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 Startups Airloom AI, Artemis Software Works, and Genmark Innovate in Security Video Search, Software Tools, and Marketing Automation
The article spotlights Seattle-based tech startups Airloom AI, Artemis Software Works, and Genmark, highlighting their founders, focus areas, and recent developments. These startups work in video operations for security footage, secretive software tools, and marketing automation, respectively.
Seattle Has Fewer Than 20 Unicorn Startups Amid Top AI Talent and Tech Giants in 2025
Seattle hosts fewer than 20 unicorn startups, representing about 1.5% of global unicorns as of January 2025, despite having a dense tech talent pool and being a prime location for AI businesses. Industry leaders argue that the number of unicorns alone is a poor measure of regional tech success, pointing to Seattle's strengths in AI, cloud giants, and fast-growing startups.
Seattle AI Startup Vercept Raises $16M Seed Round Led by Fifty Years to Automate Computer Tasks with AI
Seattle startup Vercept, backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and other tech veterans, raised $16 million in seed funding to develop AI-powered automation software called Vy, designed to automate repetitive computer tasks by understanding and mimicking user workflows. The company aims to create a new computer interaction paradigm that differs from traditional robotic process automation by eliminating the need for hardcoded interactions.
Seattle Startup Inspectify Acquires Joule to Enhance Home Energy Insights
Seattle-based home inspection software startup Inspectify acquired Joule, a San Francisco company offering energy efficiency insights, with Joule's founder joining as advisor. Inspectify has raised $23 million since 2019 and recently acquired another real estate startup, Aloft.
Apple Quietly Acquires Seattle AI Startup WhyLabs in 2025, Expanding Local AI Expertise
Apple appears to have quietly acquired Seattle startup WhyLabs, which specializes in AI application monitoring, marking another in a series of AI and machine learning acquisitions in the Seattle area. The acquisition, indicated by venture capital and LinkedIn clues but not publicly confirmed, aligns with Apple's ongoing investment in AI despite reports of lagging behind competitors.
Yoodli Raises $13.7M to Expand AI Roleplay Software Helping Enterprises Enhance Employee Communication Skills
Yoodli, founded by CEO Varun Puri, has raised $13.7 million to grow its AI roleplay software that helps employees improve communication skills through interactive speech analysis and feedback. The startup, spun out of AI2 in 2021, is shifting focus to enterprise clients and has increased revenue fivefold in eight months.
Microsoft Veterans’ Startup Pay-i Raises $4.9M to Quantify ROI of Generative AI Investments
Seattle startup Pay-i, founded by Microsoft veterans, raised $4.9 million to develop software that measures the ROI of generative AI initiatives by linking usage data to business KPIs. The company aims to provide real-time insights on AI value creation and projects over $2 million ARR by 2026.
Seattle AI Startup Yoodli Raises $13.7M to Enhance Sales Pitch Training with Generative AI
Seattle-based AI startup Yoodli raised $13.7 million to advance its generative AI platform that helps sales teams practice pitches by simulating conversations and providing communication feedback. Founded in 2021 by Varun Puri and Esha Joshi, Yoodli serves companies like Databricks and RingCentral and partners with Toastmasters and Korn Ferry.
Seattle Startup Community Foundations Doubles Capitol Hill Space, Plans Bellevue Expansion to Support Growing Members
Seattle startup community Foundations, founded by Aviel Ginzburg, is doubling its Capitol Hill office space and planning an expansion in Bellevue to support its 236 members, including 55 founders-in-residence. The community offers a no-equity, no-fee environment that helps startups grow together, with recent graduates choosing to remain engaged as the program evolves.
Seattle Startup Trellis Health Launches AI-Powered Pregnancy and Postpartum Care App, Raises $1.8M Seed Funding
Seattle-based startup Trellis Health launched its AI-powered iOS app focused on improving pregnancy and postpartum care through personalized data and medical insights. Founded in 2022, the company charges a $96 annual subscription and recently closed a $1.8 million seed funding round.
Alation Acquires AI Startup Numbers Station, Backed by Madrona and Others, to Enhance Data Intelligence Platform
Alation, a Silicon Valley data intelligence company valued at $1.7 billion, acquired Numbers Station, an 18-person AI data analysis startup backed by Madrona, to integrate its natural language data automation technology. Numbers Station, founded in 2021 and backed by prominent investors, will have its product incorporated into Alation's platform to enhance enterprise data intelligence.
Wink Therapeutics Wins Seattle Pitch Event, Gains $50K-$100K Investment for RNA-Based Type 1 Diabetes Therapy
Wink Therapeutics, a Miami-based RNA biotech startup focused on Type 1 diabetes, won first place and $50,000-$100,000 investment at a Seattle pitch event hosted by Venture Black. The company uses RNA therapeutics to restore pancreatic beta cells and was founded by biotech veteran Warren Marcus.
DAT Freight & Analytics Acquires Seattle Fintech Startup Outgo to Expand Freight Carrier Finance Services
DAT Freight & Analytics acquired Seattle fintech startup Outgo, which provides banking services and finance software to freight carriers, allowing it to enhance cash flow solutions for trucking businesses. Outgo will continue to operate in Seattle and its CEO, Marcus Womack, will join DAT's executive team.
