Microsoft
Facts
- HQ
- NASDAQ:MSFT
- Sectors
- Technology, Workplace tools, Cloud
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 221000
- Stage
- Public
Amplitude acquires Seattle analytics startup Iteratively, founded 2019; Iteratively to operate as unit within Amplitude
San Francisco product intelligence firm Amplitude has acquired Seattle-based customer data analytics startup Iteratively, which was founded in 2019 and raised $5.4 million earlier this year; Iteratively will operate as a unit within Amplitude and already shares most of its customers with the acquirer.
Pacific Northwest Software Founders Launch Ag‑Tech Startups — TerraClear, Carbon Robotics, Pollen Systems Draw Major VC Interest
Successful Pacific Northwest software founders are applying their startup experience to ag tech, drawing significant venture capital into farm-focused startups and developing robotics and marketplaces for agriculture. Examples include Brent Frei's rock-picking robots at TerraClear, Paul Mikesell's weed-zapping Carbon Robotics, and Keith McCall's Pollen Systems and Everyvine relaunch.
Seattle gallerist Kirsten Anderson and tech veteran Art Min launch Phosphene, a curated NFT portal for vetted artists and collectors
Seattle gallery owner Kirsten Anderson is launching Phosphene, a curated NFT portal, partnering with tech veteran and investor Art Min to connect vetted artists with serious collectors and simplify entry into NFTs.
Modica converts shipping containers into software-driven microfactories to deploy automated factories globally
Seattle startup Modica converts shipping containers into modular, software-driven microfactories that enable small-to-medium scale automated manufacturing anywhere in the world. Founded in 2018 by Will (William) Gibbs, the company applies systems integration, modular construction and generative design to speed factory build-out and avoid supply shortages.
Robert Wahbe (Highspot CEO & Co-Founder) on category definition, listening harder, and thinking from first principles
Highspot has reached a $2.3B valuation, 500+ employees, and $397M raised just 9 years since founding. What's made that possible? Robert Wahbe (Co-Founder & CEO) is a strategic thinker who has found many non-obvious strategies and frameworks to scale his business. He went behind the scenes on his story and shared the principles and lessons driving Highspot's growth.
BitTitan to Acquire Perspectium, Adding 75 Employees and Expanding ServiceNow Data Management
BitTitan announced it will acquire Perspectium, a 75-person company that helps manage data on ServiceNow, in a deal that expands BitTitan’s IT service management offerings and raises headcount to over 250; financial terms were not disclosed. Perspectium CEO David Loo will join BitTitan as chief product officer.
FlavorCloud raises $6.3M Series A led by Mucker Capital as profitable international-shipping startup hits rapid growth
Seattle-based FlavorCloud, which simplifies cross-border e-commerce shipping by handling customs rules and product codes, raised $6.3 million in a Series A led by Mucker Capital. The profitable, four-year-old startup — founded by CEO Rathna Sharad and CTO Sherwyn Soff in 2017 — has grown rapidly during the pandemic and has deals including a partnership with Chinese payments firm LianLian Pay; total funding is $8.6 million.
GeekWire opens voting for 2021 Startup CEO of the Year with five finalists including OctoML, Syndio and WhyLabs
GeekWire is running community voting for its 13th annual GeekWire Awards, featuring five finalists for Startup CEO of the Year: Luis Ceze (OctoML), Maria Colacurcio (Syndio), Mike McSherry (Xealth), Ray Meiring (Qorus Software) and Alessya Visnjic (WhyLabs); voting closes April 30 and winners are announced May 20 at a virtual event.
Venture Out launches $1,499 Moonlighter Lab to help full-time workers validate startups while keeping day jobs
Seattle nonprofit Venture Out launched Moonlighter Lab, an 8-week program that charges $1,499 to help full-time workers validate startup ideas while keeping their day jobs; some participants from the January cohort later quit to pursue startups. Venture Out, co-founded by Sean Sternbach and Ken Horenstein, previously ran a 12-week Venture Lab exchanging 4% equity and raised $700,000 last year led by M12.
Teal Communications raises $9.1M to scale eSIM platform connecting IoT devices to 2,000+ networks in 195 countries
Seattle-area IoT startup Teal Communications raised $9.1 million to expand its eSIM platform that connects devices to over 2,000 networks in 195 countries and plans to grow headcount from 15 to 45 this year.
Coinbase IPO Soars to $85 Billion, Nets Windfalls for Early Backers Including Version One Ventures
Coinbase’s IPO pushed its valuation to $85 billion and delivered major returns to early investors like Version One Ventures, which made a highly profitable bet years ago. The article examines how Seattle and Pacific Northwest investors view crypto and blockchain as the region seeks to grow its fintech presence amid emerging local startups and initiatives.
Rebekah Bastian (OwnTrail CEO & Co-Founder) on opening to possibility, assessing risk, and blazing your own trail
OwnTrail is a platform that advances women by helping members share their *real* paths through career and life. With seed funding and an all-star team, OwnTrail is growing fast. CEO and co-founder, Rebekah Bastian, is a role model for staying open to possibility. She didn't have a masterplan and it wasn't a straight line. She joined Zillow as employee 20. Fifteen years at Zillow took her from Product Manager to VP of Product, and then VP of Community and Culture. Then author. And now founder. She goes behind the scenes on her story and OwnTrail's mission.
Rad Power Bikes co-founder Ty Collins steps down to advisory role; WRF CEO Ron Howell to retire end of April
Rad Power Bikes co-founder and former CMO Ty Collins has stepped down and moved into an advisory role while remaining involved; the company is profitable and raised $150 million earlier this year. Washington Research Foundation CEO Ron Howell will retire at the end of April after 29 years, with CFO Jeff Eby serving as acting CEO.
