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Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of July 7, 2024
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/geekwire-weekly-roundup-2024-07-07/
Published: July 14, 2024 15:00
See the technology stories that people were reading on GeekWire for the week of July 7, 2024.… Read More
Satya Nadella, Jeff Bezos issue statements on shooting at Trump rally
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/satya-nadella-jeff-bezos-issue-statements-on-shooting-at-trump-rally/
Published: July 14, 2024 03:30
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos joined other leaders across the country issuing statements about the shooting at a campaign rally on Saturday in Butler, Penn., for former President Donald Trump. Trump was injured in the shooting…
OpenAI wants NYT’s notes; AI meets email; Startup vets power up an EV charging marketplace
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/openai-wants-nyts-notes-ai-meets-email-startup-vets-power-up-an-ev-charging-marketplace/
Published: July 13, 2024 15:05
This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we catch up on the latest twist in the New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft over the alleged use of its reporting to train GPT-4 and other large language models. The NYT is fighting OpenAI’s request to…
Seven years later, longtime Echo Spot user sizes up the first revamp of Amazon’s tiny Alexa device
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/seven-years-later-longtime-echo-spot-user-sizes-up-the-first-revamp-of-amazons-tiny-alexa-device/
Published: July 13, 2024 13:00
Amazon’s original Echo Spot has been sitting on the back corner of the desk in my home office for seven years, since its release in 2017. My initial plan was to put it on my nightstand, but my wife nixed that idea, so ever since, the Echo Spot has been a…
Election impact on climate efforts is top of mind at first-ever Bloomberg Green Festival in Seattle
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/election-impact-on-climate-efforts-is-top-of-mind-at-first-ever-bloomberg-green-festival-in-seattle/
Published: July 12, 2024 17:09
More than 4,500 climate tech investors, government officials, tech leaders, activists, artists and researchers from around the world are gathering in Seattle this week for the inaugural Bloomberg Green Festival. While the four-day summit highlights…
The $120 trillion opportunity that has TPG’s Jim Coulter excited about climate investing
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/the-120-trillion-opportunity-that-has-tpgs-jim-coulter-excited-about-climate-investing/
Published: July 12, 2024 14:55
Jim Coulter, founding partner, executive chair and director for the investment firm TPG, thinks a little more optimism is warranted in the climate tech sphere. Speaking at the Bloomberg Green Festival in Seattle on Thursday, Coulter contrasted the…
Mozilla’s product chief sues the Firefox maker, alleging discrimination after cancer diagnosis
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/mozillas-product-chief-sues-the-firefox-maker-alleging-discrimination-after-cancer-diagnosis/
Published: July 11, 2024 23:14
Steve Teixeira, a former Microsoft, Facebook, and Twitter executive in the Seattle area who became chief product officer at Mozilla Corp. nearly two years ago, is suing the company for alleged discrimination and other claims after taking medical leave for…
This climate tech leader wants startups to solve urgent needs — and is raising a fund to help them
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/this-climate-tech-leader-wants-startups-to-solve-urgent-needs-and-is-raising-a-fund-to-do-it/
Published: July 11, 2024 21:53
Aina Abiodun is ready for the climate tech sector to recognize that communities everywhere are already experiencing the challenging impacts of a warmer world — and they need help surviving them. “We’ve got to not just pander to people and say, ‘We’re going…
Portland startup lands $2.7M for autonomous robots designed to disinfect hotels and hospitals
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/portland-startup-lands-2-7m-for-autonomous-robots-designed-to-disinfect-hotels-and-hospitals/
Published: July 11, 2024 21:09
Haystack Robotics, a Portland, Ore.-based startup developing robotics technology for disinfection use cases, has raised $2.7 million from an investment entity associated with healthcare IT company Agadia Systems. Haystack’s robots roam around a room and…
Who’s raising? The top funding deals for Pacific Northwest startups in Q2
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/whos-raising-the-top-funding-deals-for-pacific-northwest-startups-in-q2/
Published: July 11, 2024 15:56
Tech startups spanning biotech, agriculture, healthcare, autonomous vehicles, and other industries reeled in the largest funding rounds during the second quarter this year across the Pacific Northwest. Total venture capital raised in Q2 came in at $382…
Costco raises membership fees — is Amazon Prime next?
