Early Stage Venture Firm, FUSE, Launches Oversubscribed $250M Fund to Continue Investing in PNW Startups
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BELLEVUE, Wash., Sept. 25, 2023 ~ FUSE, an early-stage venture capital firm based in the Pacific Northwest, has announced the successful launch of its oversubscribed $250M sophomore fund. The firm is backed by many of the most high-profile Seattle-based software executives as well as state-affiliated funds, foundations, and universities.

FUSE was founded in 2020 by three Founding Partners: Kellan Carter, Cameron Borumand, and Brendan Wales. Carter and Borumand were formerly part of Seattle-based Ignition Partners, and Wales spent nine years at San Francisco-based Headline. The firm's founding team also includes Operating Partners John Connors, the former Microsoft CFO and long-time Ignition Partners Managing Partner; Satbir Khanuja, an early Amazon Executive and founder of DataSphere; and Bobby Wagner, the eight-time pro-bowl linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks.

"We are elated to be launching our oversubscribed second fund and thankful for the continued support from our Limited Partners and founders we get to partner with," said Cameron Borumand. "We are fortunate to have some of the most notable names in the PNW as LPs which creates a unique ecosystem for our portfolio companies to garner expertise, customers, and potential future M&A opportunities."

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FUSE is focused on investing in startups located in Seattle and the broader Pacific Northwest region including western Canada. The team founded FUSE on the premise that effective early-stage investing is a locally focused product and that the Seattle and broader PNW ecosystem was underserved despite there being over 100 unicorns funded in the region over the past decade. With Microsoft emerging as a global AI leader based out of Washington State, FUSE has seen innovation momentum continue to grow in this area.

Eric Sprunk, FUSE Limited Partner and former Chief Operating Officer of Nike commented: "With the entire public cloud flowing through Seattle, there is no team as strong and as prepared as FUSE is to back the emerging technologists coming out of this area."

FUSE's Limited Partner network consists of over one hundred tech operators most of which live within twenty minutes of FUSE's office providing direct community access for FUSE portfolio founders. Chris Weber, another FUSE Limited Partner who is also a former Microsoft Corporate Vice President commented: "The FUSE team knows everybody here...Most venture firms get weaker as they get bigger. FUSE is the opposite."

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The firm has invested in 31 startups ranging from vertical software to machine learning applications including Zuper which helps businesses automate their field services workflows; WellSaid Labs which provides enterprise choice for AI created voice; Icertis which uses AI to transform contracting; among others. Samir Bodas CEO & Co-Founder at Icertis said: "This team is relentless and hyper focused on winning with a founder first mindset."

With its new fund & capital FUSE will continue investing in B2B technology entrepreneurs building category defining businesses with check sizes ranging from $1M - $10M leading Seed & Series A rounds. Interested parties can reach out to them at .
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