GeekWire Awards Finalists Revealed: Vote Now for Pacific Northwest

Seattle, WA – March 18, 2026 – The Pacific Northwest tech community is called to action as GeekWire announces the finalists for its 18th annual GeekWire Awards. Public voting is now open, offering a crucial opportunity to recognize the region's leading innovators and entrepreneurs across a diverse technology landscape.

Fifty finalists, spanning 10 distinct categories from "Startup of the Year" to "Next Tech Titan" and "AI Innovation," are vying for top honors. The awards will culminate in a vibrant live ceremony on May 7 at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle, gathering hundreds of tech professionals and enthusiasts.

Voting commenced March 18 and closes April 10. Community members can submit their ballots via the embedded form on GeekWire's website. The May 7 event promises a premium experience: a VIP reception, sit-down dinner, and entertainment. Limited sponsorships are available; contact events@geekwire.com for details.

The GeekWire Awards boast an 18-year history of recognizing groundbreaking achievements. Past winners include influential companies like Tableau, Smartsheet, Rover, and Remitly, as well as community figures such as UW computer scientist Ed Lazowska. GeekWire will also feature in-depth editorial posts on each category's finalists in the coming weeks.

The 2026 GeekWire Awards are presented by Astound Business Solutions, with gold sponsors Amazon Sustainability, Baird, BECU, JLL, First Tech, and Wilson Sonsini. Prime Team Partners serves as a silver sponsor.

Here are the categories and the distinguished finalists vying for this year's top honors:

The 2026 GeekWire Awards Categories and Finalists

Startup of the Year Recognizing promising early-stage companies making significant market impact.

• Dopl Technologies
• Dropzone AI
• Elastix AI
• Loopr AI
• mpathic

Next Tech Titan, presented by Baird Honoring companies poised for substantial future growth and industry leadership.

• Carbon Robotics
• Chainguard
• Overland AI
• Stoke Space
• MotherDuck

Deal of the Year, presented by Wilson Sonsini Highlighting major financial transactions that shaped the regional tech economy.

• Kestra Medical Technologies (raised $202M in IPO)
• Omeros (sold eye surgery product for $126M)
• Protect AI (acquired by Palo Alto Networks)
• Statsig (landed $100M at $1.1B valuation)
• Temporal (raised $300M, hit $5B valuation)

CEO of the Year Awarding exemplary leadership and strategic vision from a top executive.

• Aina Abiodun, VertueLab
• Karen Huh, Zucca
• Luis Poggi, HouseWhisper AI
• Sheila Stafford, TeamSense
• Tony Huang, Possible Finance

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Spotlighting emerging leaders making an impactful early mark in tech.

• Emily Choi-Greene, Clearly AI
• Caleb John, Pioneer Square Labs
• Kavian Mojabe, MediScan AI
• Charles Wu, Orchard Robotics
• Bill Zhu, Pokee AI

Innovation of the Year, presented by Astound Business Solutions Celebrating groundbreaking technological advancements pushing industry boundaries.

• Alpenglow Biosciences
• PNNL
• Reveal Dx
• Starcloud
• VerAvanti

Sustainable Innovation of the Year, presented by Amazon Sustainability Honoring innovations dedicated to environmental solutions and sustainability.

• Helion
• IUNU
• OCOchem
• Ravel
• TerraPower

AI Innovation of the Year Recognizing leading-edge applications and platforms leveraging artificial intelligence.

• Avante
• ConverzAI
• Envive AI
• Spangle
• Synthesize Bio

Hardware/Robotics/Physical AI of the Year Awarding excellence in physical tech products, robotics, and tangible AI systems.

• AIM
• Augmodo
• Brinc
• Orbital Robotics
• Starfish Space

Workplace of the Year, presented by JLL Celebrating companies that foster outstanding work environments and vibrant employee cultures.

• Allen Institute for AI (Ai2)
• Carbon Robotics
• DAT Freight & Analytics
• Humanly
• Yoodli

The 2026 GeekWire Awards are a vital platform for celebrating innovation within the Pacific Northwest tech ecosystem. Your vote is crucial in honoring these leading companies and individuals.

FAQ

Q: When does public voting for the 2026 GeekWire Awards close? A: Voting is open from March 18, 2026, and will close on April 10, 2026.

Q: What is the date and venue for the 2026 GeekWire Awards ceremony? A: The awards ceremony will take place live on May 7, 2026, at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle.

Q: What kind of achievements do the GeekWire Awards recognize? A: The awards celebrate top innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, CEOs, and groundbreaking technologies across a wide array of categories within the Pacific Northwest tech community.