Taylor Soper
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Director of Community & Programming at AI House, a hub for founders in Seattle to connect, learn, and dream.
Articles by Taylor Soper
Everyone is a builder: Microsoft and OpenAI execs on the new era of AI-powered personal software Original
Everyone is a builder: Microsoft and OpenAI execs on the new era of AI-powered personal software Vijaye Raji wanted to figure out how to keep up with the firehose of Slack messages. After a couple prompts, he had a solution. Raji, OpenAI’s CTO of applications, vibe-coded his own personal tool using Codex, OpenAI’s coding agent. It runs on his laptop and summarizes his messages, emails, and notifications every 15 minutes.
GeekWire Awards: Breakthrough tech for healthcare and data centers highlight Innovation of the Year
GeekWire Awards: Breakthrough tech for healthcare and data centers highlight Innovation of the Year From the research lab to the healthcare clinic and all the way above Earth — the Pacific Northwest continues to produce game-changing innovation.
Aetheon raises $1.2M to translate lived experiences into job-ready skills
Taylor Soper Aetheon , a new startup that helps job candidates map their real world capabilities into work opportunities, has raised $1.24 million as part of its seed round. Founded last year, the company is building what it calls a “skills operating system” aimed at helping workers — particularly military veterans and recent graduates — translate their real-world experience into language employers can use.
Job candidates are starting to negotiate AI token budgets, changing the dynamics of hiring
Taylor Soper Technical job candidates are adding a new line to their list of requests in the AI boom: ample access to AI capacity. Speaking at GeekWire's Agents of Transformation event in Seattle on Tuesday, Microsoft EVP Charles Lamanna cited the example of a job candidate who said they would come aboard as long as their team was given a certain dollar amount of AI tokens — the fuel that powers interactions with AI systems.
Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy Tech moves: More changes at Xbox; Remitly taps new accounting chief; Atlassian CTO steps down
Use precise geolocation data and actively scan device characteristics for identification. This is done to store and access information on a device and to provide personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Microsoft exec Charles Lamanna on how AI is creating an expensive new request from job candidates
Taylor Soper Work perks are taking on new meaning in the AI boom. Speaking at GeekWire's Agents of Transformation event in Seattle on Tuesday, Microsoft EVP Charles Lamanna talked about a job candidate who said they would come aboard as long as their team was given a certain dollar amount of AI tokens — the fuel that powers interactions with AI systems.
Epic Games layoffs impact 82 workers at Seattle-area office as part of broader cuts
Taylor Soper Epic Games, the gaming giant behind Fortnite , is laying off 82 employees at its Bellevue, Wash.-based office, according to a WARN notice filed with Washington state regulators. Epic announced Tuesday that it is laying off 1,000 employees across the company, or about 20% of its workforce, citing reduced engagement with Fortnite .
Tech Moves: More changes at Xbox; Remitly’s taps new accounting chief; 30-year Microsoft vet retires
— There’s more shake-up within Microsoft’s gaming unit as Lori Wright announced she is leaving “in the coming weeks.” Wright spent nine years at Microsoft, most recently leading global partnerships and business development and marketing for Xbox. “I leave with overwhelming gratitude for the adventure of a lifetime.
Bluesky discloses $100M Series B round raised last year
Decentralized social network Bluesky revealed on Thursday that it raised $100 million in a Series B round led by Bain Capital Crypto, with participation from Alumni Ventures, Anthos Capital, Bloomberg Beta, Knight Foundation and True Ventures. • The round closed in April 2025. Bluesky previously raised a $15 million Series A round in October 2024.
The rise of vertical AI agents — and the startups racing to build them
Taylor Soper [Editor's Note: Agents of Transformation is an independent GeekWire series, underwritten by Accenture, exploring the people, companies, and ideas behind AI agents. Join us Tuesday, March 24, for our Agents of Transformation event in Seattle.] Just a year ago, AI-powered sales platform Nooks wasn't using many AI agents, instead relying on prompts and pre-trained models to help customers bolster their sales strategies. But that's changed in a big way.
