The 2025 GeekWire Awards took place at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, showcasing the strength and diversity of the tech community in the region. The event brought together hundreds of attendees to celebrate the leading entrepreneurs, innovators, educators, and more across the Pacific Northwest. Over 60 finalists competed in various categories, including Startup of the Year, AI Innovation of the Year, and CEO of the Year.
CEO of Workplace of the Year winner Armoire, Ambika Singh, highlighted the sense of community and support present at the event, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and belief in one another. Deal of the Year winner Gaurav Oberoi, former CEO of Lexion, also expressed gratitude for the support he received throughout his journey in the tech industry.
The GeekWire Awards, now in its 16th year, attracted numerous nominations and votes, with winners receiving coveted robot trophies. The event’s theme, “Game On,” paid homage to classic video and arcade games, with entertainment provided by Rob “The Drunken Tenor” McPherson.
Among the winners were Auger for Startup of the Year, Joseph Williams for Public Policy Champion for Innovation, Carbon Robotics for Sustainable Innovation of the Year, and Overland AI for AI Innovation of the Year. Other notable winners included Emer Dooley, Chaitra Vedullapalli, and Aviel Ginzburg for Geeks Give Back, Fatima Kamal and Scott McComb for STEM Educator of the Year, and Truveta for Next Tech Titan.
The event also recognized the achievements of Microsoft’s “Majorana 1” processor as Innovation of the Year, Read AI CEO David Shim as CEO of the Year, and Armoire as Workplace of the Year. Additionally, Cancer AI Alliance at Fred Hutch Cancer Center received the Health Innovation of the Year award.
Special thanks were extended to the sponsors of the event, including Astound Business Solutions, JLL, Baird, BECU, Wilson Sonsini, Baker Tilly, First Tech, ALLtech, and WTIA, as well as supporting sponsors Washington State Department of Commerce, Seattle Chamber of Connection, Seattle Metro Chamber, and Showbox Presents. The success of the event was attributed to the nominations, votes, and participation of the attendees who celebrated the achievements of the tech community in the Pacific Northwest.
