Bigger checks, fewer bets: Seattle startup deal count drops to lowest level since 2020
This image was generated by AI and may not depict real events.
Seattle-area startups received $1.5 billion in venture funding across 69 deals in Q1 2026, the lowest deal count since 2020. The funding is concentrated in fewer, larger rounds, with a focus on AI and space startups.
Seattle-area startups attracted $1.5 billion in venture funding across 69 deals in Q1 2026, according to the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor. This is the lowest deal count since mid-2020, continuing a trend of venture capital concentrating into fewer, larger rounds. The region ranked seventh in the country by total capital raised and 10th by deal count. Space startups, such as Stoke Space, Starcloud, and Portal Space Systems, raised a combined $580 million. AI-related deals also dominated, with seven of the 10 largest Seattle-area deals carrying AI tags. Notable rounds included $300 million for Temporal and $100 million for Overland AI.
This content was automatically generated and/or translated by AI. It may contain inaccuracies. Please refer to the original sources for verification.