Startups

A guide for startups to prepare for the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

by Christopher Budd on November 17, 2019November 15, 2019 at 4:24 pm1 Comment

This week, Microsoft announced that it will be implementing the upcoming California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for all customers in the U.S. This is a big deal. The CCPA has… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: TEDxSeattle, hacking for good, science improv, and automated testing

by Nicole Tanner on November 15, 2019November 15, 2019 at 9:00 amComment

— Since its founding in 1984, TED has become the most prolific provider of expert talks on a wide range of topics. TEDxSeattle, now in its 10th year, has given… Read More

Video

Jeff Bezos-backed vertical agriculture startup Plenty ‘hibernates’ plans for Seattle farm

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 15, 2019November 15, 2019 at 9:38 am1 Comment

Plenty is rethinking its growth strategy. The indoor agriculture startup backed by high-profile tech executives — including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos — has canceled plans to open a major Seattle-area… Read More

Cannabis testing lab Confidence Analytics raising cash to expand to California

by Nat Levy on November 15, 2019November 15, 2019 at 9:11 amComment

Confidence Analytics, the self-proclaimed first cannabis lab to test a sample under Washington state’s legal recreational marijuana law, is raising cash to expand to California. The Redmond, Wash. lab was… Read More

Here are the 20 Seattle-area tech companies that made CNBC and Deloitte’s new rankings

by Nat Levy on November 15, 2019November 15, 2019 at 8:29 amComment

The Seattle tech scene is well-represented on a pair of new rankings of the fastest growing companies in North America and startups to watch, another sign of the region’s status… Read More

Software development startup DjangoForce wins clients by pulling back the curtain on coding

by Lisa Stiffler on November 14, 2019November 14, 2019 at 12:31 pm1 Comment

DjangoForce, a software development company, is by all measures a tech startup. But the CEO of the Boise-based business attributes much of their success to something a little more analog:… Read More

Moving app Dolly blocked by Washington regulators in ongoing gig economy dispute

by Monica Nickelsburg on November 14, 2019November 14, 2019 at 10:35 am 7 Comments

Washington state residents who rely on Dolly for the Seattle-based startup’s peer-to-peer moving service are finding their options limited. Because of an ongoing dispute with state regulators, the app no… Read More

SheerID raises $64M to help marketers offer online deals to students, teachers, military members

by James Thorne on November 13, 2019November 13, 2019 at 12:10 pmComment

Marketing verification startup SheerID just raised $64 million of fresh funding in a round led by CVC Growth Partners with participation from existing investors Centana Growth Partners and Seattle firm… Read More

Video

Convoy raises $400M at $2.7B valuation amid trucking recession and Uber Freight competition

by Taylor Soper on November 13, 2019November 13, 2019 at 12:44 pm1 Comment

It’s another busy day for Dan Lewis. He’s just come out of a big meeting with one of the top 10 shippers in the world. “Want a sandwich?” asks the… Read More

ZoomInfo acquires Komiko, a Seattle-area CRM startup founded by Microsoft veterans

by James Thorne on November 12, 2019November 12, 2019 at 4:31 pmComment

Vancouver, Wash.-based marketing software firm ZoomInfo bought Komiko, a 4-year-old Seattle-area startup that improves the customer relationship management (CRM) process with data and machine learning. “Everybody dreams of the unicorn… Read More

Ex-Amazon execs raise more cash to grow e-commerce startups Ideoclick and Replenium

by James Thorne on November 12, 2019November 12, 2019 at 12:17 pmComment

There’s a whole cottage industry of startups eager to help retailers crack the e-commerce code. Two of those startups — Seattle-based Ideoclick and Replenium — just landed a total of… Read More

Booster Fuels brings mobile gas delivery service to Seattle region as part of nationwide expansion

by Taylor Soper on November 12, 2019November 12, 2019 at 4:43 pm 6 Comments

As a designated “chief fueling officer” of the family, Frank Mycroft found himself at his local Seattle gas station, sitting in line for the second time in a day. There… Read More

