Latest from Geek Wire
Geek Wire
21 minutes ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
Navigating the Seattle startup ecosystem: A guide for Microsoft and Amazon execs
GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . Since I left Microsoft in May, I have been inundated by Microsoft executives and employees wanting to explore and engage in the Seattle startup ecosystem. Prior to joining Microsoft, I always wondered why I would never see Microsoft or Amazon employees at startup events. Now I know Microsoft is its own all consuming ecosystem, where internal networking can be way more important than external networking. Here's a guide on how Microsoft and Amazon employees can get involved in the Seattle tech scene, with limited time commitments. Engage as an advisor or board member Advising startups is a common way to contribute your expertise. Generally, in my experience, advisor positions are not a big time commitment, often involving meetings once a month or every couple of months initially. Your involvement may decline once a company raises venture capital unless your expertise is highly specific to their needs. Compensation: Advisor compensation typically ranges from 0.1% up to 1% of the company's stock with the median grant of 0.25%, depending on the stage, your engagement, your expertise and chemistry with the founding team. Peter Walker of Carta does a good breakdown on LinkedIn. Board roles: Becoming a board member often occurs after a startup's first round of financing, with venture capital firms seeking outside perspectives. They look for specific expertise that investors are not going to add — like unique industry or technology insights, go-to-market strategies, sales and marketing, or finance. Later stage startups will often hire 'been there done that' CEOs or CFOs who can add credibility or guidance for a startup as they prepare to go public or be acquired. Strategic investing in startups There are two primary paths for investing: Direct angel investing This is a hands-on approach. Angel investing is a lot of work! A successful angel investor like Ron Conway in Silicon Valley can make a lot of money by being early to investing and then introducing startups to venture capital firms. To potentially make money, I believe you need to consistently invest in at least 20+ companies over four to five years, making four-to-five investments a year. The vast majority of these startups will fail, but you will start to see some success. Over that time period, you will build your reputation in the market as an investor, start learning what to look for, and then entrepreneurs can start coming to you for advice and funding. Seed funds Personally, I don't have the time to commit to angel investing, but I want to support my fellow Seattle entrepreneurs and support the Seattle ecosystem. I have made investments in Seattle seed funds which are venture capital firms investing in Seattle entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of the journey. Many of these firms will entertain smaller funds, instead of $1 million minimum at more established funds. Seattle seed funds also value the local network and expertise to help develop their portfolio companies. Larger funds often have venture partners and deep industry relationships, when smaller funds do not. Some notable Seattle pre-seed and seed funds are: Unlock Venture Partners Ascend Founders' Co-op AI2 Incubator Flying Fish Partners Two Ravens VC Pioneer Square Labs Madrona Voyager Capital FUSE Maveron Tola Capital Second Avenue Partners Seed funds are known for building a community around entrepreneurs and their investors. You can choose how involved you want to be. Most seed funds welcome investors with experience (particularly in enterprise and AI). You can mentor founders and help with the go-to-market and build a network across their investors as well. It's been a great way for me to stay relevant in the market and keep expanding my network. Expected returns & risks The goal for most venture capital firms is to achieve at least a 20% internal rate of return (IRR) or greater. Venture investments are highly speculative, with 90% typically failing and fund returns can vary significantly. For example, a fund's first fund might track 2-3X returns, while others might be flat or lose money. Diversification across multiple funds is crucial to mitigate risk. Seed funds are considered the earliest and riskiest stage of venture capital. Large public investment firms like CALPERS, Washington State Investment Board, and the University of California publicly report many of the investment returns for private equity and venture capital firms. You can see the broad spread of returns based on the firm. Diversification and getting into the 'right' funds for the right vintage (i.e. the right year) is often key to success. It is easier to make money in a rising tide environment. Networking and finding opportunities The most important thing is getting started! Instead of sitting on Teams meetings in Redmond or South Lake Union, just get started by attending some events. My rule of thumb is that I am willing to go to any event where I think I can meet one person with whom I will do business in the future. I also try to meet at least one new person I have never met before at every event. Meet people who are moving and shaking in the startup scene – would be entrepreneurs, co-founders, entrepreneurs, the startup curious, angel investors, incubators, seed funds and the service providers like the lawyers that work with start-ups like Perkins Coie, Wilson Sonsini, Fenwick & West, DLA Piper, and Cooley LLP. Law firms often have a finger on the earliest stages of the startup journey. Below are a number of organizations that regularly host startup get togethers for the Seattle community: AI2 Incubator TiE Seattle Pioneer Square Labs Foundations GeekWire Seattle Tech Week Ascend's Founder Bash Get started! The Seattle startup ecosystem offers great learning, networking and potential investment opportunities. Plus you can give back and contribute to the growth of the next Amazon or Microsoft right here in our backyard.
