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 Startup Gradial Raises $35M Series B to Expand AI Platform Automating Enterprise Marketing Workflows
Seattle startup Gradial raised $35 million in a Series B round led by VMG Partners to expand its AI platform that automates enterprise marketing workflows. The company's total funding is $55 million, valuing it at $350 million, with clients including AWS, Prudential, and T-Mobile.
Seattle AI Startup Yoodli Raises $40M Series B Led by WestBridge Capital Amid 900% Revenue Growth
Seattle AI startup Yoodli raised $40 million in a Series B round led by WestBridge Capital, after reporting 900% revenue growth and tripling its staff to over 40. The company offers AI-powered conversational practice software used by major clients like SAP and Google, and plans to expand into experiential learning.
Fuse Leads $10 Million Seed Round in Avante as VC Investment Surges Amid AI Boom, Say Panelists
At a Seattle AI Week panel, Fuse's Kellan Carter and Avante CEO Rohan D’Souza shared that early-stage startups should focus on solving specific problems, building strong conviction, and prioritizing distribution amid the AI boom. Fuse led Avante’s $10 million seed round in late 2023, highlighting the importance of trust and relationships between founders and investors during the current venture capital landscape where AI drives significant funding.
Seattle Startup Glacis Sees Opportunity as White House Plans to Challenge State AI Laws
The White House plans an executive order to challenge state AI regulations, prompting Seattle startup Glacis, led by CEO Joe Braidwood, to position its AI safety verification software as essential infrastructure in a regulatory conflict. Glacis offers tamper-proof records of AI decisions, addressing concerns about AI safety and liability amidst increasing regulatory scrutiny.
Seattle Startup Desk Raises $800,000 to Automate Real Estate Contract Work with AI
Seattle startup Desk has raised $800,000 to use AI for automating real estate contract administration, helping over 500 agents streamline paperwork with high accuracy. The company leverages recent AI advancements to offer 'better-than-human' contract processing, accelerating agent workflows without replacing them.
Icertis Acquires Y Combinator Graduate Dioptra to Enhance AI Contract Automation Tools
Icertis has acquired legal tech startup Dioptra to enhance its AI-driven contract automation capabilities, with Dioptra's five employees joining Icertis’ product and engineering teams. Dioptra, a Y Combinator 2022 graduate, specializes in tools for automated playbook creation, risk reviews, and contract redlining.
Seattle Startup Peasy Raises $2M Pre-Seed to Offer Free Inventory Software for CPG Brands
Seattle startup Peasy raised $2 million pre-seed funding to offer free inventory management software for independent CPG brands, aiming to replace spreadsheets and reduce manual data entry by 60%. Peasy plans to monetize via payment processing fees rather than subscriptions, sharing gains with customers as orders scale.
Jeff Bezos Named Co-CEO of $6.2 Billion Funded AI Startup Project Prometheus in Return to Executive Role
Jeff Bezos has become co-CEO of Project Prometheus, a secretive AI startup with $6.2 billion in funding focused on AI for the physical economy, marking his first operational executive role since leaving Amazon's CEO position in 2021. The startup, co-led by Vik Bajaj, aims at applications in computers, automobiles, and aerospace with potential collaboration opportunities with Amazon.
Seattle AI Startup BluePill Raises $6M to Revolutionize Consumer Behavior Testing with 93% Accurate Simulated Audiences
Seattle startup BluePill raised $6 million to use AI for simulating consumer behavior, enabling marketers to test concepts quickly and affordably with 93% accuracy compared to traditional focus groups. Their clients include Magic Spoon, Kettle & Fire, and the Seattle Mariners.
Stefan Kalb Launches Super Labs with $8M Seed to Help Mid-Market Companies Adopt AI Without Tech Expertise
Seattle entrepreneur Stefan Kalb launched Super Labs in September to help mid-market businesses adopt AI without technical expertise, raising $8 million in seed funding led by FUSE. The platform connects non-tech companies with AI vendors and manages integration to prevent these companies from falling behind larger enterprises.
Bezos-Backed Arrived Raises $27M to Expand Fractional Real Estate Investment Platform and Launch Secondary Market
Arrived, a Seattle-based startup backed by Bezos Expeditions, raised $27 million to expand its platform that allows investors to buy fractional shares of rental properties starting at $100. The company also launched a peer-to-peer Secondary Market enabling investors to trade shares directly, aiming to make real estate investing as accessible and liquid as the stock market.
Cadence Design Systems Acquires Seattle AI Startup ChipStack to Accelerate Chip Verification by 70%
Cadence Design Systems is acquiring Seattle startup ChipStack, which developed AI-powered tools that accelerate chip verification by 70%, a major bottleneck in semiconductor design. The 20-person ChipStack team will join Cadence to expand AI-driven verification capabilities, leveraging the startup’s successful $7 million funding and partnerships.
