Databricks
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Jacob Colker reflects on Hubble Network raised $200M at a $1.6B valuation in LinkedIn roundup of Seattle wins
A LinkedIn article by Jacob Colker (published Sep 29, 2026) highlights recent Seattle achievements, including Hubble Network raising $200 million at a $1.6 billion valuation to connect ordinary Bluetooth devices. The piece frames these stories as reminders that the Seattle region is more influential than commonly perceived.
Databricks Acquires Seattle Spreadsheet Startup Row Zero to Enhance Its $190B AI Platform
Databricks has acquired Seattle-based spreadsheet startup Row Zero to integrate into its $190 billion AI platform, according to Dealroom.co.
Databricks acquires Row Zero to embed high-performance enterprise spreadsheet into its platform
Databricks has acquired Seattle startup Row Zero, which built a high-performance cloud spreadsheet for millions of rows, and plans to embed the technology into its platform and Genie AI assistant while keeping the standalone product available to existing users. Row Zero, founded in 2021 by former AWS engineers Breck Fresen and Nick End, raised a $10 million Series A and will leverage Databricks’ customer base to scale distribution.
Microsoft names Aneesh Raman chief economic opportunity officer and promotes Jenny Lay‑Flurrie; DAT CPO Brian Gill resigns
Microsoft promoted Jenny Lay‑Flurrie to corporate vice president of its Trusted Technology Group and named Aneesh Raman chief economic opportunity officer; Zillow appointed a new policy lead while departures occurred at Oracle, Hiya and DAT Freight & Analytics, including DAT’s CPO Brian Gill resigning.
AWS to Acquire DuckLabs; DuckDB Founders Join AWS While Project Remains MIT-Licensed (Deal Effective Early Sept. 2026)
AWS has signed a definitive agreement to acquire DuckLabs, the Amsterdam company behind the open-source DuckDB, with founders Hannes Mühleisen and Mark Raasveldt joining AWS and retaining DuckDB's technical leadership; the deal, expected to close in early September 2026, keeps DuckDB MIT-licensed under the independent DuckDB Foundation and has sparked debate about potential open-source capture.
Amazon to acquire DuckLabs; DuckDB creators join AWS while DuckDB stays open-source under a foundation
Amazon will acquire DuckLabs, the Amsterdam team behind the open-source DuckDB database, with DuckDB remaining free under the DuckDB Foundation while DuckLabs employees (including co‑founders Hannes Mühleisen and Mark Raasveldt) join AWS. Financial terms were not disclosed; Amazon expects the deal to close shortly and DuckLabs to become part of AWS in early September as Amazon pushes to make S3 a hub for direct data analysis.
Madrona report: 74% of enterprises will expand AI budgets but 83% converted fewer than half of AI pilots to production
Madrona released a new research report, based on a survey of 150 senior enterprise decision-makers and additional data, showing strong planned AI budget growth but low pilot-to-production conversion rates in enterprise AI. The report finds integration complexity, security/privacy/compliance, and ROI scrutiny are the top reasons pilots fail, not product performance.
InduPro Raises $77M Series B Led by The Column Group to Advance IDP-001 into Phase 1
InduPro, a Seattle biotech developing proximity-based bispecific therapeutics for cancer and autoimmune diseases, raised $77M in a Series B round led by The Column Group on August 13, 2026. The company will use the funds to support Phase 1 clinical development and early proof-of-concept data for lead oncology candidate IDP-001 and advance its preclinical pipeline.
Pathway raises $30M in seed financing at $500M valuation to scale AI infrastructure
Pathway, an AI infrastructure and research company, raised seed funding bringing total seed financing to $30 million at a $500 million valuation to expand compute capacity and build specialized models for financial services, healthcare, and technology.
Anthropic in early talks to buy Nvidia-backed Decart AI in deal Bloomberg says could be about $6 billion
Anthropic is reportedly in early talks to acquire Nvidia-backed startup Decart AI, a deal Bloomberg says could be about $6 billion, as Anthropic seeks capacity and performance improvements ahead of a large IPO.
Remitly hires Jeff Lyon as CISO; Joseph Williams named WWU director of Cybersecurity Programs; Yoodli promotes Kartik Murthy to VP of Product
Remitly appointed Jeff Lyon as chief information security officer following leadership departures, while Joseph Williams was named director of Cybersecurity Programs at Western Washington University and Yoodli hired Kartik Murthy as vice president of product.
Rad Power Bikes — once a $1.65B e-bike unicorn — files Chapter 11 after CPSC battery-fire recall and January 2026 warehouse blaze
Rad Power Bikes grew rapidly to a $1.65 billion valuation and dominant North American market share but collapsed after leadership exits, executive turnover, layoffs, a CPSC battery-fire recall in November 2025, Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2025, and a Huntington Beach warehouse fire in January 2026.