GeekWire 200 update: A new No. 1 and plenty of newcomers join list of top Pacific Northwest tech startups
GeekWire 200 update: A new No. 1 and plenty of newcomers join list of top Pacific Northwest tech startups GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Fusion power company Helion Energy has taken the top spot in the latest update of the GeekWire 200, our quarterly ranking of the top privately held technology startups in the Pacific Northwest.
From Sydney to South Lake Union: VR startup Vantari brings its ‘flight simulator for healthcare’ to Seattle
From Sydney to South Lake Union: VR startup Vantari brings its ‘flight simulator for healthcare’ to Seattle GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Vantari, a virtual reality startup that builds “flight simulator” software for doctors and nurses, has officially moved its headquarters to Seattle as it ramps up work with health systems and device makers across North America.
Microsoft hires employees from Cove, a small Sequoia-backed AI startup that helps teams collaborate
Taylor Soper Cove , a Silicon Valley startup that helps workers collaborate while using AI agents, announced Tuesday that its team is joining Microsoft. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cove will shut down its product on April 1. “When we started Cove, we set out to reimagine how people collaborate with AI,” Cove co-founder and CEO Stephen Chau wrote on LinkedIn . “As model capabilities have accelerated, our conviction in that mission has only grown stronger.
Cybersecurity startup Native, led by AWS vets with roots in Seattle, comes out of stealth with $42M
Cybersecurity startup Native, led by AWS vets with roots in Seattle, comes out of stealth with $42M GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . A new cloud security startup called Native came out of stealth mode on Tuesday, announcing $42 million in funding to build what it describes as a “control plane” for cloud security.
Ramp acquires Juno, a corporate travel expense startup backed by Madrona
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Fintech giant Ramp announced the acquisition of Juno, a startup founded in 2024 that built a corporate travel platform to help manage non-employee expenses. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Juno will maintain its brand and employees.
FAQ: What the millionaires tax means for Seattle startup founders, investors, and tech workers
Taylor Soper Washington state lawmakers last week approved what's known as the “millionaires tax,” a landmark shift for a state that has long been a tax-friendly destination for entrepreneurs and high earners. GeekWire spoke with legal experts and wealth advisors to learn more about how the tax may impact different people in Washington's tech ecosystem. Here's what we learned.
USAFacts taps former DataKind CEO Lauren Woodman as new president
Tech Moves covers notable hires, promotions and personnel changes in the Pacific NW tech community. Submissions: [email protected] USAFacts, the government-data nonprofit founded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, named Lauren Woodman as its new president. Woodman, a longtime technology exec, is the second president in the Bellevue, Wash.-based organization’s 10-year history and will report to Ballmer when she starts April 20.
Atlassian layoffs impact 63 workers in Washington as CTO steps down
Enterprise collaboration software giant Atlassian is laying off 63 workers in Washington, according to a WARN notice filed with state regulators. Atlassian announced Wednesday that it will lay off about 10% of its staff, or 1,600 employees, as the 24-year-old software firm transitions to an “AI-first company.” Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes wrote that AI is changing the mix of skills and number of roles required in certain areas. “This is primarily about adaptation,” he said.
Startup radar: Seattle-area founders use AI for medical records, gaming, mortgages, search, and more
Taylor Soper Our latest Startup Radar spotlight features founders from the Seattle region using AI to help automate the assessment of medical records, video game production, and much more. Read on for brief descriptions of each company — along with pitch assessments from “Mean VC,” a GPT-powered critic offering a mix of encouragement and constructive feedback. Check out past Startup Radar posts here , and email tips@geekwire.com to flag other companies and startup news.
Tim Chen’s Essence VC firm is raising a new fund to back more infrastructure startups
Tim Chen’s Essence VC firm is raising a new fund to back more infrastructure startups GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Essence VC, an early stage venture capital firm run by Tim Chen, is raising a new fund. A SEC filing revealed the new fund.