Geek Wire
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Wire
Alaska Airlines grounds flights across U.S. due to IT outage
is GeekWire's editor, responsible for coordinating the newsroom, planning coverage, and editing stories. A native of Portland, Ore., and graduate of the University of Washington, he was previously a GeekWire staff reporter, covering beats including startups and sports technology. Follow him on LinkedIn or email taylor@
Geek Wire
a day ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of July 13, 2025
Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of July 13, 2025. Sign up to receive these updates every Sunday in your inbox by subscribing to our GeekWire Weekly email newsletter. Most popular stories on GeekWire Amazon targets vibe-coding chaos with new 'Kiro' AI software development tool A new AI coding tool from Amazon uses agents to automatically create and update project plans and technical blueprints, aiming to solve an increasingly common business headache: undocumented AI-written software that becomes difficult or impossible to maintain. … Read More Amazon cuts hundreds of AWS cloud jobs after strategic review, says AI wasn't the main factor Amazon confirmed Thursday morning that it's cutting jobs within its Amazon Web Services cloud division after a review of its organization and strategic needs. The company didn't disclose the number of people impacted, but Reuters reported that the layoffs will affect hundreds of jobs, at least, citing two unnamed sources. … Read More Meta snags Seattle startup co-founder for Zuckerberg's elite superintelligence team Meta has recruited Matt Deitke, co-founder of Seattle-based AI startup Vercept, to join its newly formed Superintelligence Lab — the high-profile effort by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to develop powerful new forms of artificial intelligence. … Read More Startup radar: Seattle founders tackle big problems, from childcare to cybersecurity Our latest startup radar spotlight features a fascinating mix of first-time and repeat founders building off their experience at companies such as Amazon and Box as they pursue ideas in childcare, video metadata, social work, cybersecurity, and local business support. … Read More
Geek Wire
2 days ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
The realities of enterprise AI deployments, with Amazon Web Services VP Francessca Vasquez
On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we dive into enterprise AI adoption with Francessca Vasquez, a vice president at Amazon Web Services who leads its work with enterprise customers through the AWS Professional Services Group and the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center. Vasquez shares insights from more than 1,000 customer engagements across industries, explaining how companies are moving from AI experiments to deployments. We discuss the rise of AI agents, the challenges businesses face in scaling AI initiatives, and why some industries are surprising everyone with their pace of innovation. We also discuss specific examples including Yahoo Finance's multi-agent news analysis system, the PGA Tour's AI-powered real-time golf commentary, Formula 1's root cause analyzer for troubleshooting race-day issues, and Jabil's shop floor assistant for manufacturing employees. Listen below, or subscribe in any podcast app, and keep reading for highlights. On the rapid pace of AI evolution: 'The pace of innovation right now for generative and agentic AI is just a lot faster than what I've ever seen in my career. I couldn't tell you what are things going to look like in 12 to 18 months. That's how fast things are moving.' Industries adopting AI faster than expected: 'If you had asked me 24 months ago, did I think one industry would really just be leading in adoption, I probably would have said, just look at all of your digital native companies… I would have been wrong. … We've seen a lot of innovation happening in financial services. We've seen a lot happening in manufacturing and healthcare.' On moving from proof of concept to production: 'The only way you get to value is by actually putting things into production. … Of these same companies that were doing experiments or proof of concepts a year ago, only about 30% of them actually got into production. With the work that we do, we've been able to increase that well over 50%.' What makes for successful enterprise AI deployments: 'These things still require having very good leadership conviction. The companies that may be progressing further, they've got a leadership team who believes in the pace of technology, or they've got senior technical thought leaders on their board. That makes a very big difference.' Beyond the technology: 'How [companies] think about their culture and their people, that becomes a huge differentiator for both talent development and attraction. … It's more than just the technology of models and latency and tokens. It's also about the people and the culture and what experiences you want.' On AI agents and the future of work: 'I expect that any organization that's offering consulting services, they will all have to have some level of generative AI and agentic AI in their workflows — all of them, every last one of them.' Related Stories and Links: Audio editing by Curt Milton.
