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.
Seattle Startup Hyphen AI Raises $5M Seed to Automate Cloud Deployments Using Generative AI
Seattle startup Hyphen AI raised $5 million in a seed round led by Unlock Venture Partners to develop Hyphen Deploy, a generative AI platform that automates cloud infrastructure setup using natural language. The platform supports multiple cloud providers and aims to reduce infrastructure setup from weeks to minutes.
Veeam to Acquire Securiti AI for $1.725 Billion, Integrating AI and Data Security into Platform
Veeam Software announced it will acquire San Jose-based Securiti AI for $1.725 billion to enhance its data protection platform with integrated data security and AI trust technologies. The deal, expected to close in Q4 2025, will bring Securiti's CEO Rehan Jalil to Veeam as president of security and AI.
Seattle Startups Like Aspir and Decipher Healthcare Use AI to Transform Education and Healthcare in 2025
Seattle startups are deploying AI across diverse fields including education, healthcare, and cloud operations, with ventures like Aspir helping students launch startups and Decipher Healthcare assisting employees in navigating health insurance. These early-stage companies aim to enhance efficiency and data management through intelligent systems.
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.
Raj Singh, Concur Co-Founder, Named CEO of Smartsheet to Drive Growth with AI in Enterprise Software
Rajeev 'Raj' Singh, co-founder of Concur and former CEO of Accolade, has been named CEO of Smartsheet as the company looks to leverage its strong foundation and $1 billion revenue base to grow with AI innovations. Singh aims to capitalize on Smartsheet's established enterprise presence and significant opportunity to reshape work management software amid evolving industry dynamics.
T.A. McCann of Pioneer Square Labs Explains AI Agents' Impact on Startup Strategies and Company Creation
Investor T.A. McCann of Pioneer Square Labs discusses how AI agents are transforming startups by automating complex functions, shifting focus from product to distribution and data, and enabling one-person billion-dollar companies. The podcast also explores AI-powered tools and the future of AI agent interactions impacting business operations.
The Agentic Entrepreneur: How the next wave of AI is changing the startup playbook
This week on the GeekWire Podcast: How artificial intelligence is changing the way companies are created, built, and operated. We're on location at Pioneer Square Labs in Seattle with investor and entrepreneur T.A. McCann, a managing director at the startup studio and venture capital firm. He explains how AI agents are automating complex functions, letting small teams do the work that once required large groups of people. As AI makes product development easier, he says, the key strategic moat for many startups is now shifting to distribution and data. Other topics include: The wearable AI recorder that captures everything he…
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.
OpenAI's big Seattle deal; Steve Ballmer under NBA scrutiny; the irony in Google's antitrust case
This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his NBA team, the Clippers, face scrutiny over an alleged salary-cap dodge tied to star Kawhi Leonard. We unpack the report and Ballmer’s emphatic denial, while reflecting on his history in tech and sports. Also: OpenAI's surprise $1.1 billion acquisition of Seattle startup Statsig, and what it says about the AI talent wars. Plus, the ironic role of Microsoft’s own antitrust past in the landmark ruling against Google’s search monopoly this week. Seattle journalist, radio host and bar owner Mike Lewis joins GeekWire's Todd Bishop for this episode…
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
