Startups

No more cold shoulders in the pursuit of pals: Seattle startup Thaw helps adults connect

by Lisa Stiffler on March 21, 2019March 21, 2019 at 3:02 pm 2 Comments

For years, people have lamented the “Seattle Freeze” — the chilly reception that sometimes greets those looking to make friends in this area. Now a Seattle startup called Thaw offers… Read More

Seattle startup Boundless raises $7.8M to become ‘the one-stop shop’ for legal immigration

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 21, 2019March 21, 2019 at 5:20 pm 5 Comments

In the two years since it launched, Boundless has become the top destination for immigrants applying for marriage-based green cards in the United States. Foreign nationals seeking legal status in… Read More

How the Silicon Valley tech invasion has reshaped Seattle’s startup landscape, 15 years after it began

by Taylor Soper on March 21, 2019March 21, 2019 at 11:05 amComment

Back in 2005, when tech veteran Peter Wilson joined Google to build its fledgling Seattle-area outpost, recruiting was straightforward. As the first in a new wave of Silicon Valley tech… Read More

Tech Moves: OfferUp bulks up leadership team, taps former Starz exec Ameesh Paleja as CTO

by James Thorne on March 21, 2019March 21, 2019 at 7:09 am1 Comment

Bellevue, Wash.-based mobile marketplace startup OfferUp has hired Ameesh Paleja as its new chief technology officer. Paleja was previously the CTO of premium cable network Starz and the CEO of… Read More

Microsoft’s investment arm M12 leads $28M round for work scheduling company Skedulo

by Nat Levy on March 20, 2019March 20, 2019 at 8:03 amComment

Microsoft is investing in a startup that aims to simplify managing a mobile workforce and scheduling jobs for groups like field technicians and caregivers. Microsoft’s venture capital arm M12 led… Read More

‘We did get there first’: Seattle game streaming startup CEO laments Google’s video game unveiling

by Thomas Wilde on March 19, 2019March 20, 2019 at 10:57 am1 Comment

Google today jumpstarted the ninth generation of gaming hardware with the announcement of its Stadia project at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco. Big on hype and short on details,… Read More

Watch pitches from 13 startups at the Portland Incubator Experiment Demo Day

by Taylor Soper on March 18, 2019March 18, 2019 at 10:30 amComment

It was Pi Day last week, so naturally, PIE held a Demo Day. The Portland Incubator Experiment, or PIE, hosted its first Demo Day in five years on Thursday as… Read More

Podcast

GeekWire Podcast: Brave Amazon employee quizzes Bezos; GeekWire Awards preview; Peter Sagal’s input on input

by Todd Bishop on March 16, 2019March 16, 2019 at 9:52 amComment

We’re preparing for the GeekWire Awards, our annual event recognizing the best in Pacific Northwest tech and innovation, coming up May 2 at MoPOP in Seattle. On this episode of… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Politics and big tech, history of filmmaking, and a blockchain conference

by Nicole Tanner on March 15, 2019March 16, 2019 at 9:51 amComment

The massive power of technology companies has been a hot topic among politicians. The most recent example was Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s proposed changes to how big tech companies like Amazon and… Read More

Report: Amazon testing new program that connects outside investors with startups that use AWS

by Taylor Soper on March 15, 2019March 15, 2019 at 10:06 amComment

Amazon wants to connect startups using its cloud computing platform with deep-pocketed investors, according to a new report from CNBC. The Seattle tech giant is testing a new program called… Read More

Seattle startup Igneous raises $25M to help companies manage their unstructured data

by Taylor Soper on March 14, 2019March 15, 2019 at 2:42 pmComment

Seattle startup Igneous has reeled in a $25 million investment round to fuel growth of its software that helps companies manage their unstructured data. WestRiver Group led the Series C… Read More

Video

Seattle startup Latchel applies Amazon delivery strategies to building maintenance

by Lisa Stiffler on March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 at 4:55 pmComment