Dendron raises $2M seed to scale IDE-style open-source note tool, founded by ex-AWS engineers Kevin Lin and Kiran Pathakota
Seattle-based open-source note-taking startup Dendron raised $2 million in seed funding to scale a tool that applies IDE-style structure to managing large personal and institutional information, founded by ex-AWS engineer Kevin Lin and former Amazon TPM Kiran Pathakota.
Spot, founded by former Outreach executives Gordon Hempton and Wes Hather, raises $1.7M to build ‘Sims for the enterprise’ virtual offices
Spot, a year-old Seattle startup founded by former Outreach co-founders Gordon Hempton and Wes Hather, has raised $1.7 million to build virtual office software described as “The Sims for the Enterprise.” The seven-person company, currently in closed beta, has created hundreds of virtual worlds for events and HQs and competes with platforms like Gather, Teamflow, Virbela and Branch amid continued remote and hybrid work tailwinds.
Former Facebook Seattle Chief Vijaye Raji launches Statsig to bring feature-testing tools to developers
Vijaye Raji, a former Facebook engineering leader, founded Seattle-area startup Statsig to provide feature-testing and analytics tools (like feature gates and metric maps) to developers, with usage-based pricing and a free tier. The company hopes to democratize internal tools Facebook used, has competitors, disclosed no funding but attracted endorsement from investor S. 'Soma' Somasegar.
Maria Colacurcio
Maria Colacurcio is CEO of Syndio, an analytics platform that ensures workplace fairness in every stage of employment and aims to eliminate pay disparity. She is responsible for the company’s vision, strategy, building talent within the organization, and developing organizational excellence to deliver the highest levels of business value to its customers. Most importantly, she is passionate about issues surrounding equal pay, employee wellness and equity at work. Prior to joining Syndio, Maria co-founded Smartsheet.com, worked in technology and communications at Microsoft, Starbucks, and a variety of tech startups. She has a proven track record of building successful companies, with…
Ad Lightning CEO Scott Moore says he pulled company from downtown Seattle over safety, homelessness and transit, won’t return
Ad Lightning CEO Scott Moore says he pulled his company out of downtown Seattle because employees don’t feel safe amid crime and homelessness and poor transit, and he doesn’t plan to return until durable solutions are in place; he warns Seattle is losing competitiveness to Eastside cities like Bellevue and Redmond.
Why this Seattle tech CEO pulled his company out of downtown Seattle, and isn't coming back anytime soon
Veteran tech executive Scott Moore, CEO of Seattle startup AdLightning, joins GeekWire's John Cook and Mike Lewis to discuss the challenges facing downtown Seattle after the pandemic. AdLightning left its headquarters in the Gibraltar building last March and exited the lease in August. The company is currently working remote, and Moore says he’s committed to getting another office at some point. But when he does, Moore says, the office won’t be in downtown Seattle. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures invests $24.3M in ZeroAvia, lifting private funding past $53M
Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures led a follow-up $24.3 million investment in ZeroAvia’s hybrid hydrogen-electric aircraft powertrains, joining prior investors and bringing the company’s total private funding to more than $53 million and nearly $74 million including grants. ZeroAvia plans a 19-seat hydrogen-electric demonstration by 2023, commercialization of a 600 kW powertrain in 2024, and a 2 MW program targeting 50+ seat aircraft by 2026.
Common Room exits stealth with $52M in funding to monetize community engagement for enterprises
Seattle startup Common Room exited stealth after one year, announcing $52 million in total funding and enterprise customers testing its community-management software. The company integrates signals from platforms like Slack, Twitter and Discord to help companies grow user engagement and advocacy.
Advocat Technologies wins $200,000 top prize at San Diego Angel Conference for AI legal-drafting platform
Seattle-area legal tech startup Advocat Technologies won the $200,000 top prize at the San Diego Angel Conference for its AI system that automates intake and drafting for enterprise legal departments, saving in-house attorneys significant time. The Bellevue company, led by CEO Pradnya Desh, was previously bootstrapped, has raised an additional $800,000, and participated in several accelerator programs.
Startup Haven launches Startup Haven Ventures, adds Westerdal, Yu and Mbemba; PSL promotes three; Adam Selipsky named AWS CEO
Startup Haven, founded by Bob Crimmins, launched Startup Haven Ventures and expanded its team to include Jay Westerdal, Arry Yu and Claudius Mbemba; the fund targets pre-seed, capital-efficient companies with a Pacific Northwest focus and made its first investment in Verdi. Seattle’s Pioneer Square Labs promoted Palvi Mehta, David Zager and Ben Gilbert; separately, Tableau CEO Adam Selipsky will become AWS CEO, replacing Andy Jassy.
Rec Room raises $100M, becomes $1.25B Seattle unicorn after pandemic-fueled 566% revenue surge
Seattle-based social gaming startup Rec Room raised $100 million at a $1.25 billion valuation after explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by 15 million lifetime users and a 566% year-over-year revenue increase. The five-year-old company offers cross-platform tools for creating virtual rooms and games, has over 2 million creators, isn’t yet profitable, and plans an Android launch later this year.
Kymeta and Kepler demonstrate u8 flat-panel antenna achieving 100 Mbps and 2+ GB per pass in Arctic test
Kymeta and Kepler demonstrated that Kymeta's u8 flat-panel antenna can connect with Kepler’s LEO Global Data Service in Inuvik, Canada, achieving average uplink and downlink speeds of 100 Mbps and transferring over 2 GB per satellite pass in extreme cold.
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