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/costco-raises-membership-fees-is-amazon-prime-next/
Published: July 10, 2024 21:32
Costco membership fees will increase for the first time in seven years, the retail giant announced Wednesday. Customers in the U.S. and Canada will see a $5 hike for regular memberships (now $65 per year) and a $10 increase for executive memberships (now…
Eric Elfman, new CEO at Moxiworks, brings entrepreneurial mindset to real estate platform
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/eric-elfman-new-ceo-at-moxiworks-brings-entrepreneurial-mindset-to-real-estate-platform/
Published: July 10, 2024 20:24
As the industry continues to deal with the disruption of commissions lawsuits and settlements, the new CEO at a key real estate tech company is making plans for some disruption of his own. Eric Elfman, who joined MoxiWorks as CEO in early June, told Real…
Microsoft inks the largest carbon removal deal ever
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/microsoft-to-buy-500k-tons-of-carbon-removal-in-largest-deal-ever-made/
Published: July 10, 2024 16:46
Microsoft has made a deal to buy 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide removal credits from a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum. The agreement is being called the largest single carbon removal agreement ever made. The deal is with 1PointFive, which is…
Microsoft relinquishes role as OpenAI board observer amid FTC scrutiny of AI investments
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/microsoft-relinquishes-role-as-openai-board-observer-amid-regulatory-scrutiny-of-ai-investments/
Published: July 10, 2024 16:32
Microsoft will no longer serve as an observer on the OpenAI board, despite a multi-billion dollar investment that gives the Redmond company a major financial stake in the for-profit entity of the artificial intelligence pioneer. The decision, reported…
Former OfferUp and Auth0 CEOs lead secretive new EV charging startup with high-powered exec team
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/former-offerup-and-auth0-ceos-lead-secretive-new-ev-charging-startup-with-high-powered-exec-team/
Published: July 10, 2024 16:20
A secretive new Seattle-area startup called Juicer Energy is aiming to turn residential properties into public EV charging stations. Juicer’s leaders have decades of experience founding billion-dollar startups and leading teams at tech giants. GeekWire…
Amazon’s carbon footprint shrank 3% last year — but AI-driven climate challenges loom
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/amazons-carbon-footprint-shrinks-3-last-year-but-ai-driven-climate-challenges-loom/
Published: July 10, 2024 09:00
Amazon’s carbon footprint shrank by 3% last year, marking its second straight year of decline. In its annual sustainability report, the cloud, e-commerce and entertainment giant touted its clean energy accomplishments, noting it has purchased a volume of…
DoorDash and Uber fed up with Seattle council standstill on food delivery driver pay
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/doordash-and-uber-fed-up-with-seattle-council-standstill-on-delivery-driver-pay/
Published: July 9, 2024 22:20
DoorDash and Uber are chomping at the bit for regulatory action in Seattle. The tech giants have been lobbying lawmakers for six months to address a controversial minimum pay law for food delivery drivers that went into effect in January. Seattle City…
Get to know the brains behind Seattle’s flourishing climate tech ecosystem
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/get-to-know-the-brains-behind-seattles-flourishing-climate-tech-ecosystem/
Published: July 9, 2024 21:45
The Seattle area is known for business giants, grunge icons, and much more. Now, the burgeoning field of climate tech is making its mark and adding another chapter to the region’s rich history of innovation. “If you aren’t energized, then you aren’t paying…
Gravitics wins $125M contract from Axiom for commercial space station hardware
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/gravitics-125m-axiom-space-station-hardware/
Published: July 9, 2024 17:46
Marysville, Wash.-based Gravitics says it has won a $125 million contract from Axiom Space to provide a pressurized spacecraft for Axiom’s yet-to-be-launched commercial space station. The hardware would play a utility role by providing a variety of support…
Amazon’s investment in Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus is its latest foray into fashion
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/amazons-investment-in-saks-fifth-avenue-and-neiman-marcus-is-its-latest-foray-into-fashion/
Published: July 9, 2024 17:04
Will Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus help Amazon find its fashion fit? That’s the question after the news last week that the tech giant will become a minority investor in Saks Global, the luxury retail and real estate company to be created by Saks…
Drone company looking for answers to loss of devices into lake after major July 4 tech failure
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/drone-company-ceo-looking-for-answers-to-loss-of-devices-into-lake-after-major-july-4-tech-failure/
Published: July 9, 2024 16:44
The head of the drone company in charge of a failed Fourth of July light show in SeaTac, Wash., called it a “devastating” incident, but he took some comfort in the fact that safety procedures worked as intended. Matthew Quinn, founder and CEO at Great…
Tech Moves: TiE Seattle names leader; ex-Flexport president joins General Catalyst in new role
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/tech-moves-tie-seattle-names-leader-ex-flexport-president-joins-general-catalyst-in-new-role/
Published: July 9, 2024 15:58
— Prashant Mishra, a longtime Seattle-area tech leader and founder of Click2Cloud, was named president of TiE Seattle. Mishra founded Click2Cloud in 2014. The company, headquartered in India with offices across the globe, sells various cloud-related…
Former Arista and Cisco exec Douglas Gourlay named CEO of data storage company Qumulo
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/former-arista-and-cisco-exec-douglas-gourlay-named-new-ceo-of-data-storage-company-qumulo/
Published: July 9, 2024 13:00
To help settle into Seattle, Douglas Gourlay spent this past weekend watching Boys in the Boat, the movie depicting the University of Washington rowing team that won gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. And he’s already seeing parallels to his new job leading…
Automated parking garage in Seattle condo tower gets even more robotic with EV charging bays
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/automated-parking-garage-in-seattle-condo-tower-gets-even-more-robotic-with-ev-charging-bays/
Published: July 8, 2024 21:23
An automated parking garage beneath a luxury condo tower in downtown Seattle is calling in reinforcements, with robotic arms that now help charge electric vehicles. Spire, a 41-story building a stone’s throw from Amazon headquarters on Sixth Avenue,…
Group14 lands $300M deal to produce materials for German battery maker
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/group14-lands-300m-deal-to-produce-materials-for-german-battery-maker/
Published: July 8, 2024 17:27
Next gen battery materials manufacturer Group14 announced a deal Monday with German battery cell company CustomCells, which will purchase $300 million worth of Group14’s silicon anode product. Read all of GeekWire’s coverage of Group 14 here.
