Blue Origin
Facts
- HQ
- Kent, WA, US
- Sectors
- Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing
- Founded
- 2000
- Employees
- 12874
- Stage
- Public
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.
Seattle Startups Stoke Space, Group14, TerraPower, and Helion Raise Over $2 Billion in Venture Capital for Space, Fusion, and Battery Technologies
Seattle-area startups in space, fusion energy, and battery technology have attracted significant venture capital recently, with companies like Stoke Space Technologies, Group14 Technologies, TerraPower, and Helion Energy raising hundreds of millions. This shift marks a move from the region's traditional focus on software toward hardware-driven innovation.
Stoke Space Raises $510M Series D and $100M Debt to Accelerate Reusable Nova Rocket Development
Stoke Space Technologies raised $510 million in a Series D funding round led by Thomas Tull's US Innovative Technology Fund, alongside a $100 million debt facility, to accelerate development of its fully reusable Nova rocket. The company aims to complete development and demonstrate the rocket's first flight by next year, targeting reusability of both rocket stages to reduce launch costs.
Jeff Bezos Predicts Orbital Gigawatt Data Centers Powered by Solar Energy Within 20 Years to Support AI
Jeff Bezos predicts gigawatt-scale orbital data centers powered by continuous solar energy will be the future for efficiently supporting AI and tech industry growth, with a transition expected over the next 10-20 years. These space-based centers aim to surpass terrestrial data centers in cost-effectiveness, continuing space's role in benefiting Earth.
Smartsheet Appoints Stephanie Berner as Chief Customer Officer; Gradial and Zeno Power Expand Senior Leadership
Smartsheet named Stephanie Berner as chief customer officer amid leadership changes, including a new acting CEO. Seattle startups Gradial and Zeno Power also expanded their senior leadership with new executives to drive growth and innovation.
Seattle’s ACME Brains Launches 'nexie' AI Assistant with Persistent Memory and Enhanced Privacy Controls
Seattle startup ACME Brains, led by CEO Mary Jesse and co-founders Alan Caplan and Bob Bergstrom, is developing nexie, a personal AI assistant with persistent memory and privacy controls. The tool aims to improve AI conversation continuity by remembering past interactions and safeguarding user data, currently progressing toward alpha and beta testing phases.
GeekWire Startup Radar spotlights 2024 Seattle AI startups including AlsonAI and InnoMat with VC assessments from WestRiver’s Anthony Bontrager
GeekWire’s Startup Radar highlights early-stage Seattle companies focused on AI across space robotics, storytelling, and supply chain, featuring VC viewpoints from Anthony Bontrager of WestRiver Group. Spotlights include AlsonAI (generative AI storytelling) and InnoMat (AI-driven material selection), both founded in 2024 and currently bootstrapped.
Seattle Early-Stage Startups AlsonAI, InnoMat, LoftxAI, and Orbital Robotics Spotlighted for AI Innovations in Storytelling and Supply Chains
GeekWire's startup radar highlights early-stage Seattle companies focusing on AI innovations in space robotics, storytelling, and supply chain, featuring leaders like Nafisa Muzaffar of AlsonAI and Charlie Sun of InnoMat. Venture capitalist Anthony Bontrager offers insights on their potential and challenges in market adoption.
Zeno Power Advances Strontium-90 Nuclear Batteries with Full-Scale Demo Set for 2026 and Commercial Launch in 2027
Zeno Power is developing scalable nuclear batteries using strontium-90 at their Seattle facility, aiming for full-scale demonstration in 2026 and commercial delivery by 2027. These batteries are designed for long-term power in extreme environments including oceans, the Arctic, and lunar missions.
Sophia Space Raises $3.5M Pre-Seed to Develop TILE Orbital Data Centers for In-Space AI and Edge Computing
Sophia Space, a Seattle- and California-based startup co-founded by former NASA and tech veterans, raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding to develop its TILE orbital data center platform for in-space AI and edge computing. The platform aims to reduce latency by processing data closer to its source in space using radiation-resistant, solar-powered compute modules.
GeekWire Week in Review: Bill Gates Pledges $200B, Statsig Hits $1.1B Valuation, Seattle Startups Raise Millions in May 2025
This GeekWire Week in Review highlights top tech stories including Bill Gates' $200 billion philanthropy pledge, Seattle startups raising significant capital, and the emergence of new AI-driven unicorn Statsig valued at $1.1 billion. It also covers local news like a controversial Washington EV tax and cultural moments involving Seattle figures.
Interlune Partners with Vermeer and US DOE to Develop Moon Excavator and Supply Lunar Helium-3 by 2029
Interlune announced partnerships for moon mining equipment development and plans to supply lunar helium-3 by 2029, aiming to commercialize helium-3 extraction from the moon. The startup revealed a prototype excavator built with Vermeer Corp. and agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy and Maybell Quantum Industries for helium-3 supply.
Former T-Mobile Executive Joins Amazon Project Kuiper as CMO After T-Mobile's Rise as Top US Telco
The author recently left T-Mobile after contributing to its rise as a top US wireless company and has started as CMO at Amazon's Project Kuiper, experiencing an exciting first week with satellite launches and new leadership. The transition marks a move from one mission-driven team to another, reflecting on valuable collaborations and company milestones.