WTIA launches 2026 Washington Tech Universe Map detailing 625 companies and founder lineages — first update since 2015
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) released the 2026 Washington Tech Universe Map on July 27, 2026 — the first update since 2015 — visualizing 625 notable Washington tech companies and the founder lineages linking Microsoft, Amazon, the University of Washington, and new hubs. The wall-sized map organizes companies by founder origin to highlight how major organizations act as launchpads for successive generations of local tech founders.
SkyPilot, led by Databricks cofounder Ion Stoica, raises $20M seed to unify GPU compute across clouds
SkyPilot, founded by Databricks cofounder Ion Stoica and Zongheng Yang, raised $20 million in seed funding led by Lux Capital to help companies use and better utilize GPUs across multiple cloud providers, promising cost and efficiency gains.
Nscale Raises $2B at $14.6B Valuation, Opens Bellevue Engineering Hub and Hires Ex‑Microsoft AI Lead
British startup Nscale opened a 24,000 sq ft engineering hub in Bellevue, Washington, hiring AI infrastructure president Nidhi Chappell as it expands GPU cloud services after raising $2 billion at a $14.6 billion valuation; the company faces industry-wide power constraints that are forcing reliance on on-site generation. The Bellevue office, opening January 2027 and planned to house 250 staff, strengthens ties with Microsoft as Nscale deploys NVIDIA Vera Rubin GPUs across Europe.
Nscale opens 24,000-ft² Bellevue U.S. engineering HQ, backing expansion after $2B raise and $900M credit line
London-based data center startup Nscale, fresh off a $2 billion fundraising and a $900 million credit line, is opening a 24,000-square-foot U.S. engineering headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, slated for January 2027 and able to house up to 250 employees. The company hired former Microsoft VP Nidhi Chappell as president of AI infrastructure to lead global engineering and data center operations as it expands amid demand for AI computing infrastructure.
Redwood AI Prices $3.5M Private Placement at $2.11 Per Warrant as Shares Plunge 23.87% to €1.18
Redwood AI raised $3.5 million via a private placement priced at $2.11 per warrant, but its shares fell 23.87% to a 52-week low of €1.18 amid investor dilution concerns and a pending acquisition of Quantum.IQ.
Applied Computing Raises $20M Led by KBR to Scale Foundation AI for Energy Operations
Applied Computing, a UK AI company building foundation models for energy operations, raised $20 million in a funding round led by KBR with participation from Databricks Ventures to expand its platform. The funding will support international growth, research and wider deployment to improve efficiency, reliability and emissions performance in energy operations.
Coatue Leads $3B Round Valuing Databricks at $188B as AI-Product Revenue Hits $1.7B Run Rate
Databricks has signed a term sheet for a $3 billion funding round led by Coatue Management that values the company at $188 billion, up from $134 billion in February, reflecting investor demand for AI data-infrastructure firms as its revenue run rate tops $5.4 billion and AI-product revenue reaches $1.7 billion.
Databricks Secures Third Private Funding Round This Year, Valued at $188 Billion as IPO Delayed
Databricks raised a third private funding round within a year that values the company at $188 billion, while CEO Ali Ghodsi continues to postpone an IPO.
Scale AI Joins DOE’s Genesis Mission Consortium as Technology Provider; Emerald AI and SambaNova Also Added
Scale AI has joined the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission Consortium as a technology provider and collaborative hub for working groups, expanding the consortium’s private-sector roster alongside recent additions Emerald AI and SambaNova Systems. The partnership follows a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year and deepens Scale’s role in the DOE initiative.
Applied Computing Raises $20M Led by KBR to Scale Orbital AI for Energy; Databricks Ventures Participates
London-based Applied Computing raised $20 million in a round led by KBR with participation from Databricks Ventures to expand its Orbital foundation AI platform for energy operations and accelerate international growth, including a new Houston office.
Apptio Co-founders Sunny Gupta and Kurt Shintaffer Launch Thira, Raise $21M Seed Led by Madrona to Build Autonomous IT Support Agents
Apptio co-founders Sunny Gupta and Kurt Shintaffer launched Bellevue-based enterprise AI startup Thira to build autonomous agents for IT support and back-office work, and raised $21 million in seed funding led by Madrona. Thira will integrate with tools like ServiceNow, Jira Service Management and identity/device-management systems, with plans to expand into finance and HR amid competition from companies such as ServiceNow (Moveworks), Aisera, Rezolve.ai, and Serval.
Thira Secures $21 Million Seed Funding to Automate Enterprise Back-Office Workflows with AI
Thira, founded by Apptio co-founders in 2026, has raised $21 million in a seed round led by Madrona to develop an AI-native platform that automates complex enterprise back-office workflows while ensuring security and compliance.
Curinos Names 2026 FinTech Incubator Cohort, Adds Mentorship and Technical Partnerships
Curinos announced its 2026 FinTech Incubator cohort, selecting four early-stage startups focused on AI-driven knowledge, embedded lending, community savings, and personalized financial guidance. The program also expanded its mentorship team and technical partnerships to support these innovative startups.
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