Facts
- HQ
- Faculty unit
- Sectors
- Professional services, Digital, Cloud, Cybersecurity, IT consulting
- Employees
- 799000
- Stage
- Public
Ex-Microsoft/Boeing Consultant Genevieve Priebe Launches Reroot to Connect Consumers with 50,000+ Local Producers
Genevieve Priebe left a two-decade tech consulting career to run her family farm and founded bootstrapped Seattle startup Reroot to help make local food more accessible through a marketplace, a mapping app of 50,000+ producers, and a patent-pending voice tool for farmers.
WTIA Selects 21 Startups for 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program to Boost Washington Tech Growth
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) announced 21 startups selected for its 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program, aimed at supporting early-stage technology companies in Washington through mentorship and structured growth curriculum. The four-month program focuses on building leadership skills, connections, and accelerating startup growth in the state.
WTIA Selects 21 Startups for 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator to Boost Washington State Innovation
The Washington Technology Industry Association selected 21 early-stage startups across Washington state for its 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program, focusing on fields like AI, cybersecurity, and healthcare. The four-month program offers mentorship, peer learning, and investor connections to support entrepreneurial growth.
AI is not your strategy: Author and business advisor Brian Evergreen explains why vision comes first
Brian Evergreen worked in AI at Microsoft from 2016 to 2023, including a role helping Fortune 500 executives develop their AI strategies. He kept seeing the same pattern: most of those projects were failing. He set out to figure out why, and the answer became his book, Autonomous Transformation. In this live recording for GeekWire's Agents of Transformation series, presented by Accenture, Evergreen explains what companies keep getting wrong, and why vision matters more than technology. With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
XBOW Raises $35M from NVIDIA, Samsung, and SentinelOne, Totaling $155M in Series C for Autonomous Cybersecurity Platform
XBOW, a cybersecurity startup founded by GitHub Copilot creator Oege de Moor, raised an additional $35 million in its Series C round, bringing the total to $155 million with investors like NVIDIA, Samsung, and SentinelOne. Although headquartered in Seattle by address—a mailbox at a coworking space—the company operates remotely with employees worldwide and its founder based in Malta.
Google commits $10B cash, up to $30B conditional and 5GW compute to Anthropic as Claude hits $30B ARR
Google will invest $10B cash plus up to $30B conditional and provide 5 GW of compute over five years in Anthropic, bringing its total commitment to about $43B as Anthropic’s Claude reaches $30B ARR and outperforms Google’s Gemini in the enterprise market.
Iridius Raises $8.6M Seed Round to Embed Regulatory Compliance in AI, Backed by Accenture and Led by Microsoft, AWS Veterans
Seattle startup Iridius, founded by former Microsoft and AWS veterans, raised $8.6 million in seed funding to develop software that embeds regulatory compliance into AI systems during operation. Accenture is both an investor and strategic partner, with initial focus on life sciences and pharmaceutical industries.
GeekWire AI summit takeaways: Token budgets, watermelon metrics, and the $5k weekend coder
Fresh off the big GeekWire AI summit this week, Todd and John unpack what they heard from Microsoft EVP Charles Lamanna, OpenAI applications CTO Vijaye Raji, and other speakers at the Agents of Transformation event in Seattle, presented by Accenture. The big thread: the economics of AI, from token budgets becoming a hiring negotiation point to startups running on subsidized credits that may not last. Plus, a startup founder whose engineer burned through $5,000 in AI tokens over a single weekend of vibe coding, OpenAI shutting down Sora amid $15 million-a-day processing costs, and why one panelist says the metrics…
GeekWire Hosts Agents of Transformation AI Summit in Seattle on March 24 Featuring Microsoft, AWS, and OpenAI Leaders
GeekWire's Agents of Transformation summit in Seattle on March 24 will explore how agentic AI is reshaping work, creativity, and leadership through keynote talks, panels, and demos featuring leaders from Microsoft, AWS, and OpenAI. The half-day event includes fireside chats, startup pitches, and networking opportunities with industry experts and sponsors like Accenture and Nebius.
Amazon Announces $200 Billion AI Infrastructure Investment Amid Microsoft Market Value Drop and AI Industry Insights from Oren Etzioni
Amazon plans $200 billion in capital expenses this year mainly to expand AI infrastructure, while Microsoft experiences a significant market value drop due to OpenAI reliance. AI expert Oren Etzioni discusses AI agents, deepfakes, and AI industry dynamics in a GeekWire Podcast interview.
Amazon's big bet, a 'MySpace for bots', and a conversation with AI veteran Oren Etzioni
Upcoming GeekWire Podcast Live Event: Join us from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb 12 at Fremont Brewing for a live recording of the GeekWire Podcast with Todd Bishop and John Cook. Free for Fremont Chamber members, $15 otherwise. Register here. This week on the show: Andy Jassy tells Wall Street that Amazon is planning $200 billion in capital expenses this year, mostly to build out AI infrastructure, and investors give it a thumbs down. Microsoft's financial results beat expectations but the company loses $357 billion in market value in a single day after investors learn the extent of…
Nate Bek and Kirby Winfield invest in AZX’s $6M pre-Seed round to scale vertical AI for critical infrastructure
Nate Bek and Kirby Winfield announce a $6 million pre-Seed investment in AZX, a 2024-founded vertical AI platform for critical infrastructure serving utilities and energy operators, citing 10x revenue growth, customers like Puget Sound Energy and CBRE, and a team led by CEO Aaron Goldfeder.
