Startups

Startup of the Year nominees share tips for success — cast your vote now for the GeekWire Awards

by Taylor Soper on April 8, 2019April 18, 2019 at 8:53 amComment

A quick gander at the GeekWire 200, our index of Pacific Northwest startups, shows the density of up-and-coming tech companies based in this region. That’s what makes the five nominees… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Celebrating the first man in space and exploring underwater artifacts

by Nicole Tanner on April 5, 2019April 4, 2019 at 4:34 pmComment

More than 60 years ago, the world got serious about exploring space. The global fascination with the great beyond led to a massive race between the United States and the… Read More

Rad vs. Bam: Seattle e-bike startup calls rival a ‘copycat company,’ sues over alleged ‘knockoff website’

by Nat Levy on April 5, 2019April 6, 2019 at 7:35 am1 Comment

Rad Power Bikes, the Seattle e-bike startup, alleges in a new lawsuit that Phoenix-based competitor Bam Power Bikes ripped off its website layout and e-bike designs. Rad calls Bam a… Read More

Unity and equality highlight Champion Awards in Seattle as women business leaders honored

by Taylor Soper on April 5, 2019April 5, 2019 at 5:25 pmComment

Our world says women can’t break through … All women should be born with a sledgehammer to smash through that glass wall … All we want is gender equality …… Read More

In quest to make a better battery, Univ. of Washington students win environmental innovation challenge

by James Thorne on April 5, 2019April 5, 2019 at 8:25 amComment

A team that wants to make batteries more environmentally friendly won $15,000 at a competition for environmental innovation at the University of Washington. MOtiF Materials invented a way to making… Read More

Leg Up wants to empower working parents by connecting them to daycare and camps

by Lisa Stiffler on April 4, 2019April 5, 2019 at 12:07 pm 3 Comments

Jessica Eggert was spending too much time and headache trying to research and arrange childcare for her 6-year-old son, Oliver. She wondered if other parents felt the same way. So… Read More

Seattle startup Rodeo Therapeutics raises more cash for regenerative medicine treatments

by James Thorne on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 at 12:49 pmComment

Seattle-based startup Rodeo Therapeutics is raising more cash for its work on tissue repair and regeneration. The company has reeled in another $4.3 million, according to a new regulatory filing,… Read More

Automotive giant Lear will pay $320M to acquire Seattle-area connected car startup Xevo

by Taylor Soper on April 2, 2019April 3, 2019 at 12:27 pmComment

Global automotive giant Lear today announced that it will acquire Seattle-area connected car startup Xevo for $320 million. Xevo, originally founded in 2000 as UIEvolution, develops connected-car software with more… Read More

Pebblebee, makers of Finder smart tracking device, find a big investor as part of effort to raise $10M

by Kurt Schlosser on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 at 10:45 amComment

Pebblebee, the Bellevue, Wash.-based startup that makes a smart tracker to help people find missing keys and more, has found an investor. The company, founded by engineers Daniel Daoura and… Read More

Possible Finance lands $30M credit facility, expands small dollar loan service to Texas

by Taylor Soper on April 2, 2019April 2, 2019 at 7:40 amComment

Possible Finance has access to another chunk of cash to supercharge growth of its mobile-only loan program. The Seattle startup just landed a $30 million credit facility from Park Cities… Read More

‘Huge awakening’ in data privacy drives big growth for Seattle startup Integris

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 1, 2019April 2, 2019 at 11:11 amComment

Back in 2016, a Seattle startup called Integris came out of stealth mode with a modest $3 million in funding and a vision to help companies manage customer data with… Read More

New networking company XCOM, led by former Qualcomm CEO, acquires Seattle-area startup M87

by Taylor Soper on April 1, 2019April 1, 2019 at 6:10 pmComment

M87, a Seattle-area networking startup led by former T-Mobile executive Cole Brodman, was acquired last month by XCOM, a new company led by former Qualcomm CEO and chairman Paul Jacobs.… Read More

Should gender diversity on corporate boards be legally required? Women VCs, tech execs weigh in

by Monica Nickelsburg on April 1, 2019April 1, 2019 at 12:34 pm 2 Comments

Underrepresentation of women in leadership is often cited as a driving factor behind the broader tech industry’s gender balance issues. The theory? If more women sat on corporate boards and… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Black Girls Code workshops, Pluto’s planetary debate, FFA’s Champion Awards, and more

by Nicole Tanner on March 29, 2019March 29, 2019 at 2:51 pmComment

— Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching girls of color ages 7-17 about computer programming and technology, is holding three pop-up robotics workshops in the Seattle area on… Read More

Because time is money, PTO Exchange helps employees turn unused vacation into cash

by Lisa Stiffler on March 29, 2019March 29, 2019 at 11:33 amComment

If you believe that The Go-Go’s got it wrong and vacation is definitely not “all I’ve ever wanted,” then PTO Exchange may be just the software that you do want.… Read More

