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.
Venice.ai Raises $65M at $1B Valuation for Privacy-Focused AI Led by Erik Voorhees and Jesse Proudman
Venice.ai, founded by CEO Erik Voorhees and CTO Jesse Proudman, raised $65 million in Series A funding at a $1 billion valuation to provide a privacy-focused AI service that does not store user prompts or responses. The company aims to compete with mainstream AI services by offering unfiltered, on-device conversations through a range of open-source and commercial AI models.
F5 Acquires SurePath AI to Boost Enterprise AI Security and Visibility
F5 has acquired Denver startup SurePath AI, which detects and monitors AI tools used on corporate networks, and will fold it into F5’s new AI security platform to discover, test and apply guardrails to enterprise AI deployments.
Starcloud Becomes Fastest Y Combinator Unicorn at $1.1B as Fusion Leader Helion Tops GeekWire 200 with $15.5B Valuation
The latest GeekWire 200 highlights a shift in the Pacific Northwest startup scene toward physical products like rockets, fusion reactors, and space-based data centers, with Starcloud becoming the fastest Y Combinator unicorn valued at $1.1 billion. Helion maintains the top spot with a $15.5 billion valuation, while notable companies like Stoke Space, Overland AI, and new unicorn XBOW also make significant moves.
Former Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman Joins Greylock as Executive in Residence Following $1.75B Acquisition
Glenn Kelman, former CEO of Redfin who left after its $1.75 billion acquisition by Rocket Companies, has joined venture firm Greylock as an executive in residence to advise founders while exploring new mission-driven ventures. Kelman plans to remain in Seattle and use this role to support his creative process without becoming a venture capitalist himself.
Convoy Co-founder Dan Lewis Leaves Microsoft to Launch Stealth Startup for Efficient AI Model Computing
Dan Lewis, co-founder of the former freight marketplace Convoy, has left his corporate vice president role at Microsoft to launch a stealth startup focused on creating an efficient computing platform for running AI models. His new venture aims to optimize AI inference costs by managing data centers, networking, chips, and software to make AI more efficient and affordable.
Seattle Startup Devplan Raises $2.5M Seed to Launch Weaver, an AI Tool Automating Product Team Coordination
Devplan, a Seattle startup founded by industry veterans Chris Bee and Anton Safonov, raised $2.5 million in seed funding led by AI2 Incubator to launch Weaver, a software that automates coordination and status reporting for product and engineering teams. Weaver integrates with tools like GitHub and Slack to provide real-time project tracking and reduce meetings and manual updates.
Following through in Cleveland: A GeekWire trip report, plus data center ‘theater’ and the SpaceX IPO
In February, Seattle angel investor Charles Fitzgerald warned the region not to become the next Cleveland, prompting Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb to join the podcast and make the case for his city's comeback. This week we close the loop: Fitzgerald and GeekWire co-founder John Cook call in from an abandoned Westinghouse factory in Cleveland, where days of meeting entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine left them struck by a city hustling and aligned around jobs in ways Seattle no longer is. Back home, we dig into Seattle's unanimous one-year moratorium on new large data centers, which Fitzgerald calls…
Bezos-Backed AI Startup Prometheus Raises $12B at $41B Valuation to Revolutionize Design and Manufacturing
Prometheus, the AI startup co-led by Jeff Bezos and Vik Bajaj, raised $12 billion in Series B funding at a $41 billion valuation, aiming to build AI tools that accelerate design and manufacturing processes for complex physical objects. The CEOs discussed the company's capital-intensive operations and strategic goals in their first joint public interview.
Golden Analytics Raises $14M Seed Extension Led by Insight Partners and Launches AI Analytics Platform in Public Beta
Golden Analytics, founded by former Tableau product chief Francois Ajenstat, secured a $14 million seed extension led by Insight Partners, raising total seed funding to $21 million. The company launched its AI-powered analytics platform in public beta, attracting early interest from around 1,000 companies, including Fortune 500 firms.
