Microsoft
Facts
- HQ
- NASDAQ:MSFT
- Sectors
- Technology, Workplace tools, Cloud
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 221000
- Stage
- Public
Microsoft and Helion Energy to Build First Commercial Fusion Power Plant by 2028 in Washington State
Microsoft and Helion Energy have announced an agreement to build the world’s first commercial fusion power plant in Washington state, aiming to operate by 2028. This plant could provide a limitless, carbon-free energy source to power Microsoft’s global data centers, marking a significant step from fusion research toward practical, clean energy production.
Ascend’s Kirby Winfield closes $25M second fund to back pre-seed AI/ML startups in Pacific Northwest
Seattle-based VC Ascend, led by founder and solo GP Kirby Winfield, closed a $25 million second fund to invest in pre-seed AI and ML startups primarily in the Pacific Northwest, shifting focus away from brands and marketplaces.
Echodyne Teams with Hyundai's Supernal with Minority Investment to Enhance Safety of eVTOL Air Mobility Systems
Echodyne, a radar company backed by Bill Gates, has partnered with Supernal, a Hyundai subsidiary, to enhance the safety of Supernal's eVTOL air mobility systems. Supernal is also making a minority investment in Echodyne to support in-flight and ground-based radar tracking for its electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.
Microsoft Vet Amish Patel and Ex-Beats CEO Susan Paley Launch Seattle Hardware-Focused Startup Studio Conduit Venture Labs
Conduit Venture Labs, founded by Amish Patel and Susan Paley in Seattle, is a new startup studio focused on hardware companies, aiming to overcome traditional barriers by providing engineering, design, and mentorship resources. The studio targets sectors including IoT devices, ag-tech, and health technologies, leveraging a network of over 100 hardware professionals to support physical-tech business creation.
Rad Power Bikes Executes Fourth Round of Layoffs Since April 2021 Amid Economic and Legal Challenges
Rad Power Bikes has laid off employees for the fourth time since April 2021, reducing its workforce amid economic challenges and legal issues. The Seattle-based e-bike company now has around 400 employees and is working to become more sustainable under new leadership.
Seattle AI Startup Lexion Raises $20M to Expand Contract Management Software after Tripling 2022 Revenue
Seattle startup Lexion raised $20 million in a Series B round led by Point72 Ventures to expand its AI-powered contract management software, following a revenue tripling in 2022. Founded in 2018, Lexion aims to extend its AI solutions beyond legal teams to other departments such as sales and finance.
Seattle Startup Groundlight Raises $10M Seed to Revolutionize Warehouse Monitoring with AI and Natural Language Computer Vision
Seattle startup Groundlight, co-founded by former Amazon and Picobrew execs Leo Dirac and Avi Geiger, emerged from stealth with a $10 million seed fund to simplify warehouse monitoring using AI-powered computer vision. Their platform enables businesses to query real-time video feeds through natural language prompts for instant, customizable insights.
Seattle Cybersecurity Startup SpecterOps Raises $25M Series A to Expand Attack Path Management Platform
Seattle-based cybersecurity startup SpecterOps raised $25 million in Series A funding led by Decibel to expand its BloodHound Enterprise attack path management platform used by clients such as Capital Group and the University of Texas at Austin. Founded in 2016 and led by CEO David McGuire, the company targets enterprise cloud platforms to analyze cyberattack routes in Microsoft's Active Directory and Azure.
Seattle Carbon Removal Startup Nori Lays Off 10 Employees Amid Market Challenges
Seattle-based carbon removal startup Nori laid off 10 employees, about 37% of its staff, due to challenging market conditions and tightening startup funding. Founded in 2017, Nori focuses on selling carbon credits from sustainable farming practices and recently integrated its marketplace on blockchain.
Los Angeles Venture Firm Bonfire Expands Seattle B2B Startup Investments, Leads $4M Round for CalmWave
Los Angeles-based venture firm Bonfire is expanding its early-stage B2B startup investments into Seattle, backing three local startups including a $4 million funding round for CalmWave. Principal Tyler Churchill emphasizes Seattle's growing tech talent and ecosystem, noting increasing collaborative opportunities among venture firms despite competitive dynamics.
Environ Energy Acquires Seattle's Scope 5 to Advance ESG Reporting and Carbon Tracking
Seattle-based sustainability data company Scope 5, founded in 2011, was acquired by New York energy firm Environ Energy in September to expand its ESG reporting platform amid rising corporate carbon tracking demands. CEO Yoram Bernet emphasizes evolving needs from reporting toward analytics, targets, and carbon cost tracking across supply chains.
