Seattle Series A investors nourishing early-stage companies in 2026

Seattle raised $2.8B across 142 Series A deals in 2025. Most capital went to enterprise SaaS and developer tools. The city has strong early-stage capital but founders need $3-5M ARR to raise here. Seattle Series A investors want to see product-market fit with real revenue, not just growth metrics.

Quick list

Why Seattle for Series A fundraising

Seattle has 25+ active Series A funds and another 30 national firms with local presence. Average Series A here is $12M, slightly higher than Austin but lower than San Francisco. Enterprise SaaS gets funded easily because of Amazon and Microsoft's presence. Consumer tech struggles unless you have clear retail distribution or marketplace traction.

Seattle Series A investors expect $3-5M ARR and 3x year-over-year growth. They're less willing to fund pure growth stories than Bay Area investors. Most want to see a path to profitability within 24 months. That's because Amazon's culture of frugality influences local investment thinking. If you're burning $500K/month with no revenue, you'll struggle here.

The city produces consistent $50-200M exits rather than unicorns. That means Series A valuations are 20-30% lower than San Francisco but cap tables are cleaner. Most Seattle founders raise $8-15M at $30-50M post-money valuations. Compare that to SF where $15-25M rounds at $60-80M post are common. You'll give up less equity in Seattle but expect slower growth expectations.

Picking the right Seattle Series A investor

Local presence matters because Seattle investors prefer quarterly board meetings in person. Most active Series A funds have partners who came from Amazon, Microsoft, or Expedia. They can intro you to enterprise buyers and engineering leaders at those companies. That access is worth taking local money over coastal funds. If you're building B2B software, Seattle investors will get you into Amazon meetings faster than any Bay Area VC. Password-protecting presentations adds a simple safeguard when sharing sensitive slides.

Portfolio companies show their actual investment patterns. Check if they've backed Seattle companies in the last 2 years. Most Seattle Series A investors focus on enterprise software with clear revenue. If they funded 10 B2B SaaS companies and you're building consumer social, you won't fit. Look for at least 3-5 Seattle portfolio companies. National funds with one Seattle investment aren't really active here. Madrona, Maveron, and Voyager have 20+ Seattle companies each. They understand local market dynamics better than funds flying in for quarterly meetings. Security plays a quiet but important role in building trust during collaboration.

Check sizes range $5-20M for Series A in Seattle. Madrona and Ignition can lead $15-20M rounds solo. Most others write $5-10M checks and bring in co-investors. Expect 50% of your round from local investors, 50% from national funds. That's healthy because you get local expertise plus coastal capital for follow-ons. Rounds typically close in 8-12 weeks if competitive, 12-16 weeks if single-investor. Seattle moves faster than Boston but slower than San Francisco.

Local network is Seattle's biggest advantage at Series A. Founders' Co-op and Madrona can connect you to Amazon and Microsoft executives who become customers or advisors. Most Seattle Series A investors have direct relationships with AWS, Azure, and Salesforce teams. If you're enterprise software, that's worth 10-15 points of equity. Upload your deck to Ellty and create unique tracking links for each investor. You'll see who actually reviews your product roadmap and customer pipeline versus skimming the deck.

Follow-on capacity varies widely in Seattle. Madrona, Maveron, Ignition, and Vulcan have $200M+ funds and can lead Series B. Smaller funds like Voyager and Founders' Co-op will help find Series B investors but can't lead themselves. Ask about reserves and follow-on strategy before accepting term sheets. Most successful Seattle companies raise Series A locally, Series B from local plus coastal funds, then Series C+ in San Francisco or New York. Startup fundraising is shaped by preparation, timing, and consistent follow-up.

How to approach Seattle Series A investors

Research local deals through Geekwire's funding database and Puget Sound Business Journal. Both publish Seattle Series A rounds within 48 hours. Check which funds led the last 30 deals. Madrona leads 20-25% of Seattle Series A rounds. Founders' Co-op participates in another 15-20%. If a fund hasn't done a Seattle Series A in 18 months, they're probably not active anymore or they're being selective.

Leverage local ecosystem by joining Techstars Seattle or Alliance of Angels networks. Most Seattle Series A investors source deals through these groups. University of Washington's CoMotion Labs connects deep-tech founders to capital. If you're enterprise software, attend Madrona Venture Labs events. They scout for portfolio companies there. Seattle Interactive Conference and TIE events bring investors and founders together quarterly. Most Seattle Series A deals start with warm intros from portfolio founders or accelerator directors.

