Todd Bishop
Todd Bishop is Editor and Co-Founder at GeekWire, a media company he co-founded in 2009 and where he remains active. He is a business and technology journalist with expertise in in-depth reporting, podcast hosting, and live event moderation.
Seahawks Linebacker Bobby Wagner Joins Fuse Venture Partners as Venture Partner, Investing in Early-Stage Seattle Startups
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner is a venture partner at Fuse Venture Partners, investing in early-stage Seattle startups while applying negotiation and leadership lessons from his NFL career; he discussed these topics and his angel investments on GeekWire Studios' podcast 2025: Tomorrow, Today.
Seattle VCs Report 28% Women in Senior Roles, Nearly Double U.S. Average of 14.2%
Seattle-area venture capital firms have nearly double the national share of women in senior roles (28% vs. 14.2%), with 25 women among 88 partners across 21 Washington firms, though overall parity remains distant and 61% of U.S. VC firms still have no women in key decision-making roles.
GeekWire at 10 years: Reflections on an extraordinary decade in Seattle tech
This Sunday, March 7, will mark 10 years since GeekWire’s launch. Looking back, we couldn’t have picked a better decade as GeekWire’s first, given our focus on Seattle and Pacific Northwest innovation. This was the moment that Seattle tech came into its own. We’ve covered the rise of the cloud, Amazon’s boom, Microsoft’s rebirth, the arrival of Silicon Valley engineering centers, disputes, mergers, IPOs, and the emergence of thousands of startups. And in the past year, we’ve covered Seattle as a center of the scientific and philanthropic response to a world-changing pandemic. What happens here matters everywhere. This has become…
Founders’ Co-op’s Chris DeVore skips Auth0 seed due to competing investment, joins 2015 Series A and profits from Okta’s $6.5B acquisition
Seattle VC Chris DeVore of Founders’ Co-op missed Auth0’s 2014 seed because the firm already backed competitor Meldium, which was acquired in 2014 for $15 million; after that exit he joined Auth0’s $6.9M Series A in 2015 and saw the company acquired by Okta for $6.5B. DeVore says avoiding portfolio overlap is key and expresses gratitude to Auth0’s founders for allowing Founders’ Co-op to participate.
Madrona’s Dan Li: Niche, Creator-Driven Communities Like Roblox ($30B) and Clubhouse (~$1B) Are Rising
Madrona partner Dan Li says niche, user-populated online communities — exemplified by Roblox (valued at $30B) and Clubhouse (about $1B) — are growing more important as creators produce sticky, original content, a trend accelerated by the pandemic. He discussed these themes on GeekWire Studios’ podcast 2025: Tomorrow, Today, hosted by John Cook and Jordon Voss.
Seattle Foundation CEO Tony Mestres to become president of health data startup Truveta in May
Tony Mestres will leave his role as president and CEO of the Seattle Foundation in May to become president of Truveta, a health data startup led by former Microsoft Windows chief Terry Myerson. Truveta, founded by 14 U.S. health systems to pool data and apply AI for medical research and equity analysis, appoints Mestres after his seven-year tenure at the Seattle Foundation.
SPACs Let Founders Reach Public Markets Faster and Keep Larger Equity Stakes, Say Startup Observers
The article explains how SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies) let founders and early employees reach liquidity faster and often retain larger ownership stakes than through later-stage VC or private equity rounds. Using examples like Sana Biotechnology and Seattle entrepreneur Sujal Patel, it argues SPACs can preserve founders' equity by bypassing dilutive funding rounds.
Fourteen U.S. health systems form Seattle startup Truveta to pool de-identified data for AI-driven research
Fourteen U.S. health systems representing tens of millions of patients across 40 states formed Seattle startup Truveta to pool de-identified patient data and use AI to search for medical breakthroughs and detect healthcare inequities. Led by CEO Terry Myerson and governed by the participating systems, Truveta has 53 employees and says it will enable more statistically representative research populations while protecting patient privacy.