Interlune Awarded $4.84M Texas Grant to Build Lunar Regolith Center at NASA Johnson Space Center
Seattle-based Interlune received a $4.84 million grant from the Texas Space Commission to establish a lunar regolith simulant center at NASA's Johnson Space Center, part of the Texas A&M University Space Institute. The company aims to develop technology to harvest moon soil for resources like helium-3, with support from prominent former NASA and Blue Origin leaders.
Gennev Founder Jill Angelo Steps Down After Acquisition; Aurion Biotech CEO Replaced Following Alcon Majority Stake; Temporal Adds New Leadership
Jill Angelo, founder and CEO of menopause startup Gennev, stepped down following its acquisition by Unified Women’s Healthcare, while Aurion Biotech replaced CEO Greg Kunst with Arnaud Lacoste after Alcon acquired a majority stake. Temporal also announced leadership additions with Jim Cyb as president and Sahir Azam as an independent board member.
U.S. Space Force Adds Stoke Space and Rocket Lab to $5.6B National Security Launch Program
The U.S. Space Force has added Stoke Space and Rocket Lab USA as providers for its $5.6 billion national security launch program, awarding each a $5 million task order to assess their launch capabilities. Both companies, along with Blue Origin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance, can compete for launch contracts through mid-2029, using their respective rockets still in development.
Seattle Startup Homeostasis Raises $1.3M to Convert Atmospheric CO₂ into Graphite for Industrial Use
Seattle-area startup Homeostasis raised $600,000 in pre-seed funding and $700,000 from Washington's Climate Commitment Act to develop technology that captures atmospheric CO₂ and converts it into graphite, a critical mineral used in batteries and defense. The company plans pilot deployments by 2026, aiming to provide carbon removal systems to industrial customers and eventually operate its own carbon-removal production facilities.
GeekWire 200 Q1 2025: Highspot Leads as Helion Rises to No. 2 After $425M Funding; Truveta, Statsig, Protect AI Also Advance
The GeekWire 200 Q1 2025 update highlights rapidly growing Pacific Northwest tech startups, with Highspot retaining No. 1 and Helion rising to No. 2 after a $425 million funding round. Other notable movers include Truveta, Statsig, Protect AI, Carbon Robotics, and Stoke Space, reflecting dynamic shifts in the regional tech landscape.
Blue Origin to Lay Off 1,400 Employees Amid Shift to Speed Up Manufacturing Post-New Glenn Launch
Blue Origin announced it will lay off about 10% of its nearly 14,000 employees to reduce bureaucracy and better align roles with company priorities following the successful launch of its New Glenn rocket. CEO Dave Limp emphasized the need to focus on scaling manufacturing and launch cadence efficiently to compete with SpaceX.
Stargate, OpenAI and Microsoft; BlueSky in Seattle; and Madrona's big new funds
This week, we delve into the Project Stargate announcement by OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank, in conjunction with President Trump, and assess the implications for OpenAi's relationship with Microsoft. We explain what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella really meant with his CNBC zinger about the Stargate investment, and consider how Elon Musk's involvement in the new administration could play out in the tech industry. PLUS, we discuss Madrona's big new funds and the potential impact on startup activity in the Pacific NW, and find a revealing piece of Microsoft history on an old CD-ROM. Related stories: Microsoft and OpenAI tweak the terms…
Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Achieves First Orbital Launch Amid Schedule Hiccups; Microsoft Creates New AI Division Led by Ex-Facebook Chief; Truveta Raises $320M for Genome Initiative
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin faced multiple scheduling changes before successfully launching its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket to orbit for the first time. Additionally, Microsoft established a new AI division led by a former Facebook engineering chief, and Seattle's Truveta secured $320 million to start a large genome project.
Seattle Venture Firm Fuse Launches $1M Space Startup Program Backed by $250M Fund in 2023
Seattle-based venture capital firm Fuse has launched the Fuse Space Program to invest $1 million or more in promising early-stage space startups, focusing on the Seattle space ecosystem. Backed by a $250 million fund raised in 2023, Fuse plans to support around 10 companies, leveraging expertise from leaders of Lumen Orbit and Quindar.
Stoke Space Hotfires 100,000-Pound Thrust Full-Flow Staged Combustion Rocket Engine on New Vertical Test Stand
Stoke Space successfully hotfired its first-stage full-flow staged combustion rocket engine on a new vertical test stand in Moses Lake, Washington, marking a significant milestone for the startup. The company, founded by former Blue Origin employees, aims to develop fully reusable rockets operating with aircraft-like frequency.
Former Amazon CEO Dave Clark's Supply Chain Startup Auger Names 11 Executives After $100M Series A
Dave Clark, former Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO, founded supply chain tech startup Auger, which named an 11-person executive team mostly composed of Amazon alumni after raising $100 million in Series A funding. The startup operates out of Bellevue, Washington, leveraging shared Amazon expertise to innovate in supply chain and data infrastructure.