Build relationships first because Seattle investors take 3-6 months from first meeting to term sheet. That's slower than San Francisco but normal for Seattle. Start conversations 9-12 months before you need capital. Most Seattle Series A investors want to see 2-3 quarters of revenue growth before committing. They'll pass on single-quarter hockey sticks. Show consistent 15-20% monthly growth over 6+ months. Cold emails to Seattle investors get 8-12% response rates. Warm intros from founders they've backed get 70-80% response rates. Document analytics offer insight into how shared materials are actually being viewed.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty with individual tracking links for each Seattle investor. You'll see exactly which slides get attention and how long they spend on revenue and unit economics pages. Seattle Series A investors focus heavily on CAC payback periods and gross margins. If they're not opening your financials, they're not serious. Most Seattle VCs respond within 5-7 days if interested. Two weeks of silence means they've passed. Don't follow up more than twice.

Attend local events like GeekWire Summit in October and Madrona Venture Labs Demo Days. Those events actually produce term sheets. Skip small networking mixers. Seattle investors don't make decisions at happy hours. TechStars Seattle Demo Day brings national investors too, which creates competitive tension. That helps with valuations. Seattle Interactive Conference happens quarterly and attracts 30+ local investors. eMerge Americas in pitch deck works best when it communicates value clearly and efficiently.

Seattle-specific considerations for Series A

Seattle investors strongly prefer B2B over consumer at Series A stage. Enterprise SaaS with Microsoft or Amazon as customers raises easily. Consumer brands need proven unit economics and clear paths to profitability. Most Seattle Series A investors want $3-5M ARR minimum. That's higher than San Francisco's $2-3M threshold but reflects Seattle's focus on sustainable growth over hypergrowth.

Talent costs in Seattle are 30-40% higher than Austin or Denver but 15-20% lower than San Francisco. Engineers from Amazon and Microsoft expect $180-250K total comp at startups. Factor that into your 18-month runway calculations. Most Seattle Series A investors model higher burn rates than other secondary markets. Your $12M raise might last 15-16 months instead of 18 months.

Seattle has strong anti-dilution expectations. Most Series A term sheets include 1x liquidation preferences and broad-based weighted average anti-dilution. That's standard. What's different is Seattle investors negotiate harder on board composition. Expect them to request two board seats in a five-person board for leading a $15M round. San Francisco investors usually take one seat for the same check size.

18 top Series A investors in Seattle

1. Madrona Venture Group

Seattle's most active Series A investor with the deepest Amazon and Microsoft relationships.

• Recent Deals: Pulumi $37M Series A (2024), Stackline $15M Series A (2023), Highspot $10M Series A (2022)
• LinkedIn: Matt McIlwain
• Sector Focus: Enterprise SaaS, Cloud Infrastructure, Developer Tools, AI/ML
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 999 Third Avenue, Suite 2400, Seattle
• Website: madrona.com

2. Maveron

Consumer-focused but backs Seattle B2B companies with strong product-market fit.

• Recent Deals: Convoy $15M Series A (2022), Julep Beauty $12M Series A (2021), OfferUp $18M Series A (2020)
• LinkedIn: Jason Stoffer
• Sector Focus: Consumer Tech, E-commerce, B2B SaaS, Marketplaces
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 800 5th Avenue, Suite 4100, Seattle
• Website: maveron.com

3. Voyager Capital

Pacific Northwest's most active Series A investor with 60+ portfolio companies.

• Recent Deals: Remitly $12M Series A (2021), Spare Labs $8M Series A (2024), NextStep $10M Series A (2025)
• LinkedIn: Erik Benson
• Sector Focus: Fintech, Enterprise SaaS, Digital Health, B2B Marketplaces
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 800 5th Avenue, Suite 4100, Seattle
• Website: voyagercapital.com

4. Ignition Partners

Enterprise software specialist that led Auth0, nCino, and other Seattle unicorns.

• Recent Deals: Auth0 $9M Series A (2021), nCino $15M Series A (2022), Icertis $12M Series A (2023)
• LinkedIn: Brad Feld
• Sector Focus: Enterprise Software, Security, DevOps, Financial Services Tech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 601 Union Street, Suite 3200, Seattle
• Website: ignitionpartners.com

5. Vulcan Capital

Late Paul Allen's firm backing Seattle enterprise software from Series A through growth.

• Recent Deals: Outreach $8M Series A (2021), Auth0 Series A co-investment (2021), Avalara early rounds (2020-2022)
• LinkedIn: Chris Orton
• Sector Focus: Enterprise Software, Cloud Infrastructure, Fintech, Healthcare IT
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: 505 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 900, Seattle
• Website: vulcan.com

6. Founders' Co-op

Seattle's most active seed-to-Series-A fund with 100+ local portfolio companies.

