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.
Shelf Engine raises $12M Series A led by GGV to cut grocery food waste and manage orders for Whole Foods, Target, Kroger
Seattle startup Shelf Engine raised $12 million to expand its AI-powered ordering platform that helps over 1,000 grocers including Whole Foods, Target, and Kroger reduce perishable food waste and guarantee sales through a scan-based trade model. The 46-person company plans to hire about 90 more employees and has $17.3 million total funding after a Series A led by GGV Capital.
CurvaFix raises $10.7M Series B to commercialize CurvaFix Rodscrew for curved-bone and pelvic fractures
CurvaFix, a Bellevue medical device startup, raised $10.7 million to advance its CurvaFix Rodscrew system for repairing fractures in curved bones, initially targeting pelvic fractures. The seven-year-old company is led by CEO Steve Dimmer and added Sectoral Asset Management partners Michael Sjöström and Marc-André Marcotte to its board following a Series B led by Sectoral Asset Management with participation from Delta Dental Washington Seed Fund.
Jirav raises $8.3M led by Information Venture Partners for cloud financial planning software; total funding $13.6M
San Francisco startup Jirav raised $8.3 million for its cloud-based financial planning and analysis software, serving over 1,400 customers with a 30-person team; total funding is $13.6 million.
OfferUp hires Michael Eggers, ex-RealNetworks and AWS sales leader, as CFO
Michael Eggers, a 15-year RealNetworks veteran and former head of global sales and business operations for AWS, has been hired as OfferUp's chief financial officer to lead finance for the Bellevue-based marketplace with 20 million monthly users; OfferUp recently raised $120 million and has $380 million in total funding.
Craig McCaw’s Holicity files for $250M IPO to pursue TMT acquisitions via SPAC
Telecom pioneer Craig McCaw has co-founded Holicity, a Seattle-area SPAC that filed for an IPO seeking about $250 million to pursue acquisitions in technology, media and telecommunications. The blank-check company is led by McCaw and Randy Russell and targets U.S. and other developed-market TMT businesses amid a broader SPAC surge.
Lighter Capital lays off 22, halving staff to 23 after prior cuts as it shifts amid pandemic
Seattle-based alternative VC Lighter Capital laid off 22 employees, halving its workforce to 23 after prior cuts in April; the firm has invested over $200 million using revenue-based financing and secured a $100 million lending deal with HCG Fund Management in January.
Qumulo raises $125M, valued at more than $1.2B to join Seattle’s unicorns
Qumulo raised $125 million in funding, pushing its valuation to over $1.2 billion and making it a Seattle-area unicorn; the data-storage company serves customers across healthcare, media, research and the public sector and has seen increased demand during the pandemic.
UiPath raises $225M Series E led by Alkeon, valued at $10.2B as RPA demand rises
UiPath raised $225 million in a Series E round led by Alkeon Capital, valuing the robotic process automation company at $10.2 billion; the firm reports over $400 million in annual recurring revenue and says COVID-19 increased demand for automation.
Seattle tech CFO survey: 37 respondents say three-quarters expect full COVID-19 recovery; nearly half raise 2020 spending forecasts
A survey of 37 Seattle-based tech CFOs finds the local tech industry remains resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic, with three-quarters expecting full recovery and nearly half raising 2020 spending forecasts versus early March. Many CFOs report higher Q2 bookings expectations and over 40% say their companies are increasing headcount despite widespread industry layoffs elsewhere.
Tagboard CEO Josh Decker ends Redmond office lease and shifts 29-person startup to fully remote amid COVID-19
Seattle-area startup Tagboard decided to end its office lease and go fully remote amid the COVID-19 pandemic, citing economic uncertainty and effective work-from-home operations. The 29-person company gave employees office furniture, cut overhead to fund tech/internet stipends and future in-person activities, and relies on tools like Slack and Zoom.
Pioneer Square Labs and Fortive launch TeamSense, a COVID-19 symptom‑tracking SaaS that reached paying customers in six weeks
Pioneer Square Labs and Fortive launched their first spinout, TeamSense, a SaaS platform that lets employers screen and communicate with hourly workers about COVID-19 symptoms via quick daily texts or emails. TeamSense moved from initial funding to paying customers in six weeks and provides dashboards, rosters, and 1-on-1 chat to support workplace health, planning and compliance.
SBA data: Seattle startups Rover, ExtraHop, Porch, Promethean and Logic20/20 each received $5–$10M in PPP loans
The SBA released Paycheck Protection Program data showing several Seattle-area tech startups received $5–$10 million PPP loans to help during COVID-19; recipients include Rover, ExtraHop, Porch, Promethean and Logic20/20. The program has seen controversy over eligibility and forgiveness guidance, and some venture-backed startups declined loans on ethical grounds.
OneTrust acquires Seattle AI-focused privacy startup Integris, folds tech into OneTrust DataDiscovery and keeps 20-person Seattle team
Atlanta-based privacy software firm OneTrust has acquired Seattle startup Integris Software and integrated its AI-based discovery technology into OneTrust DataDiscovery while retaining Integris’s 20-person Seattle team. Integris, founded in 2016 and a $16 million VC-backed company, will support tasks like compliance monitoring during cloud migrations and data governance.
