Microsoft
Facts
- HQ
- NASDAQ:MSFT
- Sectors
- Technology, Workplace tools, Cloud
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 221000
- Stage
- Public
Ally Robotics, Founded by Ex-Microsoft Engineer, Raises $10M and Secures $30M Letter-of-Intent with Miso Robotics for Robotic Arms
Ally Robotics, a Seattle startup founded by former Microsoft and UPS engineers, develops AI-powered robotic arms for restaurants and construction, securing $10 million in funding and a $30 million letter-of-intent with Miso Robotics. The company also holds contracts with a bubble tea business and a manufacturing firm, aiming to automate physical tasks to enhance efficiency and tackle labor shortages.
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.
LeadScorz Secures $5.6M Series A to Expand AI Sales Lead Analysis Platform
LeadScorz, a Seattle-based AI startup analyzing digital sales leads, raised $5.6 million in a Series A funding round to expand and hire more staff. Founded by Pat Murphy in 2018, the company targets large marketers and integrates with major CRM systems to improve lead scoring amid evolving customer preferences.
Seattle Health Data Analytics Firm Advata Lays Off 32 Employees Following Merger of Six Companies
Advata, a Seattle-area health data analytics company formed from six merged firms owned by Providence, laid off 32 employees amid broader tech industry cutbacks. The company offers AI-powered healthcare tools and recently launched a new revenue cycle management product.
Seattle YC Startup Needl Raises $2.5M to Build Universal Personal Search Tool for Project Managers
Needl, a Seattle-based YC startup founded by University of Chicago alums, raised $2.5 million to develop a personal search product that integrates across web apps, targeting project managers to quickly find files and information. The tool launched a closed beta in August and aims to be an easy-to-adopt alternative to enterprise-focused search solutions.
Icertis Raises $150 Million Debt Financing to Support Growth and Flexibility in Contract Management Market
Icertis, a Bellevue-based contract management software provider valued at around $5 billion, raised $150 million through debt financing as of October 31, 2022, to ensure business flexibility. The company serves clients worldwide, including Microsoft and SAP, and reported over 50% growth in annual recurring revenue in early 2022.
Seattle Startup Koidra and Four U.S. Universities Awarded $3.77M USDA Grant for AI Indoor Farming Tech
Seattle-based indoor agriculture startup Koidra received a $3.77 million USDA research grant to advance AI-driven indoor farming technologies, collaborating with four U.S. universities over four years. Founded by former Microsoft scientist Kenneth Tran, Koidra applies model-based reinforcement learning to optimize plant growth, building on successes like winning the Autonomous Greenhouse Challenge.
Seattle Trucking Startup Convoy Conducts New Layoffs Amid Economic Pressures Following $260M Funding
Seattle-based trucking startup Convoy has conducted another round of layoffs amid economic uncertainty and supply chain challenges, following a 7% workforce reduction earlier this year after raising $260 million at a $3.8 billion valuation.
Ex-Nike COO Erik Sprunk Joins Board of Seattle Startup Jigx, Aiding $9 Million Fundraise for Mobile App Development
Seattle-based mobile app development startup Jigx, led by K2 Software veterans, raised $9 million including investment from former Nike COO Erik Sprunk who joined its board. Jigx helps companies accelerate and reduce costs in building mobile apps, serving clients like Motul and Life Flight Australia.
Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Hosts 2022 Climate Tech Summit in Seattle Showcasing $2B+ in Decarbonization Investments
The 2022 Breakthrough Energy Summit in Seattle, hosted by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy, brought together 700 climate tech innovators and investors to showcase and support technologies like plant-based dairy proteins and carbon-negative cement. Breakthrough Energy has raised over $2 billion to invest in decarbonization startups and provided an additional $1 billion in grants, aiming to accelerate climate solutions amid global challenges like war and economic recession.
Algorithmia Founder Diego Oppenheimer Joins Venture Firm Factory to Open Seattle Office; Expedia Appoints Brad Bentley and Tript Singh Lamba to Executive Roles
Diego Oppenheimer, former CEO of Algorithmia, has joined venture capital firm Factory as partner and CEO-in-residence to open its new Seattle office, focusing on AI startups. Additionally, Expedia Group hired Brad Bentley as COO of Expedia Brands and Tript Singh Lamba as SVP of consumer product.
Unified Women’s Healthcare Acquires Menopause Telehealth Startup Gennev to Expand Care Network
Unified Women’s Healthcare acquired Seattle telehealth startup Gennev, which focuses on menopause care, allowing Gennev to scale further within a large network of specialists. Gennev, founded by Jill Angelo in 2016, offers products and services for perimenopause and menopause, operating independently within the Florida-based parent company's platform.
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.