Seattle Service Providers Launch Service Provider Capital's New Pacific Northwest Fund to Invest in Early-Stage Tech Startups
Seattle service providers Minh Le, Craig Sherman, and David Wickwire are leading a new Pacific Northwest fund for Service Provider Capital, which invests in early-stage tech startups by co-investing alongside venture firms. SPC's unique model pools professionals from startup support sectors to back a broad array of local companies across multiple U.S. regions.
Seattle Cybersecurity Startup Oleria Raises $19 Million, Total Funding Surpasses $60 Million
Seattle-based cybersecurity startup Oleria raised $19 million in a new funding round, bringing its total to over $60 million. Founded in 2023, Oleria specializes in managing employee access to applications and data and is led by CEO Jim Alkove.
Seattle Fintech Startup Upward Raises $8M, Partners with Mastercard to Expand Financial Product Offerings
Seattle fintech startup Upward, founded by former Remitly executives, raised $8 million and partnered with Mastercard to simplify the launch of financial products. The company targets underserved segments like independent workers and small businesses, processing over $10 million monthly and offering integrated payments, cards, and banking infrastructure.
Digs Raises $5M Pre-Series A to Expand 3D Digital Twin Software for Residential Homebuilders
Digs, a Vancouver-based startup founded in 2022, raised $5 million in pre-Series A funding to enhance its software platform that creates digital 3D twins for residential homebuilders, tracking home construction and ownership. Led by CEO Ryan Fink, the company has nearly 10,000 homes on its platform and has raised nearly $20 million total.
Seattle Startups AceRocket and Boop Innovate in AI Exam Prep and Social Travel Itineraries
Seattle startups featured include AceRocket, an AI-driven exam prep platform aiming to improve standardized test study, and Boop, a social travel app creating shoppable itineraries. These early-stage companies focus on innovative solutions for students, travelers, and pet owners, with expert feedback highlighting both opportunities and challenges.
Seattle's Founders' Co-op Raises $50M Sixth Fund to Back Early-Stage Pacific Northwest Tech Startups
Seattle venture firm Founders' Co-op has raised a $50 million sixth fund, focusing on early-stage Pacific Northwest tech startups with initial investments of $1 million to $1.5 million. Founded in 2008, the firm has backed billion-dollar companies like Remitly, Outreach, and Auth0 and aims to invest in about 30 new companies without targeting specific verticals.
Live-Shopping Startup Whatnot Secures $225M and Plans to Triple Seattle Headcount Amid $11.5B Valuation
Whatnot, a live-shopping startup valued at $11.5 billion, plans to triple its Seattle workforce by adding over 75 employees after raising $225 million. The company specializes in e-commerce combined with livestream entertainment and competes with TikTok and Amazon in the live commerce space.
Seattle Startup TestSprite Raises $6.7M to Automate Continuous Testing for AI-Generated Code
Seattle startup TestSprite raised $6.7 million in seed funding to expand its autonomous testing platform that continuously validates AI-generated code within development environments. Founded by former Amazon and Google engineers, the company aims to complement AI coding tools by making code testing faster and more integrated.
Pioneer Square Labs Debuts Lev, an AI Co-Founder to Evaluate and Develop Startup Ideas
Seattle’s Pioneer Square Labs launched Lev, an AI co-founder tool that helps early-stage entrepreneurs evaluate and develop startup ideas by mapping PSL’s company-building process into software. Lev offers structured workflows, asset generation, and plans to add team-building and fundraising features.
Tim Chen Raises $41 Million for Fourth Fund at Essence VC, Emerging as a Leading Solo Investor Backing Infrastructure Startups
Tim Chen, initially rejected by Seattle venture capital firms for being 'too nerdy,' launched his own firm, Essence VC, which has grown to raise $41 million for its fourth fund and gained a strong reputation backing infrastructure startups. His technical background and experience as a software engineer have made him a sought-after solo investor, with notable portfolio successes including the $2.2 billion acquisition of Tabular by Databricks.
Seattle Startup Hyphen AI Raises $5M Seed to Automate Cloud Deployments Using Generative AI
Seattle startup Hyphen AI raised $5 million in a seed round led by Unlock Venture Partners to develop Hyphen Deploy, a generative AI platform that automates cloud infrastructure setup using natural language. The platform supports multiple cloud providers and aims to reduce infrastructure setup from weeks to minutes.
Veeam to Acquire Securiti AI for $1.725 Billion, Integrating AI and Data Security into Platform
Veeam Software announced it will acquire San Jose-based Securiti AI for $1.725 billion to enhance its data protection platform with integrated data security and AI trust technologies. The deal, expected to close in Q4 2025, will bring Securiti's CEO Rehan Jalil to Veeam as president of security and AI.
Seattle Startups Like Aspir and Decipher Healthcare Use AI to Transform Education and Healthcare in 2025
Seattle startups are deploying AI across diverse fields including education, healthcare, and cloud operations, with ventures like Aspir helping students launch startups and Decipher Healthcare assisting employees in navigating health insurance. These early-stage companies aim to enhance efficiency and data management through intelligent systems.
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
