Microsoft
Facts
- HQ
- NASDAQ:MSFT
- Sectors
- Technology, Workplace tools, Cloud
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 221000
- Stage
- Public
Seattle Startup Summit Highlights City's AI Strengths and Need for More Entrepreneurial Energy
At the inaugural Seattle Startup Summit, leaders like Statsig CEO Vijaye Raji and Acquired podcast co-host Ben Gilbert highlighted Seattle's strong AI ecosystem, anchored by tech giants Amazon and Microsoft, and specialization in biotech and disease research. Despite this, they noted the city could benefit from cultivating a more vibrant entrepreneurial culture to maximize its potential in AI innovation.
Crisp Acquires Seattle Startup Shelf Engine to Enhance Retail Data and Food Waste Reduction
Seattle startup Shelf Engine, which uses machine learning to help grocers reduce food waste, was acquired by New York-based retail data company Crisp. Shelf Engine, backed by over $60 million in investments and celebrity investors, operates in over 7,000 U.S. stores.
Perplexity Teams Up with Seattle’s Firmly.ai to Enhance E-Commerce in AI Search App
Perplexity partners with Seattle startup Firmly.ai to integrate e-commerce features into its AI search app, enabling businesses to sell products directly through the platform. Firmly, founded by ex-Samsung executives and backed by $5.2 million in funding, supports 'buy-anywhere' shopping experiences amid rising demand.
Outreach founder Manny Medina launches Paid to help AI agents get paid, raises €10M pre-seed from EQT, Sequoia, GTMFund
Manny Medina, founder of Outreach, launched Paid, a platform that helps AI agent startups price and collect payments for agent-delivered outcomes; Paid raised €10 million (~$11M) in a pre-seed round from EQT Ventures, Sequoia, and GTMFund.
TerraPower Plans to Deploy First Next-Gen Nuclear Reactor in Wyoming by 2030, With 10-12 More Plants Planned
TerraPower, backed by Bill Gates and receiving $2 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy, is on track to deploy its first next-generation small modular nuclear reactor in Wyoming by 2030 and plans to have 10 to 12 additional plants under construction by then. The company is ahead of schedule on permitting and benefits from bipartisan political support and international competitiveness in nuclear technology.
GeekWire Awards 2025 Sustainable Innovation Finalists Include Carbon Robotics and CarbonQuest for Advanced Environmental Technologies
The 2025 GeekWire Awards Sustainable Innovation finalists include Carbon Robotics, CarbonQuest, Helion, Modern Hydrogen, and Tidal Vision, companies developing technologies from AI-powered laser weeders to carbon capture and clean energy solutions. These innovations aim to protect the planet by transforming energy production, eliminating weeds sustainably, and capturing carbon emissions.
Madrona Venture Group Marks 30 Years with $770M Raised for New Funds, Continuing Strong Seattle Investments
Madrona Venture Group, a Seattle-based venture capital firm celebrating its 30th anniversary, has invested in major startups like Amazon and recently raised $770 million for two new funds to support about 40 investments. While expanding beyond the Pacific Northwest with a Palo Alto office, Madrona continues to focus most of its investments locally.
Agasthya Upadhya Promoted to CEO of Seattle Freight Software Startup Logixboard; Co-founder Julian Alvarez Becomes Chairman
Agasthya Upadhya has been named CEO of Seattle-based freight software startup Logixboard, succeeding co-founder Julian Alvarez who becomes chairman. Other notable Pacific Northwest tech leadership changes include Angelique Okeke at F5, Beth Birnbaum at Mudstack, and Kenny Wyatt at Pushpay.
Seattle AI Marketing Startup Gradial Raises $13M Series A Led by Madrona to Scale Automation Platform
Seattle startup Gradial raised $13 million in a Series A round led by Madrona to expand its AI platform that automates marketing content operations. The company has experienced 30x revenue growth and plans to double its staff to accelerate product development and customer acquisition.
University of Washington Students Pitch AI and Tech Startups After 10-Week Entrepreneurship Course Led by Greg Gottesman
The University of Washington offers a popular 10-week entrepreneurship class led by venture capitalist Greg Gottesman, culminating in student pitches of tech startups at Pioneer Square Labs. The course attracted strong demand, featured high-profile guest speakers like Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, and highlighted trends such as AI and computer vision.
Seattle Venture Capitalists Urge Founders to Prioritize Practical AI Over Pursuit of AGI
Seattle venture capitalists at a Plug and Play event encouraged tech founders to focus on building practical AI products for specific industries rather than chasing artificial general intelligence (AGI), which they believe is uncertain and not imminent.
2025 GeekWire Awards Finalists: Lassen Peak, Lumotive, Microsoft, Starfish Space, and TerraPower Compete for Innovation of the Year
The 2025 GeekWire Awards Innovation of the Year finalists include Lassen Peak, Lumotive, Microsoft, Starfish Space, and TerraPower, featuring advancements in nuclear power, quantum computing, weapon detection, and sensor technology. These innovations highlight emerging technologies that could significantly impact future living and work.