LinkedIn Co-Founder Reid Hoffman to Leave Microsoft Board in 2026 to Focus on Cancer Drug Startup Manas AI
Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and Microsoft board member since 2017, will not seek re-election at the 2026 annual meeting to focus on his cancer drug-discovery startup, Manas AI. His departure is not due to any disagreement with Microsoft and follows repeated shareholder opposition related to his political activities.
Seattle’s Rec Room Social Gaming Platform Shuts Down June 1, 2026 After $294M Funding and $3.5B Valuation
Seattle-based social gaming platform Rec Room, which attracted 150 million players and reached a $3.5 billion valuation in 2021, is shutting down on June 1, 2026 due to unviable business economics. Founded in 2016 by former Microsoft engineers, Rec Room built a decade-long virtual community but ultimately could not sustain its operations.
Zuckerberg's yacht, Meta's layoffs, a robot pizza flameout, and a reality check on AI expenses
This week on the show: Mark Zuckerberg's superyacht arrives in Seattle the same day Meta discloses nearly 1,400 local layoffs, robot pizza startup Picnic flames out and sells to a mystery buyer, and corporate America confronts the rising cost of AI, including the leaderboard-gaming practice known as "tokenmaxxing." And we return to the theme of billionaire yachts for our trivia challenge. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Possible Finance Reaches $125 Million Revenue Run Rate and First Profit, Expands Seattle Office as Founders Reunite
Seattle fintech Possible Finance achieved a $125 million revenue run rate and its first annual profit after pandemic challenges, including layoffs. The company is expanding its Seattle office and reuniting its founding team, with co-founder Prasad Mahendra returning to lead AI initiatives.
Snowflake Pledges $6 Billion to Amazon Web Services Over Five Years for AI Infrastructure Using Graviton Chips
Snowflake has committed to spending $6 billion on Amazon Web Services over five years, notably using Amazon’s custom Graviton processors to power AI applications. This deal expands Snowflake’s longstanding AWS relationship amid a growing trend of massive AI infrastructure commitments from major tech firms like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta.
Code.org Founder Hadi Partovi Becomes CEO of Payam Music to Expand Innovative Piano School with Investor Backing
Hadi Partovi, founder of Code.org, is now CEO of Payam Music, a piano school using the Payam Method to teach via letters and numbers before traditional notation. Supported by high-profile investors, he plans to expand the school nationally.
SpaceX IPO filing reveals Starlink's impact, Bezos sounds off on CNBC, and Gemini owes John a beer
This week on a supersized Memorial Day Weekend edition of the GeekWire Podcast: A massive IPO filing from SpaceX includes new details about Elon Musk's Starlink business and its satellite factory in Redmond. Jeff Bezos talks about wealth, inequality and eventually tech in an hour-long CNBC appearance. John goes to World Cup ticketing hell and turns to ChatGPT and Gemini when FIFA's support falls short. And a special Sam Altman/Seattle startup edition of GeekWire Trivia. With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Related Links: SpaceX is churning out 70 Starlink satellites a week in Redmond, and other tidbits from…
AI is not your strategy: Author and business advisor Brian Evergreen explains why vision comes first
Brian Evergreen worked in AI at Microsoft from 2016 to 2023, including a role helping Fortune 500 executives develop their AI strategies. He kept seeing the same pattern: most of those projects were failing. He set out to figure out why, and the answer became his book, Autonomous Transformation. In this live recording for GeekWire's Agents of Transformation series, presented by Accenture, Evergreen explains what companies keep getting wrong, and why vision matters more than technology. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jeff Bezos Details $38B Startup Prometheus as AI Design Tool, Denies Robotics Focus
Jeff Bezos revealed that his $38 billion startup Project Prometheus is focused on developing an 'artificial general engineer' for next-generation design tools of physical objects, explicitly stating it is not related to robotics. Bezos, who is the co-CEO, described Prometheus as a modern evolution of computer-aided design (CAD), emphasizing the project's innovative approach.
