Greater Seattle Business Investment Report 2026: Major Expansions and New Company Investments

During the first seven months of 2026, Greater Seattle continued to attract both international investment and significant domestic expansion. Companies established North American headquarters, opened engineering hubs, expanded advanced manufacturing, and committed to long-term office, industrial, and research facilities across King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.

Artificial intelligence companies emerged as a major driver of regional growth, fueling demand for engineering talent and helping revitalize the office market through some of the region’s largest commercial leases, such as Anthropic and Databricks.

• Seven international investment projects announced
• Approximately $447 million in foreign direct investment
• More than 1,060 jobs
• AI became the region’s fastest-growing investment sector
• Major expansions by Anthropic, Databricks, Boeing, GM, Alaska Airlines, and Echodyne
• Multiple new North American headquarters established

International Companies Invest in Greater Seattle

Between January and July 2026, fDi Markets identified five foreign direct investment projects in Greater Seattle representing approximately $447 million in estimated capital investment and 1,062 jobs.

Project date	Investing company	Source country	Destination city	Jobs created	Capital investment (in Millions)
May 2026	Forvis Mazars (Mazars)	France	Seattle (WA)	8	$0.50
May 2026	Nscale	United Kingdom	Bellevue (WA)	405	$40.10
Apr 2026	Vantari VR	Australia	Seattle (WA)	50	$8.00
Apr 2026	Richmond American Homes of Washington	Japan	Covington (WA)	251	$188.10
Apr 2026	Richmond American Homes of Washington	Japan	Marysville (WA)	251	$188.10
Mar 2026	PixVerse	Singapore	Bellevue (WA)	56	$11.60
Jan 2026	Corient	UAE	Seattle (WA)	41	$10.60

Additional international investments announced during the period expand the region’s growing presence in artificial intelligence, aerospace, defense technology, advanced manufacturing, healthcare technology, professional services, aviation, logistics, and maritime infrastructure.

Vantari VR Establishes North American Headquarters in Seattle
Australia-based Vantari VR selected Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood for its North American headquarters. The healthcare technology company develops immersive virtual-reality training tools that allow healthcare professionals to practice clinical procedures in simulated environments.
Vantari VR plans to invest approximately $8 million and create 50 jobs over the next two to three years. Greater Seattle Partners supported the company’s expansion through market intelligence, industry introductions, and site-selection assistance.

eNeural Technologies Opens North American Headquarters in Bellevue
Taiwan-based eNeural Technologies established its North American headquarters in Bellevue. The embedded and edge-AI company plans to invest approximately $3.5 million and create 30 local jobs over three years, including more than 20 AI engineering positions.
The Bellevue office will support customer engagement, business development, strategic partnerships, and advanced engineering across North America. The expansion followed the company’s participation in Greater Seattle Partners’ SelectUSA Seattle Spinoff program.

PixVerse Selects Bellevue for Its First U.S. Office
Singapore-based AI video company PixVerse selected Bellevue for its first U.S. office. The company identified the region’s AI talent, technology ecosystem, and proximity to major cloud and enterprise companies as advantages for its U.S. expansion. PixVerse plans to build a local team across AI research, engineering, sales, product marketing, and business development.

Synthesia Establishes a Seattle Engineering Office
London-based AI video company Synthesia opened a Seattle office to support its West Coast engineering operations. The company appointed an engineering director to lead the new team and began recruiting locally for roles spanning AI video, product development, infrastructure, and systems engineering.

Fortis Mazars Opens Its First Washington Office
Global accounting and consulting organization Forvis Mazars opened a Seattle office on June 1, establishing its first physical presence in Washington state. The office supports clients across technology, manufacturing, healthcare, construction, private equity, nonprofit, and retail industries. The firm plans to grow its local workforce while expanding access to advisory, tax, and assurance services.

