Microsoft
Facts
- HQ
- NASDAQ:MSFT
- Sectors
- Technology, Workplace tools, Cloud
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 221000
- Stage
- Public
Qumulo names ex-AWS Janine Corey cloud CTO; Elissa Fink joins Conversica board; Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson joins Amperity board
Seattle startup Qumulo hired Janine Corey as cloud CTO after five years at Amazon Web Services; the company is valued at $1.2 billion and raised $125 million earlier this year. Former Tableau CMO Elissa Fink joined Conversica’s board and Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson joined Amperity’s board, reflecting several executive moves among Seattle-area tech firms.
Kymeta launches u8 hybrid satellite–cellular service and terminal for commercial and government markets today
Kymeta is launching commercial availability of its next-generation u8 hybrid satellite-cellular connectivity service and terminal for voice and data, targeting both commercial and government/military customers starting today. The low-power flat-panel u8 antenna uses metamaterials for electronic satellite tracking, is redesigned for extreme environments, and was validated in beta trials by users including firefighters.
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson Joins Board of Seattle Customer-Data Startup Amperity
Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is joining the board of Seattle customer-data startup Amperity, which provides software to connect disparate customer data for targeted marketing and counts clients like Alaska Airlines, Patagonia and Kroger; Starbucks was an early adopter of Amperity.
Former Z2 Executives Raise $3.2M to Launch Lightfox Games and Mobile Title Super Battle League
Former Z2 employees founded Lightfox Games, a Seattle-based mobile game studio, raising $3.2 million to develop their first title, Super Battle League, a real-time 3-on-3 battle game currently in early alpha. The seed funding round was led by March Gaming with participation from Hiro Capital and 1Up Ventures.
Pandemic Accelerates Adoption of Enterprise Software in Seattle, Boosting Cloud and Cybersecurity Startups
The COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating adoption of enterprise software in the Seattle and Pacific Northwest tech scene, highlighting startups in cloud computing and cybersecurity that dominate the GeekWire 200. Analysts say enterprise cloud firms appear relatively resilient to recessionary pressures compared with consumer-facing startups, though risks remain if businesses cut spending.
Rebellion Defense, led by ex-DDS head Chris Lynch and backed by Eric Schmidt, opens Seattle engineering hub
Rebellion Defense, a year-old Washington D.C. startup led by CEO Chris Lynch and backed by investors including ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt, opened a Seattle engineering hub led by Matt Shobe to build AI and ML software for government clients using an agile, SaaS pricing model.
Tom Alberg invested in Amazon’s 1995 seed round, joined its board and co-founded Madrona to build Seattle’s tech scene
Tom Alberg invested in Amazon’s 1995 seed round, joined its board, and later co-founded Madrona Investment Group to back Pacific Northwest internet startups, helping shape Seattle’s tech ecosystem. His early bets and leadership influenced regional tech growth and left a legacy noted by Jeff Bezos and others.
Madrona leads $2.6M seed round for OthersideAI to build GPT-3–powered automated email composer
OthersideAI, founded months ago by Matt Shumer, Miles Feldstein and Jason Kuperberg, raised a $2.6M seed round led by Madrona to build a GPT-3–powered tool that automatically composes email drafts; the company is testing a Chrome extension with ~100 early users and a ~10,000-person waitlist.
2048 Ventures Hires Seattle Investor Minda Brusse to Lead Pre-Seed Sourcing in Seattle and Portland
NYC-based 2048 Ventures has hired Seattle investor Minda Brusse as a venture partner to source pre-seed investments in Seattle and Portland while she remains at First Row Partners; 2048 launched last year with a $27 million fund and has backed 29 companies.
Foursquare CEO David Shim to Resign; Gary Little Named CEO in 2021; Other Tech Leadership Moves Reported
Foursquare CEO David Shim, founder of Placed, is resigning and will be succeeded by board member Gary Little in 2021 after a transition; Shim plans to return to entrepreneurship. Other moves: investor Karan Mehandru left Trinity Ventures to join Steadfast Financial while remaining on several boards, 343 Industries’ Chris Lee stepped down from Halo Infinite project direction, and WTIA hired Molly Jones as VP of government affairs.
Algorithmia CEO Diego Oppenheimer urges resilience amid COVID slump; startup has raised $37.9M including $25M Series B
Algorithmia CEO Diego Oppenheimer encourages professionals stuck in a COVID-19 rut to balance survival with seizing opportunities, citing family background and a focus on employee growth; Algorithmia is a 58-person startup that has raised $37.9 million, including a $25 million Series B last year.
Community Brands acquires Seattle virtual-events startup Pathable after 20x revenue surge and rapid expansion
Seattle event-app company Pathable pivoted from near-shutdown when in-person events collapsed, rapidly building a virtual events platform that grew revenue 20x and expanded staff from 20 to over 120. In late September Community Brands acquired Pathable, which will operate as a standalone business to help organizations reimagine events during and after the pandemic.