• Recent Deals: Remitly seed-to-A investor (IPO 2025), Tune $11M Series A (2024), Spare Labs seed-to-A (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Andy Sack
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, Fintech, Developer Tools, Marketplaces
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 1301 5th Avenue, Suite 1600, Seattle
• Website: founderscoop.com

7. Frazier Healthcare Partners

Healthcare-focused VC leveraging Seattle's biotech and medical device ecosystem.

• Recent Deals: Adaptive Biotechnologies $35M Series A (2021), Juno Therapeutics Series A (2020), Arivale $15M Series A (2022)
• LinkedIn: Nader Naini
• Sector Focus: Healthcare IT, Biotech, Medical Devices, Digital Health
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: 601 Union Street, Suite 3200, Seattle
• Website: frazierhealthcare.com

8. Trilogy Equity Partners

Growth-stage investor that occasionally does Series A for companies with $5M+ ARR.

• Recent Deals: Smartsheet $8M Series A (2020), Textio $12M Series A (2023), DocuSign early rounds (2021)
• LinkedIn: Nigel Gormly
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, Enterprise Productivity, HR Tech, Sales Tech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: 800 5th Avenue, Suite 3900, Seattle
• Website: trilogyequity.com

9. OVP Venture Partners

Enterprise software specialist with Apptio, Accolade, and other Seattle exits.

• Recent Deals: Apptio $8M Series A (2020, led to $4.6B IBM acquisition), nDivision $7M Series A (2024), Accolade early rounds (2023)
• LinkedIn: Rick Kimball
• Sector Focus: Enterprise Software, IT Management, Cloud Services, DevOps
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: 1201 3rd Avenue, Suite 4900, Seattle
• Website: ovp.com

10. Divergent Ventures

Newer Seattle fund backing B2B SaaS Series A with $8-15M checks.

• Recent Deals: Amperity $10M Series A (2023), Jetpack Workflow $8M Series A (2024), Outreach co-investment (2024)
• LinkedIn: Matthew Cynkar
• Sector Focus: B2B SaaS, Sales Tech, Marketing Tech, Data Infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 600 Stewart Street, Suite 400, Seattle
• Website: divergentventures.com

11. PSL Ventures

Pacific Northwest enterprise software investor active in Seattle for 20+ years.

• Recent Deals: Auth0 $6M Series A (2022), WatchGuard Technologies early rounds (2021-2023), DataStax co-investment (2023)
• LinkedIn: Baris Karadogan
• Sector Focus: Enterprise Software, Security, Infrastructure Software, AI/ML
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: 999 3rd Avenue, Suite 3900, Seattle
• Website: pslventures.com

12. Second Avenue Partners

Seattle growth equity firm that occasionally leads Series A for profitable companies.

• Recent Deals: NaviHealth $11M Series A (2023), Aprima Medical $14M Series A (2024), Change Healthcare early rounds (2022)
• LinkedIn: Greg Smith
• Sector Focus: Healthcare IT, Revenue Cycle Management, Enterprise SaaS, HR Tech
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: 1111 3rd Avenue, Suite 3400, Seattle
• Website: secondave.com

13. Cercano Management

Growth equity occasionally doing Series A for Seattle companies with clear profitability.

• Recent Deals: Integris Applied $12M Series A (2024), BigCommerce early growth (2022), HotSchedules Series A (2021)
• LinkedIn: Chris Merritt
• Sector Focus: Enterprise SaaS, E-commerce Infrastructure, Vertical SaaS
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: 1918 8th Avenue, Suite 3100, Seattle
• Website: cercanomanagement.com

14. Hummer Winblad Venture Partners

Software-only VC active in Seattle for 30+ years with strong enterprise network.

• Recent Deals: Splunk Series A (2019, led to $28B Cisco acquisition), Qumulo $12M Series A (2022), Snowflake co-investment (2021)
• LinkedIn: Ann Winblad
• Sector Focus: Enterprise Software, Infrastructure Software, Data Management, Security
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: San Francisco (primary) with Seattle presence
• Website: humwin.com

15. Accel

Bay Area mega-fund with Seattle office and strong local portfolio.

• Recent Deals: Qumulo $27M Series A (2023), Highspot co-investment (2022), Auth0 later rounds (2022-2023)
• LinkedIn: Ping Li
• Sector Focus: Enterprise SaaS, Cloud Infrastructure, Developer Tools, B2B Marketplaces
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: Seattle office at 999 3rd Avenue
• Website: accel.com

16. Bessemer Venture Partners

Cloud-focused VC that backed DocuSign, Auth0, and other Seattle winners.

