Microsoft
Facts
- HQ
- NASDAQ:MSFT
- Sectors
- Technology, Workplace tools, Cloud
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 221000
- Stage
- Public
Bill Gates-backed Likewise launches TV apps on Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV to sync picks and launch shows
Likewise, a Seattle startup backed by Bill Gates' Gates Ventures, launched a TV app for Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV that syncs with its iOS/Android apps so users can save and launch recommended movies, shows, books and podcasts across streaming services.
Ignition Partners investors spin out Fuse Venture Partners led by Kellan Carter, Cameron Borumand and Seahawks star Bobby Wagner
A group of investors from Seattle VC firm Ignition Partners, including managing partner John Connors, have launched a spinoff called Fuse Venture Partners led by general partners Kellan Carter and Cameron Borumand and featuring Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner as a venture partner. Ignite will sunset its brand while Fuse focuses on doubling down in Seattle and managing new investments, with Wagner committing to active involvement.
GeekWire Awards 2020 Goes Virtual; Ally Wins Startup of the Year as Bill Gates and Celebrities Celebrate
GeekWire held a virtual GeekWire Awards livestream honoring top Pacific Northwest tech companies and leaders across 12 categories, with winners accepting via Zoom and special video messages from figures like Bill Gates. Seattle startup Ally won Startup of the Year, and the event included entertainment such as The Drunken Tenorperforming an "Opera di Zoom."
iObeya announces Seattle-area dual headquarters in Kirkland/Bellevue after $17M round led by Red River West
French visual collaboration startup iObeya announced a Seattle-area office in Kirkland/Bellevue that will be a dual headquarters with Massy, France, after a $17 million funding round led by Red River West; the company plans to hire about 20 people this year and serve as a North America sales and marketing hub.
Shelf Engine raises $12M Series A led by GGV to cut grocery food waste and manage orders for Whole Foods, Target, Kroger
Seattle startup Shelf Engine raised $12 million to expand its AI-powered ordering platform that helps over 1,000 grocers including Whole Foods, Target, and Kroger reduce perishable food waste and guarantee sales through a scan-based trade model. The 46-person company plans to hire about 90 more employees and has $17.3 million total funding after a Series A led by GGV Capital.
Jeff Ma named GM of Microsoft for Startups to connect founders with Microsoft’s co-sell and marketplace programs
Jeff Ma, a serial entrepreneur and former Twitter data science leader, is the new general manager for Microsoft for Startups, helping startups access Microsoft resources like co-sell and marketplace programs. He says Microsoft for Startups could have been a game changer for his prior companies and is focused on recruiting new talent and reconnecting with the startup community.
Create33 and Microsoft launch six-month Startup Success Program for 27 founders of color in Seattle
Create33 and Microsoft launched a six-month Startup Success Program in Seattle to support 27 founders of color with coaching, peer networks and workshops, culminating in a demo day. Participants like Golden Sherpa (which has raised $95,000) report new, diverse connections and meaningful early impact.
Qumulo raises $125M, valued at more than $1.2B to join Seattle’s unicorns
Qumulo raised $125 million in funding, pushing its valuation to over $1.2 billion and making it a Seattle-area unicorn; the data-storage company serves customers across healthcare, media, research and the public sector and has seen increased demand during the pandemic.
Mayfield and Pivotal Ventures award $6 million to four women-led startups in Female Founders Competition
Microsoft’s venture arm Mayfield and Melinda Gates’ Pivotal Ventures announced four winners of the Female Founders Competition, awarding a total of $6 million to scale women-led startups. Two B2B enterprise startups received $2 million each and two deeptech companies received $1 million each.
UiPath raises $225M Series E led by Alkeon, valued at $10.2B as RPA demand rises
UiPath raised $225 million in a Series E round led by Alkeon Capital, valuing the robotic process automation company at $10.2 billion; the firm reports over $400 million in annual recurring revenue and says COVID-19 increased demand for automation.
Seattle tech CFO survey: 37 respondents say three-quarters expect full COVID-19 recovery; nearly half raise 2020 spending forecasts
A survey of 37 Seattle-based tech CFOs finds the local tech industry remains resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic, with three-quarters expecting full recovery and nearly half raising 2020 spending forecasts versus early March. Many CFOs report higher Q2 bookings expectations and over 40% say their companies are increasing headcount despite widespread industry layoffs elsewhere.
Accolade exits GeekWire 200 after $220M IPO at $1.2B valuation; PNW health techs climb as VC funding hits $2.3B in H1 2020
GeekWire’s latest GeekWire 200 update shows health tech startups rising in the Pacific Northwest rankings during the pandemic, highlighted by Accolade’s $220M IPO at a $1.2B valuation and a surge in VC activity ($2.3B across 135 deals in H1 2020).
Tagboard CEO Josh Decker ends Redmond office lease and shifts 29-person startup to fully remote amid COVID-19
Seattle-area startup Tagboard decided to end its office lease and go fully remote amid the COVID-19 pandemic, citing economic uncertainty and effective work-from-home operations. The 29-person company gave employees office furniture, cut overhead to fund tech/internet stipends and future in-person activities, and relies on tools like Slack and Zoom.
