Microsoft
Facts
- HQ
- NASDAQ:MSFT
- Sectors
- Technology, Workplace tools, Cloud
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 221000
- Stage
- Public
Tom Alberg, Early Amazon Investor and Seattle Tech Champion, Dies at 82
Tom Alberg, a Seattle business leader and early Amazon investor who was pivotal in Pacific Northwest tech growth and co-founded Madrona Venture Group, died peacefully at 82. He was also notable for his roles in aerospace law, McCaw Cellular Communications, and helping launch the Alliance of Angels.
Christie's Launches Venture Arm Led by Seattle's Devang Thakkar to Invest in Web3 and Art Tech Startups
Christie's has launched a new venture capital arm to fund early-stage tech startups in Web3, fintech for the art market, and AR/VR art experiences, led globally by Seattle-based Devang Thakkar. This move follows the auction house's notable involvement in NFTs, including facilitating Beeple's $69.3 million sale, amid a cooling NFT market now seen as an opportune investment period.
The pioneering spirit and joyful life of late 'Cranium' creator Richard Tait
Tributes and memories have been pouring in from longtime friends and colleagues of Cranium creator Richard Tait since the Seattle entrepreneur's death on July 25 the age of 58 from complications due to COVID-19. A passionate and visionary entrepreneur known for being tough, Tait had a generous spirit, effusive personality, and rare ability to connect with people he encountered. This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we're listening back to a conversation that Tait recorded with Fuel Talent CEO and founder Shauna Swerland in 2018 for her podcast, What Fuels You. It's inspiring, insightful, and bittersweet, and we're grateful to Shauna…
Seattle Startup Shelf Engine Lays Off 43 Employees Amid Economic Challenges
Seattle startup Shelf Engine laid off 43 employees due to challenging economic conditions, reducing its workforce from about 200 to around 150. The company, which uses machine learning to help grocers manage orders and reduce food waste, continues pursuing its mission despite the cuts.
Rajat Bahri Named CFO of Icertis Amid $5 Billion Valuation; Pacific Northwest Tech Firms Announce Key Executive Hires
Rajat Bahri, former CFO of ID.me, has joined Icertis as CFO, replacing Curt Anderson, amid recent investments valuing Icertis at $5 billion. Additionally, several key tech and startup executives have taken new roles across Pacific Northwest companies including CommerceIQ, Waabi, Limeade, and AdaptX.
Seattle Startup Likewise Launches 'The Likewise Arcade' with Bill Gates-Backed $15M to Gamify Movie and TV Streaming
Seattle-based startup Likewise launched 'The Likewise Arcade,' a game platform featuring movie and TV content games like Moviedle and Posterdle, partnering with 12:01 Games. Backed by Bill Gates with $15 million investment, Likewise aims to gamify streaming entertainment by leveraging the popularity of games like Wordle.
Seattle Startup Peer Raises $14M to Build Blockchain Social Network with NFT Monetization and Cryptocurrency
Seattle startup Peer raised $14 million to develop a blockchain-based social network where users can own and monetize content as NFTs, backed by its own cryptocurrency, Peer Metaverse Coin. The company is in beta with 20,000 users and plans to expand into hardware and AI as part of its long-term goals.
Seattle Rises to No. 9 Globally in Startup Genome Rankings with $8.5B VC Investment in 2021
Seattle ranked ninth globally and second in North America in Startup Genome's 2021 global startup ecosystem rankings, highlighted for strengths in AI, big data, and life sciences. The region saw $8.5 billion invested in 549 venture capital deals in 2021, with an estimated ecosystem value of approximately $109 billion.
Echodyne Secures $135M Funding Led by Bill Gates and Baillie Gifford to Expand Next-Gen Radar Production
Echodyne, a radar technology company backed by Bill Gates and Baillie Gifford, secured $135 million in funding to expand production of its advanced radar systems used in drones, law enforcement, and infrastructure monitoring. The funding boosts its total investment to $195 million as it prepares to launch its next-generation radar with triple the range of its current product.
Wild times for tech startups
What the heck is going on in the economy, and how will the current market gyrations and geopolitical uncertainty impact startups and venture capital? To help answer these questions we invited Tim Porter to join us this week on the GeekWire Podcast. He's a Madrona Venture Group managing director who has invested in early-stage technology startups at the Seattle-based venture capital firm for the past 15 years, in areas including cloud, AI and enterprise software companies. Follow along with our extended notes from the discussion. With GeekWire co-founder John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton; Theme Music by Daniel L.K. Caldwell…
Seattle VC Chris DeVore: Enterprise Software Startups in Pacific Northwest Poised for Resilience Amid Economic Downturn
Seattle's startup scene, centered on enterprise software and cloud infrastructure, may be more resilient during economic downturns according to VC Chris DeVore of Founders' Co-op. The region's focus on solving essential business problems positions its startups to endure better than those in more glamorous sectors.
Seattle Startup JetClosing to Shut Down on June 15 After Six Years Digitizing Home Closing Process
JetClosing, a Seattle startup founded in 2016 to digitize the home closing process using technology, is shutting down on June 15, 2022. The company struggled amid a cooling housing market and strong competition despite offering faster, cheaper, and more transparent services.
Flying Fish Launches Alberta Office with Tiffany Linke-Boyko, Secures $7.5M from Alberta Enterprise; Panopto Names Tobias Hartmann CEO
Flying Fish appointed Tiffany Linke-Boyko as principal to lead its new Alberta office, its first outside Seattle, backed by a $7.5 million investment from Alberta Enterprise Corporation within a $70 million fund. Additionally, Panopto hired Tobias Hartmann as CEO to lead its enterprise video platform company based in Seattle.