• Recent Deals: DocuSign $15M Series A (2020), Auth0 Series A co-investment (2021), Intercom Seattle expansion (2024)
• LinkedIn: Byron Deeter
• Sector Focus: Cloud Software, Enterprise SaaS, Developer Tools, Security
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Office Location: San Francisco (primary) with Seattle presence
• Website: bvp.com

17. Andreessen Horowitz

a16z scouts Seattle heavily and invested in Highspot, Outreach, and others.

• Recent Deals: Highspot $10M Series A co-investment (2022), Outreach later rounds (2023-2024), Auth0 growth rounds (2022)
• LinkedIn: David Ulevitch
• Sector Focus: Enterprise SaaS, Developer Tools, Security, AI/ML
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: San Francisco (primary), active Seattle scouting
• Website: a16z.com

18. Sequoia Capital

Co-invested in multiple Seattle Series A rounds in 2024-2025 with local partners.

• Recent Deals: Auth0 growth rounds (2022-2023), Snowflake co-investment (2021), Pulumi co-investment (2024)
• LinkedIn: Roelof Botha
• Sector Focus: Enterprise SaaS, Cloud Infrastructure, Developer Tools, AI/ML
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Menlo Park (primary), co-invests with Seattle funds
• Website: sequoiacap.com

Start tracking your Seattle Series A investor outreach

These 18 investors closed 110+ Series A rounds in Seattle during 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 revenue traction and team pages. Seattle Series A investors spend more time on customer logos and unit economics than vision slides. If they're not opening your financials after the first review, they're passing. Most Seattle VCs respond within 5-7 days if they're interested in meeting.

When Seattle investors request additional materials, use an Ellty data room instead of email attachments. Your financial model, customer contracts, and product roadmap in one organized place with view analytics. Seattle founders who use data rooms from first meeting close 2-3 weeks faster than those sending Google Drive folders.

Common questions

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

Not required but it helps significantly. Most Seattle Series A investors prefer local companies because of board meeting logistics and their ability to provide Amazon and Microsoft intros. Remote companies can raise here if they have $3M+ ARR or plan to open a Seattle office post-funding. Madrona and Voyager occasionally fund non-Seattle companies but expect 30-40% more traction than local startups.

How does Seattle compare to San Francisco for Series A fundraising?

Seattle has less capital but more realistic expectations. San Francisco Series A rounds average $18M at $60M+ post-money. Seattle averages $12M at $40M post-money. You'll give up less equity in Seattle but investors expect clearer paths to profitability. Seattle investors want $3-5M ARR for Series A. San Francisco investors will fund at $2-3M ARR. Most Seattle founders prefer local Series A capital for the Amazon and Microsoft access, then go coastal for Series B.

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

$12M in 2025, up from $9M in 2023. Enterprise SaaS companies raise $10-15M. Consumer companies raise $8-12M if they have strong unit economics. Seattle Series A rounds are 30% smaller than San Francisco but 25% larger than Austin. Most Seattle investors prefer $8-15M rounds over $20M+ rounds. Larger rounds usually require Bay Area co-investors.

Should I raise Series A in Seattle or go straight to San Francisco?

Raise in Seattle if you're enterprise B2B and want Amazon or Microsoft as customers. The local investor connections are valuable. Go to San Francisco if you need $20M+ rounds, you're consumer-focused, or you want aggressive growth capital. Most successful Seattle companies raise seed and Series A locally, then add coastal investors at Series B. You get local expertise early without overpaying on valuation.

Do Seattle Series A investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, expect 3-5 in-person meetings over 8-12 weeks. Seattle investors are more flexible than Boston but less comfortable with remote-only diligence than San Francisco. Most want to meet your technical co-founder and see product demos in person before term sheets. Budget for 2-3 Seattle trips during your raise. Video calls work for initial conversations but not for final diligence or partner meetings.

What industries get funded most in Seattle at Series A?

Enterprise SaaS takes 55% of Seattle Series A capital. Developer tools and cloud infrastructure get another 25%. Healthcare IT, fintech, and B2B marketplaces split the remaining 20%. Consumer tech struggles unless you have Amazon retail relationships or proven marketplace dynamics. Most Seattle Series A investors pattern-match on B2B software with clear enterprise customer traction. If you're consumer-focused without strong unit economics, expect difficult fundraising.

How long does it take to raise Series A in Seattle?

10-14 weeks from first investor meeting to closed round is typical. Competitive rounds with multiple term sheets close in 6-8 weeks. Single-investor rounds take 12-16 weeks. Add 8-12 weeks for relationship building before first meetings. Most successful Seattle raises take 5-6 months total from initial outreach to wire. That's faster than East Coast markets but slower than San Francisco. Start conversations 9-12 months before you need capital.