June 05, 2015
Ag tech startup wins top prize as UW’s Dempsey competition awards $92,500 across finalists
June 03, 2026
BioBead won the top prize at the Demsey Startup Competition, awarded by Trish Held (left), manager of philanthropy at the BECU Foundation, and received by BioBead’s Jared Espinosa and Renee Davis. (UW Photo) The big winner at the University of Washington’s 29th annual Dempsey Startup Competition...
‘Biometrics for things’: Alitheon raises $8M to expand its optical AI tech to ID physical objects
June 03, 2026
From industrial gears to healthcare products to luxury goods, Alitheon’s FeaturePrint provides a link between physical objects and digital traceability without tags, labels, or stickers. (Alitheon Photo) Bellevue, Wash.-based Alitheon raised $8 million in new funding to expand its FeaturePrint...
Amazon knocks Walmart from the top spot on Fortune 500 for the first time in 13 years
June 03, 2026
An Amazon delivery van parked in front of the company’s headquarters campus and The Spheres in Seattle. (GeekWire File Photo / Kurt Schlosser) For the first time in 13 years, the Fortune 500 has a new No. 1— and it’s Amazon. The Seattle-based e-commerce and cloud giant knocked Walmart from...
Space Northwest teams up with Commercial Space Federation on business accelerator program
June 03, 2026
Stoke Space has its 168,000-square-foot headquarters in Kent, Wash., where Mount Rainier can be seen on a good day. (Stoke Space Photo) Space Northwest, a nonprofit association serving the Pacific Northwest’s space industry ecosystem, says it’s partnering with the Commercial Space Federation to...
Amazon’s ‘Tomb Raider’ reboot gets a new trailer and release date at Sony’s State of Play
June 03, 2026
(Official PlayStation image) This week marks one of the biggest events on the modern video game calendar, as studios from around the world bring their newest projects to the annual Summer Game Fest event in California. This includes a new look at Amazon Game Studios’ impending reboot of the...
Blue Origin CEO pledges to repair ruined launch pad and return to flight by the end of the year
June 03, 2026
The SkySat satellite image at left shows Blue Origin’s launch pad in Florida on May 20, before the New Glenn rocket explosion. The satellite image at right shows the pad on May 31, three days after the blast. Click on the image for a larger version. (Credit: Planet Labs PBC) Jeff Bezos’ Blue...
Mary Jo Foley: No Copilot ‘Super App’ at Microsoft Build, but plenty of agentic fodder
June 03, 2026
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella teases the coming Copilot “Super App” during the Build keynote, telling the audience that Chat, Cowork and Code will come together in one app this summer. Despite the rumors, Microsoft didn’t demo the app itself. (Screenshot via webcast) The token-hungry developers...
Microsoft unveils seven homegrown AI models in new bid for ‘long term self-sufficiency’
June 02, 2026
Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman presents seven new in-house MAI models at the company’s Build developer conference. (Via webcast) Microsoft has based much of its AI business on models from OpenAI, before expanding more recently to Anthropic. On Tuesday, the company showed how it plans to rely...
WTIA selects 21 startups for 14th Founder Cohort Accelerator Program
June 02, 2026
Founders participating in the WTIA Founder Cohort Accelerator, a program designed to support emerging entrepreneurs and strengthen Washington state’s innovation ecosystem. (WTIA Photo) The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) named the 21 startups that will be participating in its...
Inside Microsoft’s Project Solara: A new platform for devices that run AI agents instead of apps
June 02, 2026
Stevie Bathiche, Microsoft CVP and technical fellow, presents Project Solara during a briefing in Redmond. (GeekWire Photo / Todd Bishop) [Editor’s Note: Agents of Transformation is an independent GeekWire series, underwritten by Accenture, exploring the adoption and impact of AI and agents. See...
Tech Moves: Expedia names SVP; Microsoft AI leader departs for Uber; ZeroAvia CEO steps down
June 02, 2026
Bill Watkins. (LinkedIn Photo) — Expedia Group appointed Bill Watkins as senior vice president and general manager of global advertising within its marketing organization. He will focus on helping outside advertisers across Expedia’s portfolio of sites engage with consumers planning...