Corient Expands Its Seattle Footprint
International wealth management firm Corient announced plans to consolidate two Seattle offices into approximately 22,500 square feet at the U.S. Bank Center while maintaining its Bellevue location.
The project expands Corient’s physical presence in Greater Seattle following its acquisition of Bellevue-based Bristlecone Advisors in 2025.

Nscale Announces Bellevue Office
United Kingdom-based AI infrastructure company Nscale announced plans to establish an office in downtown Bellevue. The company leased nearly 24,000 square feet at The Eight and expects to occupy the space in January 2027.
Because the office is scheduled to open after the reporting period, the project represents announced future investment rather than an operation that opened between January and July 2026.

U.S. Companies Expand Across Greater Seattle

Domestic companies also made major investments in facilities, production capacity, workforce development, and regional operations during the first seven months of 2026.

Boeing Invests $1 Billion in Everett Production
Boeing launched a new 737 MAX final assembly line at its Everett manufacturing complex in Snohomish County. The company described the expansion as a $1 billion investment intended to increase production capacity and strengthen the resiliency of its Washington manufacturing system.
Known as the North Line, the operation is Boeing’s fourth active 737 MAX final assembly line. The Everett complex also supports widebody aircraft and defense programs, including production of the KC-46A military refueling tanker.

Alaska Airlines Opens $200 Million Training Center in Renton
Alaska Airlines officially opened its Global Training Center in Renton in January. The company invested more than $200 million in the approximately 665,000-square-foot facility, which brings pilot, flight attendant, customer service, and other frontline training functions together under one roof.
The center includes 10 full-motion flight simulators, aircraft cabin mockups, virtual-reality training rooms, 89 classrooms, and workspace for approximately 550 employees. Thousands of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines employees are expected to cycle through the facility for training.

General Motors Establishes Seattle Software Engineering Office
General Motors leased approximately 43,000 square feet at Seattle’s West8 office tower for a new software engineering operation.
The office is expected to support approximately 100 jobs and strengthen GM’s access to Greater Seattle’s cloud computing, infrastructure, and advanced software engineering talent as the automaker develops software-defined vehicle technologies.

Anduril Expands Defense and Maritime Technology Operations
Defense technology company Anduril Industries is building autonomous maritime vessels at the former Foss Shipyard along Seattle’s Lake Washington Ship Canal. Reporting in April identified dozens of defense workers already operating at the site.
The maritime operation adds to Anduril’s regional presence, which included approximately 375 employees and nearly 40,000 square feet of office space in Bellevue as of 2025. The Seattle facility strengthens an emerging cluster of autonomous systems, maritime manufacturing, robotics, and defense technology companies along the ship canal.

Echodyne Opens $40 Million Radar Manufacturing Facility in Woodinville
Defense technology company Echodyne opened a new 86,350-square-foot advanced radar manufacturing facility in Woodinville, significantly expanding production capacity for its proprietary MESA® (Metamaterials Electronically Scanned Array) radar systems.
The company invested $40 million in the new facility, which will eventually manufacture more than 30,000 radar systems annually for U.S. and allied defense customers, critical infrastructure operators, autonomous systems, and commercial aviation applications. The facility will create more than 100 new jobs initially, growing to approximately 200 employees at full production capacity.
Echodyne’s expansion strengthens Washington state’s position as a national leader in advanced aerospace, defense, and autonomous systems manufacturing. As governments worldwide increase investment in counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), short-range air defense, and airspace security, the new facility significantly expands U.S. manufacturing capacity for next-generation radar technology while reinforcing the region’s growing defense industrial base.

Anthropic Makes Seattle’s Largest Office Lease of 2026
AI company Anthropic signed a 113,000-square-foot long-term lease at Dexter Yard North in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood, marking one of the region’s largest office transactions of 2026 and the largest office lease completed in Seattle this year. The expansion follows Anthropic’s earlier short-term lease in the Dexter Yard complex and represents a significant long-term commitment to the region’s AI ecosystem.
Anthropic selected South Lake Union to expand its engineering presence, reinforcing Greater Seattle’s position as one of North America’s leading AI talent markets. The lease also provides an important boost to Seattle’s office market, where demand from AI companies helps absorb high-quality office space following several years of elevated vacancy.

