Seattle's top cloud computing investors energizing local founders in 2026

Seattle raised $2.9B across 200+ cloud and infrastructure deals in 2025. Most capital went to companies building DevOps tools, cloud-native infrastructure, and Kubernetes security. The city is home to AWS and Microsoft Azure, which means talent here actually understands distributed systems. You won't find many consumer cloud apps getting funded - Seattle investors want B2B infrastructure that sells to enterprises.

Quick list

Why Seattle for cloud fundraising

Seattle sits at the center of cloud computing. AWS and Azure both headquartered here means deep bench of engineers who've scaled distributed systems. Average Series A for cloud infrastructure is $12-18M, higher than most cities outside SF. The talent pool understands what it takes to build horizontally scalable systems.

Local investors prefer infrastructure over application layer. They want to see systems that other engineers will pay for, not consumer-facing products. Most Seattle cloud deals happen after founders have proven technical feasibility and landed a few enterprise customers.

Competition is intense for quality cloud infrastructure deals. Microsoft alumni often start companies and raise from M12 or Madrona within months. AWS alumni network is equally strong. If you're building cloud tooling and not in Seattle, you're missing half the conversation. Most rounds close in 2-3 months once investors see technical proof points.

Picking the right Seattle cloud infrastructure investor

Local presence: Seattle cloud investors expect you to be local or willing to relocate. The AWS and Azure networks are relationship-driven. Remote founders struggle to access the same enterprise customers and technical advisors that Seattle-based VCs provide through their networks.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've funded cloud infrastructure before. Madrona backed Snowflake early and knows data infrastructure. M12 understands enterprise cloud adoption better than most because of Microsoft's customer base. Flying Fish focuses on ML infrastructure specifically.

Check sizes: Seattle seed rounds for cloud infrastructure run $2-5M. Series A typically $12-18M. Series B can reach $30-50M for companies with proven revenue. These numbers are higher than most markets because cloud infrastructure requires longer technical development before revenue scales.

Local network: Seattle investors introduce you to AWS and Azure engineering leads. This matters more than you think - most cloud infrastructure companies need design partners from hyperscalers to prove their technology works at scale. Madrona and M12 both offer direct intros.

Communication: Share your deck through Ellty trackable links before meetings. Seattle investors typically review decks within 24-48 hours. You'll see which slides they spend time on - most focus heavily on architecture diagrams and technical differentiation rather than market size.

Follow-on capacity: Most Seattle cloud investors have capital for Series B but not later stages. Madrona can lead through Series B. M12 participates but rarely leads beyond Series A. Plan to bring in Tiger Global or other growth investors for Series C. Local funds don't have $100M+ checks.

How to find and approach Seattle cloud infrastructure investors

Research local deals: Check GeekWire's funding tracker weekly. Most Seattle cloud deals get announced there before Crunchbase. Follow Madrona's blog - they write about their investment thesis frequently. M12 publishes case studies on portfolio companies that show what they look for.

Leverage local ecosystem: Join Techstars Seattle or apply to Madrona Venture Labs if you're pre-seed. University of Washington's CoMotion Labs helps technical founders from academia. Most Seattle cloud founders either came through one of these programs or worked at AWS/Azure first.

Build relationships first: Seattle investors take 3-4 meetings before term sheets. That's faster than East Coast but slower than SF. Attend their portfolio company events. Madrona hosts regular founder dinners. M12 runs workshops on enterprise sales. Show up and build relationships before you need to raise.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and create unique tracking links for each investor. You'll know within days which VCs actually reviewed your technical architecture. Seattle cloud investors dig deep into system design - if they don't spend 5+ minutes on your architecture slides, they're not seriously evaluating.

Attend local events: Seattle Tech Week in June brings every local VC together. The Enterprise Capital Alliance summit in September focuses specifically on B2B infrastructure. GeekWire Summit in October. Skip generic startup events - Seattle cloud investors only show up to technical conferences.

Connect with portfolio founders: Most Seattle cloud infrastructure founders will take calls if you're technical. Email Temporal, Edera, or other recent portfolio companies. Ask them which investors actually helped with customer intros versus which ones just showed up to board meetings.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before first meetings. Seattle investors move fast once they decide. Include technical documentation, system architecture, security audits, and AWS/Azure usage metrics. Cloud investors want to see your infrastructure costs and scaling characteristics.

Understand local pace: Seattle moves faster than East Coast but not as fast as SF. Expect 6-8 weeks from first meeting to term sheet for Series A. Series B can take 10-12 weeks. The technical diligence is deeper than most markets. Investors bring in their portfolio CTOs to review your architecture. Clear, structured pricing plans help NYC investors understand how your revenue scales, what customers actually pay for, and where long-term growth comes from.

