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 Brook.ai Raises $28M Series B Led by UMass Memorial Health and Morningside to Expand AI Remote Care Platform
Seattle health tech startup Brook.ai raised $28 million in a Series B round led by UMass Memorial Health and Morningside to expand its AI-powered remote care platform for chronic disease management. The platform, founded in 2015, supports chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension, has seen 204% patient growth in the past year, and aims to reduce hospital readmissions.
Seattle Startup Alkemi Launches AI Platform DataLab for Secure, Non-Technical Company Data Query, Raises $1.65M Pre-Seed
Seattle startup Alkemi, founded by brothers Connor and Maxwell Folley, launched the AI platform DataLab to enable non-technical employees to query company data in plain English without compromising privacy. The company recently raised $1.65 million in pre-seed funding led by Tuesday Capital.
Seattle Startups Stoke Space, Group14, TerraPower, and Helion Raise Over $2 Billion in Venture Capital for Space, Fusion, and Battery Technologies
Seattle-area startups in space, fusion energy, and battery technology have attracted significant venture capital recently, with companies like Stoke Space Technologies, Group14 Technologies, TerraPower, and Helion Energy raising hundreds of millions. This shift marks a move from the region's traditional focus on software toward hardware-driven innovation.
Seattle Recruiting Startup Humanly Acquires Sprockets, Qualifi, and HourWork to Expand AI Hiring Platform
Seattle startup Humanly has acquired recruiting tech companies Sprockets, Qualifi, and HourWork to expand its AI-driven hiring platform encompassing sourcing to post-hire engagement. This move follows a $1 billion rival acquisition in the HR tech sector and aims to automate efficient, equitable candidate interactions amid growing application volumes.
Seattle Outpaces Toronto as Superior Tech Hub Despite Toronto's High-Valued AI Startups Amid ALCS Baseball Rivalry
Seattle and Toronto, both strong tech hubs, are compared on various metrics like talent rankings, corporate presence, and startups, with Seattle leading in corporate tech depth and number of unicorns, while Toronto boasts high-value AI startups like Cohere. Seattle ranks higher globally and has more engineering centers from major US tech firms, though Toronto shows strong growth in AI and security startups.
Seattle Biotech Lumen Bioscience Raises $30M Series C Extension, Adds Microsoft Vet Jeff Raikes to Board
Seattle biotech startup Lumen Bioscience raised a $30 million Series C extension led by WestRiver Group, bringing total funding to $186.8 million to advance its oral biologic drugs. The company also added Microsoft veteran Jeff Raikes to its board and announced several leadership updates.
Seattle's Adora Startup, Founded by Marco Matos and Kabir Shahani, Uses AI to Boost Marketing Efficiency for Major Brands
Seattle-based AI marketing startup Adora, co-founded by Marco Matos and Kabir Shahani in 2023, helps enterprise brands like Alaska Airlines and Brooks Running create and optimize marketing content faster and more efficiently. Adora's platform uses AI trained on each client's brand data to generate on-brand ad variations and measure performance across multiple channels.
Seattle’s AI2 Incubator Closes $80M Third Fund to Back 70 New AI Startups Over Four Years
AI2 Incubator, a Seattle-based startup incubator focused on AI and real-world applications, has closed an $80 million third fund to support about 70 new ventures over the next four years. The incubator has a successful track record with nearly 25% of its 50+ alumni acquired and 90% securing venture funding.
Seattle’s Agtech Startups Like Carbon Robotics Garner $157M to Drive Sustainable Farming Amid Industry Growth
Seattle and the Pacific Northwest are becoming a major hub for agriculture technology, driven by local tech talent, innovative farming, and advances in robotics and AI. Despite a dip in agtech investments from 2021 to 2022, startups like Seattle-based Carbon Robotics are raising significant funding and developing sustainable farming technologies.
Summation, Led by Opendoor Co-founder Ian Wong, Raises $35M to Transform Executive Decision-Making with AI
Seattle-area startup Summation, co-founded by Opendoor ex-CTO Ian Wong, emerged from stealth with $35 million in funding from Benchmark and Kleiner Perkins to offer an AI platform that enhances executive decision-making by analyzing large internal data sets. The platform has already helped clients like Fanatics generate over $10 million in growth and savings while streamlining reporting.
GeekWire 200 Q2 2025 Lists Top 10 Fast-Growing Pacific Northwest Startups in AI, Robotics, Energy, and More
The GeekWire 200 ranking highlights the fastest-growing private tech startups in the Pacific Northwest, emphasizing innovators in AI, robotics, energy, and more for Q2 2025. This quarterly list, sponsored by JPMorgan Chase, tracks regional tech development and emerging companies.
Manny Medina’s AI Billing Startup Paid Raises $21M Seed Round Led by Lightspeed, Valued Above $100M
Manny Medina, former CEO of Outreach, has launched Paid, a London-based startup focused on AI agent billing, securing $21 million in seed funding led by Lightspeed. Paid aims to help companies monetize AI agents with innovative pricing models, and it is already valued at over $100 million.