Databricks Doubles Its Bellevue Footprint
Data and AI company Databricks significantly expanded its Greater Seattle presence by signing a major lease at the FOUR106 office tower in downtown Bellevue. The agreement more than doubles the company’s Puget Sound office footprint to more than 270,000 square feet, making it one of the largest AI-related office expansions in the region during 2026.
The Bellevue expansion reflects continued demand for Greater Seattle’s AI and cloud computing talent while reinforcing Bellevue’s emergence as a preferred destination for high-growth artificial intelligence companies. Databricks joins a growing roster of AI firms—including OpenAI, xAI, CoreWeave, Crusoe, and Nscale—that have expanded or established operations on the Eastside.

Trase Establishes a Seattle-Area Engineering Hub Following $107 Million Seed Round
Virginia-based AI startup Trase expanded into the Seattle region following the public launch of the company and a $107 million seed financing led by Arch Venture Partners. The company, which develops AI solutions for highly regulated industries including healthcare, announced plans to grow its Seattle-area workforce from approximately 20 employees to as many as 100 in the coming months.
The expansion follows the hiring of longtime Microsoft, Google Cloud, and Amazon Web Services executive Baskar Sridharan as President. Trase identified Greater Seattle as a key engineering hub, citing the region’s concentration of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and enterprise software talent. The company is actively recruiting engineers and plans to establish additional office space to support its growth.

BNBuilders Opens Permanent Tacoma Office
Seattle-based general contractor BNBuilders opened a permanent office in downtown Tacoma in January. The approximately 5,000-square-foot office at Tacoma Centre is the company’s second Washington location and seventh office nationally.
BNBuilders cited its growing South Sound project portfolio and relationships with local organizations as factors in establishing a permanent Pierce County presence. Its regional projects include work connected to the Port of Tacoma Maritime Center, the Museum of Glass, and local educational facilities.

Saxum Investment Company Announces $250 Million Cold Storage Facility at the Port of Tacoma
The Port of Tacoma Commission approved a 50-year ground lease with Saxum Investment Company, LLC to develop a state-of-the-art cold storage and food processing facility on a 30-acre site along the Blair-Hylebos Peninsula.
Subject to final design, Saxum plans to invest up to $250 million in the project. Once complete, the facility is expected to support up to 400 jobs and generate approximately $43 million in annual wages. The development will provide modern cold storage and food processing capacity with direct access to marine terminals, rail service, and Interstate 5, strengthening Greater Seattle’s position as a leading gateway for food, agriculture, and global trade. Construction is expected to begin following permitting and final design.

Investment Across a Diverse Regional Economy

The January–July 2026 projects demonstrate several important investment trends across Greater Seattle:

• International companies continue to select Seattle and Bellevue for North American headquarters, AI engineering, and professional services operations.
• Snohomish County remains a center of large-scale aerospace production and advanced manufacturing.
• Pierce County is attracting companies seeking a stronger permanent presence in the South Sound market.
• Domestic investment in aviation, software, manufacturing, and defense technology is creating new facilities and expanding specialized workforce capacity.

The Greater Seattle region is a globally connected business destination supported by specialized talent, established industry clusters, research institutions, international connectivity, and diverse communities across King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.

Methodology and data notes

FDI totals are based on the attached fDi Markets export covering King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. The export contains five projects dated January–July 2026, all located in King County. Capital investment figures are shown in U.S. dollars and may include fDi Markets estimates. eNeural Technologies and Synthesia were verified through public announcements but were not included in the supplied fDi Markets export. Domestic expansions were verified through company announcements and regional business reporting. Projects announced during the period but scheduled to open later are identified as future investments.