Gates Foundation
Facts
- HQ
- Washington, D.C.
- Sectors
- Philanthropy, Global health, International development, Non-profit
- Founded
- 2000
- Employees
- 500
Ascend promotes Nate Bek to principal; Microsoft Word Agent Mode lead Brandon Paddock exits to start AI company
Ascend promoted Nate Bek to principal after he joined as an associate in January 2024 and helped source deals and publish research; Brandon Paddock, technical lead for Microsoft Word’s Agent Mode, left Microsoft on Sept. 11 to start his own AI company. The roundup also notes executive moves at several nonprofits and companies plus new board appointments for Joy Chik and Mike Katz.
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.
Former Salesforce/Tableau EVP Teri Hatfield named CRO at Iterable; Gates Foundation lawyer Ken Miller joins Arnold & Porter; AIM and Gravitics add C-suite hires
Teri Hatfield left Salesforce/Tableau to become chief revenue officer at Iterable; Gates Foundation legal director Ken Miller joined Arnold & Porter as partner; and Seattle startups AIM and Gravitics appointed new C‑suite executives including AIM's CMO Ben Reed.
Ara Partners to acquire Sedron Technologies with up to $500M to scale sewage and dairy-waste treatment facilities
Washington wastewater startup Sedron Technologies is being acquired by Ara Partners, which will invest up to $500 million to scale deployment of its sewage and dairy-waste treatment facilities that produce fertilizer and clean energy.
Seattle-Area Vaccine Developer Inventprise to Lay Off 76 Employees Effective December 31, 2025
Inventprise, a Seattle-area vaccine biotech company with nearly 200 employees, is laying off 76 workers across multiple roles effective December 31, 2025. The company, founded in 2012 and supported by the Gates Foundation, focuses on vaccines for infectious diseases including a Phase 2 pneumococcal vaccine candidate.
Seattle Biotech Lumen Bioscience Raises $30M Series C Extension, Adds Microsoft Vet Jeff Raikes to Board
Seattle biotech startup Lumen Bioscience raised a $30 million Series C extension led by WestRiver Group, bringing total funding to $186.8 million to advance its oral biologic drugs. The company also added Microsoft veteran Jeff Raikes to its board and announced several leadership updates.
Lumen Bioscience adds Jeff Raikes to board, promotes executives and secures $30M Series C extension led by WestRiver Group
Lumen Bioscience announced board and leadership changes—including Jeff Raikes joining as an independent director, promotions of Nhi Khuong and Kole Krieger, and appointment of David Saunders—and elected Erik Anderson as Vice Chairman. The company also closed an oversubscribed $30 million Series C extension led by WestRiver Group with participation from the Gates Foundation and several new investors to support its orally delivered biologics clinical pipeline.
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.
Pioneer Square Labs Assembles Expert Technical Advisory Board Featuring Seattle Tech Leaders to Support Early-Stage Startups
Pioneer Square Labs has formed a new Technical Advisory Board comprising leading technology researchers, executives, and startup veterans to support its early-stage startups, with a focus on AI and technology innovation. The board includes prominent figures from the University of Washington, Microsoft, Google, and other notable tech companies.
GeekWire Week in Review (May 12, 2024): AWS and Google executive moves, Expedia leadership exits, Kyndryl acquires Skytap
A weekly roundup of GeekWire’s most-read technology and startup stories for the week of May 12, 2024, covering major tech moves, executive departures, acquisitions, and new accelerator initiatives in the Seattle area and beyond.
CoMotion Endorses AUTM COVID-19 Licensing Guidelines to Facilitate Access to University Innovations
CoMotion supports rapid access to university COVID-19 innovations by endorsing AUTM's humanitarian licensing guidelines and provides ongoing resources like webinars and podcasts for startups navigating the pandemic.
Phase Genomics Secures $1.5M Gates Foundation Grant to Combat Methane from Cattle and Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Seattle biotech startup Phase Genomics received a $1.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to research bacteriophage-based treatments targeting drug-resistant bacteria and methane-producing microbes in cows. The project aims to reduce methane emissions from cattle, a leading agricultural greenhouse gas source.
Ex-Gates Foundation Investors Launch $135M Seattle Deep Tech Fund Bison Ventures
Bison Ventures, founded by former investors from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, launched a $135 million Seattle-based fund focused on deep tech startups solving complex global problems. The fund targets sectors such as AI in biology, climate tech, food and agriculture, hardware, and transportation, and has invested in six startups addressing areas like environmental cleanup and behavioral health.
