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
Twelve AI Labs Valued at Nearly $130 Billion Raise $29 Billion Without Commercial Products
Twelve AI startups dubbed 'Virgin Unicorns' have raised over $29 billion with a combined valuation nearing $130 billion despite having no commercial products. These companies, backed by top investors, reflect a high-stakes bet on AI's future commercialization potential.
Temporal, $5 Billion Bellevue Startup, Named Crystal Palace Front-of-Shirt Sponsor for 2026/27 EPL Season
Temporal, a Bellevue-based developer tools startup valued at $5 billion, will be the front-of-shirt sponsor for Crystal Palace Football Club starting in the 2026/27 English Premier League season. This sponsorship deal aligns with the Premier League's new ban on gambling company logos on shirts, opening opportunities for new sponsors like Temporal.
Jeff Bezos Details $38B Startup Prometheus as AI Design Tool, Denies Robotics Focus
Jeff Bezos revealed that his $38 billion startup Project Prometheus is focused on developing an 'artificial general engineer' for next-generation design tools of physical objects, explicitly stating it is not related to robotics. Bezos, who is the co-CEO, described Prometheus as a modern evolution of computer-aided design (CAD), emphasizing the project's innovative approach.
Former Amazon Executive Joins DoorDash as Chief Marketing Officer Succeeding Kofi Amoo-Gottfried
After five years at Amazon, the author announced their new role as Chief Marketing Officer at DoorDash, succeeding Kofi Amoo-Gottfried. They expressed enthusiasm for DoorDash's mission to empower local economies and the growth opportunities ahead.
Seattle Ranks 4th in US Population Growth Amid Rising Tech Layoffs, Sparking Concern Among Industry Leaders
Seattle's tech industry remains a major economic force driving population growth, but rising tech layoffs and growing doubts among business leaders highlight emerging concerns about the city's long-term economic resilience and confidence.
Cowboy Space Raises $275M at $2B Valuation, Plans 40-60 Hires for Seattle Satellite and Rocket Hub
Cowboy Space Corp., founded by Robinhood co-founder Baiju Bhatt, raised $275 million in a Series B round valuing the company at $2 billion and is hiring 40-60 employees for its new Seattle satellite and rocket engineering hub. The company develops solar-powered satellites that function as data centers and builds integrated rockets to launch them, competing for talent in Seattle's aerospace sector.
Seattle Startup Boundless Reports H-1B Reforms Favor High Earners, Imposing $100,000 Fee, Raising Hiring Costs
New H-1B visa rules favor higher-wage international workers by giving them better lottery odds and imposing a $100,000 fee per application, making hiring more expensive for startups and rural employers. Seattle startup Boundless Immigration reports these reforms address previous criticisms but create challenges for entry-level international hires.
Seattle Students Compete in TiE Young Entrepreneurs Finals with AI Startup Winning Spot in Global Contest
Over 100 students from 20 teams competed in the TYE Seattle Chapter Finals pitching startups in AI, healthcare, nutrition, and recycling, with an AI-powered email assistant winning first place. The event featured a panel from Amazon, Microsoft, and OpenAI discussing career navigation in the AI era, and Seattle aims for a third consecutive global title next month.
Armada Grows Seattle-Area Team to 120 as Its Portable AI Data Centers Gain Adoption by Washington State and U.S. Navy
Armada, a San Francisco-based startup, has expanded its Bellevue, Washington engineering team to 120 employees to meet rising demand for its rugged AI data centers that operate in remote areas. Its technology supports critical clients like the Washington State Department of Natural Resources for wildfire connectivity and the U.S. Navy, backed by over $200 million in funding including from Microsoft.
Melinda Lewison, Bezos family office representative, leaves Slate Auto board as $1.4B EV startup readies first truck in late 2026
Melinda Lewison, who represented Jeff Bezos’s family office on Slate Auto’s board, has resigned months before the EV startup— which has raised $1.4 billion citing Bezos’s association— is due to begin producing an affordable electric truck in late 2026 in Warsaw, Indiana. Her departure follows a March CEO change and raises questions about Bezos’s ongoing, largely implicit involvement.
Elon takes the stand, Big Tech drops big numbers, and a small VC gets in on a billion-dollar deal
This week on the show: Todd reports from inside the Oakland federal courthouse where Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, Sam Altman, and Microsoft, with jury selection revealing just how hard it is to find anyone neutral about Musk these days. Meanwhile, Microsoft and OpenAI restructured their partnership the same morning the trial began — and less than 24 hours later, OpenAI's models landed on Amazon's cloud. Then, Microsoft and Amazon both dropped blockbuster earnings, with Azure up 40%, AWS posting its fastest growth in 15 quarters, and the two companies combining for nearly $400 billion in capital spending this year…
Seattle VC Flying Fish Partners Joins $1.1B Seed Round for DeepMind’s David Silver’s Startup Ineffable Intelligence
Seattle-based VC firm Flying Fish Partners secured a spot in the $1.1 billion seed round for DeepMind legend David Silver's startup Ineffable Intelligence through years of relationship-building and strategic early investments. Despite managing less than $250 million, their networking and persistence led to participation alongside major investors like Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
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.
