Trilogy Equity Partners
Trilogy Equity Partners is a Bellevue-based, operator-led venture capital firm founded in 2006 that invests exclusively at the seed stage in technology startups across the Pacific Northwest, writing $2M-$6M initial checks from a closely held evergreen fund.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersBellevue, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Trilogy Equity Partners does
Trilogy Equity Partners is a closely held, Seattle-area venture capital firm founded in 2006 that invests exclusively at the seed stage in technology companies across the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia), writing initial checks of $2M to $6M with reserves for follow-on rounds. The firm was started by former operators of McCaw Cellular, Western Wireless, and VoiceStream (T-Mobile), and its investing team is composed almost entirely of former operators and executives from companies such as Microsoft Developer Division, Advanced Digital Information Corporation (ADIC), Bain & Company, and JPMorgan Chase, positioning the firm as an operator-led seed investor rather than a financial-only fund.
The firm manages a closely held, evergreen-structured fund in which the majority of deployed capital is its own; it raised a second fund of more than $150 million in 2022 to continue investing across the Pacific Northwest. Over its history Trilogy has backed 84 companies (active and realized), deployed $300M+ in capital, and claims $2B+ in aggregate portfolio value creation, with a marquee outcome in the 2021 IPO of Remitly on Nasdaq. Other notable portfolio companies include Lookout, Owlet, Boundless, Skilljar, TestSprite, Canvas, Vieu, Zuplo, Row Zero, Opanga, and Comet, spanning fintech remittances, mobile security, immigration tech, AI-native developer tools, 3D measurement, API management, telecom AI, and MLOps. Roughly 25% of portfolio companies are led by female CEOs.
Revenue is generated through management fees on its funds and carried interest from portfolio exits; investment terms are not publicly disclosed. The firm distributes capital primarily through warm introductions from founders, operators, and investors in its network, supported by an 'Introduce Yourself' intake form on its website, the Cloudbreak podcast, and active participation in regional events such as Portland Startup Week and Seattle Tech Week. A sister company, Trilogy Search Partners, provides executive search services to the portfolio, and Trilogy International Partners (TSX: TRL) operates separately in international wireless markets. The firm is headquartered at 777 108th Ave NE, Suite 2500, Bellevue, WA.
Trilogy Equity Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trilogy Equity Partners
- Legal name
- Trilogy Equity Partners
- Website
- https://trilogyequity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Trilogy Equity Partners is a Bellevue-based, operator-led venture capital firm founded in 2006 that invests exclusively at the seed stage in technology startups across the Pacific Northwest, writing $2M-$6M initial checks from a closely held evergreen fund.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trilogy Equity Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+) (FSANAAAC)
Keywords
Where Trilogy Equity Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellevue
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Trilogy Equity Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Management Fees and Carried Interest: Trilogy generates returns through management fees on their funds and carried interest from portfolio company exits. As a closely held, evergreen-structured fund, the majority of capital invested is their own, aligning their interests with founders. They have raised a second fund of more than $150M.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Trilogy Equity Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trilogy Equity Partners is a closely-held seed-stage venture capital firm that invests $2M–$6M initial checks (with reserves for follow-on) in early-stage technology companies in the Pacific Northwest, primarily Greater Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver BC. The firm pairs capital with hands-on operational support from former operators and entrepreneurs who have built and exited significant businesses. They also provide network introductions, hiring support, board development, and guidance on navigating pivots and capital raises.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cloudbreak: Trilogy's podcast featuring conversations with portfolio company founders and industry leaders about startup building and innovation.
Products and services
- Trilogy Equity Partners Seed Fund II
- Hands-on Founder Partnership Program
- Cloudbreak Podcast
Quantifiable outcome
- 84 companies invested, $300M+ deployed, $2B+ in value creation, 25% of portfolio with female CEOs
Companies that use Trilogy Equity Partners
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Trilogy Equity Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Trilogy Equity Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Trilogy Search PartnersminorA sister company of Trilogy Equity Partners providing executive search services. Managing Directors Scott Alderman and Cregg Baumbaugh serve as Managing Directors of Trilogy Search Partners.
- Trilogy International PartnersminorA sister company co-founded by John Stanton, Terry Gillespie, and Brad Horwitz in 2006 following the sale of Western Wireless. Operates internationally (TSX: TRL) in wireless markets.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Trilogy Equity Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Foundry Group: Boulder, Colorado-based venture capital firm that co-led Canvas' $10M Series A alongside Trilogy. Comparable in stage (Seed through Series A) and tech focus but geographically distinct, operating primarily in the Mountain West rather than the Pacific Northwest.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Global accelerator and seed-stage investor with a broad portfolio. Co-invested with Trilogy in TestSprite and serves as a top-of-funnel source of seed deals, but operates at much greater scale and geographic breadth than Trilogy's regional focus.
Direct peers
- Founders' Co-op: Pacific Northwest Seed-stage venture firm. Co-invested with Trilogy in Row Zero and serves the same founder base of early-stage PNW startups, making it a direct peer in deal sourcing and check sizing.
- Voyager Capital: Seattle-based venture capital firm with a long-standing focus on Pacific Northwest technology companies. Comparable regional scope and stage overlap (Seed and Series A) to Trilogy.
- Madrona Venture Group: Seattle-based early-stage venture capital firm investing in Pacific Northwest technology companies. Most directly comparable to Trilogy given overlapping regional focus, stage (Seed through growth), and tech sector emphasis; Elisa La Cava, now a Trilogy Principal, previously invested at Madrona.
- Pioneer Fund: Pacific Northwest early-stage venture firm investing in Seed and Series A rounds. Comparable stage and regional focus, often co-investing in the same founder ecosystem as Trilogy.
- Boldstart Ventures: Seed-stage venture firm focused on enterprise SaaS and developer tools. Co-led Zuplo's $9M seed round with Trilogy, making it a directly comparable peer in the dev-tools/enterprise software seed category Trilogy emphasizes.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Trilogy Equity Partners social profiles
Digital presenceTrilogy Equity Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trilogy Equity Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Trilogy Equity Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trilogy Equity Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments112 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trilogy Equity Partners
What does Trilogy Equity Partners do?
Trilogy Equity Partners is a closely-held seed-stage venture capital firm that invests $2M–$6M initial checks (with reserves for follow-on) in early-stage technology companies in the Pacific Northwest, primarily Greater Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver BC. The firm pairs capital with hands-on operational support from former operators and entrepreneurs who have built and exited significant businesses. They also provide network introductions, hiring support, board development, and guidance on navigating pivots and capital raises.
Is Trilogy Equity Partners a public or private company?
Trilogy Equity Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Trilogy Equity Partners founded?
Trilogy Equity Partners was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Trilogy Equity Partners based?
Trilogy Equity Partners is headquartered in Bellevue, United States, in the North America region.
How does Trilogy Equity Partners make money?
One revenue line is on record: management Fees and Carried Interest.
Who are Trilogy Equity Partners's main competitors?
Foundry Group is listed as a regional player. Techstars is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Founders' Co-op, Voyager Capital, Madrona Venture Group, Pioneer Fund and Boldstart Ventures.
Does Trilogy Equity Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trilogy Equity Partners.
What industry is Trilogy Equity Partners in?
Trilogy Equity Partners's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists), with a secondary code of FSANAAAC, Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.