Benjamin Dorr Named CEO of WellSaid Labs; Jennifer Weitzel Joins Microsoft as CVP; Jason Ing Becomes Typeface’s First CMO; Tina Walha Heads U.S. Digital Response
Benjamin Dorr became CEO of AI voice startup WellSaid Labs, replacing Brian Cook, while Jennifer Weitzel joined Microsoft as CVP of engineering and construction, Jason Ing became Typeface's first CMO, and Tina Walha was named CEO of U.S. Digital Response.
Seattle Security Startup Tensor9 Raises $4M Seed to Enable Secure Cloud App Deployment
Seattle-based security startup Tensor9, founded by Amazon and tech veterans in 2023, raised $4 million in seed funding to enable secure cloud software deployment within customer environments, addressing data sensitivity and security challenges. Their technology allows vendors to deploy and manage applications in customer clouds without transferring sensitive data, supporting hybrid cloud models.
Seattle Cybersecurity Startup Protect AI, Founded by Ian Swanson, Acquired by Palo Alto Networks
Seattle-based cybersecurity startup Protect AI, founded by Ian Swanson and co-founders, was acquired by Palo Alto Networks after addressing AI security gaps in enterprises. Swanson leveraged his experience with previous startups and AWS to pivot Protect AI towards securing large-scale machine learning deployments, coinciding with increased AI adoption following ChatGPT's popularity.
Seattle Startup CueZen Raises $5M Led by Point72 Ventures for AI-Powered Personalized Health Coaching Software
Seattle startup CueZen raised $5 million led by Point72 Ventures to advance its AI-driven personalized health coaching software used by healthcare organizations and the Singapore government. Founded in 2021 by Ankur Teredesai and others, CueZen integrates wearable and clinical data to promote healthy habits and improve health outcomes.
Seattle Recruiting Startup Humanly Triples Revenue and Raises $7 Million Amid Hiring Slowdown
Seattle-based recruiting software startup Humanly is experiencing rapid growth with a 3X annual revenue increase and a recent $7 million funding raise, despite a broader hiring slowdown. The company uses automation to help companies manage increased applicant volumes and improve candidate experiences, positioning itself strongly for market rebounds.
Seattle Startup Row Zero Raises $10 Million Seed Round to Revolutionize Big Data Spreadsheet Analysis
Seattle startup Row Zero raised $10 million in a seed round led by IA Ventures to develop a spreadsheet software optimized for big data analysis. Founded by former AWS engineers, the company aims to provide a faster, enterprise-grade alternative to traditional spreadsheets, with over 1,500 companies already using its platform.
Wyze Labs Pays $255,000 in Tariffs on $167,000 Inventory Amid New 145% China Tariff, Plans to Move Manufacturing Out of China
Wyze Labs, a smart home device maker based in Kirkland, Washington, revealed it paid $255,000 in tariffs on $167,000 of floodlight inventory due to new trade policies, impacting costs and prompting efforts to relocate manufacturing from China. The company highlighted challenges of supply chain adjustments and the potential need to raise consumer prices.
Seattle Startups Axtrolite, Context Nature, and Chassy Develop Software for Real Estate, Green Tax Credits, and Robotics, with Chassy Raising $1.2M Pre-Seed
Seattle-area startups highlighted include Axtrolite, developing real estate property management software; Context Nature, aiding finance professionals in finding green energy tax credits; and Chassy, which secured $1.2 million to build software for robotic fleets. These companies feature experienced founders with backgrounds at Amazon, Microsoft, Lyft, and more.
Martin Tobias's Incisive Ventures Raises $10.5M for Early-Stage B2B Software Fund Focused on AI
Martin Tobias's Incisive Ventures closed a $10.5 million fund targeting nearly 30 early-stage enterprise software companies, focusing on AI-driven B2B solutions. Tobias emphasizes backing startups with strong customer insight and distribution strategies, aiming to invest primarily in U.S. startups but remaining open globally.
Seattle Startup Edgerunner AI Raises $12M Series A to Develop On-Device Military AI Agents Without Internet
Seattle startup Edgerunner AI raised $12 million in a Series A to develop on-device AI agents that assist military personnel with logistics and maintenance without internet connectivity. Founded by former military and tech experts, the company focuses on secure, domain-specific AI solutions powered by open source LLMs and supported by investors like Madrona and HP Tech Ventures.
Seattle Legal Tech Startup Supio Raises $60M Series B to Expand AI Software for Personal Injury and Mass Tort Law
Seattle startup Supio raised $60 million in a Series B funding round to expand its AI-powered software that helps lawyers efficiently manage personal injury and mass tort case data. The company, led by co-founders Jerry Zhou and Kyle Lam, has seen its annual recurring revenue quadruple since August and has raised a total of $91 million to date.
Seattle Startup EDEN Raises $3.7M to Boost Instant Quote Software for Residential Contractors
Seattle startup EDEN raised $3.7 million to enhance its software that helps residential contractors generate instant, personalized HVAC quotes using home data. The funding round was led by Climactic and other investors, bringing EDEN's total funding to $4.9 million.
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
