Microsoft
Facts
- Sectors
- Technology, Workplace tools, Cloud
- Founded
- 1975
- Employees
- 221000
- Stage
- Public
ElevenLabs Invests $11 Million in Warsaw R&D Hub Amid $500 Million ARR Milestone and $11 Billion Valuation
ElevenLabs, a Polish AI voice company valued at $11 billion, invested $11 million in a Warsaw R&D hub while surpassing $500 million ARR. The company emphasizes maintaining engineering work in Europe despite global expansion.
Solius Labs Raises $23M Series A to Launch FDA-Cleared $2,995 At-Home UVB Light Therapy Device
Solius Labs, a Bainbridge Island startup founded in 2013, raised $23 million in Series A funding to launch the Solius Pro, a $2,995 FDA-cleared at-home UVB light therapy device that delivers safe, personalized vitamin D stimulating treatment via a smartphone-controlled wall-mounted unit. The device uses a patented skin-scanning sensor to customize UVB dosage in under five minutes per weekly session, enabling convenient home use previously only available in clinics.
Robbie Cape Launches The Instrument to Disrupt Trillion-Dollar Insurance Industry with Pioneer Square Labs Backing
Seattle entrepreneur Robbie Cape is launching The Instrument, a new startup backed by Pioneer Square Labs, to disrupt the trillion-dollar insurance industry. After a nine-month job search and drawn by the sector's complexity and financial potential, Cape aims to build generational wealth unlike his previous mission-driven ventures.
SpaceX Surpasses Amazon with $2.95 Trillion Valuation After IPO Amid Analyst Warnings of Overvaluation
SpaceX briefly became the fourth-largest company on Wall Street with a market cap of $2.95 trillion shortly after its IPO, surpassing Amazon and Microsoft, though many analysts warn its valuation is significantly inflated. The company faces critical tests with upcoming earnings reports and insider lockup expirations.
Ent Security, founded by RiskIQ veterans behind Microsoft Security Copilot, raises $100M seed to enable AI-driven endpoint prevention
Ent Security, founded by the RiskIQ team behind Microsoft Security Copilot, raised a $100 million seed round to develop AI-powered endpoint prevention aimed at stopping attacks before they occur.
Helion Energy Secures World’s First Regulatory Licenses for 50-Megawatt Fusion Power Plant in Washington
Helion Energy became the first company globally to receive regulatory licenses for a fusion power plant, securing critical Radioactive Materials and Air Emissions Licenses for its 50-megawatt fusion facility in Washington. This milestone advances Helion’s efforts to commercialize clean fusion energy, with plans to supply electricity by 2028 following a deal with Microsoft.
Neuralwatt, Led by Microsoft Veterans, Launches First Real-Time AI Carbon Emissions Tracker to Reduce Data Center Footprint
Seattle-based startup Neuralwatt, founded by Microsoft veterans Chad Gibson and Scott Chamberlin, launched the first real-time carbon emissions tracker for individual AI requests to help reduce data center environmental impact. The tool provides exact carbon footprint metrics per AI task, aiming to improve energy efficiency and aid companies in meeting sustainability regulations.
Helion Becomes First U.S. Fusion Energy Firm to Secure All Regulatory Licenses for Reactor in Washington
Helion Energy has become the first U.S. fusion energy company to obtain all required regulatory licenses, enabling it to construct a fusion reactor in Washington state and supply power to Microsoft by 2028. The company emphasizes the environmental benefits of fusion energy and progresses toward commercial power generation despite some skepticism about fusion timelines.
Legora Expands in Europe with 1,500 Staff Target, $5.6B Valuation, Backed by Nvidia and Bain Capital
Legora, a Stockholm-based legal AI startup founded in 2023, is rapidly expanding across Europe with new offices and significant hiring plans to meet existing demand, aiming to rival US-based Harvey. Backed by Nvidia and Bain Capital, Legora has reached about $100 million in annual recurring revenue and holds a valuation around $5.6 billion.
Ex-Axon Leader Luke Larson Launches Vale, a Nationwide Automated Matcha Beverage Startup from Seattle
Luke Larson, former Axon president, is building Vale, a Seattle-based automated matcha beverage startup aiming to scale nationally like Starbucks. He leverages his tech and leadership experience to grow Vale from local cafes to thousands of automated dispensers across the U.S.
Todd Boehly, Vinod Khosla Lead Billionaire Bidders for Seattle Seahawks in $9 Billion Sale
The Seattle Seahawks are up for sale for an expected record $9 billion, attracting bids from high-profile billionaires and venture capitalists including Todd Boehly, Vinod Khosla, Aditya Mittal, and Wyc Grousbeck. The sale is being managed by the estate of the late Paul Allen, with proceeds designated for philanthropy.
Helion Energy Secures $465M at $15.5B Valuation to Advance Fusion Energy with Polaris Prototype
Helion Energy raised $465 million in a Series G funding round at a $15.5 billion valuation to advance its fusion energy technology, bringing total capital raised to $1.5 billion. The company uses a unique Field-Reversed Configuration and Magneto-Inertial Fusion approach, aiming to demonstrate electricity production from fusion with its Polaris prototype.
