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.
Seattle Mobile Car Repair Startup Wrench Raises $54.2M Including $40M Debt Amid Rising Repair Costs
Seattle-based mobile car repair startup Wrench has raised $54.2 million in new funding, including $40 million in debt and $14.2 million in equity, according to SEC filings. The company offers nationwide mobile mechanic services backed by Bridgestone and venture capital firms.
Seattle Startup Founders Embrace Generative AI to Boost Coding, Marketing, and Content Creation
Seattle startup founders like Podcraft's Madhura Raju and Simply Augmented's Boaz Ashkenazy are extensively using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, and GitHub Copilot to accelerate coding, marketing, and content generation. They see generative AI as a transformative technology that offers practical advantages over previous tech trends like blockchain and the metaverse.
Seattle Startup Proprio Raises $43M Series B After FDA Clears Paradigm Surgical Navigation Platform
Seattle startup Proprio raised $43 million in a Series B round after receiving FDA 510(k) clearance for its Paradigm surgical navigation platform, which provides real-time 3D visualization for clinicians. The system integrates advanced imaging technologies and is preparing for human use this summer.
Affini-T Therapeutics Closes Seattle Lab, Offering Some Employees Relocation to Boston
Affini-T Therapeutics, a cell therapy company specializing in T cell receptor cancer immunotherapy, is closing its Seattle lab, impacting 17 employees, some of whom may relocate to Boston. The company raised $175 million last year and was spun out of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Seattle AI Startup Tangibly Raises $6.5M Seed Round to Protect Trade Secrets with Patent X-Ray Tool
Seattle-based security software startup Tangibly raised $6.5 million in a seed round to advance its AI-powered trade secret protection tools. Founded in 2021, the company helps clients secure intellectual property with features like its Patent X-Ray for patent drafting.
Tagboard Raises $4 Million to Advance Cloud Production Studio with NBA and ESPN Partnerships
Seattle-based Tagboard raised $4 million to enhance its cloud production software used by over 600 clients, including the NBA and ESPN, enabling easier integration of graphics and interactive tools in broadcasts. The company, which raised $8 million last year and has total funding of $17 million, is also exploring generative AI for media production graphics.
Former Fabric CFO Nevin Shetty Pleads Not Guilty to Fraud in $35 Million Crypto Fund Transfer
Nevin Shetty, former CFO of Seattle startup Fabric, pled not guilty to four fraud charges for allegedly transferring $35 million of company funds to his crypto firm. The funds lost nearly all value in the 2022 crypto crash, and Shetty’s next court date is July 24.
Seattle Startup Funding Plummets 79% in Q1 2023 Amid National 45% Venture Capital Decline
Venture capital funding for Seattle-based startups hit a six-year low in Q1 2023 due to broader economic uncertainty and rising interest rates, with a 79% drop in capital raised locally and a national 45% decline. Startups face fewer deals, lower valuations, and more down or flat rounds, signaling a shift in investor urgency and funding strategies.
Ex-Fabric CFO Nevin Shetty Indicted for Wire Fraud After Moving $35M to Crypto Business Amid Market Crash
Nevin Shetty, former CFO of Seattle-based startup Fabric, was indicted for wire fraud after allegedly transferring $35 million of company funds to his crypto business, HighTower. The crypto crash in May 2022 wiped out the value of the funds, leading to his upcoming arraignment on May 25.
Seattle’s Pioneer Square Labs Raises $20M Third Fund to Accelerate Generative AI Startup Studio
Seattle startup studio Pioneer Square Labs raised $20 million for its third fund to invest in generative AI, building multiple AI-driven apps in finance and healthcare. Founded in 2015, PSL has 33 startups with most securing follow-on investments but no unicorn exits yet.
Union.AI Raises $19.1M Series A to Develop Union Cloud Platform, Powered by Flyte Workflow Tool
Union.AI, a Bellevue-based startup behind the open-source workflow tool Flyte, raised $19.1 million in Series A funding to develop Union Cloud, a platform aimed at improving machine learning efficiency and reducing compute costs.
Visual Layer Raises $7M Seed Round Co-led by Madrona, Founded by Former Turi CEO Carlos Guestrin
Visual Layer, a Tel Aviv startup co-founded by former Turi CEO Carlos Guestrin, raised $7 million in a seed round co-led by Madrona Venture Group to improve machine learning image datasets. The startup provides tools to automatically detect errors in large-scale image sets for better computer vision models.
Seattle VC Firm Ascend Raises $25M Second Fund to Boost AI Investments Amid Market Downturn
Seattle-based pre-seed venture capital firm Ascend, led by Kirby Winfield, raised a $25 million second fund focused on doubling down on artificial intelligence investments amid a challenging startup funding environment. Winfield, who has backed over 70 startups, predicts a further valuation correction but remains committed to early-stage investing.