Seattle Biotech Startup A-Alpha Bio Raises $22.4M to Advance AI Platform for Protein Interaction Analysis
Seattle biotech startup A-Alpha Bio raised $22.4 million to advance its AI-driven platform that measures protein interactions, partnering with major drug companies like Bristol Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences to accelerate therapeutic development. Its platform combines computational tools and yeast experiments to analyze nearly 500 million protein-protein interaction measurements for drug discovery.
Seattle Recruiting Startup Karat Lays Off 47 Employees Again in 2023 Amid Restructuring Efforts
Seattle-based technical recruiting startup Karat laid off 47 employees for the second time in 2023 to restructure and move towards profitability, reducing its workforce from 423 in January to around 393 employees. Despite the cuts across various departments, Karat continues to grow its customer base and support diversity initiatives in tech.
GeekWire Week in Review (May 14, 2023): Top stories include ex-CFO indicted over $35M crypto transfer, Bezos’ $500M yacht, and Amazon legal/personnel news
GeekWire's Week in Review for May 14, 2023 lists the site's most-read stories, including a Seattle startup ex-CFO indicted over an alleged $35M crypto transfer, Jeff Bezos' $500M yacht, and Amazon-related legal and personnel news.
Hootsuite Names Jessica Hartigan CRO and Ellen Terchila CCO; EMOTIV, Institute for Protein Design, Appen, and Outreach Announce Executive Hires
Hootsuite appointed Jessica Hartigan as Chief Revenue Officer and Ellen Terchila as Chief Customer Officer, while other tech companies also announced key executive hires including Gary Flake at EMOTIV and Lynda Stuart at the Institute for Protein Design.
GeekWire Awards Reveal 2023 Startup CEO of the Year Finalists from Rebellyous Foods, Humanly, and Others
The 2023 GeekWire Awards announced finalists for Startup CEO of the Year, including leaders from startups in plant-based foods, mental health, employee communication, DNA analysis, and candidate screening automation. Voting continues until May 1, with winners revealed at the May 18 awards event hosted by Astound Business Solutions.
Seattle Teen Launches ClimateJets Tracking Private Jet Carbon Emissions of Ultra-Rich, Bill Gates Ranks 13th
Seattle teen Akash Shendure created ClimateJets, a website tracking carbon emissions from private jets flown by ultra-rich individuals, highlighting the environmental impact and disparity. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ranks 13th with over 3,000 tons of CO2 emissions from 393 flights, despite his climate philanthropy and investments in clean energy.
Seattle Interviewing Startup Karat Lays Off 47 Employees to Invest in Growth and New Products
Seattle startup Karat, known for conducting technical interviews, laid off 47 employees to focus resources on expanding its enterprise customer base, scaling programs, and developing new products. The company reached unicorn status in October 2021 after raising $110 million but is now restructuring teams to support self-funded growth initiatives.
Bill Gates Embraces Grandfather Role in 2023, Highlights Global Health and Climate Challenges in Annual Essay
Bill Gates reflects on becoming a grandfather in 2023 and emphasizes his focus on combating global challenges such as childhood disease, climate change, and education through his philanthropic work. Despite personal struggles, he remains optimistic about solving major problems and advancing clean energy innovation.
Syndio Hires Milan Parikh as CFO; Multiple Pacific Northwest Tech Firms Announce Executive Changes
Seattle startup Syndio hired Milan Parikh as CFO, bringing his extensive finance leadership experience. Additionally, several Pacific Northwest tech firms announced key executive changes, including Porch Group, Absci, GlobalGiving, F5, Samsara, and Tozny.
Bill Gates Opens Breakthrough Energy Summit in Seattle Highlighting Climate Tech Progress Since 2015
Bill Gates opened the inaugural Breakthrough Energy Summit in Seattle on Oct. 18, 2022, highlighting significant progress in climate tech since 2015 as private sector involvement has increased. The three-day event features top climate leaders discussing innovations and challenges in combating climate change.
University of Washington Launches Vilya with $50 Million to Develop Membrane-Permeable Peptide Drugs
University of Washington researchers developed custom peptides that penetrate cell membranes, enabling a new class of drugs with combined benefits of small molecules and protein therapeutics. They founded Vilya, backed by $50 million from Arch Venture Partners, to commercialize this drug platform described in Cell.
Nortis, Seattle organ-on-a-chip startup founded in 2011, raises $6 million
Seattle-area startup Nortis, founded in 2011, has raised $6 million for its organ-on-a-chip microfluidic technology used to model human organs for research.
People
-
Bill Gates Founder, Co-founder and Co-chair
-
Melinda French Gates Founder, Co-founder and Co-chair, Former Co-chair
