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
FCC Restricts Chinese Drones, Boosting Seattle-Based Brinc and Washington’s Domestic Drone Industry
New U.S. federal restrictions on foreign-made drones, especially targeting Chinese company DJI, are expected to boost Washington state’s domestic drone manufacturing industry, creating thousands of jobs. Seattle’s existing aerospace talent and companies like Boeing and Amazon Prime Air position it as a key beneficiary of this industry shift.
Ex-Amazon and Expedia Executives Launch VQ Capital, AI and Cyber Intelligence Investment Firm Backed by Family Offices
Former Amazon and Expedia leaders Brian Lent and John Kim, along with partners Yotam Avrahami and Praveen Hirsave, have launched VQ Capital, an AI-native investment firm focused on AI and cyber intelligence. Headquartered in New York with plans for a Seattle hub, VQ Capital partners with family offices to invest on a deal-by-deal basis in transformative AI and cybersecurity technologies.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Explored Investing in Seattle’s Stoke Space for Orbital Data Centers to Challenge SpaceX in 2024
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman explored investing in Seattle startup Stoke Space to develop orbital data centers, aiming to compete with SpaceX and other tech giants in space-based AI data processing. Talks occurred in 2024 but are currently inactive, reflecting a growing tech interest in off-Earth data infrastructures.
Vercept CEO Kiana Ehsani Creates AI Tool Vy to Automate Workflow, Encourage Outdoor Time
Kiana Ehsani, co-founder and CEO of Seattle AI startup Vercept, developed Vy, an AI tool that automates repetitive computer tasks via natural language commands, enabling users to spend more time outdoors and focus on creativity. Ehsani blends her passion for nature with technology innovation to simplify software use and improve workflow.
Armoire Integrates AI Virtual Stylist into Clothing Rental Service After a Decade of Adaptations
Seattle-based Armoire, an online clothing rental startup focused on sustainability, has integrated AI through a virtual stylist to enhance customer experience after a decade of strategic pivots including shifts during the pandemic. The company aims to balance human touch with AI efficiency while navigating economic challenges and expanding customer demands.
Fuse Leads $10 Million Seed Round in Avante as VC Investment Surges Amid AI Boom, Say Panelists
At a Seattle AI Week panel, Fuse's Kellan Carter and Avante CEO Rohan D’Souza shared that early-stage startups should focus on solving specific problems, building strong conviction, and prioritizing distribution amid the AI boom. Fuse led Avante’s $10 million seed round in late 2023, highlighting the importance of trust and relationships between founders and investors during the current venture capital landscape where AI drives significant funding.
The Aftermath of a $1B Exit | Jamie Siminoff
*Get the cheat sheet: Jamie's 5 steps to build a $1B product from a $200 idea:* https://clickhubspot.com/jmn Episode 768: Sam Parr ( https://x.com/theSamParr ) and Shaan Puri ( https://x.com/ShaanVP ) talk to Ring founder Jamie Siminoff ( https://x.com/JamieSiminoff ) about the wild story of building and selling Ring–plus business ideas he thinks someone should go after. — Show Notes: (0:00) Intro (2:47) Selling Ring for $1.15B (6:48) Getting sued by ADT (17:18) Working with Jeff Bezos (19:29) $400M to $4B (24:02) Getting the wire (26:44) Money v freedom (28:29) Rule 1: Start with the problem (30:02) Rule 2: Little solution…
Jeff Bezos Launches $6.2B AI Startup Project Prometheus as Amazon Pilots Package-Return Kiosks in Seattle Goodwill Stores
Jeff Bezos launches Project Prometheus, a $6.2 billion AI startup, Amazon pilots package-return kiosks at Seattle Goodwill stores, and a debate arises over upgrading an old car with new tech on the GeekWire Podcast.
Bezos is back in startup mode, Amazon gets weird again, and the great old-car tech retrofit debate
This week: Jeff Bezos is back in startup mode (sort of) with Project Prometheus — a $6.2 billion AI-for-the-physical-world venture that instantly became one of the most talked-about new companies in tech. We dig into what his return to the CEO title really means, why the company’s location is still a mystery, and how this echoes the era when Bezos was regularly launching big bets from Seattle. Then we look at Amazon’s latest real-world experiment: package-return kiosks popping up inside Goodwill stores around the Seattle region. It’s a small pilot, but it brings back memories of the early days when…
Jeff Bezos Named Co-CEO of $6.2 Billion Funded AI Startup Project Prometheus in Return to Executive Role
Jeff Bezos has become co-CEO of Project Prometheus, a secretive AI startup with $6.2 billion in funding focused on AI for the physical economy, marking his first operational executive role since leaving Amazon's CEO position in 2021. The startup, co-led by Vik Bajaj, aims at applications in computers, automobiles, and aerospace with potential collaboration opportunities with Amazon.
Auger Names Yuqing Sun Chief Data and AI Officer After $100M Series A; WTIA Hires Amy Harris for Public Policy Role
Auger appointed Yuqing Sun, a Johnson & Johnson supply chain and AI veteran, as chief data and AI enablement officer, and recently hired AI economist Justine Hastings after raising $100 million in Series A funding. The Washington Technology Industry Association also named Amy Harris as its new public policy and government relations director.
Seattle Hardware Firms Glowforge and Rad Power Bikes Face Financial Collapse Amid Pandemic Boom and Overfunding
Seattle hardware companies Glowforge and Rad Power Bikes, once pandemic-era boomers, face severe financial struggles due to manufacturing challenges and overfunding. Their difficulties highlight a broader regional trend of high hopes and tough realities in consumer hardware startups.
