VC funds endorsing in Seattle's startup ecosystem in 2026

Seattle raised $7.8B across 420+ deals in 2025. Most capital went to cloud infrastructure, enterprise SaaS, and healthtech. The ecosystem is dominated by ex-Amazon and ex-Microsoft founders. You won't get funded here without understanding cloud economics and enterprise sales.

Quick list

Why Seattle works for enterprise software

Seattle has 40+ active venture funds. Average seed round is $3.2M, higher than Atlanta or Austin. That's because Seattle founders have Amazon and Microsoft experience - investors pay a premium for that.

Enterprise software gets funded easily here. Investors understand cloud margins, usage-based pricing, and PLG motions. If you're building consumer or SMB software, you'll struggle. Seattle VCs expect $100K+ ACVs and a clear path to enterprise accounts, and they pay close attention to your technical foundations, especially around security.

The talent pool is real. You can hire ex-AWS engineers who built S3 or ex-Azure developers who scaled Kubernetes. That matters for infrastructure and dev tools startups. For consumer companies, Seattle's talent is expensive and enterprise-focused. Strong technical hires are everywhere here, especially for teams with prior experience working at startups.

Seattle's biggest weakness is late-stage capital. Most Series C+ rounds require SF or NYC lead investors. Plan accordingly. Tiger Global and Insight Partners co-invest here frequently, but they won't lead your seed round.

Picking the right Seattle investor

Local presence: Seattle investors expect you to be based here or have clear Amazon/Microsoft enterprise channels. The ecosystem is tight - everyone knows each other from AWS or Microsoft alumni networks. It’s a close-knit ecosystem, and relationships inside those alumni circles open doors quickly, especially when you're refining your pitch deck.

Portfolio companies: Check if they've backed Pacific Northwest companies. Some "Seattle funds" are really Bay Area VCs with occasional Seattle deals. Look for investors who’ve done five or more Washington investments recently, and check whether they’ve supported compliance-heavy businesses. Many founders here now prioritize screenshot protection for sensitive materials.

Check sizes: Seed rounds typically run $2-4M in Seattle. Series A is $8-15M. Series B is $20-40M. Those numbers are 30-40% higher than most markets because talent costs more and investors expect enterprise traction before writing checks.

Local network: Seattle investors can intro you to Amazon's AWS Marketplace team, Microsoft's Azure partners, or Tableau's analytics buyers. That's the real value beyond capital. Ask which big tech relationships they maintain during partner calls.

Communication: Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. Seattle investors typically review decks within 48 hours - they move faster than East Coast but slower than SF. You'll see who actually opens your technical architecture slides versus who skims the summary.

Follow-on capacity: Most Seattle funds can lead through Series B. After that, you'll need Sequoia, Accel, or growth equity firms. Check if they co-invest regularly with Madrona or Fuse - those relationships signal they can help with later rounds. Ask about reserve ratios directly.

How to find and approach Seattle investors

Research local deals: Check Geekwire's funding announcements and PitchBook's Seattle filter. Most Seattle raises are announced within a week. The community is transparent about deal flow. Follow Madrona's blog for ecosystem insights.

Leverage Amazon/Microsoft networks: Join AWS Startup Loft or Microsoft for Startups programs. Half of Seattle's seed deals have some connection to these alumni networks. If you worked at either company, use those intros aggressively.

Build relationships first: Seattle investors fund people they know through Amazon/Microsoft connections. Get warm intros from portfolio founders or shared ex-colleagues. Cold emails work 5% of the time here versus 20% in SF.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and send unique tracking links to each fund. Seattle investors spend extra time on technical architecture and unit economics slides. They skip the vision pages - they want to see your AWS bills and gross margins.

Attend local events: Seattle Interactive Conference brings everyone together annually. Geekwire Summit is where deals happen. Pioneer Square Labs hosts monthly founder events. Skip generic networking mixers - they're full of tire-kickers.

Connect with portfolio founders: Message founders at Snowflake, Auth0, or Remitly. They'll tell you which funds move fast and which ones take six months to decide. Seattle founders are helpful but expect you to do your homework first.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room before first meetings. Seattle investors expect technical diligence and customer references early. Keep your AWS architecture diagrams, customer contracts, and Delaware incorporation docs ready.

Understand local pace: Seattle deals close in 10-14 weeks typically. Faster than NYC, similar to SF. Investors here want technical deep dives and customer calls. Don't expect term sheets after two meetings unless you have competing offers.

Seattle-specific considerations

Seattle investors heavily favor enterprise B2B software and cloud infrastructure. Consumer startups rarely get funded unless you have Amazon retail distribution advantages. Healthtech works here because of Fred Hutch and UW Medicine connections.

Expect detailed technical diligence. Seattle investors come from Amazon and Microsoft - they'll audit your code, review your AWS spend, and stress-test your architecture. If you can't explain your cloud unit economics, you won't get funded.

