Startups

Suplari raises funding from Workday, Madrona and others for AI that analyzes corporate spending

by Taylor Soper on September 4, 2019September 4, 2019 at 10:29 amComment

Top venture capitalists and the investment arm of Workday are putting more dollars behind Suplari, a Seattle startup that uses artificial intelligence to help companies understand and get a handle… Read More

Would you trust this startup to plan a mystery date for you? We did — and here’s what it was like

by James Thorne on September 4, 2019September 4, 2019 at 7:15 am1 Comment

It’s 6:30 p.m. on a Friday and I have plans. At least, that’s what I’m told. I have no idea what those plans might be — and neither does my… Read More

No poop required: Researchers devise blood test for gut microbiome diversity using data from defunct startup Arivale

by James Thorne on September 2, 2019September 2, 2019 at 9:45 am 2 Comments

If you want to know what’s going on in your gut microbiome, the community of bacteria in our intestines that are tied to overall health, there are plenty of companies… Read More

Y Combinator grad Preclusio automates how companies comply with tech privacy regulations

by Lisa Stiffler on August 30, 2019August 30, 2019 at 11:13 amComment

The scary truth about many technology companies is that for years they’ve been vacuuming up vast quantities of personal data without even knowing what they’ve collected, how it’s being stored… Read More

Intellectual Ventures spinoff Xinova lays off staff as invention network company aims for profitability

by Taylor Soper on August 29, 2019August 29, 2019 at 4:39 pmComment

Seattle-based “invention network” company Xinova cut staff today, GeekWire has learned. A company spokesperson declined to provide details about how many employees were let go. Xinova spun out of Seattle-based Intellectual… Read More

Why Nestlé just bought a personalized vitamin startup in Washington state

by James Thorne on August 29, 2019September 3, 2019 at 11:49 am1 Comment

A small startup from the Pacific Northwest is now part of a global food and beverage behemoth. Nestlé Health Science this month acquired Snoqualmie, Wash.-based Persona Nutrition, a startup that… Read More

Cloud services company Skytap lays off 25 workers in first major change under new CEO

by James Thorne on August 28, 2019August 28, 2019 at 3:28 pm1 Comment

Enterprise cloud services company Skytap is laying off 25 employees, or around 12 percent of its workforce, in an effort to “optimize” its operations, the company said Wednesday. The cuts… Read More

Fresh off Domino’s delivery partnership, Rad Power Bikes rolls out new $1,299 ‘RadRunner’ cruiser

by Taylor Soper on August 28, 2019August 29, 2019 at 4:17 pmComment

It’s been a big month for Rad Power Bikes. The Seattle startup made headlines earlier in August for its exclusive partnership with Domino’s. The pizza giant is partnering with Rad… Read More

Convoy hires VPs of marketing and revenue, doubles workforce to 750 in bid to transform the trucking industry

by Todd Bishop on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 at 9:42 amComment

Convoy is adding two new senior executives to lead marketing and revenue, capping a year of massive growth following a funding round that vaulted the on-demand trucking company into the… Read More

Madrona leads $10M round for Tesorio, a fintech startup that automates cash flow analysis

by Taylor Soper on August 27, 2019August 28, 2019 at 9:58 amComment

Hope Cochran knows about managing cash flow. As the former chief financial officer at Candy Crush maker King Digital and telecom company Clearwire, she’s familiar with inefficiencies facing those responsible… Read More

Female Founders Alliance unveils second accelerator class and partnership with Microsoft

by Taylor Soper on August 27, 2019August 27, 2019 at 8:35 am1 Comment

Female Founders Alliance is back with its second accelerator cohort as the Seattle-based organization looks to help another round of female-led startups grow their businesses and land funding. Eight companies… Read More

Mobile marketing startup Airship acquires Apptimize to bolster customer experience testing

by Nat Levy on August 27, 2019August 26, 2019 at 11:29 pmComment

Mobile marketing startup Airship scooped up Apptimize, a San Francisco-based user experience testing company, in its second acquisition so far this year. The deal helps Airship toward its goal of… Read More

Canadian biotech company Chinook Therapeutics raises $65M for rare kidney disease therapies

by James Thorne on August 23, 2019August 30, 2019 at 9:14 amComment

Chinook Therapeutics, a Vancouver, B.C.-based biotech company creating targeted therapies for kidney diseases, raised $65 million in a Series A financing round led by Versant Ventures with Apple Tree Partners… Read More

Riding a telemedicine wave, docs trade white coats for the tech life, testing the limits of health care

by James Thorne on August 23, 2019August 29, 2019 at 2:43 pmComment

Dr. Michael Grabinski walks into the room, but he can’t talk yet. “I just picked up a patient,” he said. “There was someone in the waiting room.” It takes me… Read More

Video

Tech ideas are brewing at these 5 coffee-crazed Seattle startups — right in Starbucks’ back yard

by Kurt Schlosser on August 22, 2019September 16, 2019 at 1:39 pmComment

Independent coffee shops have always sought to carve out their spot in Seattle and elsewhere against Starbucks’ shop-on-every-corner mentality, whether it was with the flavor of their product or the… Read More

How this ex-Microsoft director launched a spa and salon software startup that has raised $91M

by Nat Levy on August 22, 2019August 21, 2019 at 11:02 pmComment

Sudheer Koneru thought he was pretty much done working. After stints at Microsoft and SumTotal Systems, Koneru considered himself semi-retired, or at least on a break, in mid-2008. He traveled… Read More