Nick Hanauer Critiques Progressive Taxation and Calls for Defining Which Capitalism America Supports
Seattle venture capitalist Nick Hanauer argues that the debate should focus on which form of capitalism America supports, responding to Chris DeVore’s call for Democrats to embrace capitalism. Hanauer critiques current progressive tax policies in Washington state as counterproductive, while emphasizing that capitalism is not a monolith but has many variations.
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.
Amazon to invest up to $25B in Anthropic as Anthropic pledges $100B in AWS spending over 10 years
Amazon will invest up to $25 billion in AI lab Anthropic (an immediate $5B plus $20B tied to milestones) while Anthropic commits to spend over $100 billion on AWS cloud services, including Trainium chips and up to 5 GW of compute, over the next ten years.
Seattle Startups Navigate AI-Driven Shift with Fewer Venture Deals, Amazon Bets, and Allbirds’ AI Infrastructure Pivot
Seattle-area startups face new challenges as the AI era drives fewer but larger venture investments, with regional tech hub definitions blurring and workforce reductions occurring among leading companies. Amazon is making strategic bets, and Allbirds is shifting focus toward AI infrastructure amid these changes.
The tough new realities for startups, Amazon's next big strategic bets, and Allbirds' crazy AI pivot
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, a week of Seattle-area startup news shows how the AI era is reshaping the regional tech scene. Q1 venture numbers reveal bigger checks going to fewer companies, with Seattle slipping behind the likes of Austin and Miami on deal volume. And yet the distributed nature of modern startups is complicating what it even means to be a regional tech hub. (Does a mailbox in Pioneer Square really count as a Seattle headquarters?) Founders and CEOs are navigating the shakeout in different ways. Those with enough cash in the bank are eyeing strategic acquisitions, including…
Amazon-backed X-energy files for IPO targeting up to $814M with $16–$19 share range
X-energy, a nuclear reactor startup backed by Amazon's $500 million investment and a 5GW power purchase commitment, has filed for an IPO seeking up to $814 million by pricing shares at $16–$19. The company has begun its investor roadshow and values the offering at about $814M at the top end of the range.
Anthropic receives $800 billion valuation offers as annualised revenue reaches $30 billion; IPO talks with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan underway
Anthropic has received investor offers valuing the company at about $800 billion after its annualised revenue accelerated from $1 billion at end-2024 to $30 billion by early April 2026, and the company is holding IPO talks with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan.
2026 GeekWire Awards Young Entrepreneur Finalists: Emily Choi-Greene's Clearly AI Raises $8.4M Seed, Alongside Robotics and AI Startups
The 2026 GeekWire Awards Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalists include Emily Choi-Greene (Clearly AI), Caleb John (Pioneer Square Labs), Kavian Mojabe (MediScan AI), Charles Wu (Orchard Robotics), and Zheqing (Bill) Zhu (Pokee AI), showcasing innovation in AI, robotics, and cybersecurity. The event takes place May 7 in Seattle, with public voting for the winner open through April 16.
2026 GeekWire Awards Finalists Include AIM Intelligent Machines with $50M Funding and $4.9M Air Force Contracts for Autonomous Earthmovers
The 2026 GeekWire Awards announced finalists for Hardware/Robotics/Physical AI of the Year, highlighting startups innovating with autonomous heavy machinery, drones, spatial computing, and space robotics. Notable finalist AIM Intelligent Machines secured $50 million funding in 2025 and $4.9 million in U.S. Air Force contracts for autonomous earthmoving equipment.
GeekWire Week in Review (April 5, 2026): Microsoft and Amazon moves, Washington non‑compete ban, Anduril warships, Bryson DeChambeau backs Sportsbox AI
A roundup of GeekWire’s most-read technology and startup stories for the week of April 5, 2026, covering major moves at Microsoft and Amazon, Washington state’s new non‑compete ban, Anduril’s autonomous warship work, NASA Artemis images, and notable local business and investment news.
Rec Room shutdown, robot umps, FedEx meets Amazon, and OpenAI's odd media buy
This week: Rec Room, the Seattle-based social gaming platform once valued at $3.5 billion, is shutting down — and Snap is picking up some of the pieces. Todd talks about what it was like fielding calls from distraught users on the night of the announcement. John offers his thoughts on what the shutdown says about the VR hype cycle, and whether everyone betting on the AI boom should take notes. Plus: Major League Baseball's new automated ball-strike system is already exposing umpires and creating a whole new kind of showboating — including one player who was so confident the robot…
Convoy Co-founder Dan Lewis Shares Startup Culture and Leadership Lessons at 2026 Seattle AI Summit
Dan Lewis, Convoy co-founder and Microsoft VP, shared lessons from building the now-shuttered unicorn startup at the 2026 Seattle AI Startup Summit, emphasizing deliberate culture shaping, codifying values based on proven practices, and ensuring employees understand the 'why' behind decisions. His insights aim to help entrepreneurs create strong startups by fostering ownership and intentional culture design.
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