Seattle-specific considerations for cloud infrastructure

Seattle investors expect you to understand hyperscaler business models. They assume you've worked at AWS or Azure and know cloud economics. If you haven't, you'll spend extra time proving you understand unit economics and gross margins.

Competition for Series A cloud infrastructure deals is high. Expect term sheets at $40-60M post-money valuations if you have $2M ARR. Higher than most markets but lower than SF for similar traction. Seattle investors won't overpay just because it's a hot space.

Most Seattle cloud VCs want quarterly board meetings in person. Remote board participation is less common than SF. Budget for travel if you're not local. The trade-off is access to AWS and Azure decision-makers through your board members' networks.

18 top cloud infrastructure investors in Seattle

1. Madrona Venture Group

Madrona has backed Seattle cloud companies since the 1990s and led Temporal's early rounds when most investors didn't understand microservices orchestration.

• Recent Deals: Temporal Series B $103M (2023), Synthesize Bio $10M (2025), Gradial Series B $13M (2025)
• LinkedIn: Tim Porter LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, developer tools, enterprise SaaS, AI/ML platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Seattle, WA
• Website: madrona.com

2. M12 (Microsoft Ventures)

M12 brings Microsoft's enterprise relationships but moves slower than typical VCs because deals go through corporate approval.

• Recent Deals: Edera $15M Series A (February 2025), Foundry $80M Series A (2025), Space and Time funding rounds
• LinkedIn: Managing Partner LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, AI, cybersecurity, developer tools, enterprise SaaS
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: San Francisco, CA (invests heavily in Seattle companies)
• Website: m12.vc

3. Flying Fish Partners

Flying Fish focuses exclusively on AI/ML infrastructure and cloud computing tools, won't look at application layer companies.

• Recent Deals: Simular Seed (December 2025), Hiverge $5M Seed (2025), BluePill funding rounds
• LinkedIn: Frank Chang LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: AI/ML infrastructure, cloud computing, NLP, IoT
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Seattle, WA
• Website: flyingfish.vc

4. Voyager Capital

Voyager leads first institutional rounds and has funded more Pacific Northwest cloud infrastructure companies than anyone except Madrona.

• Recent Deals: Tin Can $3.5M Seed (2025), 4ag Robotics $40M Series B (2025), Sturdy Seed (2025)
• LinkedIn: Bill McAleer LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, SaaS, analytics, AI-driven solutions
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Seattle, WA
• Website: voyagercapital.com

5. Sequoia Capital

Sequoia opened Seattle presence to stay close to cloud infrastructure deal flow after missing some AWS alumni companies.

• Recent Deals: Temporal $146M Series C co-lead (March 2025), multiple cloud infrastructure investments
• LinkedIn: Sequoia LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, developer tools, enterprise software, AI
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Menlo Park, CA (active in Seattle)
• Website: sequoiacap.com

6. Tiger Global Management

Tiger Global writes big checks fast for proven cloud infrastructure companies with strong revenue growth.

• Recent Deals: Temporal $146M Series C lead (March 2025), Temporal $105M secondary (October 2025)
• LinkedIn: Tiger Global LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, internet, fintech
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: New York, NY (very active in Seattle)
• Website: tigerglobal.com

7. Index Ventures

Index has participated in Temporal's funding across multiple rounds and backs cloud infrastructure globally with Seattle focus.

• Recent Deals: Temporal Series B and Series C participation (2022-2025)
• LinkedIn: Index Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, developer platforms, enterprise SaaS
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: London, UK and San Francisco, CA (Seattle investments)
• Website: indexventures.com

8. Amplify Partners

Amplify focuses on technical founders building infrastructure and backed Temporal before most investors understood the space.

• Recent Deals: Temporal Seed through Series C (2020-2025)
• LinkedIn: Amplify Partners LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, developer tools, data infrastructure, security
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Menlo Park, CA (invests in Seattle)
• Website: amplifypartners.com

9. Addition Capital

Addition backs technical founders building durable businesses in cloud infrastructure and enterprise software.

• Recent Deals: Temporal Series B participation (2022)
• LinkedIn: Addition LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, developer tools
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Palo Alto, CA (Seattle presence)
• Website: addition.com

10. Ignition Partners

Ignition has Seattle and Silicon Valley offices and focuses exclusively on enterprise software and cloud infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Multiple cloud infrastructure seed and Series A investments
• LinkedIn: Ignition Partners LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, machine learning
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Seattle, WA and Menlo Park, CA
• Website: ignitionpartners.com

11. Tola Capital

Tola invests globally but has strong Seattle presence and focuses on enterprise software with cloud infrastructure components.