What makes a unicorn? Hear from 3 CEOs of $1B startups at the GeekWire Summit

by Taylor Soper on August 21, 2019August 22, 2019 at 9:01 amComment

Launching a startup is no easy feat. Growing a small team of early employees and increasing revenue is even harder. Raising millions of venture capital dollars and reaching a $1… Read More

Female Founders Alliance and Pioneer Square Labs launch challenge to help entrepreneurs test ideas

by Taylor Soper on August 21, 2019August 21, 2019 at 10:57 amComment

Leslie Feinzaig knows how hard it is to let go of a failed startup idea. In 2016 she launched Venture Kits, a tech company that helped introduce entrepreneurship to kids.… Read More

The hidden legacy of aQuantive: How Microsoft’s $6B loss became a win for the Seattle tech industry

by James Thorne on August 21, 2019August 21, 2019 at 4:17 pm1 Comment

In business, some deals go well and others go badly. But that’s never the whole story. Microsoft bought Seattle-based advertising technology firm aQuantive for $6.3 billion in 2007 in what… Read More

Video

Today on GeekWire: Startup releases distinctive headphones; HQ2 is hot; inside Bill Gates’ brain

by Todd Bishop on August 20, 2019August 22, 2019 at 11:09 am1 Comment

Would you wear these headphones? Would you buy them for $399? Those are the big questions as Seattle startup Human releases its long-awaited wireless headphones, looking to rival Apple, Bose and… Read More

Vulcan Capital opens first international office in Singapore to invest $100M in Southeast Asia startups

by Nat Levy on August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 at 11:01 amComment

Vulcan Capital, the invest arm of the late Paul Allen, opened its first international office in Singapore to invest in startups in Southeast Asia. Bloomberg reported that Vulcan plans an… Read More

Seattle startup Human looks to stand out with distinctive $399 over-the-ear wireless headphones

by Taylor Soper on August 20, 2019August 21, 2019 at 11:18 am 3 Comments

Update, Aug. 21: Human announced a “special introductory price” of $259 for its headphones, one day after launch. After nearly five years of development, Seattle technology startup Human is releasing its… Read More

PTO Exchange raises $3M to grow platform that helps employees cash out unused vacation time

by Monica Nickelsburg on August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 at 7:47 amComment

More than half of Americans do not use all of the paid time off granted by their employers, leaving 768 million unused vacation days in 2018, according to a study… Read More

Making OKRs OK: Ally raises $8M for software to help companies meet objectives and key results

by Taylor Soper on August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 at 7:08 amComment

A Seattle startup has raised $8 million to fuel its quest to help companies stay on track and hit their goals in an era of rapid change for businesses, markets… Read More

Video

Suplari raises funding from Workday, Madrona and others for AI that analyzes corporate spending

Would you trust this startup to plan a mystery date for you? We did — and here’s what it was like

No poop required: Researchers devise blood test for gut microbiome diversity using data from defunct startup Arivale

Y Combinator grad Preclusio automates how companies comply with tech privacy regulations

Intellectual Ventures spinoff Xinova lays off staff as invention network company aims for profitability

Why Nestlé just bought a personalized vitamin startup in Washington state

Fresh off Domino’s delivery partnership, Rad Power Bikes rolls out new $1,299 ‘RadRunner’ cruiser

Convoy hires VPs of marketing and revenue, doubles workforce to 750 in bid to transform the trucking industry

Madrona leads $10M round for Tesorio, a fintech startup that automates cash flow analysis

Female Founders Alliance unveils second accelerator class and partnership with Microsoft

Mobile marketing startup Airship acquires Apptimize to bolster customer experience testing

Canadian biotech company Chinook Therapeutics raises $65M for rare kidney disease therapies

Riding a telemedicine wave, docs trade white coats for the tech life, testing the limits of health care

Tech ideas are brewing at these 5 coffee-crazed Seattle startups — right in Starbucks’ back yard

How this ex-Microsoft director launched a spa and salon software startup that has raised $91M

What makes a unicorn? Hear from 3 CEOs of $1B startups at the GeekWire Summit

Female Founders Alliance and Pioneer Square Labs launch challenge to help entrepreneurs test ideas

The hidden legacy of aQuantive: How Microsoft’s $6B loss became a win for the Seattle tech industry

Today on GeekWire: Startup releases distinctive headphones; HQ2 is hot; inside Bill Gates’ brain

Vulcan Capital opens first international office in Singapore to invest $100M in Southeast Asia startups

Seattle startup Human looks to stand out with distinctive $399 over-the-ear wireless headphones

PTO Exchange raises $3M to grow platform that helps employees cash out unused vacation time

Making OKRs OK: Ally raises $8M for software to help companies meet objectives and key results

Modular smart-home startup Blokable raises $23M, plans new California manufacturing facility

Going from a big company to a startup? Here are three things you need to ‘unlearn’ to be successful

Tech Moves: RealSelf marketing exec departs; Haiku Deck founder joins Microsoft Minecraft team

‘Stripe for international shipping’: FlavorCloud helps e-commerce companies ship across borders

MediaPartners raises $5.6M to help companies prevent workplace harassment, violence, bias

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