Startup companies are hard work, but they’re also very fun. It’s exhilirating to be part of something brand new, to create something from nothing. Zillow is proud to be part of a long tradition of Seattle startups, including Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, Amazon.com, Expedia, drugstore.com, bluenile, and many others.
Ever since the venture capital industry got its sea legs back post-bubble, Seattle has become a hotbed again for startups. In addition to Zillow, here are some neat Seattle-based companies that are doing interesting things:
– Seatguru: provides information on airline seating
– Judy’s Book: local reviews of businesses by real people
– Triphub: allows you to plan group travel together
– Bagborroworsteal: think “Netflix for handbags” — pay a monthly fee and get different handbags on loan
– A Place For Mom: think “Expedia for nursing homes”
– LegalRev: a stealth Seattle startup founded by former Expedia exec Mark Britton
– And my favorite — Platial: allows you to build mashups of Google Maps in minutes. OK, I know, Platial is in Portland not Seattle. But we include our sister city only 3 hours to the South when it comes to stuff like this.
A great resource for information on Seattle startups is John Cook’s Venture Blog (he’s a reporter for the Seattle P-I). Let me know some of your favorite Seattle startups so I can check them out.