since 2010, graduated over 200 companies that collectively raised more than $2.8 billion.
Remitly Reports 44% Revenue Growth to $944M in 2023, Projects Over $1.2B in 2024 with Reduced Losses
Remitly's 2023 revenue rose 44% to $944.3 million with send volume up 38% and active customers increasing 41%, while losses slightly widened to $117.8 million. The Seattle-based digital remittance company forecasts over $1.2 billion revenue in 2024 and plans to reduce losses.
University of Washington’s CoMotion Spins Out Seven New Startups Including Biotech and 3D Printing Ventures Since July 2023
Since July last year, the University of Washington's CoMotion has spun out seven new startups focused on innovations from biotech to 3D printing. These are part of over 110 active UW spinouts collectively employing 1,000+ people and raising $4.1 billion in the past five years.
Pathable Founder Jordan Schwartz Joins Vanlife Startup Sēkr as Chief Product Officer; Cole Brodman Named CEO of Opanga Networks
Jordan Schwartz, co-founder of Pathable, joined San Diego vanlife startup Sēkr as chief product officer, while Cole Brodman became CEO of Seattle-based Opanga Networks. Additionally, UW professor Aylin Caliskan was named co-director of the UW Tech Policy Lab.
Seattle Tech Leaders Advise on Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Building Confidence at HBS Seattle Event
Seattle tech leaders, including Remitly CEO Matt Oppenheimer and Expedia CTO Rathi Murthy, shared advice on normalizing imposter syndrome, building self-confidence, and the value of mentorship during a Harvard Business School Club of Seattle discussion. They emphasized vulnerability, flexibility, and self-improvement as keys to effective leadership and workplace success.
Guardrails AI, co-founded by Diego Oppenheimer, raises $7.5M seed funding to improve AI safety
Guardrails AI, a San Francisco startup co-founded by Diego Oppenheimer, raised $7.5 million in a seed round to help companies manage AI application risks with its open source platform. The company aims to enable safer, more reliable AI development, led by CEO Shreya Rajpal and backed by investors including Zetta Venture Partners and Factory.
Breakwater Ventures Launches $10M Fund to Back Early-Stage Pacific Northwest Startups
Breakwater Ventures, a new Seattle-based pre-seed and seed investment firm founded by former SeaChange investors, has raised $10 million to support early-stage software startups primarily in the Pacific Northwest. The firm aims to fill a gap in initial funding for startups and is already deploying capital from its first fund.
Seattle Tech Startups Eye IPO Revival in 2024 After Two-Year Drought Amid Market Stabilization
Seattle's tech industry has seen no traditional IPOs in over two years amid a market slowdown, but optimism is growing for more public listings in 2024 due to a stabilized macroeconomic environment and a rising stock market. Experts caution that realistic pricing and market conditions will influence which startups decide to go public.
Ex-Amazon and Airbnb Engineers Raise $1.25M for Seattle Startup Cimba.ai to Develop Enterprise AI Agents
Seattle startup Cimba.ai, founded by ex-Amazon and Airbnb engineers, raised $1.25 million in pre-seed funding to develop AI agents that help businesses generate actionable insights from internal data. The company integrates large language models with business-specific content to optimize operations such as ad campaigns and customer management.
Medsense Health Raises $500K to Expand Remote Medication Adherence Sensors and Platform
Seattle-based Medsense Health raised $500,000 to expand its sensor technology and software platform that aids remote medication adherence monitoring for patients and providers. The startup's motion-detecting sensors fit on various medicine containers, offering real-time data to clinicians and has grown to 12 customers recently.
Seattle Point-of-Sale Startup CHEQ Acquired by Philadelphia's Cantaloupe
Seattle-based point-of-sale startup CHEQ, known for servicing sports venues and the Bite of Seattle festival, was acquired by Philadelphia-area self-service retail tech company Cantaloupe. Founded in 2021 and backed by $8 million in funding, CHEQ's software aims to enhance sales and reduce wait times through mobile and kiosk solutions.
Blackhawk Network Acquires Seattle Digital Gift Card Startup Tango Card to Expand Enterprise Rewards Services
Blackhawk Network, a payments company based in Pleasanton, California, is acquiring Seattle-based digital gift card startup Tango Card, which was founded in 2009 and employs over 250 people. The deal terms were not disclosed, but the acquisition aims to expand Tango Card's mission to serve enterprise customers on a larger scale.