Version One Ventures raises fresh capital for early bets on AI, robotics and deep tech
June 02, 2026
Boris Wertz and Angela Tran Kingyens, partners at Version One Ventures. (Version One Ventures Photo) Version One Ventures, the Vancouver, B.C.-based early stage venture firm led by Boris Wertz, has raised $108 million across two new funds. The firm announced Tuesday that it closed Version One...
Allen Institute’s big new bet: $400M effort aims to go from mapping the brain to treating disease
June 02, 2026
Ed Lein, left, who leads the Allen Institute’s new Brain Health Accelerator, with scientist Aaron Garcia. (Allen Institute Photo / Erik Dinnel) Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new figures, partners and details announced by the Allen Institute after the initiative’s launch Tuesday...
Code.org rebrands as CodeAI, solidifying its shift to AI education
June 02, 2026
The rise of AI has been changing the focus of Code.org for the past two years. On Tuesday, the Seattle-based computer science education platform acknowledged the shift and rebranded as CodeAI. “In the past, the focus of computer science was coding,” co-founder Hadi Partovi said in a video...
A sports power play for Melinda French Gates as she takes minority stake in Seattle Kraken hockey team
June 01, 2026
Melinda French Gates, left, and Samatha Holloway, One Roof Sports and Entertainment majority owner and managing partner, in the Seattle Kraken locker room at Climate Pledge Arena. (One Roof Sports and Entertainment Photo) Seattle Kraken fans, Melinda French Gates is ready to “see you in the...
Scoop: Medical technology giant plans to put its longtime Seattle-area campus up for sale
June 01, 2026
Philips designs and builds its ultrasound systems, including this premium imaging platform, at its Bothell campus. (Philips Photo) Philips plans to put its Bothell, Wash., campus up for sale, marking a significant moment for Washington state’s medical device industry and for a site that helped...
Zuckerberg’s yacht leaves Seattle’s Lake Union, anchors in Elliott Bay
June 01, 2026
Mark Zuckerberg’s superyacht Launchpad in Elliott Bay on Sunday, after leaving Lake Union. (GeekWire Reader Photo) The Zuckerboat is at bay. After several days on Seattle’s Lake Union — drawing onlookers, hecklers, and even some flaming protest art — Mark Zuckerberg’s superyacht quietly...
Rec Room’s final day: Fans say goodbye as social gaming platform comes to an end
June 01, 2026
The Seattle-based social gaming platform Rec Room is shutting down today (Rec Room Image) It’s the last day of school for Rec Room, and there’s no next year. The social gaming platform, set on a virtual college campus where 150 million players built worlds and friendships over the past...
Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of May 24, 2026
May 31, 2026
Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of May 24, 2026. Sign up to receive these updates every Sunday in your inbox by subscribing to our GeekWire Weekly email newsletter. Most popular stories on...
Etzioni on AI: Wall Street is quietly betting on AI to beat inflation
May 31, 2026
(BigStock Illustration) How can the U.S. bond market, where the world’s smartest money lives, reconcile $36 trillion in national debt with less than 2.5% expected annual inflation over the next decade? The answer may consist of two letters: A and I. Four forces are pushing inflation...
Zuckerberg’s yacht, Meta’s layoffs, a robot pizza flameout, and a reality check on AI expenses
May 30, 2026
Onlookers gather along the Lake Union waterfront to take in Mark Zuckerberg’s 387-foot superyacht. (GeekWire Photo / Todd Bishop) This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Mark Zuckerberg’s 387-foot superyacht arrives in Seattle, cruising through the Ballard Locks and mooring on Lake Union just a short...
Blue Origin’s rocket blowup could cause big problems for NASA — and a satellite slowdown for Amazon Leo
May 30, 2026
One day after Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded on its launch pad during a static-fire test, United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 successfully sent 29 Amazon Leo satellites into low Earth orbit. (ULA via YouTube) Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture is still assessing the damage from this...
Microsoft holds up rural Washington as data centers ‘gone right,’ but does the model still work?
