Startups - GeekWire

Startup radar: Check out 5 up-and-coming tech companies from the Seattle area

Startup radar time! Our latest spotlight on burgeoning startups out of Seattle includes companies developing real estate software, AI for consumer packaged goods brands, and kid-focused smartphones. Read on to… Read More

Dropzone unveils AI ‘security mentor’ browser extension that supports cybersecurity analysts

Seattle-based cybersecurity startup Dropzone AI just launched a new free tool that aims to give security analysts an AI co-worker in their browser. The tool, called “Coach,” analyzes alerts from… Read More

Fusion R&D hub aims to break ground in Eastern Washington this summer

Seattle startup Avalanche Energy plans to open a first-of-its-kind facility for commercial-scale testing of radioactive fusion technologies in Eastern Washington. The envisioned center, called FusionWERX, is a public-private partnership offering… Read More

Amid tariff turmoil, Glowforge turns to Seattle for new production factory — with help from AI

Long before the stock market ups and downs and the global economic uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump’s ever-changing tariff policies, Seattle-based laser engraver maker Glowforge made a decision to… Read More

Startup vet Kelly Smith launches new telehealth company targeting migraines

Kelly Smith is making another startup leap as the founder of Hedfirst, a new telehealth company aiming to help patients that need migraine medication. Hedfirst offers specialized prescription medication for… Read More

Seattle’s newest investment group aims to break down silos between angel investors, VCs, founders

Longtime Seattle-area investor Brianna McDonald is leading a new organization called Ecosystem Venture Group that blends startup investment funds with services for entrepreneurs and investors. McDonald has spent nearly two… Read More

Tech Moves: Convoy co-founder lands new trucking gig; Shipium names CFO; Graham & Walker grows

— Grant Goodale is jumping back into trucking. The Convoy co-founder announced Tuesday that he is now chief product and technology officer at Ryder, a Florida-based logistics giant. Goodale previously served… Read More

Proprio receives second FDA clearance for AI platform that captures key data during surgery

Proprio, a Seattle startup using artificial intelligence for improved surgical precision, received its second major clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to include measurements taken during operations, the… Read More

Public safety drone maker Brinc raises $75M, forms strategic alliance with Motorola

Seattle-based Brinc announced $75 million in new funding and a strategic alliance with Motorola Solutions, aiming to expand production and accelerate deployment of its emergency response drones for police and… Read More

Seattle startup Avante aims to disrupt employee benefits industry

Avante officially launched Tuesday, hitting a milestone in the startup’s journey to shake up how companies manage spending on employee benefits. GeekWire initially covered Avante as it emerged from stealth… Read More

Tech Moves: Former Expedia CTO joins Varo Bank; Point B gets CEO; and more

— Rathi Murthy, former chief technology officer for Expedia, is now CTO for Varo Bank, a digital financial institution based in San Francisco. Murthy was previously a CTO at Verizon… Read More

‘We were built for this’: Trump’s tariff moves drive tailwinds for Seattle startup FlavorCloud

President Trump’s recent tariff announcements have roiled global markets and left companies scrambling to adapt, including online retailers that ship products across borders. Seattle startup FlavorCloud is meeting the moment.… Read More

Heads up, startup founders: These red flags spook early stage tech investors

When investors assess a potential startup, they examine the business model, the total addressable market, the competitive moats, and many other factors. But especially for early stage companies just getting… Read More

Climate consulting firm Earth Finance acquires Google-backed environmental data startup

Earth Finance, a Seattle-area company that helps businesses reduce their climate impacts, acquired Climate Engine, a startup that provides analysis and visualizations of satellite, meteorological and other climate data. Terms… Read More

Get paid to limit social media time: Portland startup’s app monitors usage and gives rewards

If you’ve already tried everything to reduce the amount of time you spend scrolling on social media, perhaps a Portland startup has the motivator to finally get your attention, or,… Read More

Self-charging drones for power line inspections land top prize at UW enviro innovation contest

A team of students from the University of Washington is developing self-charging drones that use AI to survey electrical lines to look for potential threats that could knock out power… Read More

‘Keep building’: Tariffs cause uncertainty for startups, but VCs encourage a long-term view

Startups are a long game. Focus on your product and your customers. That’s the message some venture capitalists are sharing with startup leaders following President Trump’s tariff announcement Thursday, which… Read More

Tech Moves: Gennev founder steps down; Aurion Biotech CEO is out; Temporal adds president

— Jill Angelo, founder and CEO of Seattle menopause startup Gennev, announced that her chapter with the business is ending. Florida-based women’s health company Unified Women’s Healthcare acquired Gennev in… Read More

Hydrolix lands $80M to help companies manage massive volumes of log data

Hydrolix, a Portland, Ore.-based “streaming data lake” startup that helps companies store and analyze huge volumes of log data, raised $80 million in a Series C round led by QED.… Read More

Illustration: Portal Space System's Supernova space vehicle in orbit

Portal Space Systems raises $17.5M for orbital spacecraft powered by solar heating

Bothell, Wash.-based Portal Space Systems says it has raised $17.5 million in seed funding to accelerate the development of its Supernova space vehicle, which aims to harness the heat of… Read More

Video messaging startup Emovid raises nearly $7M to upend workplace communication

Emovid, the startup aiming to upend business communication with a focus on video messaging, raised nearly $7 million in seed funding, the company announced Wednesday. Emovid emerged from stealth last… Read More

Real estate development software startup Prophetic raises seed round

Prophetic, a Portland, Ore.-based startup that builds software tools for real estate developers, homebuilders, and brokerages, raised an undisclosed seed round.

AI assistant startup heyLibby finds traction with gyms and tanning salons, raises $4.5M

heyLibby, a Seattle startup that helps small businesses in the health and wellness sector use AI to answer customer inquiries, raised $4.5 million in a seed round led by French… Read More

From Nobel buzz to hiring halt: Trump funding cuts hobble UW protein design startup machine

Since 2014, UW Medicine’s Institute for Protein Design has spun off 10 startups, and the institute’s director, University of Washington biochemist David Baker, has co-founded 21 tech companies. After Baker… Read More

Madrona backs new startup tackling corporate guest travel

Juno, a platform designed to help manage corporate guest travel, raised $2 million in seed funding, the company announced Tuesday. The round was led by Seattle-based Madrona and Bungalow Ventures.… Read More

Mark Cuban backs Seattle startup developing TikTok competitor

With the future of TikTok up in the air, two engineers from Seattle just landed funding from Mark Cuban for their short-form video app that differentiates itself with unique back-end… Read More

Agility Robotics reportedly raising $400M for humanoid warehouse robots

Agility Robotics, the Salem, Ore.-based company known for its Digit bipedal humanoid warehouse robot, is reportedly raising $400 million in new funding according to a report Tuesday by The Information.… Read More

Maritime logistics startup OpenTug raises $2.2M

OpenTug, a Seattle-based startup that develops marine transportation logistics software, raised $2.2 million in a new round led by New York-based firm TMV.

Idaho startup Gierd lands $8M to help brands bolster e-commerce business on marketplaces

Gierd, an Idaho-based startup that helps brands grow their e-commerce business on marketplaces such as Amazon and Walmart, raised $8 million in a Series A round led by New York… Read More

Portland startup Sturdy raises $6M for platform that uses AI to analyze customer interactions

Portland-based Sturdy.ai, a startup whose platform uses AI to analyze customer communications across multiple channels to help minimize churn, raised $6 million in a seed funding round led by Seattle-based… Read More