Seattle has strong Series A and B capital but limited growth stage funding. Plan your Series C with Bay Area firms. Most successful Seattle companies are headquartered here through Series B, then add SF offices for later rounds. The exits happen through Amazon or Microsoft acquisitions more than IPOs.

17 top investors in Seattle

1. Madrona Venture Group

Seattle's most prominent VC firm with 30+ years backing Pacific Northwest companies.

• Recent Deals: Snowflake Series A (2014, now $70B+), Highspot $248M Series E (2022), Icertis $150M Series F (2020)
• LinkedIn: Matt McIlwain
• Sector Focus: cloud infrastructure, enterprise SaaS, AI/ML, developer tools
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 999 Third Avenue, Suite 2400, Seattle
• Website: madrona.com

2. Maveron

Consumer-focused fund co-founded by Starbucks' Howard Schultz.

• Recent Deals: Zulily $2.4B exit, Allbirds IPO (2021), Sweetgreen IPO (2021)
• LinkedIn: Dan Levitan
• Sector Focus: consumer brands, retail tech, food tech, DTC
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 800 5th Avenue, Suite 4100, Seattle
• Website: maveron.com

3. Voyager Capital

Pacific Northwest specialist backing B2B software since 1997.

• Recent Deals: Avalara Series B (2012, acquired for $8.4B), Apptio growth rounds (acquired by Vista for $2B), Whitepages Series B
• LinkedIn: Erik Benson
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, fintech, healthtech, data infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 800 5th Avenue, Suite 4100, Seattle
• Website: voyagercapital.com

4. Fuse

Early-stage enterprise software investor with strong Seattle presence.

• Recent Deals: Auth0 Series A (acquired by Okta for $6.5B), LaunchDarkly $54M Series C (2020), BigID $70M Series D (2021)
• LinkedIn: Brendan Wales
• Sector Focus: enterprise SaaS, security, developer tools, data infrastructure
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1700 Westlake Avenue North, Suite 200, Seattle
• Website: fusevc.com

5. Founders' Co-op

Seattle's most active seed investor, writing $500K-1M checks.

• Recent Deals: Remitly seed (IPO 2021, $6.5B valuation), Julep Beauty seed, Placed seed (acquired by Snap)
• LinkedIn: Chris DeVore
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, consumer internet, fintech, marketplaces
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 1201 Western Avenue, Seattle
• Website: founderscoop.com

6. Pioneer Square Labs

Venture studio creating and funding Seattle startups.

• Recent Deals: Created 50+ companies including Boundless, AnswerDash, and Selling Simplified
• LinkedIn: Mike Galgon
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, marketplaces, consumer tech, AI applications
• Stage Focus: company creation, pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: 240 2nd Avenue South, Pioneer Square, Seattle
• Website: psl.com

7. Bezos Expeditions

Jeff Bezos's personal investment vehicle backing Seattle companies.

• Recent Deals: Convoy $260M Series D (2019), Remitly Series C, Arrived Homes seed (2020)
• LinkedIn: Investment decisions through Bezos Expeditions team
• Sector Focus: logistics, fintech, healthcare, consumer tech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Seattle (private office)
• Website: bezosexpeditions.com

8. Ignition Partners

Enterprise infrastructure specialist with deep Microsoft connections.

• Recent Deals: DocuSign Series B (IPO 2018), Smartsheet early rounds (IPO 2018), Qumulo $125M Series E (2021)
• LinkedIn: Brad Silverberg
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, security, data platforms
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 1000 2nd Avenue, Suite 3700, Seattle
• Website: ignitionpartners.com

9. Vulcan Capital

Paul Allen's family office investing in Seattle innovation.

• Recent Deals: Rad Power Bikes $150M Series D (2021), Outreach $114M Series E (2020), Icertis multiple rounds
• LinkedIn: John Finley
• Sector Focus: enterprise software, climate tech, transportation, healthtech
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, growth equity
• Office Location: 505 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 900, Seattle
• Website: vulcancapital.com

10. Flying Fish Partners

B2B SaaS investor focused on revenue operations and sales tech.

• Recent Deals: Highspot $200M Series E (2021), Amperity $100M Series D (2021), multiple Seattle SaaS companies
• LinkedIn: Stu Clark
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, sales enablement, marketing tech, revenue operations
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Seattle
• Website: flyingfishvc.com

11. Trilogy Equity Partners

Growth equity firm backing profitable Pacific Northwest software companies.