The challenge of fixing a leaky sink and delivering groceries might sound like two very different problems, but Will Gordon would tell you that’s wrong. For close to three years,… Read More

Hospitality startup Hello Alfred launches in Seattle, opens local office

by James Thorne on March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 at 2:21 pm 2 Comments

Hello Alfred is ready to do Seattle’s laundry. And groceries. And cleaning. The hospitality startup this week expanded its on-demand home help service to seven apartment buildings in the Seattle… Read More

Madrona makes another healthcare bet, leads $5M round in clinical software startup Ovation.io

by James Thorne on March 14, 2019March 14, 2019 at 10:44 amComment

Ovation.io, which makes cloud-based software for medical testing labs, has raised a $5 million round led by Seattle-based Madrona Venture Group. Fellow Seattle firm Stagedot0 also participated, along with Borealis… Read More

Video

Vikram Jandhyala, UW innovation leader and key figure in Seattle tech, dies at age 47

by Todd Bishop on March 13, 2019March 15, 2019 at 6:56 am 4 Comments

Vikram Jandhyala, the University of Washington’s vice provost for innovation and a key link between the UW and the Seattle region’s technology community, has died as a result of suicide,… Read More

Ex-NSA, Microsoft execs raise $3.5M for stealthy Seattle-area cybersecurity startup Cyemptive

by Taylor Soper on March 12, 2019March 11, 2019 at 11:14 pm1 Comment

Former executives from the National Security Agency, Microsoft, Hitachi, and other companies are behind a Seattle-area cybersecurity startup that just came out of stealth mode three years after it launched.… Read More

Toyota invests in $15M round for Airbiquity, a 22-year-old connected car startup in Seattle

by Taylor Soper on March 11, 2019March 12, 2019 at 9:03 amComment

Since Airbiquity first launched in 1997, a lot has changed in the automotive world. Yet the Seattle-based company has not only remained relevant but is now attracting investor attention from… Read More

Two Seattle cannabis software companies merging to build bigger stake in a growing market

by Tony Lystra on March 11, 2019March 11, 2019 at 10:43 amComment

Dauntless, Inc., a Seattle-area software developer providing point-of-sale and tracking software to the cannabis industry, has acquired pot sales software company Soro. The combined companies aim to create an all-encompassing… Read More

RealSelf CTO and product leader to depart, following earlier layoffs in January

by Taylor Soper on March 8, 2019March 9, 2019 at 3:23 pmComment

More changes are going down at RealSelf, the Seattle-based cosmetic treatment review platform. RealSelf CTO Matt Woodward and vice president of product Scott Brooks will leave the company within the… Read More

Video

Led by ex-Oculus research scientist, Seattle drone startup Vtrus raises cash for indoor inspection tech

by Alan Boyle on March 7, 2019March 7, 2019 at 10:48 amComment

Seattle startup Vtrus has raised investment for a different kind of drone — one that’s designed to conduct precision inspections of industrial facilities. A SEC filing published today shows a… Read More

Eyedropper startup Nanodropper wins top prize at Univ. of Washington health innovation challenge

by James Thorne on March 7, 2019March 7, 2019 at 11:27 amComment

What if something as simple as a more precise eyedropper could cut the cost of glaucoma medication by more than half? That’s the idea behind the startup Nanodropper, which won… Read More

Madrona leads $10M round for Knock, a CRM and communications service for apartment landlords

by Taylor Soper on March 7, 2019March 7, 2019 at 9:02 am1 Comment

When it comes to communication with customers, many apartment landlords still rely only on phone and email to connect with potential tenants and existing renters. Knock wants to change that.… Read More

Amazon invests in Seattle startup Jargon, a voice application content platform for developers

by Taylor Soper on March 7, 2019March 7, 2019 at 8:28 am1 Comment

Voice technology continues to proliferate. There are more than 66 million smart speaker units in the U.S., up from 36 million a year ago, and the voice recognition market is… Read More