Pioneer Square Labs and Fortive launch TeamSense, a COVID-19 symptom‑tracking SaaS that reached paying customers in six weeks
Pioneer Square Labs and Fortive launched their first spinout, TeamSense, a SaaS platform that lets employers screen and communicate with hourly workers about COVID-19 symptoms via quick daily texts or emails. TeamSense moved from initial funding to paying customers in six weeks and provides dashboards, rosters, and 1-on-1 chat to support workplace health, planning and compliance.
Nori CEO Paul Gambill Raises $1.3M Pre-Seed, Poised to Scale Carbon-Removal Marketplace
Nori, a Seattle carbon-removal marketplace founded by Paul Gambill, raised $1.3 million in a pre-seed round and is nearing its next funding target as it prepares to scale and hire. Gambill, a former engineer and entrepreneur, aims to grow the team after years of early-stage bootstrapping and Techstars Sustainability Accelerator support.
Madrona leads $27M round in Fauna; Bob Muglia named executive chairman, Eric Berg becomes CEO
Madrona Venture Group led a $27 million investment in Fauna, the San Francisco-based database startup founded by two former Twitter engineers, bringing total funding to $57 million and appointing Bob Muglia as executive chairman and Eric Berg as CEO. Fauna focuses on cloud-native, serverless-accessible databases (FaunaDB) and will add Madrona’s S. Somasegar to its board.
Ex-Microsoft Executive Kirt Debique Launches SyncFloor Marketplace with 9,000 Independent Tracks, $1.25M Raised
SyncFloor, founded by former Microsoft executive Kirt Debique, is a marketplace that helps creative professionals find and license independent music; it launched with a 9,000-title catalog, partnerships with labels like Sub Pop, eight employees, and $1.25 million raised to date.
OneTrust acquires Seattle AI-focused privacy startup Integris, folds tech into OneTrust DataDiscovery and keeps 20-person Seattle team
Atlanta-based privacy software firm OneTrust has acquired Seattle startup Integris Software and integrated its AI-based discovery technology into OneTrust DataDiscovery while retaining Integris’s 20-person Seattle team. Integris, founded in 2016 and a $16 million VC-backed company, will support tasks like compliance monitoring during cloud migrations and data governance.
Voodle launches short-form workplace video app after Pixvana shutdown; Pixvana had raised $20M
Seattle startup Voodle launched a short-form, selfie-style workplace video app—spun out of Pixvana after that company closed—to replace lengthy calls and text updates with searchable, transcribed clips that integrate with apps like Salesforce and HubSpot. Pixvana had raised $20 million before shuttering in late 2019 when CEO Forest Key concluded AR/VR wasn’t yet ready for mainstream business scale.
Seattle rises three spots to crack Startup Genome’s global top 10, backed by $3.59B in 2019 VC funding
Seattle climbed three places into Startup Genome’s global top 10 startup ecosystems, driven by strengths in AI, big data, analytics, life sciences and a strong startup genealogy from Microsoft, Amazon and the University of Washington. Venture funding reached a Seattle-area record of $3.59 billion in 2019, and the city ranks highly on performance, funding, market reach, talent, connectedness, knowledge and infrastructure.
Humanly raises $800,000 from TMD Ventures, Gusto and Kinetica CFOs to expand AI hiring tools
Seattle startup Humanly raised $800,000 from investors including TMD Ventures, Gusto CFO Mike Dinsdale and Kinetica CFO Dean Neese to expand its AI recruiting tools that screen candidates, schedule interviews and run reference checks amid COVID-19–driven hiring changes. The company says automation and bias-reducing features help employers manage larger applicant pools while improving inclusion.
Amazon launches $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund to invest in sustainable-tech startups, aims for net-zero by 2040
Amazon launched The Climate Pledge Fund, a $2 billion corporate venture program to invest in startups developing sustainable technologies across industries to accelerate reaching net-zero carbon. The move aligns with Amazon’s Climate Pledge to be net carbon neutral by 2040 and follows other commitments like running on 100% renewable energy by 2025.
Proprio raises $23M Series A led by DCVC to commercialize 3D "X‑ray‑like" surgical navigation system
Seattle startup Proprio raised $23 million in a Series A led by DCVC to develop a hardware‑software surgical navigation system that fuses real-time camera views with preoperative imaging to give surgeons a 3D “X‑ray‑like” view without radiation.
Outreach raises $50M Series F led by Sands Capital, valuing Seattle startup at $1.33B
Seattle sales-engagement startup Outreach raised a $50 million Series F led by Sands Capital, bringing its valuation to $1.33 billion and total funding to $289 million while holding more than $100 million in cash. The company says the funding bolsters its position amid COVID-19 as remote selling increases and over 4,000 customers use its platform.
Panda AI launches inside AI2 in Seattle, led by CEO Aaron Goldfeder and CTO Yue Ning in stealth mode
Panda AI is a stealth B2B startup launched inside the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) in Seattle, led by CEO Aaron Goldfeder and CTO Yue Ning, both former AI2 entrepreneurs-in-residence. The company — currently two employees with early access interest and Smartsheet co-founder Eric Browne as product advisor — aims to build next-generation tools for knowledge workers using recent AI breakthroughs.
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