Seattle Startup Diagrid Raises $20M Series A Led by Norwest, Backed by Microsoft Azure CTO and Kubernetes Co-founder
Seattle startup Diagrid, co-founded by former Microsoft engineers who created the Dapr project, raised $20 million in a Series A led by Norwest Venture Partners to provide managed Dapr on Kubernetes services. The company’s software supports cloud-native applications and has backing from prominent industry figures including Microsoft Azure CTO Mark Russinovich and Kubernetes co-founder Joe Beda.
Seattle Startup Hedgehog, Led by Ex-Cisco CEO Marc Austin, Launches to Simplify SONiC Network OS Usage for Cloud-Native Firms
Hedgehog, a new Seattle startup led by Cisco veteran Marc Austin, aims to simplify the use of Microsoft's open-source SONiC network operating system for cloud-native companies moving workloads off public clouds. The company positions itself as the 'Red Hat for SONiC,' helping enterprises avoid vendor lock-in and reduce infrastructure costs through automation.
Technology Alliance Receives $674,874 Federal Grant to Boost Corporate Venture Capital in Washington State Startups
The Technology Alliance, led by CEO Laura Ruderman, secured a $674,874 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration to support its Enterprise Capital Alliance program, which aims to increase corporate venture capital investments in Washington state startups. Despite growth in corporate VC deals, Washington still trails leading states like California and New York in both volume and total venture capital funding.
GeekWire Summit 2022 to Feature Top Tech Leaders Including Magic Leap, Aurora, Microsoft, Amazon, and U.S. Senator Cantwell on October 6-7
The 11th annual GeekWire Summit takes place on October 6-7 in Seattle and online, featuring key technology and business leaders discussing innovations like augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, and robotics. Speakers include Magic Leap CTO Julie Larson-Green, Aurora CEO Chris Urmson, Microsoft EVP Charlie Bell, Amazon VP Ken Washington, and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell.
Seattle Startup Xembly Raises $15M Series A to Enhance AI ‘Chief of Staff’ Automating Meeting and Workflow Tasks
Seattle startup Xembly raised $15 million in Series A funding to expand its AI-powered ‘chief of staff’ that automates meeting notes, scheduling, and to-do lists. The AI uses advanced natural language processing to reduce repetitive tasks and has customers like Twilio and Convoy.
Paresh Rajwat Appointed Meta's Pacific Northwest Office Head Amid Metaverse Expansion and Company-Wide Cutbacks
Paresh Rajwat has been named Meta's new head of office for the Pacific Northwest, overseeing more than 8,000 employees in the region as part of Meta's metaverse expansion. Despite company-wide layoffs and reduced growth projections amid economic challenges, Rajwat remains optimistic about the Pacific Northwest's critical role in Meta's future.
QorusDocs Raises $10M Led by WestRiver Group to Advance Sales Proposal Software
Bellevue-based startup QorusDocs raised $10 million in a funding round led by WestRiver Group to enhance its software for creating and managing sales proposals, which integrates with Salesforce and Microsoft. The company, founded in 2012 with 70 employees, has raised a total of $18 million and serves clients including Teladoc Health, Hitachi, CDW, and major global law firms.
Amazon Web Services Licenses Batfish Network Testing Tool from Seattle Startup Intentionet, Retaining Open Source Status
Amazon Web Services signed a licensing deal with Seattle startup Intentionet, creators of the Batfish open source network testing tool, which AWS will now manage. Intentionet’s enterprise product predicts network change impacts to prevent outages, and fewer than 12 employees will join Amazon without it being an acquisition.
Former Microsoft Teams VP Bhrighu Sareen Named Highspot President of Product & Engineering As Startup Hits $3.5B Valuation
Bhrighu Sareen, former Microsoft Teams corporate VP, joined Highspot as president of product & engineering, a startup valued at $3.5 billion. Other leadership changes include DocuSign naming Google exec Allan Thygesen as CEO amid layoffs, and Edifecs and Acumatica hiring seasoned executives.
Seattle Startup Outbound AI Launches PayerVA Console to Automate Medical Insurance Claims Processing
Outbound AI, a Seattle startup spun out of Madrona Venture Labs with $7 million in seed funding, launched PayerVA Console, a software product that automates and expedites medical insurance claims processing by reducing time spent on payer communications. The tool transcribes calls, extracts key information, and assists human workers to alleviate burdensome tasks in the healthcare payment system.
Seattle Startup Tribute Loses $3M Seed Funding When Lead Investor Bails Out, Receives $250K from Engage
Sarah Haggard's Seattle startup Tribute lost a $3 million seed funding round when the lead investor backed out, causing major setbacks including key staff departures. However, partial investment from Engage and interest from its partners enabled Tribute to continue pursuing opportunities and pivot its business model.
Boltive Leaders Dan Frechtling and Scott Moore Drive Online Privacy Tech Motivated by Personal Cancer Losses
Boltive CEO Dan Frechtling and CFO Scott Moore share a deep personal connection through their experiences with their wives' cancer treatments, motivating their work in online privacy compliance technology. Boltive, formerly Ad Lightning, is expanding its automated solutions to help brands comply with privacy laws and honor user choices.
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