Seattle Cybersecurity Startup Protect AI Acquires Laiyer AI to Commercialize LLM Guard
Seattle cybersecurity startup Protect AI acquired Laiyer AI, the maker of open source software LLM Guard, to enhance monitoring of machine learning systems. Protect AI plans to sell a commercial version of LLM Guard and has added two new employees following the acquisition.
Seattle Tech Leaders Dave Cotter, Johanna Faries, and Marie Donoghue Take New Roles at D3 Advisors, Blizzard, and DraftKings
Dave Cotter, former Leafly chief product officer and ex-Amazon executive, launched advisory firm D3 Advisors to consult startups and VCs. Other Seattle tech moves include Johanna Faries becoming Blizzard Entertainment president and Marie Donoghue joining DraftKings as chief business officer.
GeekWire 200 Q1 2024 Update Highlights 35% New Startups and Outreach Tops Seattle Tech Rankings
The GeekWire 200's latest update reveals a significant reshaping of Seattle and Pacific Northwest startups, with 35% new companies entering, including newcomers in AI, robotics, cybersecurity, and health sectors. Key shifts include outreach becoming the top startup and major players like Hootsuite and Icertis graduating off the list after 15 years.
Seattle Cybersecurity Startup Oleria Raises $33.1M Series A to Expand Team and Launch Access Management Software
Seattle cybersecurity startup Oleria raised $33.1 million in a Series A round to expand its team threefold and advance its software that automates management of employee access to enterprise applications and data. The company, co-founded by Jim Alkove and Jagadeesh Kunda, targets large enterprises and plans a product launch in the coming months amid growing concerns about AI-driven cybersecurity threats.
Techstars Seattle Demo Day 2024 Unveils 24 Startups Poised to Rival 2011 Unicorn Trio Including Discoverist and TalkStack AI
The 2024 Techstars Seattle Demo Day showcased 24 startups, with experts optimistic that this cohort could rival the successful 2011 group that included three billion-dollar companies. Notable startups like Discoverist and TalkStack AI are leveraging AI for personalized retail recommendations and conversation analysis, respectively.
Fullcast Raises $34M, Moves HQ from Seattle to Salt Lake City with New CEO Ryan Westwood Leading Acquisition Strategy
Fullcast, a Seattle-founded revenue operations software startup, will relocate to Salt Lake City after raising $34 million in a new investment round led by Epic Ventures. The company is now led by Ryan Westwood and former Simplus executives, with plans to actively acquire other go-to-market firms and merge them into Fullcast's platform.
Seattle Biotech Startup Parse Biosciences Acquires Biomage to Enhance Single-Cell RNA Analysis
Seattle biotech startup Parse Biosciences has acquired Scotland-based Biomage, a single-cell RNA data analysis software company, adding about 10 employees and appointing Biomage's CEO as head of bioinformatics. This follows Parse's $50 million capital raise in December and aims to enhance single-cell sequencing analysis capabilities.
Seattle Startup Avante Raises $10M Seed Round Led by Fuse Venture Partners with Ex-Olive AI and Amperity Leaders
Seattle startup Avante, led by former Olive AI and Amperity executives, raised $10 million in a seed round led by Fuse Venture Partners to build an employee intelligence platform focused on healthier workforces. The company remains in stealth mode without detailed public disclosures about its plans.
Pacvue Names Ex-Microsoft Leader Zhenbin Xu as Chief Product Officer Amid Multiple Seattle Tech Hires and Board Additions
Pacvue hired Zhenbin Xu, a former Microsoft leader, as chief product officer and recently added another Microsoft veteran, Sunava Dutta, as SVP of product. Other Seattle-area companies also made key hires and advisory appointments, including LeoStella, Adaptiva, WestRiver Group, Spectio, and Trilogy Equity Partners.
Textio CEO Kieran Snyder Steps Down, Co-founder Jensen Harris Becomes CEO of Seattle AI Writing Startup
Kieran Snyder, co-founder and CEO of Seattle-based Textio, has stepped down to become chief scientist emeritus, with co-founder Jensen Harris taking over as CEO. Textio, founded in 2014, uses AI to reduce bias in workplace language and recently launched its fastest growing product, Textio Lift.
Organizations
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AI House Director of Community and Programming 2026–present · current
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University of Washington, Board of Student Publications Board Member 2016–present · current
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AI House Director of Community and Programming · current
Education
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University of Washington Executive Development Program, Business Administration and Management, General · 2021–2022
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University of Washington Bachelor, Business, Journalism · 2008–2012
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Foster School of Business B.A., Business Administration · 2008–2012