StitcherAI Launches with $3M Pre-Seed to Embed Real-Time AI Spending Data into Engineering Tools
StitcherAI launched with $3 million in pre-seed funding to provide real-time AI and cloud cost data directly in decision-making tools, aiming to prevent overspending. Founded by Seattle tech veterans Udam Dewaraja and Varun Mittal, the company avoids traditional dashboards by integrating spending context where humans and AI agents operate.
What we learned about Microsoft in the OpenAI trial, and is Seattle squandering its edge?
This week: As the Musk v. OpenAI trial heads to the jury, we dig into what Microsoft's internal board memos and executive testimony revealed about the origins of the company's massive bet on AI, and why this case matters beyond the billionaire drama. Plus, Howard Schultz, a former Washington governor, and the tech community weigh in on whether Seattle is squandering its edge as an innovation capital. And Todd owes John and the United Kingdom an apology. RELATED STORIES AND LINKS Microsoft's CTO testifies about email at the heart of Elon Musk's allegations against the tech giant OpenAI CEO Sam…
Armada Grows Seattle-Area Team to 120 as Its Portable AI Data Centers Gain Adoption by Washington State and U.S. Navy
Armada, a San Francisco-based startup, has expanded its Bellevue, Washington engineering team to 120 employees to meet rising demand for its rugged AI data centers that operate in remote areas. Its technology supports critical clients like the Washington State Department of Natural Resources for wildfire connectivity and the U.S. Navy, backed by over $200 million in funding including from Microsoft.
2026 GeekWire Awards Celebrate Innovation with Luis Poggi and Tracy Drinkwater Among Honorees
The 2026 GeekWire Awards honored innovators reshaping work, building, and learning with highlights including STEM Educator of the Year Tracy Drinkwater and CEO of the Year Luis Poggi. The event featured finalists discussing AI and innovation, plus a trivia segment celebrating 15 years of GeekWire Awards history.
Inside the 2026 GeekWire Awards: Innovators reshaping how we work, build, and learn
This week on the show: Conversations with finalists and special guests at the annual GeekWire Awards about AI, innovation, startups, and the forces reshaping their industries, plus a special trivia challenge marking GeekWire's 15th year hosting the event. Guests include: Luis Poggi, CEO of HouseWhisper AI, winner of CEO of the Year Tracy Drinkwater, founder of the Seattle Universal Math Museum, STEM Educator of the Year honoree Ryan James, CEO of Dopl Technologies, finalist for Startup of the Year Laura Ruderman, CEO of the Technology Alliance Ross Finman, CEO of Augmodo, finalist for Hardware/Robotics/Physical AI of the Year Mohammad Rastegari…
XBOW Raises $35M from NVIDIA, Samsung, and SentinelOne, Totaling $155M in Series C for Autonomous Cybersecurity Platform
XBOW, a cybersecurity startup founded by GitHub Copilot creator Oege de Moor, raised an additional $35 million in its Series C round, bringing the total to $155 million with investors like NVIDIA, Samsung, and SentinelOne. Although headquartered in Seattle by address—a mailbox at a coworking space—the company operates remotely with employees worldwide and its founder based in Malta.
T.A. McCann Becomes CEO of Lev, AI-Powered Startup Spun Out From Pioneer Square Labs with $1M Investment
T.A. McCann, after eight years as managing director at Pioneer Square Labs, is now CEO of Lev, an AI-powered co-founder platform designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs by automating guidance and validation. Lev, spun out from PSL and backed with over $1 million in investment, aims to scale founder support using AI tools for ideation, validation, and company formation.
Organizations
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GeekWire Editor and Co-Founder 2011–present · current
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GeekWire Co-Founder · current
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Seattle Children’s Therapeutics current
Education
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California State University, Chico B.A., Business Admin, Journalism · 1991–1996
