Amazon
Facts
- HQ
- SEATTLE
- Sectors
- E-commerce, Cloud computing, Aerospace/Satellites, Media/Streaming, Advertising, Consumer devices
- Founded
- 1994
- Type
- Corporation Seattle business license
- Employees
- 1600000
- Registered name
- Amazon.Com Inc Seattle business license
- Stage
- Public
Michel Feaster on running toward fear, 7-figure deals, and category creation at Usermind & Apptio
Usermind has raised $50M, created a category, and closed 7-figure deals. But, CEO Michel Feaster, didn't always think of herself as a founder. Hear how she ran toward her biggest fears to make the leap from executive to founder after 15 years, lessons from Apptio's success, and how creating a category lets you "set the price."
Seattle confronts the coronavirus
Here’s what we’re talking about this week on the GeekWire Podcast. Seattle became ground zero in the U.S. coronavirus outbreak this week and tech firms were trying to adjust. Meetings and conferences were cancelled or moved online and many firms told employees to work from home for the rest of the month. GeekWire was no exception: Our annual awards event has been postponed. How will the virus impact Seattle’s tech scene in the short term and in the long run? Will it change the way many of us work? We discuss … Coronavirus Live Updates: The latest COVID-19 developments in…
Lighter Capital names Patricia Elliott CSO and Kevin Fink CTO after $100M deal; Gaby Adam launches OurPlanet365; Accolade adds Pat Wadors to board
Seattle-based Lighter Capital hired Patricia Elliott as chief sales officer and Kevin Fink as chief technology officer after securing a $100 million deal; PR veteran Gaby Adam launched sustainability consultancy OurPlanet365; Accolade added Pat Wadors to its board as talent leader.
Sandi Lin on how Skilljar raised $16.5M with her car breaking down on Sand Hill Road
Skilljar raised $16M last year after tripling from $1M to $3M ARR. Hear how CEO Sandi Lin got bay area VCs competing for her attention during her Series A after barely getting any replies to her seed round.
Glenn Kelman on humility & leadership in Redfin's 14-year journey
Redfin brought real-estate online, had an IPO, and built a role model culture in Seattle. It's been a 14-year journey -- an overnight success! Hear the story and go behind the scenes with CEO Glenn Kelman on leadership, humility, and the opportunity he sees ahead.
WestRiver Group mandates one-woman, one-man co-leadership for each VC fund as it eyes $150M Pacific Northwest raise
Seattle-based WestRiver Group will require each of its venture capital funds to be co-led by one man and one woman, a strategy it says drives bigger returns; the firm manages about $2 billion and is considering raising its Pacific Northwest fund to $150 million. Notable leaders include founder Erik Anderson, Lisa Stone, Richelle Parham, Scott Maw, Anthony Bontrager, Laurel Buckner, George Montgomery and Deepa Prasad.
Apple acquires Xnor.ai; Microsoft's bold climate plan; Seattle startup trivia
Apple doubled down on artificial intelligence and boosted its presence in Seattle with the acquisition of Xnor.ai, an Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence spinout with roots at the University of Washington, as first reported by GeekWire this week. It was a win for those institutions, and investors including Seattle's Madrona Venture Group, but it's also an example of an ambitious startup selling to a tech giant before it has the chance to become one itself. So how should we look at deals like this? Plus, Microsoft's ambitious plan to go "carbon negative" puts the tech company at the forefront of…
An extraordinary year in Seattle tech
From Amazon to Zillow, big successes to surprising failures, it was an extraordinary year for technology and innovation emerging from and impacting Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. That's the consensus from GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop, who independently compiled their own lists of the biggest stories of the year, then compared notes in this year-end GeekWire Podcast discussion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Seattle Startup Picnic Raises $5M Seed Funding for Pizza-Making Robot Assembling 300 Pizzas Per Hour
Seattle startup Picnic raised $5 million in a seed round to advance their pizza-making robot, which can assemble 300 pizzas per hour and has attracted global interest. The funding will help develop the next version and expand pilot programs, addressing labor shortages in the food industry.