Seattle’s history of hardware heartbreak: Big raises, high hopes, hard landings
Seattle’s consumer-hardware ambitions are once again colliding with economic reality. The struggles of Glowforge and Rad Power Bikes echo a long regional history of big raises, high hopes, and hard landings — shaped by the pandemic, VC, and the unforgiving nature of building real products. GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook recorded this conversation for the purpose of providing the audio to an AI tool that turned the conversation into a written column that was edited and reviewed before publication. Check it out here. Related Stories: Glowforge hits restart: After restructuring, co-founders acquire key assets of laser engraver startup…
Seattle AI Startup BluePill Raises $6M to Revolutionize Consumer Behavior Testing with 93% Accurate Simulated Audiences
Seattle startup BluePill raised $6 million to use AI for simulating consumer behavior, enabling marketers to test concepts quickly and affordably with 93% accuracy compared to traditional focus groups. Their clients include Magic Spoon, Kettle & Fire, and the Seattle Mariners.
Ring founder Jamie Siminoff on failure, reinvention, and his second act at Amazon
What’s it like to pitch your dream on Shark Tank, get rejected on national TV in front of eight million people — and then turn that failure into a company Amazon later buys for more than a billion dollars. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff did just that. A serial inventor and entrepreneur, Siminoff joins us to talk about his new book, Ding Dong: How Ring Went from Shark Tank Reject to Everyone’s Front Door (out Nov. 10), sharing the messy, high-stakes, and ultimately inspiring story behind the company. Now back at Amazon as a vice president leading Ring and the company’s…
Seattle Service Providers Launch Service Provider Capital's New Pacific Northwest Fund to Invest in Early-Stage Tech Startups
Seattle service providers Minh Le, Craig Sherman, and David Wickwire are leading a new Pacific Northwest fund for Service Provider Capital, which invests in early-stage tech startups by co-investing alongside venture firms. SPC's unique model pools professionals from startup support sectors to back a broad array of local companies across multiple U.S. regions.
Seattle Cybersecurity Startup Oleria Raises $19 Million, Total Funding Surpasses $60 Million
Seattle-based cybersecurity startup Oleria raised $19 million in a new funding round, bringing its total to over $60 million. Founded in 2023, Oleria specializes in managing employee access to applications and data and is led by CEO Jim Alkove.
Founders' Co-op raises $50M to back ~30 Pacific Northwest early-stage tech startups with up to $1.5M each
Seattle venture capital firm Founders' Co-op raised a $50 million fund to invest up to $1.5 million each in about 30 early-stage Pacific Northwest tech startups, with a focus on enterprise software. The firm aims to shore up local founders amid uneven regional investment compared with San Francisco while local startup funding showed volatility in 2025.
Portal Space Systems to Launch Starburst Maneuverable Spacecraft in 2026 on SpaceX’s Transporter-18 Mission
Portal Space Systems is launching Starburst, a rapid-maneuverability spacecraft leveraging technologies from its Supernova platform, with a first mission planned for 2026 on SpaceX’s Transporter-18. Starburst aims to enhance satellite constellation operations for national security and commercial use.
Seattle Startup Zuper Launches AI-Powered Smart Glasses for Tradespeople Integrating with Its Workforce Management Platform
Seattle-based Zuper launched Zuper Glass, AI-powered smart glasses for tradespeople like roofers and electricians to capture visuals, perform inspections, and communicate hands-free. The glasses integrate with Zuper's platform for field workforce management, enhancing safety and efficiency.
Seattle Startups AceRocket and Boop Innovate in AI Exam Prep and Social Travel Itineraries
Seattle startups featured include AceRocket, an AI-driven exam prep platform aiming to improve standardized test study, and Boop, a social travel app creating shoppable itineraries. These early-stage companies focus on innovative solutions for students, travelers, and pet owners, with expert feedback highlighting both opportunities and challenges.
Seattle's Founders' Co-op Raises $50M Sixth Fund to Back Early-Stage Pacific Northwest Tech Startups
Seattle venture firm Founders' Co-op has raised a $50 million sixth fund, focusing on early-stage Pacific Northwest tech startups with initial investments of $1 million to $1.5 million. Founded in 2008, the firm has backed billion-dollar companies like Remitly, Outreach, and Auth0 and aims to invest in about 30 new companies without targeting specific verticals.
Founders’ Co-op announces $50M Fund VI to continue first-check investments in regional technical founders
Founders’ Co-op announced a new $50 million venture fund, Founders’ Co-op VI, managed by the same two partners, focused on early first-check investments in ambitious technical founders within their regional talent network rather than positioning as an AI-specific or larger fund.
Amazon Lays Off 14,000 Amid Seattle AI Boom; GeekWire Podcast Debates Tech Bubble and Cascadia Rail Plan
Amazon announced layoffs of 14,000 employees amid an AI boom reshaping Seattle's tech scene, raising questions about whether the AI surge is a true revolution or a bubble. The GeekWire Podcast also discussed the vision and challenges of the proposed Cascadia high-speed rail connecting Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C.
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…
People
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Jamie Siminoff Executive, Vice President
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Steve Rabuchin Executive, Vice President of Project Kuiper (Amazon Leo)
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Ben Wild Co-founder of Hubble Network, Former Amazon Product Lead
