The NumbersJuly 14, 2026via GeekWire
Apptio co-founders reunite to launch enterprise AI startup Thira with $21M in funding led by Madrona
Why it matters
Enterprise AI agents are moving from research to funded reality. When proven founders from a $12B exit return to build autonomous back-office workers, it signals investor conviction that agent-based enterprise software is the next wave.
Key signals
- Apptio co-founders Sunny Gupta and Kurt Shintaffer launching Thira
- $21M seed round led by Madrona
- Thira building autonomous AI agents for IT support tickets and back-office work
- Bellevue-based startup
- Focus on enterprise deployment at large companies
The hook
$21M. That's what Apptio's co-founders just raised to build AI agents that autonomously handle IT support—at scale.
Apptio co-founders Sunny Gupta and Kurt Shintaffer launched Thira, a Bellevue-based enterprise AI startup, with $21 million in seed funding led by Madrona. Thira is building AI agents to autonomously handle IT support tickets and other back-office work at large companies.