Jay Graber steps down as Bluesky CEO, moves into chief innovation officer role at social media platform
Jay Graber steps down as Bluesky CEO, moves into chief innovation officer role at social media platform Tech Moves covers notable hires, promotions and personnel changes in the Pacific NW tech community. Submissions: [email protected] Bluesky CEO Jay Graber announced Monday that she’s stepping down from her position and moving to a new role as chief innovation officer of the decentralized social network.
Washington governor says he'll sign millionaires tax
Gov. Bob Ferguson said Friday that he will sign the latest version of Washington’s proposed “millionaires tax,” paving the way for legislation that has sparked intense debate within the state’s tech and business circles. In a statement, Ferguson said the revised proposal met his desire to send more revenue back to working families and small businesses. “I strongly encourage the Legislature to pass this bill with all of these investments in affordability included,” he said.
Silicon Valley tech vet: 'No better time to start companies than now'
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . The AI moment is not just another tech cycle — it’s one of the best openings founders have seen in years. That was the message from Sudheesh Nair, a longtime Bay Area tech leader and co-founder of enterprise web agent startup TinyFish, speaking Thursday at a Seattle Enterprise AI Summit event hosted by OneSixOne.
Startup radar: Seattle-area founders use AI for music videos, real estate, debugging, and more
From fitness equipment to voice AI agents to autonomous debugging, our latest Startup Radar spotlight features Seattle-area founders solving problems across a wide range of use cases. Read on for brief descriptions of each company — along with pitch assessments from “Mean VC,” a GPT-powered critic offering a mix of encouragement and constructive feedback. Check out past Startup Radar posts here , and email tips@geekwire.com to flag other companies and startup news.
Amazon lays off robotics staff in latest cuts
Amazon is laying off an undisclosed number of employees from its robotics division. Business Insider first reported the news, and the company confirmed the cuts in a statement to GeekWire. “We regularly review our organizations to make sure teams are best set up to innovate and deliver for our customers,” a company spokesperson said. “Following a recent review, we've made the difficult decision to eliminate a relatively small number of robotics roles.
Startup Radar: Seattle-area founders use AI for music videos, real estate, debugging, and more
Startup Radar: Seattle-area founders use AI for music videos, real estate, debugging, and more GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . From fitness equipment to voice AI agents to autonomous debugging, our latest Startup Radar spotlight features Seattle-area founders solving problems across a wide range of use cases.
Filing: IPIC closing movie theater near Seattle, will lay off 64 workers amid bankruptcy
Filing: IPIC closing movie theater near Seattle, will lay off 64 workers amid bankruptcy Geek Life: Fun stories, memes, humor and other random items at the intersection of tech, science, business and culture. SEE MORE IPIC Theaters plans to permanently close its Redmond, Wash., movie theater on April 28, according to a WARN notice filed with Washington state regulators. The upscale movie theater chain notified state officials on Feb.
Seattle's newest early stage fund makes a bet on vertical AI startups
Taylor Soper TheFounderVC (TFVC) , a new early stage fund based in Seattle and San Francisco, announced the public launch Tuesday of its inaugural $5 million fund. The firm is focused on “vertical AI” — startups building industry-specific products on top of increasingly powerful AI models.
Accenture to acquire Seattle network data company Ookla in $1.2B deal
Ziff Davis has agreed to sell its Connectivity division — which includes Ookla, the Seattle-based network analytics company known for its flagship Speedtest app — to Accenture in a $1.2 billion deal announced Tuesday. • Ziff Davis acquired Ookla in 2014. The company’s Connectivity division reported $231 million in revenue in 2025, about 16% of Ziff Davis’ total sales. • The deal also includes Downdetector, RootMetrics, and Ekahau.