Geek Wire
3 days ago
- Business
- Geek Wire
Tech Moves: Microsoft vet joins Tola Capital; Amperity names CPO; Edelman exec joins Boeing
GeekWire's startup coverage documents the Pacific Northwest entrepreneurial scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and venture capital directory . Vahé Torossian. (LinkedIn Photo) — Vahé Torossian has joined Seattle-based firm Tola Capital as a venture partner. Torossian was at Microsoft for more than three decades, resigning from the tech giant in 2023 as corporate vice president of worldwide business applications. He then went to a London-based software development platform. At the startup, he held multiple roles including deputy CEO and chief revenue officer. He left the company in May. 'Joining Tola Capital represents a unique opportunity to draw on my global executive experience and most recent start-up chapter,' Torossian said on LinkedIn. 'I have seen firsthand the immense potential for early-stage ventures to power the enterprise AI landscape.' While at Microsoft, Torossian worked with Tola Capital managing director Sheila Gulati. 'At Tola Capital we partner with our portfolio companies to accelerate their growth, and for this purpose, I can think of no one better equipped to guide our CEOs than Vahé,' Gulati wrote on LinkedIn. Tola specializes in early-stage, AI-powered enterprise software startups. It has $700 million of assets under management and more than 40 portfolio companies. Sarah Norris Hall. (LinkedIn Photo) — The Allen Institute announced Sarah Norris Hall as chief financial officer and senior vice president. Hall previously worked at the University of Washington for 16 years, where she served as vice provost of planning and budgeting and senior VP. The Seattle-based Allen Institute called out Norris Hall's leadership at the UW in implementing its financial systems and processes, streamlining operations and improving reporting. 'I'm deeply honored to join the Allen Institute — an organization whose mission to understand life and advance health is both vital and inspiring,' Norris Hall said in a statement. 'The chance to contribute to foundational science with the potential to transform lives is a rare and meaningful opportunity.' Ryan Cudney. (LinkedIn Photo) — Ryan Cudney is joining Boeing later this month as vice president of a new external communications and analytics team. The organization brings together the aerospace giant's media relations, social media, analytics, insights and tools operations. Seattle-based Cudney was previously at public relations firm Edelman for more than 12 years, leading the company's Pacific Northwest team, which has offices in Seattle and Portland. While at Edelman he worked with Boeing and helped build the agency's aviation client base. Boeing and Alaska Airlines this week settled one of the lawsuits brought against them regarding the mid-flight door blowout in January 2024. A Boeing 787 crashed last month in India, killing 260 people. Tanvi Tushar Shah. (LinkedIn Photo) — Tanvi Tushar Shah is joining Microsoft AI in London to work as a product manager on the 'voice and vision experience' for its Copilot product. Shah comes to the role after six years of working on voice AI agents for Google. 'Now, the challenge is not just technical,' Shah said on LinkedIn. 'It's deeply human. How do we make AI feel like a true companion? A sounding board that is present in the moment, emotionally attuned, and helpful by default.' Grigori Melnik. (LinkedIn Photo) — Amperity, a Seattle-based startup that helps companies collect and manage customer data, named Grigori Melnik as chief product officer. Grigori has worked in product leadership experience for more than 25 years for companies including Microsoft, Splunk, MongoDB, Tricentis and most recently, Cribl. Amperity, which reached a billion-dollar valuation in 2021, last month moved into a new downtown Seattle office space, occupying a full floor in the Qualtrics Tower. Richard Harris. (LinkedIn Photo) — Richard Harris is taking on the dual roles of fractional chief AI officer and fractional chief managing director of U.S. operations for Expertlancing Research Services. Harris was previously vice president of licensing for Nathan Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures for 14 years ending in 2014. Harris will help guide the New Delhi-based company's expansion in the U.S. market and he called out Expertlancing's 'commitment to innovation and excellence in