Seattle Startup Actual AI Raises $3.2M Seed Round Led by AlleyCorp to Build AI Agents for Engineering Managers
Seattle startup Actual AI raised $3.2 million in seed funding led by AlleyCorp to develop autonomous AI agents that assist engineering managers by automating management tasks and improving team productivity amid growing AI coding tool challenges.
New TiE Seattle President Sonu Aggarwal Warns $100K H-1B Visa Fee Threatens Seattle Tech Startups
Sonu Aggarwal, newly named president of TiE Seattle, warns that President Trump's new $100,000 H-1B visa fee could severely disrupt the Seattle tech ecosystem, particularly harming startups relying on skilled foreign workers. The fee is unprecedented and could impact companies like Amazon and Microsoft, which heavily utilize H-1B visa holders.
Robotics Pioneer Siddhartha Srinivasa Joins Madrona Venture Group to Drive AI and Robotics Innovation
Robotics expert Siddhartha Srinivasa, known for his work at Berkshire Grey, Amazon, and Cruise, is joining Madrona Venture Group as a venture partner to foster AI and robotics innovation in the Pacific Northwest. He highlights recent advances in robotics hardware affordability and compute power, signaling growth opportunities in the field.
Flyhomes Exits Brokerage Business to Focus on 'Buy Before You Sell' Financing with $15M Series D Funding
Seattle-based Flyhomes is exiting its real estate brokerage business to concentrate on its 'Buy Before You Sell' financing product, supported by a $15 million Series D round. The company is transitioning its agents to The Real Brokerage and expanding its financing offerings nationwide through a large network of loan officers.
Seattle’s Tech Sector Struggles with Microsoft and Amazon Layoffs, $146M Budget Deficit Projected
Seattle's tech scene faces challenges due to layoffs at Microsoft and Amazon, leading to decreased retail spending, restaurant closures, and a projected $146 million city budget deficit. Despite these setbacks, the AI boom may alter hiring trends and create new opportunities for startups in the region.
Seattle Startups CookShelf, Dripwave, Skillsheet, and Mayura AI Innovate Digital Recipes, AI Marketing, Recruiting, and AI Agents in 2024
Seattle startups CookShelf, Dripwave, Skillsheet, and Mayura AI are innovating in digital recipes, AI-powered email marketing, recruiting, and AI agents. These early-stage companies, founded mainly in 2024, focus on enhancing workflows in cooking, marketing, and talent management.
Ascend’s 2023 Founders Bash in Seattle Spotlights Rapid AI Growth, Business Challenges, and Skepticism Among Startup Leaders
At Ascend's fifth annual Founders Bash in Seattle, startup leaders discussed AI's rapid evolution, its value in speeding up work, cautious customer adoption, and skepticism around AI hype. Experts highlighted AI's accelerated development pace, business potential in time compression, and the ongoing need to demonstrate clear ROI to customers.
Envive Raises $15M Series A Led by FUSE to Expand AI Agents for Retailers Including Spanx and Supergoop!
Envive, a Seattle-based startup building AI agents for online retailers, raised $15 million in a Series A round led by FUSE to enhance customer engagement and search visibility. The company, whose clients include Spanx and Supergoop!, expects 5X revenue growth this year as it advances autonomous retail AI technologies.
Seattle Startup Pulumi Launches AI Agent Neo to Automate Cloud Infrastructure with a Third of Workforce
Seattle startup Pulumi launched Neo, an AI agent automating cloud infrastructure tasks such as provisioning, security, and compliance, developed by a third of its 130-person workforce. Neo uses large language models, primarily Claude, integrates with various AI developer tools, and aims to address bottlenecks faced by platform teams amid increasing developer demands.
Seattle Startup Ethosphere Raises $2.5M to Use AI and Wearables for Analyzing Retail Worker Conversations
Seattle startup Ethosphere raised $2.5 million in a pre-seed round led by Point72 Ventures to develop AI-powered wearable microphones and software that analyze retail employee conversations for performance feedback. The system provides feedback to frontline workers and insights to managers while protecting customer privacy by capturing only employee audio.
Seattle Startup Tin Can Raises $3.5M to Scale Screen-Free WiFi Landline Phones for Kids
Seattle startup Tin Can has raised $3.5 million from venture investors to scale its WiFi-enabled landline phones for kids, designed to limit screen exposure. The $75 phones connect children through approved contacts only, addressing parental concerns about smartphone and social media impacts on children's mental health and social development.
Apple Acquires Seattle AI Startup WhyLabs and Integrates Founders into New Roles in 2024
Apple has quietly acquired Seattle startup WhyLabs in 2024, incorporating its founding team into AI-related roles. WhyLabs is discontinuing operations and open-sourcing its platform following the acquisition, which includes rights to its intellectual property.
Treasury4 Acquires TreasuryGo, Adds Former Microsoft Treasurer George Zinn as Chief Strategy Officer
Spokane fintech startup Treasury4 acquired Seattle-based TreasuryGo, adding its eight employees and appointing TreasuryGo co-founder George Zinn as chief strategy officer. Treasury4, founded in 2020, recently raised $20 million to expand its treasury management software offerings.
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
