Alaska startup takes the money

An Alaska underwear brand just beat the startup crowd.

SWOOP took the top prize at the 2025 Alaska Angel Conference, locking in a $100,000 investment. The company is founded by Virginia Lynn Peterson and focuses on functional, design-forward underwear and apparel built for real life, not runway hype. Judges backed the brand for both product clarity and the ability to scale from Alaska outward.

Winning this conference isn’t just a trophy. It’s real capital from Alaska investors who want to see local companies grow instead of leaving the state. For Anchorage’s startup scene, it’s another sign that consumer brands can win here, not just tech or resource plays. SWOOP now joins a short list of Alaska-born companies with funding and momentum heading into the next year.