Seattle startup Tasso raises $6M for at-home blood draw technology

by James Thorne on March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 at 10:33 amComment

Tasso, the maker of a product that lets patients collect their own blood at home, raised $6.1 million in a round led by Vertical Ventures Partners. Startup accelerator Techstars and Los Angeles-based… Read More

DiscoverOrg makes another acquisition, buys email verification service NeverBounce

by Taylor Soper on March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 at 10:19 amComment

Vancouver, Wash.-based marketing and sales intelligence startup DiscoverOrg made its second acquisition in two months, announcing Tuesday the purchase of email verification and list cleansing service NeverBounce. DiscoverOrg will integrate… Read More

Air-activated smartphone charger: Seattle startup raises cash for peel-off portable battery

by Taylor Soper on March 5, 2019March 5, 2019 at 8:49 amComment

As we’ve become more and more dependent on smartphones, keeping our devices charged up has become increasingly important. “Low-battery anxiety” is a thing now, and according to some surveys, most… Read More

Don’t let your OKRs be TBD: Ally helps companies focus on their most important goals

by Lisa Stiffler on March 4, 2019March 3, 2019 at 11:09 pmComment

It was a problem that came up at his first startup that led Vetri Vellore to create his second one. In 2007 Vellore co-founded Chronus, a company providing digital tools… Read More

Video

No more cold shoulders in the pursuit of pals: Seattle startup Thaw helps adults connect

Seattle startup Boundless raises $7.8M to become ‘the one-stop shop’ for legal immigration

How the Silicon Valley tech invasion has reshaped Seattle’s startup landscape, 15 years after it began

Tech Moves: OfferUp bulks up leadership team, taps former Starz exec Ameesh Paleja as CTO

Microsoft’s investment arm M12 leads $28M round for work scheduling company Skedulo

‘We did get there first’: Seattle game streaming startup CEO laments Google’s video game unveiling

Watch pitches from 13 startups at the Portland Incubator Experiment Demo Day

GeekWire Podcast: Brave Amazon employee quizzes Bezos; GeekWire Awards preview; Peter Sagal’s input on input

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Politics and big tech, history of filmmaking, and a blockchain conference

Report: Amazon testing new program that connects outside investors with startups that use AWS

Seattle startup Latchel applies Amazon delivery strategies to building maintenance

Hospitality startup Hello Alfred launches in Seattle, opens local office

Madrona makes another healthcare bet, leads $5M round in clinical software startup Ovation.io

Vikram Jandhyala, UW innovation leader and key figure in Seattle tech, dies at age 47

Ex-NSA, Microsoft execs raise $3.5M for stealthy Seattle-area cybersecurity startup Cyemptive

Toyota invests in $15M round for Airbiquity, a 22-year-old connected car startup in Seattle

Two Seattle cannabis software companies merging to build bigger stake in a growing market

RealSelf CTO and product leader to depart, following earlier layoffs in January

Led by ex-Oculus research scientist, Seattle drone startup Vtrus raises cash for indoor inspection tech

Eyedropper startup Nanodropper wins top prize at Univ. of Washington health innovation challenge

Madrona leads $10M round for Knock, a CRM and communications service for apartment landlords

Amazon invests in Seattle startup Jargon, a voice application content platform for developers

Seattle startup Tasso raises $6M for at-home blood draw technology

DiscoverOrg makes another acquisition, buys email verification service NeverBounce

Air-activated smartphone charger: Seattle startup raises cash for peel-off portable battery

Don’t let your OKRs be TBD: Ally helps companies focus on their most important goals

3 leadership lessons from Adaptive Biotechnologies CEO Chad Robins

Off the Record, a startup that helps drivers fight tickets, wins dispute brought by traffic attorneys

GeekWire Calendar Picks: The GeekWire Bash is a week away; International Women’s Day; and the future of Star Trek

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