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.
Flexe Cuts 38% of Workforce, Laying Off 99 Employees Amid Market Challenges Despite $119M Series D Funding
Seattle-based warehousing and logistics startup Flexe cut 38% of its workforce, affecting 99 employees amid market challenges despite a $119 million Series D funding round. The layoffs reflect broader difficulties in the startup sector following pandemic-driven growth.
Seattle VCs James Newell and Jason Stoffer Debate UW vs. Michigan as Football and Tech Rivalry Heats Up
Seattle-area venture capitalists James Newell (University of Washington) and Jason Stoffer (University of Michigan) engage in friendly tech investor football rivalry ahead of the College Football Playoff championship. Both praise their universities' engineering programs and entrepreneurial impact while playfully debating their teams' prospects.
Sandbox VR's 'Squid Game Virtuals' Generates $4.5M in Two Months Amid Growing VR Arcade Expansion
Sandbox VR, a startup with over 45 locations worldwide, offers group VR experiences including the popular 'Squid Game Virtuals' based on the hit Netflix show, generating $4.5 million in two months. Despite the fun and advanced technology, virtual reality has yet to achieve mainstream adoption.
Seattle Marketing Tech Firm Banzai Goes Public via SPAC Merger with 7GC Holdings, Shares Drop Over 40% on Nasdaq Debut
Seattle marketing tech company Banzai went public by merging with a SPAC led by 7GC Holdings and rang the Nasdaq opening bell. The company reported $22.1 million in annual recurring revenue for the year ending September 2022 but faced a net loss of $8.5 million, with shares dropping over 40% on their first trading day.
Washington D.C. Startup Standd Wins $160,000 Top Prize at First Row Partners' Inaugural Ensemble Fund Competition
Standd, a Washington D.C. startup led by CEO Julie Saltman, won over $160,000 as the top prize in First Row Partners' inaugural Ensemble Fund competition, which supports early-stage startups and educates investors. The competition reviewed 125 applications and included 17 investors, half of whom were women, emphasizing relationship-building and investor education.
Salesforce-Backed Cybersecurity Startup Oleria Raises $30 Million Following $8 Million Seed Round
Seattle cybersecurity startup Oleria, backed by Salesforce Ventures and led by former Salesforce chief trust officer Jim Alkove, is raising an additional $30 million according to a recent SEC filing. The company recently emerged from stealth with an $8 million seed round and features leadership with significant industry experience.
Seattle-based Field Operations Software Startup Zuper Raises $32M Series B Led by FUSE, Total Funding Hits $46.1M
Zuper, a Seattle-based field operations software startup founded in 2018, raised $32 million in a Series B funding round led by FUSE, bringing total funding to $46.1 million. The company, led by CEO Anand Subbaraj, serves multiple industries and has offices in Seattle and India.
AstraZeneca to Acquire UW Spinout Icosavax for Up to $1.1 Billion to Boost Respiratory Vaccine Development
AstraZeneca announced it will acquire Seattle-based biotech spinout Icosavax, founded at the University of Washington, for up to $1.1 billion to accelerate development of vaccines targeting respiratory viruses. Icosavax's shares surged over 40% after the deal, which values the company at a 43% premium and aims to advance its lead RSV and hMPV vaccine candidate.
Seattle Startup Carbon Raises $1.3M Seed Round to Streamline External Data Integration for Large Language Models
Seattle startup Carbon raised $1.3 million in seed funding to help companies integrate external data sources with large language models, simplifying access to unstructured data. Founded last year by Derek Tu and Aditya Chempakasseril, Carbon serves clients like Jenni.ai and AskAI with a turnkey AI data solution.
Zulily Shuts Seattle Headquarters and Two Warehouses, Laying Off Over 792 Employees in 2023
Zulily is closing its Seattle headquarters and two warehouses in Nevada and Ohio, resulting in layoffs of over 792 employees. The company, recently acquired by Regent private equity, has faced financial difficulties including lawsuits for unpaid invoices and multiple rounds of layoffs in 2023.
Center Raises $30M Series C to Expand Corporate Expense Software with API and Bank Partnerships
Center, a Seattle-area startup offering a corporate credit card and real-time expense analytics platform used by over 1,000 companies, raised $30 million in Series C funding to expand via APIs and potential bank partnerships. The company has seen 64% customer growth and doubled revenue, aiming to innovate with AI and industry-specific integrations.
Seattle AI Startup Spiffy Raises $6M to Develop Hyper-Personalized Retail AI Tools Led by Walmart Tech Veteran Aniket Deosthali
Seattle startup Spiffy, founded by AI2 researchers and a Walmart tech veteran, has raised $6 million to develop hyper-personalized AI tools aimed at enhancing retail customer engagement without requiring large budgets. Their technology, emerging from AI2 research, focuses on 'Outcome-Oriented Models' to support and improve retail workflows.
UW Professor Shwetak Patel Co-Founded Three Startups Since 2008, Leading Google Health Tech Group
Shwetak Patel, a University of Washington professor and entrepreneur, has co-founded three startups based on his inventions since arriving in Seattle in 2008, including Zensi and SNUPI, acquired by Belkin and Sears respectively. He currently leads a health tech group at Google and is recognized as an innovative thinker transforming industries.
