GeekWire Awards: Vote for Hire of the Year

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We’re back for another round of voting in the GeekWire Awards. And today’s category — Hire of the Year — is a critical one as companies engage in an all-out war for talent. This category is presented by Summit Group Solutions, and it marks one of three remaining categories in the Awards voting process.  We… Read More…

Dog sitting marketplace Rover.com laps up $7M from Foundry Group, others

Aaron Easterly with Caramel on the GeekWire podcast

Online dog sitting marketplace Rover.com just fetched $7 million in fresh funding, including new cash from Brad Feld’s Foundry Group. The money comes three months after Rover.com’s primary rival, DogVacay, scored $6 million from Benchmark and others. It also follows a $3.4 million round in Rover.com last year. Formed at a Startup Weekend by venture… Read More…

The cat’s out of the bag: Former Cheezburger CTO Scott Porad joins dog sitting service Rover.com

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In his previous life, Scott Porad ran the technical operations for one of the world’s largest cat blogs: I Can Has Cheezburger. But now Porad, who left Cheezburger last month, has leashed an entirely new opportunity. Of all places, he’s landed at Rover.com, the Seattle startup that specializes in matching pet sitters with dog owners…. Read More…

Rover.com rival DogVacay gobbles up $6M from Benchmark, others

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Who is going to be the alpha dog in this rivalry? Rover.com or DogVacay? Well, both startup companies, which earlier this year launched a matchmaking service for pet sitters and dog owners, are working hard to And today DogVacay got tossed a big bone. The LA-based company has announced $6 million in venture funding from… Read More…

Podcast: Surface, iPad mini and Rover.com, with our cutest in-studio guest ever

Aaron Easterly with Caramel on the GeekWire podcast

Some of the guests we bring in to the GeekWire radio show and podcast have been known to cause a stir when they arrive at the studio. But nothing compares to the reception given to Caramel, the 4-pound Pomeranian who is the “Chief Rover” at dog-sitting matchmaking service Rover.com. Several KIRO-FM staffers couldn’t help but come… Read More…

CrunchFund, Madrona invest $3.4M in dog-sitting service Rover

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Dog-loving venture capitalist Michael Arrington is among the new investors in Rover.com, the Seattle online service that helps pet owners find lodging for their canine companions. The company, started by venture capitalist Greg Gottesman at a Startup Weekend event in Seattle last year, just closed a $3.4 million series A financing round. In addition to Arrington’s… Read More…

Online dog fight: Rover.com rival DogVacay launches Airbnb for pets

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This could be one very interesting dog fight. A new startup company out of Los Angeles by the name of DogVacay is getting some attention today after it launched an online marketplace for pet owners to find nearby lodging for their dogs.  Basically, it’s an Airbnb for pet care. Sound familiar? It should since Madrona Venture Group’s Greg… Read More…

Gottesman does it again, wins Startup Weekend with home security product Iron Blanket

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Seattle venture capitalist Greg Gottesman better watch out, or he might just turn himself into a full-fledged entrepreneur. For the second time in seven months, the managing director at Madrona Venture Group has led a team to victory at Startup Weekend. Back in June, you may recall, Gottesman led the team behind the online pet… Read More…

Rover.com devours cash to play doggie day care matchmaker

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Rover.com, the Seattle upstart that matches those seeking doggie care with nearby pet sitters, has raised $1.8 million, according to a SEC filing. The site, which launched last month, has an unusual history. It was started by venture capitalist Greg Gottesman who pitched the idea at a Startup Weekend event in Seattle last year. Gottesman… Read More…

Madrona throws Rover.com a bone, puts ex-Microsoft GM Easterly on leash as CEO

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Aaron Easterly loves dogs, and a four-pound Pomeranian by the name of Caramel controls a good chunk of his life. But the former general manager of advertising strategy and monetization at Microsoft also loves big business opportunities. The two passions are coming together at Rover.com, a new online site that’s launching today in Seattle that… Read More…