We just announced that my friend and Founders’ Co-op business partner Andy Sack will be leading up a Seattle version of the awesome TechStars startup camp program next year. In a slight departure from the program structure in Boulder and Boston (where funding was provided primarily by angel investors), TechStars Seattle is being supported by an amazing co-op of A-list Seattle venture firms: Bezos Expeditions, Ignition, Madrona, Maveron, OVP, Trilogy, Voyager and Vulcan have all signed on for a 2-year commitment to make TechStars Seattle the focal point of early stage software action in the Pacific Northwest.
A few weeks ago I responded to a post by Andrew Chen on Seattle’s startup scene with this question:
“If we want Seattle to be the kind of town that fosters a broader variety of software innovation, what kind of investment culture do we need to create? How can we attract entrepreneurs and investors to the Seattle startup community that are willing to pursue + finance different types of risk, based on different patterns of startup success.”
It won’t happen overnight, but I’m convinced that TechStars Seattle is a critical step toward creating a more vibrant diverse and startup community in the Pacific Northwest. I’m proud of the role that Founders’ Co-op is playing in this effort, and I’m blown away by the unanimous support of the local venture community to make this program a success.