Seattle Trucking Analytics Startup GoodShip Raises $5M in Seed Funding Led by Convoy Veterans
Seattle-based trucking analytics startup GoodShip raised an additional $5 million in its seed round to enhance its software that aggregates trucking data. The 9-person company is led by former Convoy employees with investment from Convoy CEO Dan Lewis.
Grin Lord, CEO of Seattle’s mpathic, Finalist for Startup CEO of the Year at 2023 GeekWire Awards for Empathy-Driven Communication Software
Grin Lord, CEO and co-founder of Seattle startup mpathic, specializes in using empathy to improve corporate communication and is a finalist for Startup CEO of the Year at the 2023 GeekWire Awards. Her company applies machine learning to analyze conversations and foster empathy across industries such as insurance, healthcare, and human resources.
SniffSpot Expands Nationwide Connecting Dog Owners with Private Yards for Off-Leash Play Amid Surging Pet Adoption
SniffSpot, launched by David Adams four years ago in Seattle, is a marketplace connecting dog owners with homeowners who rent out private yards as safe play spaces, now active across all U.S. states with over 20,000 hosts. The platform addresses growing demand for off-leash dog areas amid rising pet adoption, offering flexible, affordable bookings similar to Airbnb.
Seattle AI Startup Lexion Raises $20M to Expand Contract Management Software after Tripling 2022 Revenue
Seattle startup Lexion raised $20 million in a Series B round led by Point72 Ventures to expand its AI-powered contract management software, following a revenue tripling in 2022. Founded in 2018, Lexion aims to extend its AI solutions beyond legal teams to other departments such as sales and finance.
Los Angeles Venture Firm Bonfire Expands Seattle B2B Startup Investments, Leads $4M Round for CalmWave
Los Angeles-based venture firm Bonfire is expanding its early-stage B2B startup investments into Seattle, backing three local startups including a $4 million funding round for CalmWave. Principal Tyler Churchill emphasizes Seattle's growing tech talent and ecosystem, noting increasing collaborative opportunities among venture firms despite competitive dynamics.
Fixie Raises $17M Seed Round to Help Companies Integrate Large Language Models into Software
Fixie, a Seattle-based startup founded by former Google and Apple engineers, raised $17 million in seed funding to develop a cloud platform that helps companies integrate large language models into their software for automation and AI applications.
Washington Supreme Court Upholds 7% Capital Gains Tax on Stock Sales Over $250,000, Impacting Seattle Startup Founders
Washington state's Supreme Court upheld a new 7% capital gains tax on stock and bond sales over $250,000, affecting startup founders and employees. Reactions from Seattle tech entrepreneurs and investors were mixed, with concerns about its impact on the business environment.
UW Professor Byron Boots Launches Overland AI to Develop Off-Road Autonomous Vehicles for Complex Terrain
University of Washington professor Byron Boots leads Overland AI, a Seattle startup developing off-road autonomous vehicle technology to improve safety and address labor shortages in challenging terrains. The company, co-founded by UW RACER team members and registered in January 2023, has raised undisclosed funding and maintains close ties to DARPA's RACER program.
Seattle Trucking Startup Convoy Lays Off Staff for Third Time and Closes Atlanta Office Amid Automation Shift
Seattle trucking startup Convoy conducted its third round of layoffs within a year and announced the closure of its Atlanta office as part of a shift to automate customer service and improve efficiency. Despite previously raising $260 million at a $3.8 billion valuation and employing over 1,000 people, the company is reducing staff to speed its path to profitability amid broader industry challenges.
AppSheet Founder Praveen Seshadri Says Google ‘Has Slowly Ceased to Function,’ Calls for Cultural Intervention
Praveen Seshadri, founder of AppSheet and former Google employee, criticized Google's culture and management in a blog post, stating the company has 'slowly ceased to function' amidst competitive pressure from Microsoft and OpenAI. He called for an intervention to restore Google's mission and urgency, drawing parallels with Microsoft's previous struggles and leadership changes.
RealWear to Go Public via SPAC Merger with Cascadia Capital Valued at $375.5 Million
RealWear, a Vancouver, Washington-based industrial headset maker, is going public through a SPAC merger with Seattle's Cascadia Capital, valuing the combined company at $375.5 million. The company, serving over 5,000 enterprise customers including 41 Fortune 100 firms, reported $20.5 million in revenue for 2022 with a 63% gross margin.
Bittrex Crypto Exchange Lays Off 83 Employees Amid Regulatory Fines and Market Downturn
Cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex laid off 83 employees amid challenging market conditions and regulatory pressures, including a $29 million fine from the U.S. Treasury. The layoffs reflect broader industry struggles following the collapse of FTX and other crypto market downturns.
Organizations
See all 15-
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
