The startup scene in Washington is booming, thanks to a combination of factors such as a talented workforce, a supportive government, and a thriving tech ecosystem. The state is also a global leader in the tech industry. All of these factors combined make the state a great place for investors. The startups are mostly backed by strong VCs in the area. We've gone through a huge list and enlisted the top 10 VC funds in Washington based on different aspects. Here's an overview:

1. Madrona Venture Group

Madrona Venture Group is a trusted partner for founders. It offers way more than just capital. From incubation to seed investments, they work closely with founding teams, providing support in strategy, execution, and growth. With a focus on technology and a commitment to values like curiosity and passion, Madrona aims to build lasting and significant companies. Their expertise spans various industries, including Intelligent and Generative Applications, Robotics, Low-Code/No-Code, Life Sciences, and next-gen consumer applications. Committed to a collaborative and inclusive work environment, Madrona Venture Group stands out as a valuable ally for entrepreneurs on the road to success.

Website: Madrona Venture Group

Founding Year: 1995

Investment Range: $250K - $200M+

Stage:  Incubation - Seed 

Sector: Consumer Life, Computer Science, Enterprise, Intelligent Apps, AI, ML, Data Stack, DevOps, FinTech, Hardware, Robotics

Investment Geography: Seattle, WA

Notable Investments: Amazon, Tigera, Fixie, Heptio, Accolade

Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link

2. Pioneer Square Labs

Pioneer Square Labs is a Pacific Northwest investment firm supporting passionate founders in tech. With experienced operators, they've seen success for 20 years. PSL forms a close-knit family of CEOs, entrepreneurs, and experts, helping founders build impactful companies by leveraging their unique strengths.

Website: Pioneer Square Labs

Founding Year: 2015

Investment Range: $500K - $10M

Stage: Pre Seed, Seed, Series A

Sector: Software, healthcare, consumer products, and enterprise SaaS

Investment Geography: Seattle, WA

Notable Investments: Archera, Attunely, Big Box, MeetingFlow, SingleFile

Submit Pitch/ Contact: hello@psl.com

3. Arch Venture Partners

ARCH, founded in 1986, is a pioneer in investing in groundbreaking science companies. They invest varying amounts, from $50,000 to hundreds of millions, specializing in early-stage biotech and healthcare. With a focus on the U.S., they're known for bold moves, like investing in Editas Medicine and GRAIL. Over 30 years, they've built companies with imaginative risk-taking, emphasizing flexibility and using a wide partner network to guide startups to success.

Website: Arch Venture Partners

Founding Year: 1986

Investment Range: $50M - $500M

Stage: Early Stage

Sector: Biotechnology, Healthcare

Investment Geography: Global (with a focus on the United States)

Notable Investments: Editas Medicine, Bluebird bio, InterMune, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, GRAIL

Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link

4. Flying Fish Partners

Flying Fish Ventures is a venture firm based in Seattle, focusing on early-stage investments in AI and ML technology across the U.S. and Canada. They actively look for visionary leaders in various industries who incorporate machine learning into their business strategies. Committed to the transformative potential of artificial intelligence, Flying Fish Ventures is dedicated to supporting and fostering the next generation of companies that embrace these technologies.

Website: Flying Fish Partners

Founding Year: 2016

Investment Range: $500K - $5M

Stage: Seed - Early Growth

Sector: Consumer, AI, Enterprise SaaS, and ML

Investment Geography: Seattle, WA (US, Canada)

Notable Investments: Ad Lightning, Nomadgo, symbl.ai, Edify, Augment, Falkon

Submit Pitch/ Contact: info@flyingfish.vc

5. Founders' Co-op

Founders Co-op is a seed-stage investment fund located in the Pacific Northwest. They specialize in supporting exceptional founding teams situated beyond Silicon Valley. Well-known for their support of companies, they have a significant impact. The individuals behind Techstars Seattle, the region's premier accelerator program for over ten years, form a vibrant community of founder-operators.