Energy company Doosan GridTech lays off staff at Seattle-area office
Sustainability: News about the rapidly growing climate tech sector and other areas of innovation to protect our planet. SEE MORE Doosan GridTech plans to lay off 18 employees connected to its Bellevue, Wash., office, according to a new notice filed with Washington state regulators. The job cuts are expected to begin May 1. Doosan GridTech, part of South Korea’s Doosan group, develops software for energy storage systems.
MicroVision layoffs impact senior-level engineering roles
MicroVision plans to lay off 49 employees at its Redmond, Wash., headquarters in a series of job cuts starting in late April, according to a new regulatory filing with Washington state. • The cuts are heavily concentrated in engineering and technical roles. Several senior-level positions — including director of supply chain, director of IT, and director of operations and supply chain — are impacted, according to the filing.
In new letter to governor, Seattle tech leaders say income tax proposal will hurt region's AI innovation
In new letter to governor, Seattle tech leaders say income tax proposal will hurt region’s AI innovation Seattle tech leaders are warning that a new income tax proposal could stall the region’s momentum in artificial intelligence. In a letter sent Monday to Gov. Bob Ferguson, a group of AI researchers, founders, and investors argue that higher taxes on high earners and investment gains would push top talent and future startups elsewhere.
Seattle startup Carbon Robotics gets another shoutout from RFK Jr. for its weed-zapping robots
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Carbon Robotics, the Seattle startup that builds robots used by farmers to eliminate weeds without the use of chemicals, got another vote of confidence from the nation’s top health policy leader. Robert F.
Washington state gets federal sign-off for huge broadband buildout
Washington state has received a federal green light for its final plan under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program — the national push to extend high-speed internet to places that still don’t have adequate service. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration signed off on the BEAD proposal, giving the Washington State Broadband Office authority to start contracting with internet service providers and begin construction.
Amazon invests $50B in OpenAI, deepens AWS partnership with expanded $100B cloud deal
Amazon is doubling down on OpenAI, announcing a strategic partnership Friday that includes a $50 billion investment in the ChatGPT maker. The companies said Amazon will start with $15 billion, with $35 billion more expected “in the coming months when certain conditions are met.” The investment is part of a broader $110 billion funding round for OpenAI that includes SoftBank and NVIDIA, and brings the company’s pre-money valuation to a whopping $730 billion.
Seattle fintech startup Confido Legal raises fresh cash
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter, and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory.
Read AI rolls out ‘digital twin' that can respond to work emails and schedule meetings
Taylor Soper Seattle startup Read AI launched a new “ Digital Twin ” product that works through email and can help schedule meetings, answer questions, and keep conversations moving. The AI bot, branded as “Ada,” builds on the company's existing meeting and productivity tools. Read AI says it's the largest deployment of a digital twin product to date.
Seattle-area startup Union.ai raises $19M to fuel AI workflow platform
Bellevue, Wash.-based startup Union.ai announced that it closed a $38.1 million Series A round, led by NEA, with participation from Nava Ventures and new investor Mozilla Ventures. The total includes a previously announced $19.1 million tranche raised in 2023. Union is the company behind Flyte, an open-source orchestration tool used to run complex machine learning and data workflows.
As AI reshapes work, Microsoft and UW expand partnership for training, research — and a looming jobs gap
The University of Washington and Microsoft are deepening their partnership with a new effort aimed at preparing Washington state residents for an AI-driven economy. UW President Robert J. Jones and Microsoft President Brad Smith announced the expanded collaboration Tuesday during an event at the UW's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering.
San Francisco AI startup Nooks makes engineering push in Seattle
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . The San Francisco-based startup, which builds AI software for sales teams, is expanding its engineering footprint in Seattle — growing from zero to six engineers recently and hiring for more platform and product engineering roles.
