We have grown and exited businesses as operators ourselves here in the Seattle area, and we started Trilogy to help others do it too. We raised our second fund of more than $150M this year to continue to invest in and support that growth and success of early-stage companies in the Pacific Northwest. The majority of the capital we invest in our portfolio is our own, which gives us more freedom to be selective and passionate about the founders we partner with. Bottom line, investing our own money means that we care deeply about your success and can give you the time to achieve it.
The secret sauce, if there is one, is that most of our partners have run businesses or large parts of businesses. We bring the perspective of someone who actually has been there, done that..so we know it’s not easy. We know because we’ve been there.
Our partners have founded, led, and helped run significant global technology businesses, built from the ground up right here in the Seattle area.
1982
McCaw Cellular Launched
1985
John Stanton named EVP and COO
1987
McCaw Cellular IPO
1994
ATT acquires McCaw Cellular for $12.6B
1989
John Stanton, Theresa Gillespie, and Mikal Thomsen found Pacific Northwest Cellular to build and operate rural wireless businesses
1991
John Stanton and Theresa Gillespie acquired General Cellular with investment firm Hellman and Friedman
1994
Western Wireless formed through merger of Stanton Communications, Pacific Northwest Cellular, and General Cellular Corporation
1994
VoiceStream Wireless PCS founded as subsidiary of Western Wireless, acquires PCS licenses
1995
Western Wireless forms Western Wireless International with Brad Horwitz
1996
Western Wireless IPO
1999
VoiceStream spin from Western Wireless
2005
Alltel acquires Western Wireless $6B
1995
VoiceStream Wireless PCS founded as subsidiary of Western Wireless, acquires PCS licenses
1996
Company commits to GSM standard and launches first commercial GSM system in the United States
1999
VoiceStream spin from Western Wireless, shortly after acquires Omnipoint and Aerial Communications. John Stanton remains Chairman and CEO of both Western and VoiceStream
2001
Deutsche Telekom acquires VoiceStream for $34B
1989
Peter van Oppen becomes CEO of Interpoint
1994
Interpoint acquires ADIC for $10M
1996
Interpoint sold to Crane Aerospace, ADIC spun off to public shareholders
2005
ADIC crosses $500M run-rate revenue, with 40% from IBM and Dell
2006
ADIC sold to Quantum for $770M
2000
Microsoft Developer Division formed
2002
Microsoft’s Visual Studio.net ships
2001
John Stanton and Terry Gillespie invest in Seattle Mariners
2016
Stanton and Gillespie leads group of minority owners to acquire control of the team; Stanton becomes Chairman of the Board and Managing Partner
TBD
Seattle Mariners win World Series
2008
John Stanton joins board
2011
Stanton becomes Chairman of Clearwire and serves as acting CEO from March through August
2013
Company is sold to Sprint and Softbank for $10B