Tanium CEO Orion Hindawi Says Talk of Washington Tax Hikes Will Drive Businesses Away; Calls Seattle 'Freeze' 'Garbage'
Tanium CEO and co-founder Orion Hindawi, who moved his $9 billion company to Seattle, warned at a Washington tech event that talk of raising Washington state taxes—especially capital gains taxes—will deter businesses from relocating to the state and dismissed Seattle's 'freeze' reputation as 'complete garbage.'
Sana Biotechnology Raises $587.5M in IPO, Debuts on Nasdaq as SANA with $6B Market Value
Sana Biotechnology raised $587.5 million by pricing 23.5 million shares at $25 in its IPO and began trading on Nasdaq under ticker SANA, with shares jumping about 40% on debut to close at $35.10. The 3-year-old Seattle gene-editing company, pre-revenue and led by former Juno executives, aims to use the proceeds to advance gene and cell therapies—including cancer treatments—and may file drug applications as early as 2022.
Sana Biotechnology ups IPO to 22M shares at $23–$24, targeting ~$517M at midpoint after $700M+ VC funding
Sana Biotechnology raised its IPO target to 22 million shares at $23–$24 each, expecting about $517 million at the midpoint, after previously aiming much lower and following over $700 million in venture funding. The Seattle gene- and cell-therapy startup plans near-term cancer treatments and broader goals to modify any gene or replace damaged cells.
Qualtrics raises $1.55B in Nasdaq IPO, priced at $30 valuing firm near $15B (shares closed >$27B)
Qualtrics completed a $1.55 billion IPO on the Nasdaq, pricing shares at $30 and valuing the company around $15 billion (shares later closed at $45.50 valuing it over $27 billion). The company — spun out from SAP after a 2018 $8 billion acquisition — plans to keep Seattle as a second headquarters with about 800 employees and will move into the renamed Qualtrics Tower when offices reopen.
Tanium raises $150 million from Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan after HQ move to Kirkland, Wash.
Tanium, a cybersecurity firm that relocated its headquarters from Emeryville, Calif. to Kirkland, Wash., raised $150 million in common stock from the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to fund growth and expand its Seattle-area engineering presence. The privately held company, co-founded by David and Orion Hindawi, reported over $430 million in revenue in 2019 and now employs about 1,500 people.
U.S. Venture Capital Tops $150B in 2020; Pacific Northwest Raises $4.4B as VC Appetite for Disruption Persists
Despite the pandemic and economic recession, U.S. venture capital investment hit a record above $150 billion in 2020, with the Pacific Northwest raising $4.4 billion (up 15% year-over-year). GeekWire’s John Cook interviews Seattle tech veteran Mike Davidson, who characterizes venture capital as attracted to disruption and offers analysis on why investment climbed.
Bonus: 'Venture Capital Loves Destruction'
It was one of the most tumultuous years the country and the world have ever seen. And yet, as we reported on GeekWire last week, venture capital investments in the United States broke another record in 2020, topping $150 billion for the first time, according to Pitchbook and the National Venture Capital Association. In Seattle and across the Pacific Northwest, funding totals came in at $4.4 billion, up 15% year-over-year, according to GeekWire’s tally, derived from our running list of startup investments. What in the heck is going on? My colleague, GeekWire co-founder John Cook, put that question to Mike…
Porch Group, three weeks public, buys Homeowners of America for $100M, reports $53–$55M 2020 loss and boosts 2021 revenue outlook to $170M
Three weeks after its Dec. 24 public debut via SPAC, Porch Group announced four acquisitions — including a $100 million deal for Homeowners of America — raised its 2021 revenue outlook to $170M, and reported a preliminary 2020 net loss of $53–$55M, about $20M worse than prior guidance.
Sana Biotechnology files IPO to raise up to $150M, aims to trade as SANA while advancing in‑body gene and cell therapies
Sana Biotechnology, founded less than three years ago with no revenue, filed to go public on Nasdaq under ticker SANA seeking to raise up to $150 million while developing gene and cell therapies aimed at controlling or modifying genes and treating cancers. The Seattle-area startup has raised over $700 million in venture funding, held $459 million in cash and equivalents at September-end, but carries a $316 million accumulated deficit.