Website: founderscoop.com

Founding Year: 2008

Investment Range: $500K - $5M

Stage: Seed to Early Growth

Sector: Consumer, enterprise SaaS, and data-driven businesses

Investment Geography: Seattle, WA

Notable Investments: Airship, AVRL, BloomText, Trinsic, Shelf Engine, KITT.AI

Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link

6. Ignition Partners

Ignition is a leading venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in enterprise software and is dedicated to transforming businesses. With a profound understanding of "early enterprise," gained from leadership roles in top tech and Fortune 500 companies, Ignition invests not only capital but also time, expertise, and valuable connections. Their unparalleled network includes strong ties with respected entrepreneurs and decision-makers in technology and Fortune 500 companies. Operating from Silicon Valley and Seattle, Ignition focuses on sectors like Cloud Computing, AI, Cybersecurity, and more. With a successful track record, including investments in Cloudera and DocuSign, Ignition Partners has returned over $1B to investors since 2012.

Website: Ignition Partners

Founding Year: 2000

Investment Range: $2M - $5M+

Stage: Early 

Sector: Cloud Computing, Intelligent apps, Cybersecurity, B2B, Business IT, Machine Learning, AI (Artificial Intelligence), Frontier Tech, SaaS, Vertical SaaS, Business Applications.

Investment Geography: Silicon Valley, Seattle

Notable Investments: Auxon, BlueStacks, Onehub, Shyft, snapLogic, Moz

Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link

7. M12 (Microsoft's Venture Capital Arm)

M12, previously known as Microsoft Ventures, stands as Microsoft's corporate venture capital arm. Established in March 2016, its purpose is to actively support and collaborate with startups during their growth phases, focusing on investments ranging from Series A to D. The fund is under the management of Michelle Gonzalez, who brings prior experience from Google.

Website: M12 (Microsoft's Venture Capital Arm)

Founding Year: 2016

Investment Range: $2M - $10M+

Stage: Early Growth to Series D

Sector: Enterprise SaaS, cloud, AI, and blockchain

Investment Geography: Primarily US, with some investments in Canada and Europe

Notable Investments: UIPath, DocuSign, SentinelOne, Applied Intuition

Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link

8. Keiretsu Capital

Keiretsu Capital, established in 2013, is the exclusive affiliate partner of Keiretsu Forum, a prominent angel network. As a venture capital firm, Keiretsu Capital manages funds, facilitating collaboration and investment for limited partners and accredited investors. Specializing in impact, IT, health-tech, fintech, and cleantech sectors, it actively contribute to startup growth. With three dedicated funds—Co-Investment, Blockchain, and Real Estate—Keiretsu Capital provides a straightforward and intelligent platform for private equity investing.

Website: Keiretsu Capital

Founding Year: 2013

Investment Range: $25k - $5M

Stage: Seed to Early Growth

Sector: Diverse (Specializes in IT, health-tech, fintech, cleantech)

Investment Geography: Seattle, WA

Notable Investments: Blue Nile, LegalZoom, GrubHub, Zip2, Pattern Computer

Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link

9. Lighter Capital

Lighter Capital is a pioneer in Revenue-Based Financing. It empowers tech entrepreneurs by offering over $350 million in non-dilutive financing across 1,000+ funding rounds for 500+ companies. They prioritize growth without compromising equity, board seats, or personal guarantees. Beyond funding, Lighter Capital guarantees a very supportive community, providing founders access to valuable connections, free startup resources in the Founders' Hub, and over $100,000 in partner product and service discounts.

Website: Lighter Capital

Founding Year: 2010

Investment Range: $500k - $4M

Stage: Seed - Early Growth

Sector: B2B software and marketplaces

Investment Geography: Primarily US, with some investments in Canada and Europe

Notable Investments: Avalara, Rover, Rematch, Podium, Intellect

Submit Pitch/ Contact: Link

10. Maveron LLC

Maveron is a venture capital firm that supports new and innovative consumer brands. They invest early in companies and work closely with founders to build engaging businesses in areas like social, fintech, health tech, and more. Notable investments include Zulily and Allbirds. Maveron follows core values like being unique, prioritizing relationships, combining profit with purpose, and winning ethically. They aim to back extraordinary ventures that capture customer interest.

Website: Maveron LLC

Founding Year: 1998

Investment Range: $5M - $200M+

Stage: Growth to Late Stage

Sector: Commerce, Education, Energy, FinTech, Food, Healthcare, HR, Media, PropTech, Social

Investment Geography: Primarily US

Notable Investments: Ebay, Argo, Potbelly, Spyce, pro.com, Quellos

Submit Pitch/ Contact: maveron@maveron.com

Best of luck with your amazing ventures. 

Please note that this list is filtered by various metrics, and all the data are collected through various third-party websites, mostly the VC website. Since data such as ticket size or industry may change, you are requested to visit the official website given in the blog for the latest and updated information.