A new wave of startups is transforming the technology community in the Seattle area and the surrounding region, fueled by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, health, energy, and other emerging technologies.
That’s the takeaway from one of the biggest updates in the 11-year history of the GeekWire 200, our quarterly ranking of the top privately held technology startups in Seattle and the rest of the Pacific Northwest.
See the full GeekWire 200 ranking for Q1 2024.
More than 70 companies, or 35%, are completely new to the GeekWire 200 in this latest update, reflecting the dynamic nature of the industry and changes in our method for calculating the ranking (details below).
Companies moving into the top 10 for the first time include Place (#4), the business-to-business real estate services and technology platform backed by Goldman Sachs and other investors; and Rec Room (#9), the popular virtual reality community that has cemented its place as a leading app on multiple VR platforms.
Several companies graduated from the GeekWire 200 by reaching their 15th birthdays, which makes them no longer “startups” by our parameters. They include social media management company Hootsuite and contract technology company Icertis, previously #1 and #2, respectively, which cleared the way for sales automation startup Outreach to claim the top spot.
Startups appearing on the GeekWire 200 for the first time reflect hot industries such as robotics and drones (Agility Robotics, #13; Brinc, #76); developer tools (Temporal, #66; Statsig, #74); cybersecurity (Chainguard #111; Vouched, #135), and health and life sciences (Parse #110; Ozette, #159).
And like everything else in the tech world, the GeekWire 200 is being transformed by AI and machine learning. Many of the companies making their debut on the GeekWire 200 are developing or significantly leveraging AI. Among them:
- Falkon (#140), AI-driven sales and marketing recommendations.
- Aigen (#142), AI-powered robots that target weeds in agriculture.
- Rhythms (#149), AI to identify and implement successful team habits.
- Outbound AI (#143), AI tools for healthcare administrators.
- Protect AI (#152), security for machine learning systems and AI apps.
- Yoodli (#164), an AI coach for public speaking and communication.
- Phaidra (#165), artificial intelligence tools for industrial businesses.
- Pictory (#167), AI for short-form video creation.
- AdaptX (#178), AI-driven data analysis for healthcare providers
- Data Skrive (#179), automating the creation of sports-related content.
- Docugami (#187), AI document engineering.
- Observa (#195), AI for bricks-and-mortar store analytics.
- Koidra (#196), greenhouse automation technology.
Several existing companies on the GeekWire 200 made big moves up the list with the latest update. Startups such as weed-zapping machine manufacturer Carbon Robotics (#37); surgical navigation company Proprio (#27); field service management software provider Zuper (#39); and legal AI tech company Lexion (#35) all raised fresh funding rounds over the past year to fuel growth.
Also making significant jumps were Helion Energy (#33) and Zap Energy (#95), two companies that are part of a cluster of Pacific Northwest startups pursuing breakthroughs in fusion energy.
What is the GeekWire 200?
We created this index more than 11 years ago to give a clearer view of the Pacific Northwest startup landscape. The goal is “to help identify the companies that are growing quickly, making an impact and grabbing the attention of key online communities,” as we explained when the GeekWire 200 debuted in December 2012.
The data-driven ranking, now updated quarterly, is derived from our broader GeekWire Startup List of more than 1,300 tech startups with headquarters in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and British Columbia.
It’s not scientific, by any means, and the specific rankings should be taken with a grain of salt. But it has proven to be a highly useful tool. We hear regularly from readers who use the GeekWire 200 to look for jobs, prospect for customers, mine for potential investments, and get a high-level view of the tech community.
As in the past, the GeekWire 200 continues to be grounded in publicly available data, starting with LinkedIn employee counts, Facebook followers, and Moz domain authority. And with this update, for the first time, the GeekWire news team added an element of editorial judgment to the mix, based on factors including recent fundings and layoffs, and our own insights from covering the region’s technology startups.
In addition, the demise of some longtime GeekWire 200 mainstays opened up new spots in the top 10. The most notable example: Convoy, the trucking logistics tech company, previously ranked #5, whose sudden downfall was one of the top stories in Seattle tech last year.
We also removed companies due to mergers, acquisitions and private equity deals in which they sold a majority of their shares, following our longstanding practice.
To make sure your Pacific Northwest technology startup is eligible for the GeekWire 200, first make sure it’s included in the broader GeekWire Startup List. If so, there’s no need to submit it separately. If your startup isn’t among the companies on that larger list, you can submit it for inclusion here, and we’ll crunch the numbers to see if your company makes the next GeekWire 200 update.
New to GeekWire? Read more about our focus and mission, sign up for our newsletters to keep up with our coverage, join us at an upcoming event, and consider becoming a member or sponsor to support our work.