Qualtrics Survey Finds 88% of U.S. Startup Leaders Concerned About Fundraising, Slowing Hiring Growth in 2024
A recent Qualtrics survey reveals 88% of U.S. startup leaders are worried about fundraising amid economic turmoil, leading many to slow hiring growth and focus on retaining employees through higher pay and bonuses.
IA40 Spotlight: SeekOut CEO Anoop Gupta and VP of People Jenny Armstrong-Owen on AI-powered talent solutions, developing talent, and maintaining culture
This week on Founded and Funded, we spotlight our next IA40 winner – SeekOut. Investor Ishani Ummat talks to SeekOut Co-founder and CEO Anoop Gupta and VP of People Jenny Armstrong-Owen about their AI-powered intelligence platform, the importance of not only finding and recruiting new hires but also developing and retaining employees within a company, and maintaining SeekOut's own culture while seeing significant growth over the last year.
Michael Stocks Discusses Scaling Global Business at Startup Daily & Microsoft Event; Linktree Powers 25M Creators with 1B Monthly Profile Views
Michael Stocks spoke at the Startup Daily and Microsoft event about scaling a global business. Linktree supports over 25 million creators who collectively receive more than a billion profile views each month.
University of Washington’s Team Melodic Advances to Microsoft Imagine Cup Finals with $100K Prize in May Competition
University of Washington's Team Melodic advanced to the finals of Microsoft’s 2022 Imagine Cup, competing for a $100,000 grand prize with technology aiding prelingual deaf children’s speech therapy. The team leverages Azure cloud technology for real-time analysis and customized therapy solutions.
Jonathan Sposato launches JoySauce Network to spotlight American Asian talent with streaming shows and podcasts
Seattle entrepreneur Jonathan Sposato launched JoySauce Network, a digital entertainment platform focused on spotlighting and celebrating American Asian (AAPI) personalities and stories through scripted and unscripted shows, podcasts, films, and editorial content. Projects include a late-night talk show hosted by Sposato, a Korean-focused cooking show, and guides to AAPI arts and restaurants; the platform aims to counter under‑representation and reshape narratives about American Asians.
Omri Gazitt
Omri Gazitt is the co-founder and CEO of Aserto, an authorization startup and his third entrepreneurial venture. He’s spent the majority of his 30-year career working on developer and infrastructure technology, most recently as the CPO of Puppet. Previously, he was the VP and GM of HP’s Cloud Native Platform, and General Manager at Microsoft with responsibilities for Azure, SQL Server, Application Server, and the .NET Framework. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Five Finalists for 2022 GeekWire Health Innovation of the Year Include A-Alpha Bio and UW Institute for Protein Design
The 2022 GeekWire Health Innovation of the Year finalists include A-Alpha Bio, Parse Biosciences, Tasso, Truveta, and the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design, highlighting advances in computational health approaches. Winners will be announced on May 12 at the GeekWire Awards, with community voting open until April 22.
Former Microsoft VP Gavriella Schuster Joins Nerdio Board; Ex-Mailchimp CPO Natalia Williams Hired by Hootsuite; Ex-Amazon Product Leader Sophi Kim Joins Shelf Engine
Gavriella Schuster, former Microsoft VP, joined Nerdio's board, Natalia Williams became Hootsuite's CPO, and Sophi Kim, ex-Amazon product leader, joined Shelf Engine as head of product management. These strategic hires bolster leadership at companies focused on cloud services, social media management, and grocery tech.
Words with AI: Language and the future of work, with Textio CEO Kieran Snyder
What's the impact of the words we use? Augmented writing platform Textio uses machine learning and natural language processing to take the guesswork out of business communication, offering predictive analytics designed to help companies recruit a diverse workforce and build an inclusive culture. The 120-person Seattle-based tech company, led by CEO Kieran Snyder, has been going through a transformation of its own during the past two years, expanding its product lineup while taking its own workforce fully remote, and recruiting more people outside the Seattle area. In the process, the company built its own in-house online tool for participatory time-boxed…
Innovega Licenses AR Eyewear Technology to Global Assistive Tech Leader for Visually Impaired
Innovega Inc., a Bellevue-based AR/VR eyewear company, announced a licensing agreement with a leading global provider of assistive technology for the visually impaired to use its contact lens and glasses technology. This marks Innovega's first commercial licensing deal for its next-generation display eyewear system, after over a decade developing augmented reality solutions.
Seattle Sisters Aparna and Ambika Thyagarajan Lead Shobitam, a Fast-Growing Ethnic Fashion E-Commerce Startup, Raising $1.5M Seed Funding
Seattle sisters Aparna and Ambika Thyagarajan co-founded ethnic fashion e-commerce startup Shobitam three years ago, growing its direct-to-consumer platform globally and supporting Indian weavers. The company leveraged technology for an engaging online experience, saw growth during the pandemic, and raised $1.5 million in seed funding to expand while giving back half its profits to affected artisans.
Seattle Entrepreneur Alex Algard Launches Online List Tracking 375+ Corporations Boycotting Russia Amid Ukraine Invasion
Seattle entrepreneur Alex Algard created an online list tracking the economic actions of over 375 corporations boycotting Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine, highlighting both those who have acted and those still operating there. The list is detailed by sector and aims to provide an accurate, up-to-date resource to support collective efforts against Russia.
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
