Investment Philosophy

The W Fund invests in companies spinning out from the University of Washington or one of Washington’s other universities and research institutions, including Washington State University, Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Biomed, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The W Fund welcomes contacts from spin-out companies, tech transfer offices from around the state, angel investors considering spin-outs, and other early-stage venture capital firms. Initial investments are up to $500K when participating in a round of $1 Million or more. The Fund may occasionally invest alone, and expects to make follow-on investments in its portfolio companies.

Who Should Apply
The W fund invests in a range of technology sectors including life sciences, software, IT, engineering, and clean tech, with particular emphasis on companies:

• spinning out of the University of Washington and other universities and research organizations within Washington state,
• based on intellectual property developed through funded research programs, or
• having a strong nexus to students and/or faculty from Washington State research institutions.