New unicorns and hardware surges make up our list of top Pacific NW startups – GeekWire
The tech economy in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest has long been shaped by software, but our quarterly ranking of the region’s top startups shows the rise of companies building physical things: rockets, fusion reactors, military robots, and orbit-bound data centers.
Big movers in the GeekWire 200 include companies that print human tissue, assemble atoms, and build autonomous machines. Reusable rocket maker Stoke Space climbed to No.
Starcloud is based in Redmond, Wash. rose 96 spots after becoming the fastest Y Combinator company ever to reach unicorn status, at a valuation of $1.1 billion, based on its idea to put solar-powered data centers in space to meet the increasing power needs of AI.
At the top of the list, fusion company Helion held its position at No.
Another top 10 company, not long in the GeekWire 200. Agility Robotics, maker of the Digit warehouse robot, will go public in a $2.5 billion deal. It is currently No. 5, and companies graduate from the list when they go public or are acquired.
Software still has a big presence on the list: Bellevue-based Temporal climbed to No.
Another newly minted unicorn, XBOW, debuted at No. 35. The independent AI hacking platform from GitHub Copilot creator Oege de Moor raised another $35 million in funding in May, extending a round worth more than $1 billion.
Those are some of the highlights of the latest edition of the GeekWire 200. Now in its second decade, the list combines specific indicators such as demographics, investments and followers with editorial judgment to identify and track companies that define the region’s technology industry.
Check it out the complete GeekWire 200recently updated in Q2 2026. Here’s a look at the top 10, followed by additional notes.
1
Helion
Fusion-power leader backed by Sam Altman and SoftBank; now worth $15.5B and building a plant to bring fusion power to Microsoft by 2028.
2
For a while
Long-lived operating platform now valued at $5B; revenue increases by nearly 380% as it deploys AI agents in production.
3
Truveta
A health data business backed by major US hospital systems and led by former Microsoft executive Terry Myerson.
4
Chainguard
A secure software-supply-chain unicorn valued at $3.5B, ARR quickly scales to $100M.
5
Agility Robotics
Digit humanoid robot maker; which is headed to the public markets in a $2.5 billion deal expected to close this year.
6
Stoke Space
Building a fully reusable rocket; spent a series of early stage engine tests and raised its Series D to around $860M.
7
Brinc
a public safety drone manufacturer; launched a Starlink-connected Guardian “drone-as-first-responder” and a new Seattle factory.
8
Carbon Robotics
Laser-weeding agtech surpasses $100M in revenue and launches “Big Crop Model.”
9
Overland AI
Autonomous stacks of military ground vehicles; new $100M vaults new Seattle startups into top ten.
10
Customer.io
An automated messaging platform that has reached $100M ARR and is following through with its biggest AI release ever.
Highlights from the GeekWire 200 review:
Truveta (No. 3): A clinical data company has launched an AI research tool to get instant insights from its database of US patient records.
Zap Energy (No. 11, top 2): An Everett fusion company has added a fission line to its roadmap, an industry first.
Amperity (No. 32, top 5): Co-founders Kabir Shahani and Derek Slager are back as CEOs, vowing to carry forward the “soul” of the startup, two years after the customer data company brought in an outside chief executive.
Armoire (No. 33, top 7): The clothing rental startup, led by CEO Ambika Singh, has rolled out an AI feature that combines consumer clothing choices with digital paper dolls.
Alitheon (No. 69, top 8): Optical-AI startup has raised $8 million to expand technology that gives physical objects biometric ID.
Panthalassa (debut, No. 79): The AI-powered, floating data center has raised $140 million in a round led by Peter Thiel.
Possible fees (No. 82, top 11): A Seattle consumer lending startup has returned to profitability as its founders reunite for a new chapter.
Aspect Biosystems (No. 87, up 22 places): A Vancouver, BC, human tissue manufacturing company has secured a $280 million deal with the Government of Canada.
Portal Space Systems (debut, No. 114): A Bothell startup has raised $50 million as it prepares for the first launch of its orbital maneuvering vehicle.
Gradial (No. 127, top 24): The business marketing startup raised $65 million amid rapid growth, the highest jump on the list this quarter.
According to the person (No. 144, top 8): AI recruitment startup raised $25 million and acquired Anthill, aiming its tools at job seekers, not just employers.
Avalanche Energy (No. 147, top 9): A Seattle fusion startup has won part of a $5.2 million Defense Department award to develop long-lasting “nuclear batteries.”
Tin Can (No. 153, top 14): The maker of a children’s landline phone has been on late night TV and is launching a new program to help schools go smartphone free.
Inflection (No. 172, top 20): B2B-marketing startup has acquired Seattle’s Keyplay, reuniting CEO Aaron Bird with Keyplay’s Adam Schoenfeld, who is joining as CMO.
Notes on GeekWire 200
Our list is not scientific, by any means, and some rankings should be taken with a grain of salt. But it has proven to be a valuable tool for many years. We regularly hear from students who use the GeekWire 200 to look for jobs, prospect for clients, evaluate potential investments, and get a high-level view of the region’s tech community.
To make sure your Pacific Northwest tech startup qualifies for the GeekWire 200, first make sure it’s included in GeekWire’s extensive startup list. If so, there is no need to submit it separately. If your startup isn’t among the companies on that big list, you can submit it for inclusion here, and we’ll crunch the numbers to see if it makes it into the next GeekWire 200 update.
Email us at [email protected] for any questions.