ArchAstro Raises $6.2M to Launch AI Network for Cross-Company Enterprise Software Integration
ArchAstro, founded by veterans from Microsoft, Stripe, Meta, and Statsig, has launched with $6.2 million in pre-seed funding to develop AI agents that automate complex, cross-company software integrations and deployments. Their privacy-aware Forward Deployed Agents aim to securely connect disparate enterprise systems, addressing the lengthy and difficult process of integrating B2B software across corporate boundaries.
Expedia and Zillow Co-Founder Rich Barton Relocates to Las Vegas Amid Washington State Wealth Tax Concerns
Rich Barton, the co-founder of Expedia and Zillow, has moved from Washington to Las Vegas, joining other tech magnates like Jeff Bezos who left due to Washington state's new wealth taxes. His departure is seen as a significant loss to the Seattle tech startup ecosystem amid growing debates over taxes on wealthy residents.
LinkedIn Co-Founder Reid Hoffman to Leave Microsoft Board in 2026 to Focus on Cancer Drug Startup Manas AI
Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and Microsoft board member since 2017, will not seek re-election at the 2026 annual meeting to focus on his cancer drug-discovery startup, Manas AI. His departure is not due to any disagreement with Microsoft and follows repeated shareholder opposition related to his political activities.
Helion Energy Raises $465M, Valued at $15.5B, Targets Commercial Fusion Power by 2028
Helion Energy raised $465 million, increasing its valuation to $15.5 billion, as it aims to commercialize fusion power by 2028 with projects like the 50-megawatt Orion plant in Washington. Despite ambitious plans and partnerships like the one with Microsoft, the company faces skepticism due to technical challenges and limited scientific disclosures.
Fintech Startup Enduring Planet Raises $12M Second Fund to Support Early-Stage Climate Startups
Enduring Planet, a Pacific Northwest fintech startup launched in 2021, has closed its second investment fund at over $12 million, more than doubling its initial fund size to support early-stage climate startups. The company focuses on lending to climate ventures with government awards and also provides part-time CFO services.
Seattle’s Rec Room Social Gaming Platform Shuts Down June 1, 2026 After $294M Funding and $3.5B Valuation
Seattle-based social gaming platform Rec Room, which attracted 150 million players and reached a $3.5 billion valuation in 2021, is shutting down on June 1, 2026 due to unviable business economics. Founded in 2016 by former Microsoft engineers, Rec Room built a decade-long virtual community but ultimately could not sustain its operations.
Parloa announces partnerships with SAP, Microsoft, OpenAI, Five9 and Epic after $350M Series D at $3B valuation
Berlin-founded Parloa, valued at $3 billion after a $350 million Series D in January 2026, announced partnerships with SAP, Microsoft, OpenAI, Five9, and Epic while reporting over $50 million ARR and 150% net revenue retention as it expands its enterprise AI agent platform.
Code.org Founder Hadi Partovi Becomes CEO of Payam Music to Expand Innovative Piano School with Investor Backing
Hadi Partovi, founder of Code.org, is now CEO of Payam Music, a piano school using the Payam Method to teach via letters and numbers before traditional notation. Supported by high-profile investors, he plans to expand the school nationally.
Seattle Startup Picnic Shuts Down, Sells $50M Pizza Robot Assets to Undisclosed Buyer in May 2024
Seattle-based food automation startup Picnic, which raised about $50 million to develop pizza-making robots, has shut down and liquidated its assets after becoming insolvent. Its assets and intellectual property were sold to an undisclosed buyer in May 2024 through a liquidation process overseen by CMBG Advisors.
Temporal, $5 Billion Bellevue Startup, Named Crystal Palace Front-of-Shirt Sponsor for 2026/27 EPL Season
Temporal, a Bellevue-based developer tools startup valued at $5 billion, will be the front-of-shirt sponsor for Crystal Palace Football Club starting in the 2026/27 English Premier League season. This sponsorship deal aligns with the Premier League's new ban on gambling company logos on shirts, opening opportunities for new sponsors like Temporal.
Tech Community Mourns S. 'Soma' Somasegar, Microsoft Veteran and Madrona VC, at Age 59
S. 'Soma' Somasegar, a respected Microsoft veteran and Madrona Ventures investor, passed away at age 59, prompting widespread tributes highlighting his kindness, mentorship, and lasting impact on the tech community. Colleagues remembered him as a humble servant leader and champion of developers whose legacy went beyond his business contributions.
StitcherAI Launches with $3M Pre-Seed to Embed Real-Time AI Spending Data into Engineering Tools
StitcherAI launched with $3 million in pre-seed funding to provide real-time AI and cloud cost data directly in decision-making tools, aiming to prevent overspending. Founded by Seattle tech veterans Udam Dewaraja and Varun Mittal, the company avoids traditional dashboards by integrating spending context where humans and AI agents operate.
Seattle Ranks 4th in US Population Growth Amid Rising Tech Layoffs, Sparking Concern Among Industry Leaders
Seattle's tech industry remains a major economic force driving population growth, but rising tech layoffs and growing doubts among business leaders highlight emerging concerns about the city's long-term economic resilience and confidence.
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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Dan Lewis Executive, Corporate Vice President