Voodle launches short-form workplace video app after Pixvana shutdown; Pixvana had raised $20M
Seattle startup Voodle launched a short-form, selfie-style workplace video app—spun out of Pixvana after that company closed—to replace lengthy calls and text updates with searchable, transcribed clips that integrate with apps like Salesforce and HubSpot. Pixvana had raised $20 million before shuttering in late 2019 when CEO Forest Key concluded AR/VR wasn’t yet ready for mainstream business scale.
Seattle rises three spots to crack Startup Genome’s global top 10, backed by $3.59B in 2019 VC funding
Seattle climbed three places into Startup Genome’s global top 10 startup ecosystems, driven by strengths in AI, big data, analytics, life sciences and a strong startup genealogy from Microsoft, Amazon and the University of Washington. Venture funding reached a Seattle-area record of $3.59 billion in 2019, and the city ranks highly on performance, funding, market reach, talent, connectedness, knowledge and infrastructure.
Accolade files IPO to sell 8.75M shares at $19–$21, seeks up to $211M and ~$1B valuation; will trade as ACCD
Accolade priced 8.75 million IPO shares at $19–$21 to raise up to $211 million, aiming for a ~ $1 billion valuation and Nasdaq ticker ACCD, positioning itself as Seattle's first public company of 2020. The health benefits platform reported $132.5 million revenue and a $51.3 million net loss for the fiscal year ending Feb. 29, serves 1.6 million members across 58 corporate customers, and estimates a $24 billion total addressable market.
Humanly raises $800,000 from TMD Ventures, Gusto and Kinetica CFOs to expand AI hiring tools
Seattle startup Humanly raised $800,000 from investors including TMD Ventures, Gusto CFO Mike Dinsdale and Kinetica CFO Dean Neese to expand its AI recruiting tools that screen candidates, schedule interviews and run reference checks amid COVID-19–driven hiring changes. The company says automation and bias-reducing features help employers manage larger applicant pools while improving inclusion.
Wyze launches $49.99 wire-free outdoor 1080p camera, undercutting competitors
Wyze Labs is launching its first outdoor, wire-free, weather-resistant 1080p camera priced at $49.99 with a base station ($39.99 for individual cameras), targeting demand for its most-requested product and undercutting competitors' higher prices.
UW Spinout AnswerDash Acquired by CloudEngage; AI Q&A Tool Joins Personalization Platform
Seattle startup AnswerDash, founded from University of Washington research by Jake Wobbrock, Amy Ko and Parmit Chilana, has been acquired by Spokane-based CloudEngage after nearly eight years. The AI-powered contextual Q&A tool will join CloudEngage’s web personalization and live chat offerings to help clients reduce support costs and improve customer experience.
Amazon launches $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund to invest in sustainable-tech startups, aims for net-zero by 2040
Amazon launched The Climate Pledge Fund, a $2 billion corporate venture program to invest in startups developing sustainable technologies across industries to accelerate reaching net-zero carbon. The move aligns with Amazon’s Climate Pledge to be net carbon neutral by 2040 and follows other commitments like running on 100% renewable energy by 2025.
AI2 spinout Lexion launches Slack chatbot to instantly locate legal contracts; raised $4.2M seed
Lexion, an AI2 spinout in Seattle, launched a Slack chatbot that instantly finds legal contracts based on team viewing permissions, aiming to save in-house legal teams hours—CEO Gaurav Oberoi said it's especially useful for remote work. The company raised a $4.2M seed round last year and was named to CB Insights' list of 100 promising AI startups.
Amazon and Techstars Relaunch Alexa Accelerator as Alexa Next Stage, Selecting Seven Startups for Remote Eight-Week Program
Amazon and Techstars announced seven startups selected for Alexa Next Stage, the revamped Alexa Accelerator focusing on later-stage and more geographically diverse voice-tech companies, running remotely with a virtual Demo Night on August 11. Each startup can receive up to $150,000 from Amazon's $200 million Alexa Fund and grants participation rights for future financing to Alexa Fund and Techstars.
Outreach co-founders Wes Hather and Gordon Hempton leave to found stealth remote-work startup after Outreach raises $50M
Outreach co-founders Wes Hather and Gordon Hempton have left the Seattle sales-software unicorn and are collaborating on a stealthy remote-work startup; Hempton departed in October and Hather left earlier this year while Manny Medina remains CEO. Both founders are prototyping the new product and proving product-market fit, and Outreach recently raised $50 million.
Proprio raises $23M Series A led by DCVC to commercialize 3D "X‑ray‑like" surgical navigation system
Seattle startup Proprio raised $23 million in a Series A led by DCVC to develop a hardware‑software surgical navigation system that fuses real-time camera views with preoperative imaging to give surgeons a 3D “X‑ray‑like” view without radiation.
Outreach raises $50M Series F led by Sands Capital, valuing Seattle startup at $1.33B
Seattle sales-engagement startup Outreach raised a $50 million Series F led by Sands Capital, bringing its valuation to $1.33 billion and total funding to $289 million while holding more than $100 million in cash. The company says the funding bolsters its position amid COVID-19 as remote selling increases and over 4,000 customers use its platform.
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
