VC investment

DreamBox Learning raises $130M, adds former U.S. Education Secretary to board

by Clare McGrane on July 31, 2018July 31, 2018 at 3:08 pmComment

DreamBox Learning, the Bellevue, Wash., maker of an adaptive K-8 math education platform, announced Tuesday that it has raised a whopping $130 million. The funding comes exclusively from The Rise… Read More

Steth IO raises $1.23M to expand smartphone-based intelligent stethoscope to new markets

by Clare McGrane on July 30, 2018September 24, 2018 at 10:09 amComment

StratoScientific, the Seattle-based startup that makes the Steth IO smart stethoscope, has raised $1.23 million to expand the use of its device. A company spokesperson, who confirmed the funding to… Read More

Stealthy Carewave Medical raises cash for pain relief device using ‘Pulsed Heat Technology’

by Clare McGrane on July 24, 2018July 24, 2018 at 10:35 amComment

Carewave Medical, a stealth mode startup backed by big names in Seattle’s biotech industry, has raised just over $3 million in new funding, according to an SEC filing. Carewave co-founder… Read More

EndoGastric Solutions raises $30.5M to commercialize acid reflux treatment

by Clare McGrane on July 11, 2018July 11, 2018 at 10:30 amComment

News Brief: EndoGastric Solutions, a Seattle area biotechnology company, has raised $30.5 million to scale its commercial efforts. Existing investors Advanced Technology Ventures (ATV), Canaan Partners, Canepa Healthcare, Chicago Growth… Read More

High-tech agriculture startup Phytelligence raises another $10M, doubles employee count

by Clare McGrane on July 9, 2018July 9, 2018 at 2:28 pmComment

Agriculture startup Phytelligence is getting another infusion of cash as it continues to grow. The company raised an additional $9.85 million in its series B round, GeekWire has learned, bringing… Read More

Startup Aminex Therapeutics raises $10M, begins clinical trials of immunotherapy treatment

by Clare McGrane on June 20, 2018June 20, 2018 at 1:25 pmComment

Seattle startup Aminex Therapeutics announced $10 million in new funding Wednesday, alongside the first clinical trial of its immunotherapy drug. The drug will be studied as a treatment for multiple… Read More

Owl Insights raises cash for mental health treatment software platform

by Clare McGrane on June 19, 2018July 22, 2018 at 9:17 amComment

Portland, Ore., company Owl Insights has raised $2.2 million in new funding, GeekWire has learned. The additional funding brings the company’s Series A round to more than $4.7 million, according to… Read More

Seattle Children’s spin-out MDMetrix raises seed funding for A/B testing system for doctors

by Clare McGrane on June 18, 2018June 18, 2018 at 10:48 amComment

Health technology startup MDMetrix has raised its first venture capital funds. The company raised just over $758,000 in seed funding, according to an SEC filing. MDMetrix CEO and Co-founder Dan… Read More

Podcast

Week In Geek Podcast: An epic week for startup funding, and the Space Needle gets a makeover

by Clare McGrane on May 26, 2018January 16, 2019 at 9:44 amComment

Seattle startups raked in hundreds of millions of dollars in the past week alone — for businesses as varied as pet sitting tech and a revolutionary leukemia treatment. What’s behind… Read More

Ear-cleaning headphones maker SafKan Health raises $1M to launch in U.S. hospitals

by Clare McGrane on April 9, 2018April 9, 2018 at 10:03 amComment

Say so-long to Q-tips and those huge, awkward water syringes. If Seattle startup SafKan Health gets its way, antiquated ear cleaning devices will be a thing of the past. The… Read More

Carewave Medical raising cash for pain relieving wearable, with support from big biotech names

by Clare McGrane on February 26, 2018February 26, 2018 at 10:45 amComment

Medical device company Carewave Medical is looking to raise $1 million to support its wearable pain relief technology, according to an SEC filing. The Seattle-based company has already raised $150,000… Read More

Former Microsoft and Amazon exec Brian Valentine takes helm of Wiserg, raises $19.2M for startup that turns food scraps into fertilizer

by Clare McGrane on January 3, 2018January 3, 2018 at 11:29 am 7 Comments

Wiserg is making a big bet on a big problem for the U.S. — food waste. The startup has built a device that turns food scraps into a nutrient-rich liquid that… Read More

Joylux raising $5M as it prepares to launch its ‘intimate wellness’ device in the U.S.

by Clare McGrane on December 27, 2017December 27, 2017 at 11:27 amComment

Sexual health, and particularly women’s sexual health, can often be overlooked by the medical industry. Seattle-based startup Joylux is hoping to change that with its “intimate wellness” device that helps… Read More

Feeling blue? Biotech startup raises $13M to create ‘natural’ color pigments using algae

by Clare McGrane on December 5, 2017December 4, 2017 at 5:30 pmComment

We all love a splash of color in our lives, but we seldom realize the technology that goes into the dye in a favorite sweater or the precise coloring in… Read More

