GeekWire Podcast: What Seattle’s billion-dollar startups say in regards to the area’s tech business

Right here’s what we’re speaking about on the GeekWire Podcast this week: Seattle’s tech group simply reached a brand new milestone: 10 unicorns, privately held corporations valued at greater than $1 billion. Their traits say so much in regards to the path and state of the tech business within the area, each constructive and unfavorable.

Learn extra: Seattle area boasts 10 fast-growing unicorns: Can you name the billion-dollar startups?

Becoming a member of us as a visitor commentator this week: Heather Redman, co-founder and managing associate of Flying Fish Partners, a Seattle-based enterprise capital agency that focuses its investments on machine studying and synthetic intelligence.

From our story, listed below are 5 key takeaways in regards to the 10 corporations.

• Six of the startups have not less than one immigrant founder.
• The bulk function in enterprise software program or cloud computing.
• Six startups have not less than one lively co-founder with Microsoft ties.
• All however one of many unicorns have a co-founder serving within the CEO position.
• Not one of the corporations have feminine co-founders or CEOs.

Hearken to the episode beneath, or subscribe to GeekWire in any podcast app.

Additionally up for dialogue: the challenges of working a giant tech hub like Seattle. Mayor Jenny Durkan recently announced that she wouldn’t be running for a second term. She confronted quite a few challenges throughout her tenure as mayor, however one of many largest was bridging the divide between the tech business, significantly Amazon, and the remainder of the Seattle group.

Learn extra: Balancing act: What Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s short tenure says about running a tech hub, by Monica Nickelsburg.

And in our last phase, it’s the return of the GeekWire Trivia problem, with an opportunity to win your alternative of a GeekWire masks or socks. Our query: Which present CEO of a Seattle tech firm has been inducted into the corridor of fame of knowledgeable sport? Hearken to the third phase for clues, and ship your reply (or guess!) to contest@technever.info. From the pool of appropriate solutions, we’ll decide one individual at random to win their alternative of swag.

Edited and produced by Curt Milton. Theme music by Daniel L.Okay. Caldwell.