98point6 CMO and EvergreenHealth ER Physician Dr. Brad Younggren Says COVID-19 Will Lastingly Change Healthcare After Early Kirkland Outbreak and Vaccine Receipt
Dr. Brad Younggren, chief medical officer at Seattle telehealth startup 98point6 and emergency physician at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, reflects on treating early U.S. COVID-19 patients, rapid growth in virtual care demand, and receiving the vaccine with cautious optimism. He warns the pandemic isn’t over and says COVID-19 will have lasting effects on healthcare science, technology, and worker well-being.
Porch Group (PRCH) Raises $322M, Debuts on Nasdaq with $1B+ Valuation After SPAC Merger
Seattle-based home services technology company Porch (now Porch Group) went public via a SPAC merger and private investment, raising more than $322 million and debuting with a market value above $1 billion at $15 per share. Founder and CEO Matt Ehrlichman marked the Nasdaq opening bell on Dec. 24, 2020, and the company will trade under ticker PRCH.
How this Seattle tech CEO landed in the pro bowling Hall of Fame
Rob Glaser is best known as the founder and CEO of RealNetworks, the Seattle-based company that specializes in digital media, games and computer vision technology. But for about two decades, he was also part of the ownership group for the Professional Bowlers Association, along with his former Microsoft colleagues Chris Peters and Mike Slade. That's how Glaser landed in the PBA Hall of Fame earlier this year, despite never having been a pro bowler himself. It also makes Glaser the answer to what turned out to be a real stumper of a trivia question on the latest episode of the…
GeekWire Podcast: Seattle now home to 10 unicorns — most are enterprise/cloud firms, six have immigrant founders, none have female co-founders or CEOs
Seattle’s tech scene now includes 10 privately held unicorns, with most focused on enterprise software/cloud, six having immigrant founders and six having active co-founders with Microsoft ties; none have female co-founders or CEOs. The GeekWire Podcast discusses these patterns, the region’s tech-community challenges (including tensions with city leadership), and features guest commentator Heather Redman of Flying Fish Partners.
Stalking Seattle's unicorns
Seattle's tech community just reached a new milestone: 10 unicorns, privately held companies valued at more than $1 billion. Their characteristics say a lot about the direction and state of the tech industry in the region, both positive and negative. Read more: Seattle area boasts 10 fast-growing unicorns: Can you name the billion-dollar startups? Joining us as a guest commentator this week: Heather Redman, co-founder and managing partner of Flying Fish Partners, a Seattle-based venture capital firm that focuses its investments on machine learning and artificial intelligence. Also up for discussion: the challenges of running a big tech hub like…
Seattle Reaches 10 Unicorns Worth $1B+, Mostly Enterprise Software Firms with Microsoft Links
Seattle now has 10 unicorn startups valued at $1 billion or more, many concentrated in enterprise software/cloud computing and driven by rapid digital transformation and strong revenue run rates. Most have immigrant founders and Microsoft ties, but none have female co-founders or CEOs.
Cloud City Venture Capital, founded by Jim Brisimitzis and Kevin Ober, raises fund to back 5G, edge and AI startups
Cloud City Venture Capital, founded earlier this year in Seattle by Jim Brisimitzis and Kevin Ober, is raising a new fund to invest in startups at the intersection of 5G, edge networks and artificial intelligence. Both founders have deep Seattle tech and VC ties—Brisimitzis with Microsoft and the 5G Open Innovation Lab, Ober from Divergent Ventures and Vulcan Ventures.
GeekWire Podcast: Salesforce to buy Slack for $27.7B; AWS surprises at re:Invent; Tanium (valued $9B, $430M revenue) moves HQ to Seattle
GeekWire Podcast discusses Salesforce’s $27.7 billion acquisition of Slack, surprising announcements from AWS at re:Invent, and cybersecurity firm Tanium relocating its headquarters to the Seattle region with $9 billion valuation and $430M revenue, with commentary from Madrona’s Matt McIlwain on regional and cloud/enterprise implications.
Organizations
See all 9-
GeekWire Editor and Co-Founder 2011–present · current
-
GeekWire Co-Founder · current
-
Seattle Children’s Therapeutics current
Education
-
California State University, Chico B.A., Business Admin, Journalism · 1991–1996