Arzeda raises another $3.2M for synthetic biology that uses fermentation to build new materials

by Clare McGrane on November 29, 2017November 29, 2017 at 1:42 pmComment

Arzeda does work that sounds out of this world — or maybe straight out of science fiction. The company uses fermentation, the same process that gives us beer, to invent completely… Read More

Biotech startup scores $20M to develop drug that triggers the immune system to fight cancer

by Clare McGrane on November 29, 2017November 30, 2017 at 8:51 amComment

Mavupharma, a biotech startup based in Kirkland, Wash., announced Wednesday that it has raised a $20 million Series A funding round to develop a unique class of drug that enables… Read More

Frazier Healthcare Partners raises $419M for life science venture fund, signaling huge interest in health investment

by Clare McGrane on November 1, 2017November 1, 2017 at 12:07 pmComment

The U.S. healthcare system faces a myriad of challenges today, including uncertainty over federal regulation and shifting payer systems. You might expect that environment to give pause to many investors.… Read More

Regenerative medicine startup Rodeo Therapeutics raises $5.9M for drugs to regenerate tissue

by Clare McGrane on July 25, 2017July 25, 2017 at 9:03 amComment

If you could write a medical wish-list of futuristic technologies, regenerating tissue would be pretty high up there. It could do things like treat a variety of inflammatory conditions and… Read More

Hemex Health lands $1.7M for lab-in-a-box that diagnoses malaria and sickle cell disease

by Clare McGrane on June 29, 2017June 30, 2017 at 12:59 pmComment

We often think about global health as a philanthropic endeavor, something addressed by nonprofits and NGOs. But there is a real opportunity for businesses tackling global health challenges, something Portland,… Read More

Scientific wellness startup Arivale raises $13.6M to scale personalized health platform

by Clare McGrane on June 14, 2017September 15, 2017 at 7:30 amComment

Two years ago, genomics pioneer Leroy Hood and tech executive Clayton Lewis launched a unique enterprise: Arivale, a scientific wellness startup that uses data-like genetic information to help customers manage… Read More

Former Swype execs raise $8.5M for Xealth, a health platform that connects patients, doctors and digital treatments

by Clare McGrane on June 14, 2017June 14, 2017 at 8:06 amComment

There is no end to pressing needs in the healthcare industry. That’s one of the first things that tech veterans and former Swype leaders Mike McSherry and Aaron Sheedy learned when… Read More

Healthcare startup Carena raises $6M to fuel technology behind virtual doctor’s visits

by Clare McGrane on June 11, 2017June 12, 2017 at 10:17 amComment

When you have the flu or a child with an earache, just getting into a doctor’s office can be an incredible hassle. But with the right technology, virtual doctor’s’… Read More

Digital health startup Conversa raises $8M, plans to scale up Portland office

by Clare McGrane on May 17, 2017May 17, 2017 at 11:08 amComment

Conversa, a digital health startup based in San Francisco, announced an $8 million funding round Wednesday. The new funds will go toward developing the company’s doctor-to-patient communication platform and scaling… Read More

Microsoft Ventures doubles down on AI with new investments in Agolo and Bonsai

by Clare McGrane on May 3, 2017May 3, 2017 at 11:12 amComment

Ever feel like there’s just too much information out there? New York-based Agolo is hoping so. The startup is developing a program that summarizes large amounts of information using artificial intelligence… Read More

Ventec Life Systems raises $7M to bring portable life-support system to market

by Clare McGrane on May 2, 2017May 2, 2017 at 11:11 amComment

Imagine for a moment that your spouse, parent or child has been diagnosed with a life-changing condition. They need constant support from a ventilator to breathe. Traditionally, that means they… Read More

Mpirica Health raises $4.6M for hospital-ranking platform, a ‘batting average’ for surgeries

by Clare McGrane on April 25, 2017April 24, 2017 at 4:06 pmComment

One of the first things we do when deciding where to buy a house or what company to work for is look at independent rankings. But we rarely do that when making… Read More

Cardiac Insight raises $4.5M, wins FDA approval to launch wearable ECG sensor

by Clare McGrane on April 20, 2017August 15, 2017 at 8:09 am1 Comment

Consumer wearables, like smart watches and Fitbits, are becoming ever more popular. But wearable medical technology has remained somewhat absent from the scene, despite huge potential for improving patient care… Read More

GeekWire Calendar Picks: Meet the VC who ditched the Bay Area for Seattle; Feature Friday gets a new name; and more

by Clare McGrane on March 28, 2017April 9, 2017 at 12:17 pmComment

This event goes out to all the financial geeks! A few months ago, GeekWire reported that Voyager Capital’s Seattle office had brought on James Newell, a Seattle native who was fresh off eight years… Read More