Textio launches 'Textio for Employer Brand' to infuse DEI language across corporate messaging
Textio launched Textio for Employer Brand, an augmented-writing tool that guides companies to use more diverse, equitable and inclusive language across corporate messaging beyond job listings. The product, now exiting beta, aims to update guidance continuously and apply DEI-focused language suggestions to pages like 'About this company' and culture blog posts as firms rebuild and rehire after the pandemic.
NEA leads $37.5M Series B in Seattle cloud startup Pulumi, bringing total funding to $57.5M
Seattle startup Pulumi raised $37.5 million in a Series B led by NEA, bringing its total funding to $57.5 million to expand R&D and sales/marketing. NEA partner Aaron Jacobson will join Pulumi’s board alongside existing investors Madrona Venture Group and Tola Capital.
University of Washington taps Justin Dunnicliff as NSIN university program director; Meredith Han named VP of Product at FlyHomes
The University of Washington partnered with the Department of Defense’s National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) and named UW alumnus Justin Dunnicliff as university program director to run NSIN programs at UW, connecting students to DoD-related research and employment opportunities. The article also notes Meredith Han, an early Amazon employee and angel investor, has become VP of product at FlyHomes.
Terry Myerson launches Seattle health-data startup Truveta to develop patient-care innovations, pledges strict privacy
Terry Myerson, former head of Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group, launched Seattle-area health-data startup Truveta to use patient data for developing treatments and improving care while emphasizing strong privacy protections. The company has hired nearly 20 people, plans to grow, declined to disclose funding or ownership details, and signals collaborations with health systems such as Providence Health & Services.
WestRiver Group CEO Erik Anderson and Riverstone launch Decarbonization Plus Acquisition SPAC, raising $200M to pursue global decarbonization targets
WestRiver Group CEO Erik Anderson and asset manager Riverstone launched Decarbonization Plus Acquisition, a SPAC that raised $200 million to target companies advancing global decarbonization across energy, agriculture, industrials, transportation and commercial/residential sectors.
Temporal raises $20M Series A led by Sequoia to commercialize open-source microservices orchestration
Temporal, a Seattle startup founded by former Uber engineers and cloud veterans, raised $20 million in a Series A led by Sequoia to commercialize its open-source microservices orchestration platform that improves developer productivity and reliability. Major customers include Snap, Box, Checkr, HashiCorp, and Coinbase, and investors include Madrona, Addition, Amplify and Snowflake ex-CEO Bob Muglia.
98point6 Raises $118M Series E Led by L Catterton and Activant After 274% Membership Surge
Seattle telemedicine startup 98point6 raised $118 million in a Series E led by L Catterton and Activant Capital after membership grew 274% this year; the company offers AI-supported virtual primary care to over 3 million patients and serves employers and health plans. The round follows a $43 million Series D in April and comes amid a surge in digital health funding during the pandemic.
PNW Startups Raised $1.1B in Q3 2020 Across 65 Deals as Investors Keep Funding Amid Pandemic
Pacific Northwest startups raised $1.1 billion across 65 deals in Q3 2020, with funding in July and August exceeding last year’s levels as investors continue backing tech despite the pandemic.
Skilljar raises $33M Series B led by Insight Partners as pandemic boosts demand for its customer education platform
Seattle-based Skilljar, founded by Sandi Lin and Jason Stewart, raised $33 million in a Series B led by Insight Partners as demand for its customer education software surged during the pandemic; total funding exceeds $50 million and the platform has delivered over 10 million instructional hours to 300+ customers including Tableau and Cisco. The company provides cloud-based training, assessments, certifications, analytics and integrations to help companies build onboarding and customer education programs.
Uber Freight raises $500M led by Greenbriar, valuing the unit at $3.3B
Uber Freight raised $500 million in a funding round led by Greenbriar that values the trucking logistics unit at $3.3 billion, and the business reported $211 million in adjusted net revenue for Uber’s most recent quarter with a $49 million quarterly loss. The unit operates a digital freight marketplace with about 65,000 carriers and competes with startups like Convoy, which recently raised $400 million at a $2.7 billion valuation.
Boost Sport raises $1.3M seed led by TitletownTech to sell AI video-analysis to basketball teams
Seattle startup Boost Sport raised a $1.3 million seed round to expand its AI and video-analysis software for basketball teams, which extracts data insights from footage without in-venue cameras or wearables. TitletownTech led the round; Boost is led by CEO Mustafa Abdul-Hamid and co-founder Inga Nakhmanson, has run five pilots, signed Pepperdine, and is selling two-year contracts despite pandemic-related revenue impacts.
GeekWire 200 CEO Survey: Most Seattle-Area Startups Report Little or No Pandemic Impact and Plan Hiring
A GeekWire 200 CEO survey of nearly 50 Pacific Northwest startup leaders found most report little or no negative impact from the pandemic, many plan to hire, and significant optimism about the regional economy over the next 18 months.
Kymeta wins FCC blanket authorization for next-gen u8 antenna as beta moves toward commercial release
Kymeta, the Bill Gates-backed mobile connectivity venture, won FCC blanket authorization for its next-generation u8 flat-panel antenna, which is in beta and slated for commercial release later this year; the company also secured type approvals from several satellite operators and recently raised $85 million and acquired Lepton Global Solutions.
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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