Seattle Startup Rhodium Raises $2 Million to Revolutionize Marketing for Medical Spas and Beauty Brands with AI
Seattle startup Rhodium, founded by former Petabyte executives, has raised $2 million to provide AI-driven marketing software for medical spas and beauty brands. The company combines machine learning with merged direct-to-consumer brands to enhance customer engagement and revenue.
Seattle Startup Read AI Launches AI-Powered Search Copilot to Transform Enterprise Data Discovery, Raises $81M Total Funding
Seattle startup Read AI launched Search Copilot, an AI-powered enterprise search tool that helps users find and analyze internal data across multiple platforms, offering free access with limits. The company has grown rapidly with 40,000 new accounts daily, 5X revenue growth last year, and $81 million funding to date.
Echodyne, Pulumi, Read AI, Statsig and Truveta Named Finalists for GeekWire's 2023 Next Tech Titan Award
Five startups—Echodyne, Pulumi, Read AI, Statsig, and Truveta—are finalists for the GeekWire Awards' Next Tech Titan prize, which highlights promising tech companies. These firms specialize in diverse areas like radar technology, cloud infrastructure, generative AI productivity tools, and advanced product feature testing.
Seattle Startups Actual AI, CopyCat, and Esterre Launch Innovative Tech Solutions for Real Estate, Mental Health, and Performance Reviews
Seattle startups Actual AI, CopyCat, and Esterre are innovating in areas like automated performance reviews, browser task automation, and flexible vacation home ownership. These companies are gaining traction with pilot programs, accelerator support, and new business models to serve therapists, real estate, and other industries.
SpecterOps Raises $75M Series B Led by Insight Partners to Fight Identity-Based Cyber Threats
SpecterOps, a cybersecurity startup based in Alexandria, Va. with a Seattle office, raised $75 million in a Series B funding round led by Insight Partners and including Microsoft’s M12. Founded in 2016 by CEO David McGuire, the company specializes in defending against identity-based cyber threats and has about 200 employees.
Oleria Launches AI-Powered 'Copilot' to Manage Employee Access After $33.1M Series A Funding
Seattle-based security startup Oleria launched 'Oleria Copilot,' a conversational AI assistant that answers user queries about employee access and security. Founded in 2023, Oleria raised $33.1 million in Series A funding and serves clients like Vimeo and Aireon.
Angie Parker Appointed Executive Director of Seattle's Alliance of Angels to Lead Startup Investment Refresh
Angie Parker has been named the new executive director of Seattle's Alliance of Angels, succeeding Yi-Jian Ngo after 13 years. Parker aims to refresh the organization, which comprises over 180 angel investors who have invested more than $125 million in over 250 startups, supported by an Innovation Fund raising increasing amounts each year.
Nautilus Biotechnology Lays Off 16% of Staff, Postpones Proteome Platform Launch to Late 2026
Nautilus Biotechnology laid off 16% of its workforce to extend its cash runway into 2027 and delayed the commercial release of its proteome analysis platform until late 2026. The company aims to control operating expenses and maximize its impact on biological science, focusing on proteomics to advance drug development.
Microsoft’s M12 Leads $15M Series A for Seattle Kubernetes and AI Security Startup Edera
Seattle startup Edera, founded in 2023, raised $15 million in a Series A led by Microsoft’s venture fund M12 to secure Kubernetes and AI workloads, with software that isolates containers and enhances GPU security. The 14-person company is led by CEO Emily Long and backed by investors including Mantis VC and In-Q-Tel.
Microsoft's quantum breakthrough; WA state targets Uber and Lyft; GeekWire 200; Bezos and Bond
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Microsoft's quantum computing breakthrough; a Washington state bill that targets Uber and Lyft surge pricing; the latest update to the GeekWire 200 ranking of Pacific Northwest startups; and Amazon's move to take creative control of the James Bond movie franchise. Related Links Microsoft quantum breakthrough promises to usher in the next era of computing in ‘years, not decades’ GeekWire 200 update: Here are the hot tech startups moving up our list for Q1 2025 Lawmakers take aim at Uber and Lyft with bill targeting surge pricing after big events Amazon MGM Studios…
Seattle Radar Startup Kapta Space Raises $5M Seed Round Led by MetaVC, Secures $1.8M DoD Grant
Kapta Space, a Seattle-based radar technology startup co-founded by Adam Bily and Milton Perque, raised $5 million in a seed round led by MetaVC Partners. The company develops low-cost, electronically-steered radar sensors for defense and commercial space missions and has secured a $1.8 million Department of Defense grant.
Seattle Startups Mvue, Saturday, Pansophy, and Privacy License Innovate in Fintech, Wellness, AI Knowledge, and Privacy
Four Seattle startups—Mvue, Saturday, Pansophy, and Privacy License—are innovating in fintech, endurance athlete wellness, AI-powered knowledge management, and privacy. Led by experienced founders from companies like Microsoft and Amazon, these companies use AI and personalized tech to solve industry-specific challenges.
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.
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Ali Farhadi Executive, Former Allen Institute for AI CEO
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Bill Gates Executive, Former CEO, Co-founder
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Gaurav Sareen Executive, Chief Technology Officer - CAP
