GeekWire 200 update: New unicorns and a hardware surge remake our list of top Pacific NW startups
The latest GeekWire 200, our quarterly ranking of the top Pacific Northwest startups, reflects a shift toward companies building physical products — rockets, fusion reactors, robots and space-based data centers. Starcloud was the biggest mover, two new unicorns joined the list, and Helion held the No. 1 spot. Read More
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 signals the rise of companies building physical stuff: rockets, fusion reactors, military robots, and data centers bound for orbit.
Big movers in the GeekWire 200 include companies bioprinting human tissue, fusing atoms, and building autonomous machines. A reusable-rocket maker, Stoke Space, rose to No. 6, while a military-autonomy company, Overland AI, cracked the top 10 for the first time.
Redmond, Wash.-based Starcloud vaulted 96 spots after becoming the fastest Y Combinator company ever to reach unicorn status, at a valuation of $1.1 billion, based on its vision to put solar-powered data centers in space to meet the soaring energy demands of AI.
Atop the list, fusion company Helion held its position at No. 1, now valued at $15.5 billion after raising an additional $465 million as it builds a plant for a new generation of energy.
Another company the top 10, isn’t long for the GeekWire 200. Agility Robotics, maker of the Digit warehouse robot, is going public in a $2.5 billion deal. It’s currently No. 5, and companies graduate from the list once they go public or are acquired.
Software still has a big presence on the list: Bellevue-based Temporal rose to No. 2, now valued at $5 billion after raising $300 million for its platform that runs AI agents in production.
Another newly minted unicorn, XBOW, debuted at No. 35. The autonomous AI hacking platform from GitHub Copilot creator Oege de Moor raised another $35 million in May, extending a round that valued it at more than $1 billion.
Those are a few of the highlights from the latest edition of the GeekWire 200. Now in its second decade, the list pairs objective signals such as headcount, investment and followers with editorial judgment to identify and track the companies defining the region’s tech industry.
Check out the full GeekWire 200, newly updated for Q2 2026. Here’s a look at the new top 10, followed by additional notes.
Top 10 Companies: Q2 2026
Helion
Fusion-power leader backed by Sam Altman and SoftBank; now valued at $15.5B and building a plant to deliver fusion power to Microsoft by 2028.
Temporal
Durable-execution platform now valued at $5B; revenue up roughly 380% as it moves AI agents into production.
Truveta
Health-data venture backed by major U.S. hospital systems and led by former Microsoft executive Terry Myerson.
Chainguard
Secure software-supply-chain unicorn valued at $3.5B, with ARR scaling fast toward $100M.
Agility Robotics
Maker of the Digit humanoid robot; heading for the public markets in a $2.5 billion deal expected to close this year.
Stoke Space
Building a fully reusable rocket; has run a series of first-stage engine tests and extended its Series D to about $860M.
Brinc
Public-safety drone maker; launched its Starlink-connected Guardian “drone-as-first-responder” and a new Seattle factory.
Carbon Robotics
Laser-weeding agtech that crossed $100M in revenue and launched a new “Large Plant Model.”
Overland AI
Autonomy stacks for military ground vehicles; a fresh $100M raise vaults the young Seattle startup into the top 10.
Customer.io
Messaging-automation platform that topped $100M ARR and has followed with its biggest-ever AI release.
More highlights from the updated GeekWire 200:
Truveta (No. 3): The clinical-data company launched an AI research tool for quick insights from its database of U.S. patient records.
Zap Energy (No. 11, up 2): The Everett fusion company added a fission line to its roadmap, an industry first.
Amperity (No. 32, up 5): Co-founders Kabir Shahani and Derek Slager returned as co-CEOs, vowing to carry the startup’s “soul” forward, two years after the customer-data company brought in an outside chief executive.
Armoire (No. 33, up 7): The clothing-rental startup, led by CEO Ambika Singh, rolled out an AI feature that arrays outfit choices for shoppers like digital paper dolls.
Alitheon (No. 69, up 8): The optical-AI startup raised $8 million to expand technology that gives physical objects a biometric ID.
Panthalassa (debut, No. 79): The wave-powered, floating AI data center startup netted $140 million in a round led by Peter Thiel.
Possible Finance (No. 82, up 11): The Seattle consumer-lending startup returned to profitability as its founders reunited for a new chapter.
Aspect Biosystems (No. 87, up 22 spots): The Vancouver, B.C. company, which bioprints human tissue, landed a $280 million partnership with the Government of Canada.
Portal Space Systems (debut, No. 114): The Bothell startup raised $50 million as it preps the first launch of its orbital maneuvering vehicle.
Gradial (No. 127, up 24): The agentic enterprise-marketing startup raised $65 million amid rapid growth, the biggest rank jump on this quarter’s list.
Humanly (No. 144, up 8): The hiring-AI startup raised $25 million and acquired Anthill, aiming its tools at job seekers, not just employers.
Avalanche Energy (No. 147, up 9): The Seattle fusion startup won a share of a $5.2 million Defense Department award to develop long-lasting “nuclear batteries.”
Tin Can (No. 153, up 14): The maker of a landline-style phone for kids had a late-night TV moment and launched a new program to help schools go smartphone-free.
Inflection (No. 172, up 20): The B2B-marketing startup acquired Seattle’s Keyplay, reuniting CEO Aaron Bird with Keyplay’s Adam Schoenfeld, who joins as CMO.
Notes on the GeekWire 200
Our list is not scientific, by any means, and the specific rankings should be taken with a grain of salt. But it has proven to be a valuable tool for many years. We hear regularly from readers who use the GeekWire 200 to look for jobs, prospect for customers, scout potential investments, and get a high-level view of the region’s tech community.
To make sure your Pacific Northwest technology startup is eligible for the GeekWire 200, first confirm it’s included in the broader GeekWire Startup List. If so, there’s no need to submit it separately. If your startup isn’t among the companies on that larger list, you can submit it for inclusion here, and we’ll crunch the numbers to see if it makes the next GeekWire 200 update.
Email us at [email protected] with any questions.
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