United States
Seattle
"Seattle continues to be a top-tier hub for innovation, and we don’t foresee that changing anytime soon due to the incredible depth of talent in the area."
Highlights
An ideal breeding ground for future unicorns, Seattle is the birthplace of Microsoft and Amazon, as well as many other decacorns, creating a vibrant tech ecosystem. Seattle ranked #4 in Forbes’ 10 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. 2023 list and was named a Role Model City across the globe by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2023, a designation for cities that are at the frontline of the socioeconomic impacts of climate change.
Seattle is the fourth most diverse job market for female tech graduates and was ranked as the best place to find workers skilled in the latest technology trends in the Cities on the Tech Frontier report. Real estate firm CBRE named Seattle the top destination for tech workers with 0-to-3 years of experience and the #2 inbound market for tech talent growth across all experience levels in 2023. There are more than 100 engineering centers in Seattle established by the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Google, and Apple, employing thousands of top AI researchers and engineers.
The AWS Impact Accelerator, run by Amazon Web Services, supports early-stage startups led by Black, women, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ founders. In August 2023, AWS launched AWS Build, a virtual global educational program tailored to early-stage, pre-seed startup founders.
Seattle attracts a host of startup-related events each year, including TECHSPO Seattle 2024 in April, Women Impact Tech Virtual Accelerate Conference Seattle 2024 in May, the biannual Seattle Angel Conference, and the GeekWire Summit. Biotech company Avalyn Pharma raised $272.5 million over three rounds, including a September 2023 Series C. Cloud engineering company Pulumi raised $98.5 million over four rounds, including an October 2023 Series C.
Ecosystem by the Numbers
Sub-Sector Strengths
AI, Big Data & Analytics
Seattle ranks second nationally in terms of AI talent density. IonQ, a leader in quantum computing, is constructing the first dedicated quantum-computing manufacturing facility in the U.S. in Seattle and plans to invest $1 billion in the Pacific Northwest over the next decade. Cyber analytics platform ExtraHop raised $161.6 million over six rounds, including a January 2024 round. AI surgical tool startup Proprio Vision raised $85.1 million over six rounds, including a July 2023 Series B.
Life Sciences
In December 2023, Pfizer acquired Seattle-based biotechnology company Seagen for $43 billion. The same month, The Allen Institute, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and the University of Washington launched the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, a collaboration that will build new technologies to record the history of cells over time. New life sciences center 222 Fifth is expected to complete construction in August 2024. Biotech startup Parse Biosciences raised $100 million over six rounds, including a December 2023 Series C.
Agtech & New Food
Seattle-based AgTech Accelerator invests in early-stage Agtech companies. Agtech robotics company Carbon Robotics raised $78.9 million over three rounds, including an April 2023 Series C.
Reasons to Move Your Startup to Seattle
Established Tech Scene
The Seattle area has the highest proportion of advanced tech workers in the country according to a Burning Glass Institute ranking. Over 194,000 Seattle residents work in technology.CBRE’s Scoring Tech Talent 2023 report ranked the Seattle market second overall for tech talent in North America and second in percentage of software engineers employed in the tech industry.
Strong Talent Pool
Seattle offers a robust talent pool thanks to its many universities and reputation as a tech hub. The 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities ranked The University of Washington #18 in the world and #3 among U.S. public universities. Seattle is in the top 10 U.S. cities for educational attainment, with 46.8% of its adult population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Strategic Location
Located within easy reach of the Canadian border, Seattle offers a strategic location for business. The Northwest Seaport Alliance Port of Seattle is one of the busiest ports in the world and a key hub for Pacific trade. In 2023, port export volume grew 4.9%. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport supported 50.8 million passengers in 2023, producing $20 billion in economic activity.
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