Sneaker startup Vimazi pairs runners with shoes based on their speed

by James Thorne on November 11, 2019November 10, 2019 at 7:53 pmComment

Nike has more than 100 styles of men’s running shoes and more than a dozen ways to filter through them on its website. But nowhere in the shoe-buying experience will… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Space startups, lunar rovers, geeky women, online privacy, and more

by Nicole Tanner on November 8, 2019November 7, 2019 at 2:08 pmComment

— Geeks (and some non-geeks as well) seem to have a never-ending fascination with space. That love of the great beyond has led to an interest by entrepreneurs looking to… Read More

Feather helps new friends flock by making it easy to participate in small group meetups

by Lisa Stiffler on November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 at 2:03 pmComment

When someone is seeking a romantic partner, it’s generally expected that they’re going to be pretty choosy, building detailed, curated profiles and making careful selections. But when it comes to… Read More

Seattle startup Tomorrow raises more cash to help people create free wills and trusts

by James Thorne on November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 at 8:47 amComment

Ask just about any financial advisor and they’ll tell you that you should have a will — but more than half of Americans don’t. Seattle startup Tomorrow wants to make… Read More

Video

Fitness startup Katalyst raises $5.6M for Peloton-like electrified workout experience

by James Thorne on November 7, 2019November 8, 2019 at 7:55 amComment

Seattle startup Katalyst has raised $5.6 million for an at-home workout experience that uses full-body electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), a training technique that’s popular in countries such as Germany, Japan… Read More

Wrench raises $20M to ratchet up growth of tech-powered car repair platform

by Nat Levy on November 7, 2019November 7, 2019 at 8:59 amComment

Technology has helped the auto industry make tremendous strides, from fuel efficiency improvements to the promise of self-driving cars, but getting cars fixed hasn’t changed much. Seattle startup Wrench just… Read More

How Nokia’s former CEO landed at a Seattle startup, rejoining Microsoft vet who led Nokia integration

by Todd Bishop on November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 at 10:29 amComment

Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s smartphone business didn’t turn out like either company had hoped, but five years later, some of the connections forged through the $7 billion deal are coming… Read More

Real estate crowdfunding startup CrowdStreet turns to its customers to raise $12M round

by Nat Levy on November 6, 2019November 6, 2019 at 9:46 amComment

CrowdStreet, a Portland-based commercial real estate crowdfunding startup, has raised a big new funding round, with a twist. Instead of relying solely on venture capital investors, the startup turned to… Read More

Planting the seeds of digital agriculture: Startup bets the farm on Microsoft’s new ag tech platform

by Alan Boyle on November 6, 2019November 7, 2019 at 11:24 pmComment

Microsoft’s cloud-based platform for data-driven farming, Azure FarmBeats, had its official coming-out party this week at the company’s annual Ignite conference for developers, but Steve Mantle has already been using… Read More

Former Uber, Microsoft engineers raise $11M for cloud data monitoring tool Chronosphere

by James Thorne on November 5, 2019November 5, 2019 at 2:37 pmComment

Chronosphere, a startup founded by former Uber and Microsoft engineers, has raised $11 million to build a platform that lets companies make sense of the data in the cloud. The… Read More

Amperity acquires Custora to bolster customer data platform and fend off competition from tech giants

by Taylor Soper on November 5, 2019November 5, 2019 at 8:15 amComment

Amperity is making its first acquisition to strengthen the company’s customer data platform as competition from Salesforce, Oracle, Adobe, and other giants looms large. The Seattle startup today announced the… Read More

Seattle startup Ganaz raises cash for workforce management software aimed at farmers

by James Thorne on November 4, 2019November 4, 2019 at 10:16 amComment

Who says farmers don’t need their own SaaS tools? Ganaz just raised $945,000 to build a platform that helps companies manage workers in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. The Seattle… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: The beginning of the universe, autonomous cars, and AI at work

by Nicole Tanner on November 1, 2019November 1, 2019 at 5:42 pmComment

— It’s one of the great questions of humanity that will likely never be answered: how did the universe begin? While most scientists have settled on the Big Bang theory,… Read More

