Pioneer Square Labs
Industry Focus
Geographic Focus
Pioneer Square Labs (PSL) is a Seattle-based startup studio and early-stage venture capital fund founded in 2015. PSL operates a unique hybrid model that combines hands-on company creation with traditional venture capital investing. The studio develops and tests new business ideas from scratch, creating new companies out of the successful ones through a proprietary 'validation engine' that uses digital marketing to rapidly validate customer demand before committing significant resources. PSL's team of former founders, VCs, engineers, designers, data scientists, and marketers work together to craft and incubate startup ideas, then recruit founding CEOs from their network of entrepreneurs to lead the businesses. The firm differentiates itself by providing would-be founders with a derisked platform for company building, particularly targeting experienced leaders at major tech companies who want to start something but face financial or ideational barriers. PSL focuses on technology-driven companies across various sectors and has become a driving force for innovation and entrepreneurship in the Pacific Northwest. The studio kills approximately 90% of ideas before they turn into startups, using rigorous digital market testing to identify truly venture-backable opportunities. Since 2015, PSL has spun out over 35 venture-backed companies and manages $180 million through PSL Ventures, which invests in both studio spinouts and independent Pacific Northwest startups.
2015
27 Companies
5
3X Higher