• Recent Deals: PitchBook growth rounds (acquired by Morningstar), Apptio growth investment, multiple Seattle B2B exits
• LinkedIn: Brian Kramer
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, data platforms, fintech, vertical software
• Stage Focus: growth equity, late Series B, Series C
• Office Location: 999 Third Avenue, Suite 4400, Seattle
• Website: trilogyequity.com

12. Second Avenue Partners

Growth-stage investor in profitable software companies.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Seattle B2B software growth investments, focus on $10M+ ARR companies
• LinkedIn: Kevin Reid
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, vertical software, data analytics
• Stage Focus: growth equity, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Seattle
• Website: secondavenuepartners.com

13. Divergent Ventures

Early-stage fund backing underrepresented founders in Seattle.

• Recent Deals: 15+ Seattle seed deals in 2024-2025, focus on diverse founding teams
• LinkedIn: Monica Dodi
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, fintech, healthcare, infrastructure
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Seattle
• Website: divergentventures.com

14. Grubstake Ventures

Micro-VC writing $250K-500K checks into Seattle pre-seed rounds.

• Recent Deals: 30+ Seattle pre-seed investments, focus on technical founders
• LinkedIn: Ian Sobieski
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, developer tools, infrastructure, AI/ML
• Stage Focus: pre-seed, seed
• Office Location: Seattle
• Website: grubstake.vc

15. Ascend VC

Data infrastructure and AI platform specialist.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Seattle data and AI startups, focus on technical founders from Amazon/Microsoft
• LinkedIn: Mike Colella
• Sector Focus: data infrastructure, AI/ML platforms, developer tools, analytics
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A
• Office Location: Seattle
• Website: ascend.vc

16. Defy Partners

Bay Area fund with strong Seattle presence and deal flow.

• Recent Deals: Smartsheet Series A (IPO 2018), Guild Education $175M Series E (2021), Aiven $210M Series D (2022)
• LinkedIn: Neil Sequeira
• Sector Focus: enterprise SaaS, developer tools, fintech, future of work
• Stage Focus: seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: SF headquarters, Seattle partnerships
• Website: defypartners.com

17. Cascadia Capital

Investment banking and growth capital for Pacific Northwest companies.

• Recent Deals: Multiple Seattle M&A advisory and growth investments, focus on $50M+ revenue companies
• LinkedIn: Steve Mosbarger
• Sector Focus: B2B software, healthcare IT, consumer brands, manufacturing
• Stage Focus: growth equity, pre-IPO, M&A advisory
• Office Location: 1420 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2600, Seattle
• Website: cascadiacapital.com

Start tracking your Seattle investor outreach

These 17 investors closed 180+ Seattle deals in 2024-2025. Before you start reaching out to Pacific Northwest funds, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each Seattle investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your technical architecture and AWS cost breakdown. Seattle-based founders often find local investors skip vision slides but deep-dive on infrastructure and unit economics.

When Seattle investors ask for technical documentation, share an Ellty data room instead of Dropbox folders. Your system architecture diagrams, customer references, AWS bills, and Delaware incorporation docs in one secure place with view analytics.

Common questions

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

Most Seattle funds prefer local companies or those with clear Amazon/Microsoft enterprise sales advantages. You don't need Washington incorporation, but you should have operations here or strong ties to the ex-Amazon/Microsoft network. Remote-first companies get funded if you have enterprise traction.

How does Seattle compare to SF or NYC for fundraising?

Seattle has more capital than Austin or Atlanta but less than SF or NYC. Average valuations are 15-20% lower than SF but higher than most markets. Seattle's advantage is enterprise expertise - investors deeply understand cloud economics and B2B sales. The disadvantage is limited late-stage capital.

What's the average seed round size in Seattle?

$2.5-3.5M for institutional seed rounds. Pre-seed is typically $750K-1.5M. Series A ranges from $8-15M. These are 30-40% higher than Southeast markets because Seattle talent is expensive and investors expect more traction.

Should I raise locally or go straight to SF?

Raise local for seed through Series B if you're building enterprise software or cloud infrastructure. Seattle investors understand these markets better than anyone. Plan to bring in SF capital for Series C+. Most successful Seattle companies stay headquartered here but open SF offices for growth rounds.

Do Seattle investors expect in-person meetings?

First meetings should be in-person. Seattle investors value face time less than Atlanta but more than SF. Plan to fly in for 1-2 days and meet 4-6 funds. Follow-up meetings can be Zoom. Close term sheets in person if possible.

What industries get funded most in Seattle?

Enterprise B2B SaaS dominates, especially cloud infrastructure and developer tools. Healthtech works because of UW Medicine and Fred Hutch. Logistics tech benefits from Amazon's supply chain expertise. Consumer startups struggle unless you have retail distribution advantages through Amazon or Costco.

How long does it take to close a round in Seattle?

2-4 months from first meeting to wire transfer. Faster than East Coast, similar to SF. Seattle investors want technical deep dives and customer references. Expect 3-5 partner meetings and detailed technical diligence. Deals with competing term sheets can close in 6-8 weeks.