How a lack of regulatory clarity puts U.S. cryptocurrency startups at a disadvantage

by James Thorne on March 28, 2019March 28, 2019 at 3:06 pmComment

Founded by former Amazon and Microsoft security engineers, cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex defies the Wild West reputation of the blockchain world with an appetite for government oversight. What does Bittrex want… Read More

Recruiting software startup Crelate raises $5.3M to grow engineering center just outside Seattle

by Monica Nickelsburg on March 28, 2019March 28, 2019 at 1:44 pmComment

In a startup environment where heavy funding, bold bets, and rapid growth are the norm, Crelate stands out for its modest, slow-and-steady approach. The recruiting software startup just raised $5.3… Read More

Remitly teams up with Visa to enable cross-border money transfers to debit cards

by Nat Levy on March 28, 2019March 27, 2019 at 3:37 pmComment

Remitly, the Seattle international money transfer company, is teaming up with Visa to give people sending money abroad a new option. The companies today unveiled a plan to let people… Read More

Fashion rental startup Armoire aims to reimagine the dressing room experience at new pop-up store in Seattle

by Taylor Soper on March 27, 2019March 27, 2019 at 5:15 pmComment

Armoire aims to help women access new clothes without having to enter a physical store. But now the Seattle startup is testing a brick-and-mortar strategy to compliment its online fashion… Read More

This new health bot aims to spur behavioral change by using human-like compassion

by James Thorne on March 27, 2019March 27, 2019 at 5:45 pm1 Comment

Tuzag is betting that health bots need a better bedside manner. The startup just launched a chat service that’s part concierge, part health assessor and comes with a healthy dose… Read More

Digital health startup Xealth lands $11M to help doctors prescribe pretty much anything but drugs

by James Thorne on March 27, 2019March 27, 2019 at 10:21 amComment

Is there big market for prescriptions beyond drugs? Several investors with deep experience in health are betting on it — joining in a new $11 million funding round for Xealth,… Read More

Fast-growing business texting startup Zipwhip leases new Seattle HQ with room for 500 people

by Nat Levy on March 26, 2019March 27, 2019 at 10:00 amComment

Zipwhip has leased space for a new Seattle headquarters that will give the fast-growing business text messaging startup room to nearly double its headcount. The company has leased the top… Read More

Earbuds that can read your mind? Orbityl pushes boundaries of brain-computer interfaces

by James Thorne on March 26, 2019March 26, 2019 at 9:24 amComment

What if you could control the volume of your headphones with a thought? Vancouver, B.C.-based startup Orbityl wants to make that happen with a brain-computer interface that looks like an… Read More

Seattle startup ioCurrents raises $5M to bring big data to the high seas

by James Thorne on March 26, 2019March 26, 2019 at 2:21 pm 2 Comments

For Cosmo King, maritime data is both personal and professional. King grew up sailing in Virginia and is now the owner of “Northern Lights,” a vintage Coronado 41 sloop that he… Read More

Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon of Zulily and Blue Nile fame invest in Seattle startup Rad Power Bikes

by Taylor Soper on March 26, 2019March 26, 2019 at 10:48 amComment

Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon know what it takes to build a successful consumer company. The entrepreneurs helped grow not one but two online retail giants that went public, teaming… Read More

Meet the newest Techstars Seattle class: 10 founders share their pitch and startup tips

by Taylor Soper on March 24, 2019March 25, 2019 at 10:33 amComment

Validate the market. Sell before you build. Seek failure. And go all in. Those are some of the tips shared by founders participating in the latest Techstars Seattle class. GeekWire… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Jobs in space; a critical look at Facebook; women executives and pay equity

by Nicole Tanner on March 22, 2019March 22, 2019 at 1:14 pmComment

Space has always fascinated us geeks. Thanks to Star Wars, Star Trek and countless other science fiction media, gazing at the stars and dreaming of being an astronaut was a… Read More

Ex-Microsoft CTO David Vaskevitch is building an app store for autonomous machines

by James Thorne on March 22, 2019March 22, 2019 at 10:48 amComment

As a former longtime Microsoft chief technology officer, David Vaskevitch has seen most of the major computer revolutions. He’s ready for the next wave, autonomous machines, and is building a… Read More

Led by Microsoft vets and Intelius co-founder, Clocktree rolls out telehealth platform for healthcare counseling

by James Thorne on March 22, 2019March 22, 2019 at 9:38 amComment

Early Microsoft engineers and Intelius co-founder Chandan Chauhan are behind a stealthy telehealth startup that just launched its customer-facing product, four years after the company was founded. Seattle-area startup Clocktree… Read More

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

by Lisa Stiffler on March 21, 2019March 22, 2019 at 11:45 am 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