Articles by Nate Bek

Nate Bek covers startups and venture capital at GeekWire. His coverage interests include real estate, fintech, enterprise software and natural language processing. Bek recently graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa with degrees in finance and journalism. You can often find him hiking the trails of the Pacific Northwest. Reach him at nate@geekwire.com.

Redfin CEO recounts encounter with OpenAI’s Sam Altman to warn about impact of AI on housing tech

Transformational or overhyped? How these geeks at Seattle’s giant ‘Founders Bash’ think about AI
‘Convoy Mafia’: Alumni from trucking marketplace company take the wheel at their own startups
Zillow and Redfin earnings reports reflect slumping real estate market

Latest from Nate Bek

Substance over style: Seattle startups facing fewer down rounds than Bay Area, NYC counterparts

by Nate Bek on November 3, 2023November 4, 2023 at 8:22 am

Seattle startups are facing fewer down rounds than companies in the Bay Area and New York City, signaling a slightly more modest retrenchment in the Emerald City amid the broader… Read More

AI product recommendation startup wants to become the ‘starting point for shopping online’

by Nate Bek on October 25, 2023October 25, 2023 at 9:29 am

For years, Joe Golden has helped his mom pick out tech gadgets, offering advice on the latest products that he felt best suited her needs. But as consumer electronics continue… Read More

Tech Moves: Microsoft CMO joins 3D printing startup board; Omeros names medical chief

by Nate Bek on October 19, 2023October 19, 2023 at 10:23 am

— Somerville, Mass.-based 3D printer company Formlabs appointed Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela to its board of directors. Capossela has spent more than 30 years at the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant, working in… Read More

Tech Moves: Gates Foundation exec joins Icertis board; Costco CEO to step down

by Nate Bek on October 18, 2023October 18, 2023 at 2:29 pm

.— Allan Golston joined the board of directors at Bellevue, Wash.-based contract lifecycle management company Icertis. He has served as the president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for… Read More

Hiive, which offers a marketplace to buy and sell shares of private tech companies, lands $4.2M

by Nate Bek on October 17, 2023October 17, 2023 at 1:20 pm

Vancouver, B.C.-based startup Hiive raised $4.2 million in fresh cash for its marketplace that allows investors and employees to buy and sell shares of privately held venture-backed companies in the… Read More

After selling health tech startup, Seattle entrepreneurs pursue financial planning software

by Nate Bek on October 17, 2023October 17, 2023 at 10:58 am

Seattle tech vets Nirav Shah and Jorge Sanchez paid around $1 million to buy a majority stake in financial planning website PhysicianonFire and plan to broaden the platform’s offerings by… Read More

Duolingo for AI: Seattle startup wants to teach people how to use generative tools like ChatGPT

by Nate Bek on October 16, 2023October 16, 2023 at 7:58 am

As a project leader at Boston Consulting Group, Rene Bystron quickly incorporated generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Midjourney into his daily workflow. But when he wanted to better… Read More

Ag-tech startup Aigen, which sells solar-powered weed-thumping robots, lands $12M

by Nate Bek on October 13, 2023October 16, 2023 at 12:42 pm

Aigen raised $12 million in fresh cash, providing a boost for the company rolling out a solar-powered robot that uses advanced computer vision models to spot and kill weeds. Founded… Read More

We asked 24 startups in the new Techstars Seattle class about how AI is impacting their business

by Nate Bek on October 13, 2023January 19, 2024 at 6:24 pm

The startups in the latest Techstars Seattle batch span a range of industries — and AI is having a significant impact on all of them. We spoke to nearly 50… Read More

Meet 6 women of color-led startups that showed off their businesses in Seattle

by Nate Bek on October 12, 2023October 13, 2023 at 12:13 pm

Open up your networks. That’s the message to investors from Jill Johnson, co-founder and CEO of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL), a Newark, N.J.-based nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurs… Read More

Seattle startup Flyhomes vacates prime office space near new waterfront project

by Nate Bek on October 12, 2023October 12, 2023 at 11:12 am

Flyhomes has a new home. GeekWire spotted lease signs at the company’s former 9,000 square-foot Seattle headquarters near the new waterfront project. The real estate startup confirmed that it vacated… Read More

Tech Moves: J.P. Morgan hires startup-focused VP in Seattle; Earth Finance adds climate advocacy vet

by Nate Bek on October 11, 2023October 11, 2023 at 11:23 am

— Earth Finance, the Seattle corporate strategy and climate investing company, announced Wednesday it acquired Molecule, a Seattle-based climate advocacy firm. Molecule’s founder and principal Timothy Zenk will join Earth… Read More

News Brief

Washington startups receive $25K grants aimed at boosting state’s life sciences sector

by Nate Bek on October 10, 2023October 10, 2023 at 3:32 pm

A group of 20 early-stage life sciences startups in Washington each received $25,000 grants, part of an effort to fuel the “next generation” of life science innovation in the state.… Read More

Tech Moves: Seattle tech vet Liz Pearce joins climate startup; Absci names AI chief; and more

by Nate Bek on October 9, 2023October 9, 2023 at 3:31 pm

— Longtime tech executive Liz Pearce announced Monday that she is joining Seattle-based climate marketplace startup Ever.green as chief revenue officer. Pearce said she was motivated to make the career… Read More