Seattle startup Elevāt raises $12M to help industrial companies speed up equipment repairs
Seattle startup Elevāt raises $12M to help industrial companies speed up equipment repairs GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Seattle startup Elevāt has raised $12 million as part of a Series A round to fuel growth of its software aimed at helping industrial companies and equipment makers streamline repairs and reduce downtime.
Temporal CEO Samar Abbas on the massive platform shift in AI fueling the startup's $5B valuation
Temporal co-founders Samar Abbas and Maxim Fateev have been tackling the same distributed systems problem since their days at Amazon, Microsoft, and Uber. But the AI boom has put the problem “on steroids” as agents move to production, according to Abbas — and investors have taken notice. Temporal last week announced a $300 million Series D round led by Andreessen Horowitz, pushing its valuation to $5 billion — up from $2.5 billion in October.
From a mall booth to a $3B fintech: Matt Oppenheimer's startup lessons from a 15-year journey with Remitly
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Build with intentionality. Lead with authenticity. Prioritize customers over your ego. And focus on the problem you’re solving — with flexibility on the solution. That’s part of the playbook Matt Oppenheimer followed as he helped grow a three-person Techstars Seattle startup into one of the world’s leading remittance platforms.
Seattle transit's new 'tap-to-pay' feature goes live next week, well ahead of World Cup
Seattle transit’s new ‘tap-to-pay’ feature goes live next week, well ahead of World Cup The ubiquitous tap-to-pay technology now common in grocery stores and coffee shops is coming to Seattle-area buses and trains next week. Starting Monday, Feb. 23, ORCA will accept contactless credit and debit cards, along with digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, across the Seattle region.
Seattle startup Adronite raises $5M to help enterprises understand their codebases
Seattle startup Adronite raises $5M to help enterprises understand their codebases GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Seattle startup Adronite raised $5 million in a Series A round led by Gatemore Capital Management, as it looks to expand its AI-powered platform designed to give large organizations visibility into sprawling and complex codebases.
Remitly CEO Matt Oppenheimer steps down, hands reins of fintech company to former Amazon exec
Taylor Soper Remitly co-founder Matt Oppenheimer is stepping down as CEO after nearly 15 years growing the Seattle-based digital remittance company into a profitable, publicly traded fintech giant valued at nearly $3 billion. Veteran tech and finance executive Sebastian Gunningham will replace Oppenheimer, effective Feb. 19. Oppenheimer will become chairman as the company leans into what it calls its next chapter. “This transition isn't about stepping back.
Tech Moves: Sana hires CFO; Aptevo names new CEO; Violett founder departs; and more
Tech Moves: Sana hires CFO; Aptevo names new CEO; Violett founder departs; and more Tech Moves covers notable hires, promotions and personnel changes in the Pacific NW tech community. Submissions: [email protected] — Brian Piper, a longtime biotech leader, is the new CFO at Seattle-based Sana Biotechnology. Piper was previously CFO at Antares Therapeutics, Scorpion Therapeutics, and Prelude Therapeutics.
Seattle startup Griptape acquired by creative software firm Foundry
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Griptape, a Seattle-based startup founded in 2023 by former Amazon Web Services executives, has been acquired by Foundry, a London-based company whose software is used in visual effects and animation across Hollywood. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Former Avalara exec leads new Seattle-area startup inspired by Washington's estate tax
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . After a decade helping Avalara scale its tax software business, Alesia Pinney is taking aim at a different kind of tax headache. Pinney is CEO and co-founder of Legata, a Seattle-area startup helping wealthy households create estate plans.
Temporal raises $300M, hits $5B valuation as Seattle infrastructure startup rides AI wave
GeekWire chronicles the Pacific Northwest startup scene. Sign up for our weekly startup newsletter , and check out the GeekWire funding tracker and VC directory . Seattle-based Temporal has raised $300 million in a Series D funding round at a $5 billion valuation, positioning the company as a key infrastructure provider for the emerging wave of AI agents moving into real-world production. The latest round, led by Andreessen Horowitz, doubles the company’s valuation from October.
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