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.
Spot, founded by former Outreach executives Gordon Hempton and Wes Hather, raises $1.7M to build ‘Sims for the enterprise’ virtual offices
Spot, a year-old Seattle startup founded by former Outreach co-founders Gordon Hempton and Wes Hather, has raised $1.7 million to build virtual office software described as “The Sims for the Enterprise.” The seven-person company, currently in closed beta, has created hundreds of virtual worlds for events and HQs and competes with platforms like Gather, Teamflow, Virbela and Branch amid continued remote and hybrid work tailwinds.
Former Facebook Seattle Chief Vijaye Raji launches Statsig to bring feature-testing tools to developers
Vijaye Raji, a former Facebook engineering leader, founded Seattle-area startup Statsig to provide feature-testing and analytics tools (like feature gates and metric maps) to developers, with usage-based pricing and a free tier. The company hopes to democratize internal tools Facebook used, has competitors, disclosed no funding but attracted endorsement from investor S. 'Soma' Somasegar.
Seattle AI startup Darklight raises $5.1M to commercialize AI that automates vulnerability prioritization
Seattle-area startup Darklight raised $5.1 million, bringing total funding to about $10 million, to commercialize its knowledge-driven AI for automating cybersecurity workflows and vulnerability prioritization while partnering with the U.S. Army.
Common Room exits stealth with $52M in funding to monetize community engagement for enterprises
Seattle startup Common Room exited stealth after one year, announcing $52 million in total funding and enterprise customers testing its community-management software. The company integrates signals from platforms like Slack, Twitter and Discord to help companies grow user engagement and advocacy.
Seattle Biotech OncoResponse Raises $40.6M Series C to Develop Antibody-Based Cancer Treatments
Seattle biotech OncoResponse raised $40.6 million in a Series C round to develop antibody-based cancer immunotherapies, leveraging antibodies from patients with strong immunotherapy responses. Led by CEO Clifford Stocks, the company has now raised nearly $110 million since its 2015 launch.
Amgen to buy Seattle startup Rodeo Therapeutics for $55M upfront, up to $666M more in milestones
Amgen agreed to acquire Seattle biotech Rodeo Therapeutics, which develops small-molecule therapies to repair and regrow tissues, for $55 million upfront plus up to $666 million in contingent payments. Rodeo, led by CEO Thong Le and founded by Sanford Markowitz, Stanton Gerson and Joseph Ready, has backing from investors including AbbVie, Lilly, Arch Venture Partners and Johnson & Johnson and had raised over $14 million.
Strix Leviathan founders launch Makara robo-advisor; SEC-registered, raised $2M and launched mobile app
Seattle crypto startup Strix Leviathan spun out Makara, a robo-advisor that builds thematic baskets to simplify investing in digital assets; Makara is an SEC-registered investment adviser, raised $2 million, and launched a mobile app.
Madrona partner Daniel Li leaves to co-found Plus with Chloe Qi; Plus raises $5.5M seed led by Madrona
Daniel Li is leaving Madrona Venture Group to co-found Plus with Chloe Qi; the startup raised a $5.5 million seed round led by Madrona to build a no-code/low-code, multiplayer productivity product for sharing live data.
Eliem Therapeutics, led by ex-Alder/Juno CEO Bob Azelby, raises $80M to advance ETX-810 and ETX-155
Eliem Therapeutics, a Seattle biotech led by former Juno and Alder exec Bob Azelby, raised $80 million to advance two drug candidates—ETX-810 for chronic pain and ETX-155 for depressive disorders and seizures—while planning to expand staff from 18 to 26 and operating from Seattle and Cambridge.
Seattle startup iFoodDS raises $15M Series A led by Insight Partners to scale real-time food-supply tracking
Seattle-based iFoodDS raised a $15 million Series A led by Insight Partners to expand its real-time food supply chain tracking software, which helps prevent waste and improve traceability and quality across farms, distributors and retailers.
Clearbrief raises $1.2M from Sequoia, Madrona and Avvo founder to commercialize AI legal-writing tool
Seattle startup Clearbrief raised $1.2 million from investors including Sequoia Capital, Madrona Venture Group and Avvo founder Mark Britton to commercialize AI-powered legal writing software that checks sentences against supporting evidence and integrates with Microsoft Word and the cloud.
DexCare, spun out of Providence, raises $20M to scale patient access platform; Define Ventures leads round
Seattle health‑tech startup DexCare, spun out of Providence’s Digital Innovation Group, raised $20 million to expand its access-optimization platform that routes patients to appropriate care and integrates with health systems. The 25-employee company, led by CEO Derek Streat and CCO Sean O’Connor, saw increased usage during the pandemic and counts customers like Community Health Network and Houston Methodist.