Seattle Startup Payscore Raises $2.2M to Combat Application Fraud with Income Verification Technology
Seattle-based startup Payscore, which helps property managers and dealerships verify income by analyzing bank deposit history, raised $2.2 million. Founded in 2017 by CEO Mark Fiebig and CTO Stephen Arifin, Payscore's service covers over 700,000 rental units and 2,500 dealerships, experiencing rapid customer growth amid rising application fraud.
Textio Restructures with 15 Job Cuts to Support Growth and Emphasizes Growing Role of Generative AI
Textio, a Seattle-based augmented writing startup, restructured its team by eliminating 15 roles and realigning others to support growth in its two products following last year's launch of a performance management tool. CEO Kieran Snyder emphasized the increasing importance of generative AI in enhancing their writing platform as market expectations evolve.
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.
Ziad Ismail Named COO of Seattle AI Startup Xembly; Jennifer Sullo Joins Earth Finance; Aaron Bird Becomes Inflection.io CEO
Ziad Ismail has joined Seattle AI startup Xembly as COO, bringing extensive experience from Convoy and Microsoft. Additionally, Jennifer Sullo joined Earth Finance as managing director, and Aaron Bird became CEO of Seattle marketing startup Inflection.io.
Seattle AI Startup CareerFlow Helps Over 20,000 Job Seekers Refine Resumes Amid Tech Layoffs Using GPT Technology
Seattle startup CareerFlow uses AI, including OpenAI's GPT, to help job seekers optimize resumes and organize job searches amid tech layoffs, serving over 20,000 users. Co-founded by Nikita Gupta, the company has raised $100,000 in pre-seed funding and plans to monetize through universities and career services.
Armoire Hires Ex-Microsoft CTO Laura Butler; Chewy Acquires Petabyte for $43.4M, Elevates Founder Michael Hyman to VP
Clothing rental startup Armoire appointed former Microsoft technical fellow Laura Butler as CTO, while pet e-commerce company Chewy promoted Michael Hyman to VP following its $43.4 million acquisition of his veterinary startup Petabyte.
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.
PitchBook Reports 62% Drop in Video Game VC Deals in 2022 Amid Regulatory Scrutiny but Highlights New AI and Metaverse Investment Opportunities
PitchBook's report shows a contraction in video game industry VC deals in 2022 with a 62% drop in deal count and 82% lower growth year-over-year, yet total deal value in 2022 ($13.3 billion) remains nearly four times that of 2019. Despite the slowdown driven by macroeconomic uncertainty and regulatory scrutiny, new investment opportunities arise in VR, AR, metaverse, and generative AI for game development.
Seattle AI Startup Kaito Raises $5.3M Led by Dragonfly to Build Crypto-Focused Google-Like Search Engine
Seattle startup Kaito, founded in 2022 by Yu Hu, raised $5.3 million led by Dragonfly to develop an AI-powered search engine that aggregates scattered cryptocurrency information from across the web. Kaito aims to simplify crypto research by integrating AI tools like GPT-3 and offering both free retail and subscription-based institutional versions.
Ex-Washington Senator Reuven Carlyle Launches Earth Finance Startup, Raises $14M for Climate Solutions
Former Washington State Senator Reuven Carlyle has launched Earth Finance, a climate consulting and finance startup that has secured $14 million in seed funding. The company aims to help businesses develop climate plans that align with financial goals through strategy, finance, and technology services.
Glowforge Launches Magic Canvas AI Image Generator for 3D Laser Printing Creations
Glowforge launched Magic Canvas, an AI-powered image generator that creates artwork from text prompts optimized for 3D laser printing on materials like wood and acrylic. The tool simplifies the design process by producing copyright-free images ready for engraving and cutting.
Microsoft Veteran Kevin Wang Launches Mentors in Tech Program Supporting Community College Students in Tech Careers
Kevin Wang, a Microsoft veteran, founded Mentors in Tech (MinT) to support community college students pursuing tech careers by connecting them with mentors and internships. The program has engaged nearly 500 students nationally, aiming to address workforce diversity and skill shortages by helping overlooked, underserved students gain entry into the tech industry.
Transparent Path Uses Intel IoT Sensors and AI to Predict Food Spoilage and Support Hunger Relief
Seattle-based Transparent Path uses Intel-powered IoT sensors and AI to monitor perishable food shipments, assigning freshness scores to prevent spoilage and support hunger relief efforts. The company charges a fee per shipment and has helped nonprofits provide over 100,000 meals by saving food at risk.
Kirill Zubovsky Launches Smartynames AI Tool Generating Over 1 Million Domain Name Suggestions Since December 2023
Startup founder Kirill Zubovsky created Smartynames, an AI-powered tool using OpenAI's GPT-3, that generates available domain name suggestions from business descriptions. Since its December launch, the tool has generated over one million domain name suggestions and plans to expand its AI offerings for businesses.
People
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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