New York Times Co. fights OpenAI’s request for reporters’ source materials in copyright dispute
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/new-york-times-co-fights-openais-request-for-reporters-source-materials-in-copyright-dispute/
Published: July 8, 2024 16:59
The New York Times Co. is asking a federal judge to deny OpenAI’s request to turn over reporters’ notes, interview memos, and other materials used by journalists to produce stories that the media company alleges were used to help train the tech company’s…
Meet Gillian Dohrn, GeekWire’s ocean-plunging and science-loving climate tech intern
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/meet-gillian-dohrn-geekwires-ocean-plunging-and-science-loving-climate-tech-intern/
Published: July 8, 2024 14:33
The GeekWire team is excited to introduce Gillian Dohrn, our first Etzioni Intern in Climate Tech Journalism. Readers may have already noticed her byline on a story about the widespread thefts of EV charging cables in Seattle and the aggravating impact on…
Founder of bible software company leads new contract drafting startup AllDrafts
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/founder-of-bible-software-company-leads-new-contract-drafting-startup-alldrafts/
Published: July 8, 2024 14:30
Bob Pritchett spent three decades running Faithlife, the Bellingham, Wash.-based church technology company behind the popular Logos Bible study software. Now he’s applying lessons from that experience to a new entrepreneurial venture called AllDrafts,…
Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of June 30, 2024
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/geekwire-weekly-roundup-2024-06-30/
Published: July 7, 2024 15:00
See the technology stories that people were reading on GeekWire for the week of June 30, 2024.… Read More
How smart home pioneer ecobee competes with Amazon and Google, and where it’s headed next
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/how-smart-home-pioneer-ecobee-competes-with-amazon-and-google-and-where-its-headed-next/
Published: July 6, 2024 16:17
Greg Fyke is president and CEO of ecobee, the Toronto-based smart home company known for its pioneering smart thermostat, and a growing ecosystem of devices, including security systems and smart doorbell cameras. A former Amazon Alexa executive, Fyke is…
Coming soon to Seattle: a co-working space for tackling climate change
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/coming-soon-to-seattle-a-co-working-space-for-tackling-climate-change/
Published: July 5, 2024 14:30
The climate tech sector is blossoming in the Pacific Northwest, attracting new innovators eager to tackle what some see as an existential crisis. But the scope of the problem can be overwhelming — especially if going it alone. A venture called 9Zero plans…
Space Force clears Blue Origin and Stoke Space to bid for fast-turnaround launches
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/space-force-blue-origin-stoke-space/
Published: July 3, 2024 22:32
The U.S. Space Force has added Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture and Stoke Space, a startup that’s headquartered nearby in Kent, Wash., to a list of eligible providers for rapid-response, small-satellite launch services. The designation means the two…
Jeff Bezos keeps selling Amazon stock after announcing his move out of Washington state
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/jeff-bezos-keeps-selling-amazon-stock-after-announcing-his-move-out-of-washington-state/
Published: July 3, 2024 21:54
The news this week that Jeff Bezos plans to sell more Amazon stock is another reminder of the tech mogul’s move away from Washington state — and the debate over its capital gains tax. A new regulatory filing shows that the Amazon founder plans to sell 25…
Microsoft lays off employees in new round of cuts
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/microsoft-lays-off-employees-in-new-round-of-cuts/
Published: July 3, 2024 19:32
Microsoft conducted another round of layoffs this week in the latest workforce reduction implemented by the Redmond tech giant this year. The cuts impacted multiple teams and geographies. Microsoft declined to provide details about the number of employees…
Amazon discontinues Astro for Business robot security guard to focus on Astro home robot
https://www.geekwire.com/2024/amazon-discontinues-astro-for-business-robot-security-guard-to-focus-on-astro-home-robot/
Published: July 3, 2024 16:18
Astro is leaving its job to spend more time with family. Amazon informed customers and employees Wednesday morning that it plans to discontinue its Astro for Business program, less than a year after launching the robot security guard for small- and…