Marijuana review startup Leafly raises $2.3M, dials down hiring amid broader industry cutbacks

by James Thorne on November 1, 2019November 1, 2019 at 3:05 pmComment

Seattle-based marijuana strain and dispensary review startup Leafly is raising cash, but not with breakneck growth mind: the startup is simultaneously implementing a company-wide effort to limit spending and slow down… Read More

‘Google Analytics for brick-and-mortar’: Observa helps physical retailers find their marketing edge

by Lisa Stiffler on October 31, 2019November 1, 2019 at 6:33 amComment

As Amazon drives online sales skyward, a 4-year-old startup in the tech behemoth’s backyard is helping brick-and-mortar retailers fine-tune their marketing. This month Seattle-based Observa won the 16th Annual Bend… Read More

Seattle startup Modus raises $12.5M to be the ‘operating system’ for all real estate transactions

by Taylor Soper & Nat Levy on October 31, 2019October 31, 2019 at 1:01 pm1 Comment

Pete Flint knows a thing or two about real estate. He helped launch Trulia and later sold the real estate data platform to Zillow for $2.5 billion in 2015. That’s… Read More

PepsiCo and Xinova behind new Seattle restaurant tech startup that aims to digitize ‘back of house’

by Taylor Soper on October 30, 2019October 31, 2019 at 8:59 amComment

From food delivery to point of sale to reservation systems, there has been plenty of innovation over the past several years around the beginning and end of a dining experience.… Read More

Tech Moves: Maveron partner departs; Boeing adds Navy vet to board; Saykara hires president

by James Thorne on October 29, 2019October 29, 2019 at 6:28 pmComment

— Elise Hebb left Seattle-based venture capital firm Maveron, where she was COO and partner, and is planning to launch a consulting firm next year. Hebb, who joined Maveron in… Read More

A guide for startups to prepare for the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

GeekWire Calendar Picks: TEDxSeattle, hacking for good, science improv, and automated testing

Jeff Bezos-backed vertical agriculture startup Plenty ‘hibernates’ plans for Seattle farm

Cannabis testing lab Confidence Analytics raising cash to expand to California

Here are the 20 Seattle-area tech companies that made CNBC and Deloitte’s new rankings

Software development startup DjangoForce wins clients by pulling back the curtain on coding

Moving app Dolly blocked by Washington regulators in ongoing gig economy dispute

SheerID raises $64M to help marketers offer online deals to students, teachers, military members

Convoy raises $400M at $2.7B valuation amid trucking recession and Uber Freight competition

ZoomInfo acquires Komiko, a Seattle-area CRM startup founded by Microsoft veterans

Ex-Amazon execs raise more cash to grow e-commerce startups Ideoclick and Replenium

Booster Fuels brings mobile gas delivery service to Seattle region as part of nationwide expansion

Sneaker startup Vimazi pairs runners with shoes based on their speed

Feather helps new friends flock by making it easy to participate in small group meetups

Seattle startup Tomorrow raises more cash to help people create free wills and trusts

Fitness startup Katalyst raises $5.6M for Peloton-like electrified workout experience

Wrench raises $20M to ratchet up growth of tech-powered car repair platform

How Nokia’s former CEO landed at a Seattle startup, rejoining Microsoft vet who led Nokia integration

Real estate crowdfunding startup CrowdStreet turns to its customers to raise $12M round

Planting the seeds of digital agriculture: Startup bets the farm on Microsoft’s new ag tech platform

Amperity acquires Custora to bolster customer data platform and fend off competition from tech giants

Seattle startup Ganaz raises cash for workforce management software aimed at farmers

GeekWire Calendar Picks: The beginning of the universe, autonomous cars, and AI at work

Marijuana review startup Leafly raises $2.3M, dials down hiring amid broader industry cutbacks

‘Google Analytics for brick-and-mortar’: Observa helps physical retailers find their marketing edge

Seattle startup Modus raises $12.5M to be the ‘operating system’ for all real estate transactions

PepsiCo and Xinova behind new Seattle restaurant tech startup that aims to digitize ‘back of house’

Tech Moves: Maveron partner departs; Boeing adds Navy vet to board; Saykara hires president

HRTech Breakfast for HR/TA/PeopleOps

Access Seattle

Coffee with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Presented by Coffee with Co-Founders and WeWork Labs