Pioneer Square Labs
Seattle startup studio and venture platform founded in 2015, operating PSL Studio (company creation from scratch) and PSL Ventures (pre-seed and seed fund for external and studio-born startups). PSL Ventures II closed at $100M in 2023; Studio III closed at $20M. The firm reports ~$180M through PSL Ventures and has spun out 33+ venture-backed companies from its Seattle lab.
Typical check size
$1M-$10M (stage-based estimate)
Founded
2015
Headquarters
Seattle, WA
AUM
N/A
Rounds they lead
Pre-Seed
Seed
Series A
Rounds they invest
Pre-Seed
Seed
Series A
FAQs about Pioneer Square Labs
Stage fit, check size, thesis, and how founders typically approach this firm — based on public sources and our directory.
A Seattle startup studio plus venture fund. PSL Studio builds companies from ideas; PSL Ventures invests in both studio spinouts and external Pacific Northwest founders.
Seattle, Washington — Pioneer Square (240 2nd Ave S).
Pre-seed, seed, and Series A. PSL often invests within two months of incorporation — sometimes before a pitch deck exists (PSL Ventures II announcement, 2023).
No. PSL Ventures is a separate fund that leads and co-leads external rounds across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia. Studio and Ventures share leadership but operate independently.
$100M, announced 2023 as an oversubscribed sophomore fund focused on Pacific Northwest seed investing (psl.com).
Tests ideas and co-founds companies in-house. Studio III raised $20M in 2024; prior studios raised $12M and $16M respectively.
Generalist technology — enterprise SaaS, AI, and consumer when the team and market wedge are strong. Geographic focus is the Pacific Northwest.
For external companies, pitch PSL Ventures via psl.com/ventures. For studio co-founding, explore PSL Studio pathways. Warm intros from PSL portfolio founders help.
PSL Ventures targets pre-seed, seed, and Series A. The studio can partner even earlier — before a deck exists.
Seattle, Washington — 240 2nd Ave S #300.
Generalist tech: early-stage, technology-driven companies, primarily in the Pacific Northwest. They avoid pure biotech, energy, and pharma.
Email [email protected] or reach partners directly (typically [email protected]). Warm intros help but are not required. Studio applicants can start via psl.com.
PSL Ventures loves to lead, co-lead, or participate in external financings. For PSL Studio spin-outs, Ventures invests alongside outside leads and does not lead those rounds.
Ask the firm for current fund parameters.
Most actively Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia; rare out-of-region bets when team fit is strong.
psl.com (Studio and Ventures pages) and LinkedIn company pioneer-square-labs.