IP and Tech Advisory services' in a post on LinkedIn. — Florin Rotar, who recently left his role as chief AI officer for Avanade, is now part-time strategic advisor for Seattle's Pay-i. The startup was founded by Microsoft veterans and in May raised $4.9 million from investors. Pay-i aims to help businesses figure out whether AI initiatives actually deliver business value. Rotar was with Avanade for 25 years, joining as its first employee in Europe. — Mark Hadland is now CEO of the Vancouver, B.C. startup CommonX. Mark Hadland. (LinkedIn Photo) Hadland was the founder and CEO of Seattle-based technology experience design firm Level 11, which worked with corporate brands including Disney, Starbucks, Philips and Carnival. Level 11 was acquired by Launch Consulting Group in 2020. He has held leadership roles at companies including Cisco and CGI, and was with Accenture for nearly 13 years. CommonX offers a product called Orchestr8, which it describes as an 'AI experience operating system designed to deliver personalized, predictive, and human-intelligent services across mobile, wearables, kiosks, and immersive environments.' Flora Ku. (LinkedIn Photo) — Seattle AI startup Vercept hired Flora Ku as head of operations after five years at Madrona Venture Labs, where she was also led operations. Other past roles include positions at Female Founders Alliance and the UW's Foster School of Business. Vercept is developing an AI-powered Mac app, dubbed Vy, that can understand computer screens and execute tasks based on natural language commands. Vercept co-founder Matt Deitke is departing to join Meta's Superintelligence Lab. — The Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass appointed Jeff Wallace as chief financial officer. Wallace was at Starbucks for more then seven years, serving as vice president of finance for U.S. retail operations. Other jobs include roles at LexisNexis and Lexis Securities Mosaic, and others. — Annie Liu is now a strategic advisor with Wyze, a Kirkland, Wash., company offering smart home devices including security cameras and video doorbells. Liu is a founder and CEO of InnoFi Partners, a strategic advisory firm, and was previously a managing director for Charles Schwab. She worked with the financial firm for more than 24 years. Wyze was founded in 2017 by a trio of Amazon veterans and has raised $110 million in 2021. It's expanding from the consumer market into commercial and enterprise customers. Kate Wilson. (LinkedIn Photo) — Kate Wilson, a former leader at Highspot, is the co-founder of a company in stealth mode, describing it on LinkedIn as 'a new venture focused on rethinking performance and career development—applying AI in deeply practical ways to help people do their best work.' Wilson left Highspot after more than seven years, where she served as senior director of solution architects. The Seattle company, which sells enterprise software to boost efficiency for salespeople, had multiple rounds of layoffs in 2023. Earlier this year it began hiring again and reported significant revenue growth. — Seattle's WestRiver Group named Brian Huang as an investment associate. Huang joined the company from Piper Sandler. WestRiver invests in early- and growth-stage businesses and its portfolio includes DocuSign, Cheq, Topgolf, Viome and others. — The Washington State Academy of Sciences (WSAS) elected six members for new terms on its board of directors: President-elect Doug Call , senior vice provost and regents professor at Washington State University (WSU) , senior vice provost and regents professor at Washington State University (WSU) Secretary Ljiljana Paša-Tolić , laboratory fellow and lead scientist at Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) , laboratory fellow and lead scientist at Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Rita Fuchs , professor of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience at WSU , professor of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience at WSU David Takeuchi , associate dean for Faculty Excellence at the UW , associate dean for Faculty Excellence at the UW Michael Goodchild , distinguished professor emeritus of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara , distinguished professor emeritus of Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara Julie Kmec, chair and professor of Sociology at WSU The nonprofit also announced 36 new members to its organization, a list of whom can be found here.
