Mar 31, 2023

Lemonade

Lemonade, a digital insurance company, announced the launch of Lemonade Car in Oregon, marking the fifth state where the full suite of Lemonade insurance products are available. Lemonade Car offers drivers the ability to only pay for the miles they drive on top of a monthly base price. With the Lemonade app, this gives drivers an option for car insurance with built-in safety features, including free crash detection and emergency services, and access to its claims process. Additionally, Lemonade Car will fund reforestation efforts throughout Oregon's Santiam State Forest. Lemonade also offers renter, homeowner, car, pet and life insurance. Lemonade is currently available in the U.S., Germany, the Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom.

PACCAR

Bellevue-based PACCAR announced that it has made a minority equity investment in its connected truck partner, Platform Science. This strategic investment complements the partnership recently launched by PACCAR and Platform Science to integrate Platform Science's Virtual Vehicle technology with the PACCAR Connect telematics system. The integrated product will offer Kenworth and Peterbilt customers a standardized telematics operating system and application store, enabling customers to access software solutions, real-time vehicle data, and third-party applications directly from their vehicles. Platform Science provides enterprise fleets with a unified, user-friendly technology platform.

Mosaic Dental Collective

Mosaic Dental Collective, announced a partnership with Audax Private Equity, an alternative investment manager and capital partner for North American middle market companies. Mosaic is a dental services organization (DSO) supporting 49 affiliated dental offices in California and Washington, with a differentiated dentist-led DSO model. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Proskauer Rose served as legal counsel to Mosaic. Based in Vancouver, Washington, Mosaic supports practices across general dentistry, periodontics, orthodontics, prosthodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery. Mosaic was founded by Jagdev Heir. Audax is an experienced investor in healthcare, having acquired over 30 platforms in the sector and more than 450 add-ons. Audax was founded in 1999, and is based in Boston and San Francisco.

Mar 30, 2023

Impinj

Washington

Seattle-based Impinj announced that Miron Washington will join its board of directors on April 2. Washington has 25 years of experience across business-to-consumer and business-to-business ecommerce, global supply chain operations, and digital transformation. He currently serves on the boards of The Eighth Notch and KairosPDX, and is the chief digital officer of Parts Town. He was previously Home Depot's vice president of customer experience and general manager of its Quote Center business unit. Prior to that, Washington served in executive roles at Monotype Imaging, Staples and Amazon. The Impinj platform uses RAIN RFID to deliver data about everyday things to business and consumer applications.

Building Transparency

Seattle-based Building Transparency hired Francesco Pomponi as program director for Europe; and Katie Poss as procurement and policy program manager. Also, Vaclav Hasik was promoted to program director for North America, where he will continue to spearhead the development of Building Transparency's tools and training programs. Pomponi will be the nonprofit's first Europe-based employee, where he will play a fundamental role in driving growth and awareness globally of the organization's tools and the importance of embodied carbon awareness and reductions. He joined the organization from Edinburgh Napier University, where he was a professor of sustainability science and head of the Resource Efficient Built Environment Lab. Poss will focus on elevating the embodied carbon conversation and ensuring that project stakeholders understand their role in decarbonizing the built environment sector. Poss was the sustainability program manager for the Technology Division at Turner Construction, where she managed LEED certification, embodied carbon accounting and reduction, and construction phase emissions tracking. Promoted from his previous role as program manager, Hasik will lead methodology, data quality and LCA research. He will also spearhead demos, webinars and trainings of tools to help educate the AEC industry on the importance of reducing embodied carbon emissions. Formed in 2020, Building Transparency provides open-access data and tools that support action across the building industry in addressing embodied carbon's role in climate change.

Glue

Glue, an employee engagement company formerly known as Mystery, launched a new AI-powered connection platform that uses machine learning, recommendation, optimization, network science, and modeling across data points to help leaders maximize employee connection and engagement. Sequencing and optimization machine learning models work within the new platform to help learn what is working to keep companies connected, and what interventions can be taken to give leaders the highest ROI for moving connection and engagement. Unlike survey-based employee engagement platforms, Glue gives HR and people teams access to real-time connection data based on employees' digital interactions. Additionally, Glue acquired PopStage, an HR software company focused on creating virtual experiences. Glue is headquartered in Seattle, and is backed by investors including Greylock, Moving Capital, Endeavor and Gaingels.

Security Properties deploys $200M from multifamily fund

[enlarge]

Security Properties announced last week that it has successfully raised and deployed $200 million for what it calls the Multifamily Fund VI. Generally acting as the general partner to the fund, Security Properties has acquired some 28 apartment properties nationwide, with around 6,400 units. (Pictured among them is the South Block apartments, in Salem, Oregon.) The fund began life in 2021, hit its target in six months, and later combined with another $780 million from institutional investors. Security Properties' Ed McGovern said in a statement, “Security Properties has had a long history of working with private individuals to invest in multifamily real estate going back to its founding in 1969. We strive to be communicative, responsive and transparent.”

NAI Puget Sound Properties

Stedman

NAI Puget Sound Properties announced the recent hiring of veteran broker Blake Stedman. He makes the move from Re/Max Commercial Services. The new senior VP said in a statement, “I am excited to be working with the many professional commercial brokers at NAI Puget Sound Properties and look forward to using my background, education and experience to add to the success of this great team.”

Payscore secures more private-equity backing

Payscore is a local startup, based in Leschi, that helps apartment building managers verify the incomes of potential tenants. It recently raised an unspecified amount of cash from private-equity investors led by ffVC of New York. The latter firm's Alex Katz is on the Payscore board of directors, and said in a statement, “By analyzing consumer-permissioned data, Payscore ensures every applicant is evaluated fairly and objectively, even when income is cash-based, like tips, or fluctuates, like commissions.” Payscore co-founder CEO Mark Fiebig added, “We're making it simple for applicants and operators to easily share and accurately assess the truth about income.” Other backers include the Bay Area's Hamilton Ventures and local shops SeaChange Fund and Alliance of Angels. Payscore's second co-founder is Stephen Arifin.

Visit Seattle

James

Visit Seattle supplies all kinds of interesting data and trendlines for the hospitality industry, which is rebounding nicely from the pandemic. The trade group recently announced that Kennedy James has come on board as VP of talent and culture. She makes the move from the Gottman Institute. Visit Seattle CEO Tammy Canavan said in a statement, “Our people generate incredible benefits for the city we call home. We strive to continue this legacy by cultivating inventive, talented professionals while creating an environment where our team can feel inspired and supported to perform at their absolute best.”