• Recent Deals: Multiple early-stage cloud security and infrastructure investments
• LinkedIn: Tola Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, cloud security, developer tools
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Menlo Park, CA (Seattle investments)
• Website: tolacapital.com

12. PSL Ventures

PSL operates as both studio and fund, building cloud infrastructure companies from scratch with founding teams.

• Recent Deals: Multiple studio-built cloud and infrastructure companies
• LinkedIn: PSL Ventures LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Enterprise software, cloud platforms, mobile, internet
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Seattle, WA
• Website: psl.com

13. Founders' Co-op

Founders' Co-op has backed Seattle cloud companies since 2008 and runs Techstars Seattle program.

• Recent Deals: Multiple seed-stage cloud and infrastructure startups in Seattle
• LinkedIn: Founders' Co-op LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, SaaS, developer tools, enterprise software
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Seattle, WA
• Website: founderscoop.com

14. FUSE

FUSE invests in Pacific Northwest technology companies at the earliest stages including cloud infrastructure.

• Recent Deals: Multiple pre-seed and seed cloud infrastructure companies
• LinkedIn: FUSE LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, developer tools
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Seattle, WA
• Website: fusefund.com

15. Divergent Capital

Divergent backs cloud infrastructure and data-driven applications with deep technical diligence.

• Recent Deals: Multiple cloud infrastructure and big data investments in Seattle
• LinkedIn: Divergent Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, data-driven applications, big data
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Seattle, WA
• Website: divergentvc.com

16. WRF Capital

WRF invests exclusively in Washington state companies including cloud infrastructure spinouts from research institutions.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Washington-based cloud and infrastructure companies
• LinkedIn: WRF Capital LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, information technology, physical sciences
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Seattle, WA
• Website: wrfcapital.com

17. GIC Private

GIC is Singapore's sovereign wealth fund that led Temporal's secondary and invests in proven cloud infrastructure companies.

• Recent Deals: Temporal $105M secondary lead (October 2025)
• LinkedIn: GIC LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, technology
• Stage Focus: Series C, Growth, Late stage
• Office Location: Singapore (global investments including Seattle)
• Website: gic.com.sg

18. StepStone Group

StepStone participates in larger cloud infrastructure rounds with proven companies showing strong revenue.

• Recent Deals: Temporal $146M Series C participation (March 2025)
• LinkedIn: StepStone Group LinkedIn
• Sector Focus: Cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, technology
• Stage Focus: Series C, Growth
• Office Location: La Jolla, CA (Seattle investments)
• Website: stepstoneglobal.com

Start tracking your Seattle cloud infrastructure investor outreach

These 18 investors closed Seattle cloud infrastructure deals worth $500M+ in 2025-2026. Before reaching out to Seattle VCs, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create unique links for each Seattle investor. You'll see which slides they review and how long they spend on your architecture diagrams. Seattle cloud investors typically skip market size slides but spend 10+ minutes on technical differentiation and system design.

When Seattle investors request technical documentation, share an Ellty data room instead of email attachments. Your system architecture, security audits, and AWS cost breakdowns in one place with view analytics. Most Seattle cloud VCs will review technical docs within 48 hours if they're seriously interested.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in Seattle to raise from Seattle cloud infrastructure investors?

No, but it helps significantly. Seattle investors prefer local founders because cloud infrastructure requires deep technical diligence and frequent in-person meetings. Remote founders can raise but expect to visit Seattle monthly and potentially relocate after Series A.

How does Seattle compare to San Francisco for cloud infrastructure fundraising?

Seattle has more cloud infrastructure expertise because of AWS and Azure presence. Check sizes are 20-30% lower than SF for similar traction. Seattle investors understand distributed systems better but SF has more follow-on capital for Series C and beyond.

What's the average Series A round size for cloud infrastructure in Seattle?

$12-18M at $40-60M post-money valuations for companies with $2M ARR. Higher than most markets but lower than SF. Seattle investors pay for technical differentiation and proven enterprise adoption rather than growth-at-all-costs.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF/NYC?

Start local if you're building cloud infrastructure. Seattle investors understand the technical challenges better than most coastal VCs. Raise your seed and Series A locally, then add Tiger Global or Sequoia for Series B. Most successful Seattle cloud companies follow this path.

Do Seattle cloud infrastructure investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes for Series A and beyond. Initial meetings can be virtual but expect to fly to Seattle for technical deep dives and partner meetings. Most term sheets require 2-3 in-person meetings minimum. Budget for monthly Seattle trips once you're in serious discussions.

What technical traction do Seattle cloud investors need to see?

Seed investors want working prototype and 1-2 design partners from enterprise customers. Series A expects $500K-2M ARR with 3-5 paying enterprise customers. Series B needs $5M+ ARR with net dollar retention above 120%. Seattle investors focus heavily on technical proof points over revenue alone.