Seattle Startup Levanta Raises $1M to Connect Amazon Sellers with Influencers, Hits $1M Annual Revenue
Seattle-based startup Levanta raised $1 million to help Amazon sellers create affiliate programs with influencers and has surpassed $1 million in annual recurring revenue. Founded in 2023 by University of Washington grads, the profitable company serves nearly 2,000 creators and 500 brands.
Seattle’s Tola Capital Raises $230M Third Fund to Back 25–30 Early-Stage AI and Enterprise Software Startups
Seattle-based Tola Capital has raised $230 million for its third fund aimed at investing in 25-30 early-stage AI and enterprise software startups, focusing on cloud computing and AI innovation. Founded by former Microsoft managers Sheila Gulati and Stacey Giard, Tola has invested in over 20 companies and plans seed to Series B investments ranging from $1 million to $15 million.
Seattle Startup Expanso Raises $7.5M Seed Round Led by General Catalyst and Hetz Ventures to Expand Edge Data Processing Software
Seattle startup Expanso raised $7.5 million in a seed round led by General Catalyst and Hetz Ventures to advance its distributed data processing software powered by open source Bacalhau. The company is led by CEO David Aronchick, a former Amazon, Microsoft, and Google veteran.
No New Seattle Unicorns in 2023 as Venture Capital Slows and Former Unicorn Convoy Collapses
Seattle saw no new unicorn startups in 2023 amid a broader venture capital slowdown following a boom during the pandemic, with some existing unicorns like Convoy collapsing and others cutting costs or staff. This trend reflects a global decrease in new unicorns, dropping from 619 in 2021 to only 64 through Q3 2023.
Aigen Raises $12 Million to Scale Solar-Powered Farm Robots and Expand U.S. Presence in 2024
Seattle-area agtech startup Aigen raised $12 million led by ReGen Ventures to scale production of its solar-powered weed-destroying farm robots and expand across U.S. farms. The company plans to build 70 robots in a new Redmond facility and open a hub in Fargo, N.D., while leveraging AI to improve weed identification and data services.
Seattle Startup Zuplo Raises $9M Seed Round to Expand API Management Platform Handling 4B Monthly Requests
Seattle-area startup Zuplo, founded by former Microsoft and Auth0 leaders, raised $9 million in a seed round led by Trilogy Equity Partners to support its API launch and management platform. Zuplo manages over 4 billion API requests monthly and focuses on developer productivity and cost efficiency amid a growing $14 billion API management market.
Seattle Firm Curious Raises $16M to Acquire Struggling Software Startups Facing Cash Crunch
Seattle-based investment firm Curious, led by former Bitly CMO Andrew Dumont, raised $16 million to acquire struggling software startups with $500K to $5M in annual recurring revenue that are running out of cash or failing to meet growth targets. The firm aims to provide a long-term home for startups abandoned by venture capital amid a tightening fundraising environment.
Seattle Startup Tapp Finance Raises $300,000 to Launch App for Selling Call Options to Everyday Investors
Seattle startup Tapp Finance, founded by Si Katara, has raised $300,000 to develop an app that helps everyday investors sell call options to earn premium income, with plans to launch its first product early next year.
Porsche Ventures Leads $2 Million Seed Round in Seattle Startup KeySavvy to Combat Used Car Sale Fraud
Seattle startup KeySavvy raised $2 million in seed funding from Porsche Ventures and Founders’ Co-op to provide a peer-to-peer vehicle payment platform that reduces title and payment fraud. Founded by former Tred colleagues, KeySavvy charges a $79 fee and partners with other vehicle marketplaces.
Flexport Acquires Convoy’s Technology and CEO Dan Lewis After Convoy’s Sudden Shutdown
Freight company Flexport acquired Convoy's technology and some employees, including CEO Dan Lewis, after Convoy abruptly shut down, citing a modest purchase price. Convoy, once valued at $3.8 billion, collapsed due to market challenges and exhausted strategic options despite significant funding.
Yifan Zhang Joins AI2 Incubator as Managing Director; Dropbox, Marchex, and Seattle Startups Appoint New Tech Leaders
Yifan Zhang, former Loftium co-founder, is joining the AI2 Incubator as managing director starting February 2024, while several Seattle tech companies made key executive hires including Dropbox, Marchex, Simply Augmented, and Chainguard.
Seattle-Area Startup Chainguard Raises $61M Series B to Secure Open Source Software Supply Chains
Chainguard, a Kirkland-based cybersecurity startup focused on securing open source software supply chains, raised $61 million in a Series B funding round led by Spark Capital. The company has tripled its annual recurring revenue recently and counts Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Snowflake among its customers.
Organizations
See all 15-
AI House Director of Community and Programming 2026–present · current
-
University of Washington, Board of Student Publications Board Member 2016–present · current
-
AI House Director of Community and Programming · current
Education
-
University of Washington Executive Development Program, Business Administration and Management, General · 2021–2022
-
University of Washington Bachelor, Business, Journalism · 2008–2012
-
Foster School of Business B.A., Business Administration · 2008–2012