Microsoft's private OpenAI emails and Satya Nadella’s new AI catchphrase
Newly unsealed court documents reveal the behind-the-scenes history of Microsoft and OpenAI · including a surprise: Amazon Web Services was the Silicon Valley AI lab's original partner. Plus, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella debuts a new AI catchphrase at Davos, startup CEO Dave Clark gets attention for his "wildly productive weekend," Elon Musk talks aliens, and the latest on physical AI startups in the Pacific Northwest, including Overland AI and AIM Intelligent Machines. With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Seattle’s tech paradox: Amazon's layoffs and the AI boom — or is it a bubble?
Why is Amazon laying off 14,000 people during a massive AI boom? Todd and John analyze the Seattle tech paradox, digging into Andy Jassy's 'startup' reasoning and debating whether the AI frenzy is a bubble. Then, they take on the Cascadia high-speed rail: a necessary connector or a misguided project? Related headlines from the week Amazon layoffs Amazon confirms 14,000 job cuts, says push for ‘efficiency gains’ will continue into 2026 A tale of two Seattles in the age of AI: Harsh realities and new hope for the tech community Filing: Amazon cuts more than 2,300 jobs in Washington state…
Technology Alliance Report Warns Public Investment Lags Behind Private R&D in Washington, Causing 23% Drop in Patents from 2018 to 2023
Washington state's innovation sector faces risk due to a heavy reliance on private R&D spending, with public investment in research lagging significantly. This imbalance has led to a 23% drop in patent filings and limited startup diversity beyond IT and healthcare sectors.
Benjamin Dorr Named CEO of WellSaid Labs; Jennifer Weitzel Joins Microsoft as CVP; Jason Ing Becomes Typeface’s First CMO; Tina Walha Heads U.S. Digital Response
Benjamin Dorr became CEO of AI voice startup WellSaid Labs, replacing Brian Cook, while Jennifer Weitzel joined Microsoft as CVP of engineering and construction, Jason Ing became Typeface's first CMO, and Tina Walha was named CEO of U.S. Digital Response.
Seattle Cybersecurity Startup Staris Raises $5.7M Seed to Build AI Virtual Security Engineers
Seattle-based startup Staris raised $5.7 million in seed funding led by Freestyle VC to develop AI-powered virtual security engineers that identify and fix application vulnerabilities. Founded in 2023 by cybersecurity veteran Adam Cecchetti and engineer Austin Fath, Staris aims to address the talent shortage in security by automating ongoing application protection.
Seattle’s Soapbox Project Launches Weekly Climate Activism Meetups for Tech Workers Starting Jan. 7
Seattle nonprofit Soapbox Project, founded by Nivi Achanta, is hosting weekly meetups starting January 7 at Slip Gallery to engage tech workers and others in climate activism and community building. The organization also distributes a weekly 'changeletter' with actionable climate steps and offers resources to support collective climate action.
Microsoft's Early Focus on Software and Key 1980 Investment Meeting Shaped Its Rise to Tech Giant
This article explores Microsoft's early history, focusing on how its choice to develop software rather than hardware led to its success, highlighting key moments like Bill Gates securing investment support from David Marquardt in 1980. It also commemorates Microsoft's upcoming 50th anniversary with a series reflecting on its past, present, and future.
Microsoft’s startup story: A new look, with insights for today
This special edition of the GeekWire Podcast is the first in a four-episode series that we’ll be publishing in the months ahead as part of our year-long Microsoft @ 50 project, recognizing the company’s 50th anniversary in April 2025. On this episode, we’ll take a fresh look at Microsoft’s startup story with tech historian and author Margaret O’Mara of the University of Washington, author of The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America; plus highlights from a recent conversation with David Marquardt, Microsoft’s first outside investor and a longtime board member. Register here for our Microsoft @ 50 event…
Picnic Raises $5M Led by Cercano Management with Investor Andy Liu Joining Board to Scale Pizza-Making Robot
Picnic, a food automation startup known for its pizza-making robots, raised $5 million in a new funding round led by Cercano Management, with investor Andy Liu joining the board. The funds will support scaling operations and meeting growing demand for Picnic's pizza-making technology used in high-volume venues.
Yifan Zhang Joins AI2 Incubator as Managing Director; Dropbox, Marchex, and Seattle Startups Appoint New Tech Leaders
Yifan Zhang, former Loftium co-founder, is joining the AI2 Incubator as managing director starting February 2024, while several Seattle tech companies made key executive hires including Dropbox, Marchex, Simply Augmented, and Chainguard.
Icertis Raises $150 Million Debt Financing to Support Growth and Flexibility in Contract Management Market
Icertis, a Bellevue-based contract management software provider valued at around $5 billion, raised $150 million through debt financing as of October 31, 2022, to ensure business flexibility. The company serves clients worldwide, including Microsoft and SAP, and reported over 50% growth in annual recurring revenue in early 2022.
Seattle Startup Taqtile Raises $5M to Expand AR Job Training Software Across Global Enterprise Sectors
Seattle-based AR startup Taqtile raised $5 million to expand hiring and marketing for its Manifest software, which provides mixed reality job training to enterprise clients globally across multiple sectors. The funding will support its partner ecosystem amid growing labor shortages and retirement trends increasing demand for employee training technology.
Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter Joins Tanium Board as Startup Eyes Growth After $150M Round; Other C-Suite Moves Reported
Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has joined the board of cybersecurity startup Tanium, which recently raised $150 million and reported over $430 million revenue in 2019; the article also reports executive moves at SheerID, Boeing and Teal Communications.