The future of data with Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky
LAS VEGAS -- Nearly 20,000 people are here this week to learn about the latest from Seattle-based Tableau Software, whose technologies turn large amounts of data into visualizations, or vizzes, interactive graphics and charts for interpreting and telling the underlying stories. They also heard from Tableau's new parent company, Salesforce, whose co-CEO Marc Benioff joined Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky on stage for the keynote address as a last-minute addition a little more than a week after European regulators cleared the companies to integrate the $15.7 billion acquisition. On this special episode of the GeekWire Podcast, recorded on location at the…
Microsoft's new era unfolds
Microsoft is back in the smartphone business with the unveiling of its new Surface Duo dual-screen folding device this week. It's a fascinating story all on its own, as the company finally goes public with a concept it has been experimenting with behind-the-scenes for much of the past decade. Surprise twist: It runs Android. But combined with the larger Surface Neo dual-screen tablet/notebook, the story is much bigger. Microsoft is trying to take the lead in a new category of computing, while expanding its focus beyond Windows to focus on apps and experiences across a range of devices. We share…
Why millennials love Amazon
Amazon ousted Apple this year as the most loved brand among millennials, people age 19 through 39, according to a new study. What does this say about the future of the world? OK, that might be taking it too far, but some of our resident millennials offer their take on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast. And in news for slightly older generations, the startup HopSkipRide made its debut in Seattle this week, promising to safely shuttle your kids around town. We explain how it works and try to decide if we and our kids will use it. Plus, in…
Headphones, AI and the future of humanity
New wireless Bluetooth headphones from Seattle startup Human are getting mixed reviews based on their appearance, and their initial starting price of $399 (which the company quickly dropped to a promotional price of $259). But their unique design, which completely envelops both ears, reflects a vision of the future in which technology will be melded to our bodies, and potentially to our minds. Plus: Jeff Bezos' first Amazon job ad, 25 years later; A new Netflix documentary will go inside the mind of Bill Gates, and Alexa makes a "Jeopardy!" cameo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Xiao Wang
Xiao Wang talks about his own family’s process of immigrating to the United States from China and how it influenced him to start his company, Boundless Immigration. Before Boundless, Xiao received degrees from both Stanford and Harvard Universities and worked for McKinsey, the New York City Department of Education, and Amazon. With the help of Pioneer Square Labs, Xiao decided to leave the corporate world and cofound his company in 2017. Xiao discusses what his parents went through during their immigration process, his plans for what he wants to achieve with Boundless in the future, and how he’s extremely proud…
Satya Nadella and Seattle Tech Leaders Join Sounders FC Ownership; Cray Gets $600M DOE Supercomputer Contract Ahead of $1.3B HPE Acquisition
Seattle tech leaders, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, have joined a revamped Sounders FC ownership group. Cray is developing a $600 million exascale supercomputer for the U.S. Department of Energy and is being acquired by HPE for $1.3 billion.
Amazon Launches Third Alexa Accelerator Cohort Featuring Nine Startups Innovating Voice Technology Applications
Amazon's Alexa Accelerator has launched its third cohort, featuring nine startups innovating with Alexa's voice technology across diverse applications like cooking and remote healthcare. The Alexa platform has rapidly grown, with over 90,000 skills and 100 million Alexa-enabled devices sold, reflecting the maturing voice tech market.
