The hometown of Microsoft and Amazon has attracted one of the largest concentrations of tech talent in the U.S. That influx is benefitting more than these behemoths. Washington state saw $8.5 billion invested in 549 venture capital deals in 2021 — a 77% increase over the $4.8 billion raised in 401 deals in 2020, and much of this activity took place in Seattle. Real estate platform Flyhomes raised a $150 million Series C in June. Zenoti, a maker of software for spas, raised a $80 million Series D, also in June, and games developer Rec Room raised a $145 million round in December.

There are now 16 unicorn startups in the ecosystem. Together, they raised more than $2.5 billion in 2021, more than all the startups in Washington state managed to raise in 2018.

The University of Washington, China’s Tsinghua University, and Microsoft together created the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX), where students work in teams to solve real-world challenges by developing a market-ready product. GIX opened in 2016 with a master’s degree in technology innovation, and has since launched additional degree and certificate programs.

The Buerk Center promotes entrepreneurship across the University of Washington. Ready Set Raise, an equity-free accelerator for women, launched in 2018.

At the annual Seattle Angel Digital Conference, investors pool funds to invest in one promising startup. Since 2012, the conference has educated 430 new investors and invested $4.5 million in 35 startups. GeekWire hosts Startup Day, the GeekWire Summit, the GeekWire Awards, and other meetups.