Washington Insurance Commissioner Orders Cease-and-Desist, $15,000 Minimum Fine for Modus Over Alleged Inducements
Seattle title-and-escrow startup Modus, recently acquired by Compass, received a cease-and-desist order from the Washington state insurance commissioner for allegedly offering inducements (free home warranties and other services) to real estate agents and clients; the company says it will appeal. On June 9 the commissioner also issued a minimum $15,000 fine, but Modus kept operating and its license will not be revoked.
Curi Bio raises $6M Series A led by Dynamk Capital to advance human stem cell drug-discovery platforms
Seattle stem-cell startup Curi Bio raised $6 million in a Series A led by Dynamk Capital to advance its human stem cell platforms for drug discovery, bringing total funding to $16.8 million.
Shelf Engine raises $41M to expand forecasting and scan-based ordering for Kroger, Walmart; serves 2,000 stores
Shelf Engine raised $41 million to expand its order-forecasting and automation platform used by grocers like Kroger and Walmart to reduce waste and trim costs; the company now serves about 2,000 stores and reported 15x revenue growth last year.
Heard raises $1.3M seed to help mental‑health clinicians manage bookkeeping, taxes and payroll
Seattle startup Heard, which builds bookkeeping, tax and payroll software for mental-health clinicians running private practices, raised $1.3 million in seed funding to address growing pandemic-driven demand for practice management tools.
OctoML raises $28M Series B to speed ML deployment across phones, cars and cloud; backed by Apache TVM creators
Seattle startup OctoML, a University of Washington spinout led by CEO Luis Ceze, raised $28 million in Series B funding to help companies deploy and optimize machine-learning models across diverse hardware. The team — creators of Apache TVM — counts partners like Qualcomm, Microsoft and AMD, has ~1,000 early Octomizer sign-ups, 45 employees and plans >50% headcount growth this year.
Dutchie raises $200M at $1.7B valuation, acquires Greenbits and Leaflogix and names Tim Barash executive chairman
Dutchie, a Bend, Oregon e-commerce platform for cannabis dispensaries, raised $200 million at a $1.7 billion valuation, bringing total funding to $253 million while acquiring Greenbits and Leaflogix and appointing Tim Barash as executive chairman.
Deako Lighting raises $12.5M Series B as its plug-and-play smart switches land deal with D.R. Horton and commits to 1-in-8 new U.S. homes
Seattle smart-home startup Deako Lighting raised $12.5 million in a Series B to expand its plug-and-play smart light switches that work with existing wiring; the company says it has commitments to install in 1 of every 8 new U.S. single-family homes and signed a deal with D.R. Horton. Deako is adding two markets per week, reporting double-digit monthly compounded revenue growth, plans to double its 25-person team this year, and cites housing and pandemic-driven personalization tailwinds.
JetClosing raises $11M Series B, names former Amazon and Bulletproof exec Anna Collins as CEO
Seattle digital home-closing startup JetClosing raised an $11 million Series B led by funds advised by T. Rowe Price, Pioneer Square Labs and Trilogy Equity, bringing total funding to $44 million. The company also named former Amazon and Bulletproof executive Anna Collins as its new CEO, replacing founder Daniel Greenshields.
Icertis raises $80M Series F led by B Capital, valuation jumps to $2.8B; total funding $280M
Seattle-area contract-management software company Icertis raised an $80 million Series F, boosting its valuation to $2.8 billion and bringing total funding to $280 million as it reports revenue north of $100 million and 1,400 employees worldwide.
Visus Therapeutics raises $36M Series A from Johnson & Johnson Innovation, RTW Investments and others to advance BRIMOCHOL presbyopia eye drop
Visus Therapeutics, a Seattle startup developing BRIMOCHOL, a once-daily presbyopia-correcting eye drop, raised $36 million in a Series A led in part by Johnson & Johnson Innovation alongside RTW Investments, Wille AG and existing investors.
SeekOut raises $65M Series B led by Tiger Global at nearly $500M valuation after 10x ARR growth
Seattle recruiting startup SeekOut raised $65 million in a Series B led by Tiger Global at a near-$500M valuation to expand its Talent 360 recruiting software, after growing ARR 10x in 21 months and remaining profitable.
Madrona hires John Torrey as first partner outside Pacific Northwest, expands Acceleration Fund investing to Texas and Utah
Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group hired John Torrey, its first investment partner based outside the Pacific Northwest, to help source and support Acceleration Fund investments from Texas and Utah as the firm expands geographically. Madrona also raised $161 million for its Acceleration Fund II and hired Katie Chiupka as manager of business development and partnerships.
Banzai raises $15M in venture debt led by Columbia Pacific Advisors; total funding $21.2M
Seattle event-marketing startup Banzai raised $15 million in venture debt led by Columbia Pacific Advisors with participation from Gaingels, bringing its total funding to $21.2 million. The 2016-founded company, which pivoted to virtual events during the pandemic and recently acquired High Attendance and Demio, serves over 3,000 customers and has about 100 employees.
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