Secret Startup Ingredient: Microsoft
Would you have guessed that nearly 25 percent of the Seattle region's top tech startups are led by CEOs with backgrounds at Microsoft? That was the surprising result of our analysis of the GeekWire 200, our index of the top privately held tech companies in the Pacific Northwest. And fundings for the region's startups bucked the national trend, as reflected in data from our new startup deal tracker. Nintendo unveiled a new iteration of its Switch game console; former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pulled off what might be his greatest deal ever; and an Amazon employee showed the potential of…
Slack CTO Cal Henderson
Workplace chat and collaboration technology company Slack is going public on Thursday, with implications for a wide variety of companies in the Seattle region and beyond. Microsoft is Slack’s primary competitor with its Teams service, and Slack is a big Amazon Web Services customer. And many companies that sell technologies to businesses will be watching Slack’s stock market debut closely to assess their own potential in the public markets. So how does Slack work behind the scenes? On this episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we’re featuring a conversation with a co-founder of Slack, Cal Henderson, the company’s chief technology officer…
Chris DeVore to Step Down as Techstars Seattle Managing Director on July 1 to Focus on Founders’ Co-op VC Firm
Chris DeVore is stepping down as managing director of Techstars Seattle on July 1 after nearly five years to focus on running Founders’ Co-op, which recently raised a $25 million fund. He will remain involved with Techstars and continue working from the University of Washington’s Startup Hall.
Robbie Cape
If you asked anyone who grew up with Robbie Cape in Montreal, they would all say they knew he was going to run his own business someday. He was constantly learning as a child from the family business and from his parents, who believed he should grow up understanding the value of a single dollar. In 2014, Robbie sold his first company, Cozi, and now is building his second company, 98point6, which is revolutionizing primary care and making healthcare more affordable and accessible to everyone. Robbie shares how he always starts with the ‘who’ before the ‘what’ when building businesses…
Unicorns, IPOs and the next tech giants
Seattle has a new unicorn, Outreach, the sales and marketing automation company that raised a $114 million funding round this week, pushing its valuation to $1.1 billion. The news sends John and Todd on a startup odyssey, exploring the hidden connections among the new wave of public companies and tech behemoths in Silicon Valley and Seattle, including Uber, Lyft, Convoy and others. Plus, Amazon and Microsoft are preparing to challenge Apple's AirPods,. And on the Random Channel, Melinda Gates has a message for the tech industry, and John is determined to be a "Never Throner." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Founders’ Co-op marks 10 years after launching in 2008 with $2.7M, raised $7.7M fund and brought Techstars to Seattle
Founders’ Co-op reflects on its first decade after launching in early 2008 with a $2.7M seed fund, helping regional startups through investments and by bringing Techstars to Seattle in 2010 while raising a second $7.7M fund.
GeekWire Awards preview; brave Amazon employee quizzes Bezos
We're preparing for the GeekWire Awards, our annual event recognizing the best in Pacific Northwest tech and innovation, and on this episode of the GeekWire Podcast we provide an update on past Startup of the Year winners and preview this year's contest. Find out more, submit nominations, and buy tickets at geekwire.com/awards. Plus, a brave Amazon employee asks Jeff Bezos if his tumultuous personal life is distracting from his work, and Peter Sagal of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me offers his input on getting less input in our lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Under Construction Podcast: John Cook
This is a guest episode of the new podcast Under Construction, from the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, featuring a conversation with my GeekWire co-founder John Cook, talking with the podcast's host, Seattle Metro Chamber CEO Marilyn Strickland. For more episodes, check out seattlechamber.com/underconstruction, or subscribe at soundcloud.com/seattlechamber. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Solving Simple Problems can Create Billion Dollar Ideas | Jamie Siminoff | TEDxCrossroadsSchool
Often times, companies exist but without solving a truly unfulfilled need. Jamie Siminoff, the founder of Ring, shares best practices around building ideas around strong and vibrant communities. Jamie Siminoff is a successful inventor and entrepreneur who created the world’s first Wi-Fi video doorbell. Since its launch in 2011, Ring has experienced incredible success and growth wherein 2018, it was purchased by Amazon as the company’s second-largest acquisition. With numerous DIY security products dedicated to preventing and reducing crime, Siminoff is revolutionizing the smart home and creating safer neighborhoods throughout the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event…
People
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Jamie Siminoff Executive, Vice President
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Ben Wild Co-founder of Hubble Network, Former Amazon Product Lead
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Manish Srivastava Director, Product & Technology, A to Z Platform & PXT AI
