GeekWire Awards: From farm to space, Next Tech Titan winners grow to meet big challenges
The path from startup success to heavyweight is often marked by the ability to solve large, complex problems at scale — whether those challenges are on the farm, the battlefield or low-Earth orbit.
This GeekWire Award, presented by Baird, recognizes the next dominant force in Pacific Northwest tech. The Next Tech Titan winners are: Overland AI, Carbon Robotics, Stoke Space, Chainguard and MotherDuck.
Now in its 18th year, the GeekWire Awards is the premier event to recognize the top leaders, companies and achievements in Pacific Northwest tech, bringing together hundreds of people to celebrate innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. It takes place on May 7 at Showbox SoDo in Seattle.
Last year’s Next Tech Titan winner was Truveta, a Bellevue, Wash.-based company that aims to integrate medical record data from partner facilities to link treatments to outcomes and basic health. Truveta raised $320 million in new funding through 2025 to push its valuation past $1 billion.
Read on for information about the 2026 Next Tech Titan winners, selected by a panel of independent judges from public nominations. You can help choose a winner:Cast your vote hereor in the embedded form below. Voting continues until April 10.
Overland AI develops autonomous vehicle software and hardware specially designed for complex, off-road environments. The company’s platform allows robotic vehicles to navigate high-speed, unpredictable terrain where GPS and cell phone signals are often unavailable. Overland specializes in joint operations with the US Army and Marine Corps, and is a key player in the Pacific Northwest’s emerging defense-tech corridor.
GeekWire first covered Overland AI in 2022 when it was a small, crafty group of researchers coming out of the University of Washington’s Robot Learning Laboratory. Company, No. 12 on the GeekWire 200, has grown to more than 100 employees, raised more than $140 million, and opened a 22,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Seattle since then.
Ag-tech startup Carbon Robotics builds AI-powered machines designed to eliminate weeds without using chemical herbicides. Its flagship LaserWeeder uses computer vision to identify and eradicate weeds with lasers, a process powered by the company’s “Large Plant Model”. This AI model, trained on 150 million labeled plants, allows machines to adapt to new plants and locations in minutes. The company is also expanding into autonomous farm machines with its Carbon ATK platform and an undisclosed new AI robot.
Founded in 2018 by Isilon Systems founder Paul Mikesell, the Seattle-based company has raised $177 million to date and employs about 260 people. Its LaserWeeders are now operating on hundreds of farms in 15 countries, helping farmers significantly reduce labor and pesticide costs. Carbon is No. 10 on the GeekWire 200.
Stoke Space is developing the Nova, a medium-lift rocket designed for 100% reusability and quick change between flights. Unlike competitors that focus on heavy-duty vehicles, the Kent, Wash.-based company is targeting the medium-lift market with a unique second-stage design that features a cooler heat shield for air re-entry. The goal is to provide a flexible and inexpensive launch platform that can be seamlessly reused as an aircraft.
Founded by former Blue Origin and SpaceX developers, Stoke Space has raised $1.34 billion to date, including a massive $860 million Series D round due in early 2026. The company, number 8 on the GeekWire 200, is currently preparing for its first orbital launch from Cape Canaveral later this year and has already been selected for a national security launch by the US Force.
Chainguard protects the “software supply chain” by securing open source components and container images used in today’s cloud applications. The company’s tools allow developers to deploy validated, non-vulnerable code, automating the process of keeping the underlying software secure. By focusing on the root of software production, Chainguard helps engineering teams eliminate security risks without shortening development cycles.
Founded in 2021 and based in Kirkland, Wash., the startup has raised $892 million to date, reaching an estimate of $3.5 billion. By fiscal year 2025, the company has increased its annual revenue sevenfold to $40 million. Now employing more than 500 people and serving more than 200 customers – including GitLab and Hewlett Packard Enterprise – Chainguard is the No. 2 on the GeekWire 200.
MotherDuck offers a serverless analytics platform built on the open source DuckDB database engine. Designed for “small data” that does not reach the petabyte scale, the technology allows users to quickly run SQL queries locally in the browser or in the cloud without the complexity of distributed infrastructure. By combining local processing speed with cloud scaling, the platform aims to make data analysis more affordable and accessible.
Founded in 2022 by former Google BigQuery engineer Jordan Tigani, the Seattle startup has raised more than $100 million. Backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Madrona, MotherDuck is number 25 on the GeekWire 200.
Astound Business Solutions is the presenting sponsor of the 2026 GeekWire Awards. Thanks also to gold sponsors Amazon Sustainability, Baird, BECU, JLL, First Tech and Wilson Sonsini, and silver sponsors Prime Team Partners.
The event will feature a VIP reception, dinner and fun social gatherings. Tickets are going fast. A limited number of partial table sponsorships and full sponsorships are available. Contact events@geekwire.com to place your team today.
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