Video

Seattle data analysis startup lands $250K after winning Madrona Venture Labs competition

by Nate Bek on October 9, 2023October 9, 2023 at 11:32 am

A startup that helps data teams at consumer packaged goods companies (CPG) analyze and visualize their data through an artificial intelligence platform won a Madrona Venture Labs startup formation competition… Read More

Meet the 24 new startups in Techstars Seattle, as accelerator doubles class size

by Nate Bek on October 9, 2023January 19, 2024 at 6:24 pm

Startup accelerator program Techstars Seattle on Monday unveiled 24 companies for its 15th cohort, doubling the class size from last year’s dozen graduates. This year’s cohort is made up of… Read More

Tech Moves: Former Sprint CEO rejoins F5 board; Flexport engineering exec departs; and more

by Nate Bek on October 6, 2023October 6, 2023 at 1:40 pm

— Michel Combes, a longtime telecommunications and finance executive, rejoined F5’s board of directors. He previously stepped down from the board in 2021 after serving for about three years. Combes… Read More

Alaska Airlines launches aviation-focused startup program with Los Angeles venture lab

by Nate Bek on October 5, 2023October 5, 2023 at 2:45 pm

Alaska Airlines wants to help more startups take off. The Seattle-based airline announced Thursday a partnership with UP.Labs to launch Airline Venture Lab, a new collaboration to create aviation-focused spin-out… Read More

Video

Stoke Space fuels up with $100M in funding in quest to build fully reusable rockets

by Nate Bek on October 5, 2023October 8, 2023 at 11:27 am

Stoke Space announced Thursday that it raised $100 million, boosting the Kent, Wash.-based company’s quest to develop a new breed of fully reusable rockets and reach orbit by 2025. “This… Read More

SeekOut lays off 7% of staff in restructuring but plans to grow headcount this year

by Nate Bek on October 5, 2023October 5, 2023 at 7:49 am

Seattle-area recruiting software startup SeekOut laid off 16 employees, or about 7% of its workforce. The company confirmed the layoffs in response to a GeekWire inquiry Wednesday, citing a restructuring… Read More

Seattle VC firm creates startup investment competition to help grow PNW angel network

by Nate Bek on October 4, 2023October 4, 2023 at 11:51 am

Seattle venture capital firm First Row Partners is launching The Ensemble Event Fund, a new startup competition that aims to help boost angel investor networks in the Pacific Northwest. The… Read More

VC funding to Pacific Northwest startups in Q3 was down nearly 50% year-over-year

by Nate Bek on October 3, 2023October 4, 2023 at 6:46 am

Pacific Northwest startups raised $920 million in the third quarter, marking the lowest quarterly amount in five years and a 46% drop compared to the same time period in 2022.… Read More

Video

Entrepreneur who sold last startup to ZoomInfo lands cash for new Seattle AI startup

by Nate Bek on October 3, 2023October 4, 2023 at 9:33 am

A Seattle startup founded by veteran entrepreneurs landed investment for its artificial intelligence tool that helps account executives engage with customers. A new SEC filing revealed that Docket raised $5.35… Read More

Leafly avoids Nasdaq delisting after meeting minimum price requirements

by Nate Bek on October 2, 2023October 2, 2023 at 4:33 pm

Seattle cannabis marketplace company Leafly announced Monday that it received formal notice from Nasdaq that it regained compliance with the stock exchange, averting a potential delisting due to a violation… Read More

Providence tech incubator reveals startup that aims to help hospitals bolster patient relationships

by Nate Bek on October 2, 2023October 2, 2023 at 11:15 am

Providence’s Digital Innovation Group announced a new platform to help hospitals sustain relationships with patients, part of the Seattle health system’s growing portfolio of healthcare-focused tech companies. Praia Health aims… Read More

Video

Seattle entrepreneurs lead mental health startup that combines philosophy, psychology, and chatbots

by Nate Bek on September 30, 2023September 30, 2023 at 7:48 am

A pair of longtime entrepreneurs wants to help you find yourself — with a little help from ChatGPT. Erick Rivas and Simona Trakiyska are the co-founders of Kaji, an app… Read More

Tech Moves: Seattle tech vet joins new AI startup; Rippl, Tasso, Lexion add execs; and more

by Nate Bek on September 29, 2023September 29, 2023 at 10:43 am

— Rippl, a Seattle startup focused on the mental health of seniors, announced Jamie Sharp will join as chief medical officer. Sharp previously worked as vice president and chief medical… Read More

Seattle startup lands $6M from Tony Robbins and others to treat opioid and alcohol addiction

by Nate Bek on September 29, 2023September 29, 2023 at 8:02 am

Seattle-area startup NorthStar Care raised $6 million in a seed funding round co-led by well-known author and business coach Tony Robbins and Chicago-based early-stage venture firm Starting Line. The fresh… Read More

Redfin CEO recounts encounter with OpenAI’s Sam Altman to warn about impact of AI on housing tech

by Nate Bek on September 28, 2023September 29, 2023 at 7:27 am

When Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman briefly spoke with Sam Altman, he warned him to tread lightly when it comes to infusing artificial intelligence into real estate search. “You should be… Read More

Video

Seattle startup Revefi, which sells AI cloud data observability tools, lands $10.5M

by Nate Bek on September 28, 2023September 28, 2023 at 10:38 am

Seattle startup Revefi raised $10.5 million in new funding for its artificial intelligence enterprise observability platform that helps companies keep track of their data costs, usage and performance. Founded in… Read More

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