May 29, 2026
Microsoft hosted a community party in Quincy, Wash., on Thursday celebrating the opening of its first data center there 20 years ago. (Microsoft Photo) As data center backlash builds nationwide, Microsoft is pointing to Quincy, Wash., as Exhibit A in making the case that it’s a company...
Bellevue’s AI boom: CoreWeave doubles down on office space
May 29, 2026
One Bellevue Center in downtown Bellevue, Wash. (CBRE Photo) Bellevue’s AI frenzy continues as CoreWeave recently doubled its footprint to 36,000 square feet at One Bellevue Center, according to a report in the Puget Sound Business Journal. Livingston, N.J.-based CoreWeave, which rents...
Still ringing a bell: F5 marks its 30th year in business
May 29, 2026
F5 CEO François Locoh-Donou (center) and members of the company’s leadership team with Nasdaq’s Jeff Thomas (in front of F5 logo) at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square on Friday, marking F5’s 30th anniversary by ringing the opening bell. (Screenshot via webcast) Nearly 27 years ago, in June...
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket explodes on pad during test; Jeff Bezos vows to rebuild
May 29, 2026
An explosion at Blue Origin’s launch pad lights up the skies over Florida. (Spaceflight Now Video) Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded today during a hotfire test on its launch pad in Florida — dealing heavy damage to the pad, and dealing a heavy blow to Jeff Bezos’ space venture. “All...
City of Seattle selects new CTO: Shannon Smith is longtime public-sector tech executive
May 28, 2026
Shannon Smith. (LinkedIn Photo) Shannon Smith, an experienced public-sector technology executive, will be the City of Seattle’s next chief technology officer. A city spokesperson confirmed to GeekWire that Mayor Katie Wilson made the selection, which has not been announced publicly. Smith’s...
Zuckerberg brought a ‘Wingman’: Meta CEO’s $100M yacht support vessel is also docked in Seattle
May 28, 2026
The superyacht support vessel Wingman is seen docked at the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91 at the northern end of Seattle’s waterfront this week. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) Mark Zuckerberg — or whoever is traveling aboard his superyacht in Seattle this week — brought a...
Tech Moves: Amazon’s healthcare business gets new leader; Scott McFarlane leaves helm of Avalara
May 28, 2026
Neil Lindsay, left, and Dr. Roy Schoenberg. (Amazon Photos) Neil Lindsay, senior vice president of Amazon Health Services, is leaving his post after five years — capping a 15-year tenure at the tech giant. As the head of Amazon’s healthcare business, Lindsay oversaw divisions including Amazon...
Possible Finance rebounds, rebuilds, and reaches profitability as founders reunite for a new chapter
May 28, 2026
Possible co-founders Prasad Mahendra, Tyler Conant, and Tony Huang in an early photo, left, and at the 2026 GeekWire Awards. Possible Finance CEO Tony Huang describes the startup’s history as “a tale of three chapters.” They could be summed up as a rocket launch, a survival test, and a comeback...
How ‘Lean Startup’ author Eric Ries redefines profit in his new book
May 28, 2026
“Incorruptible” author Eric Ries, left, with GeekWire’s Todd Bishop at Seattle Flow Startup Day 2026. (Photo by Dan DeLong for Seattle Flow) Eric Ries wants to retire the word “profit,” or at least the way we usually define it. In his new book, “Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and...
Who gives a Zuck? Seattle does, apparently: Meta CEO’s giant yacht brings gawkers to Lake Union
May 28, 2026
Two people in a dinghy get a c loser look at Launchpad, the superyacht docked in Seattle on Lake Union on Wednesday. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) People saw it on Facebook. And they saw it on Instagram. But many had to come see it up close and in person. Social media scrollers turned...
Blue Origin readies New Glenn rocket to launch 48 Amazon Leo satellites after FAA clearance
May 28, 2026
New Glenn rockets are being processed inside Blue Origin’s Florida facility. (Blue Origin Photo) Five weeks after experiencing its first launch failure, Kent, Wash.-based Blue Origin is getting ready to put its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket back in service to launch 48 satellites into low Earth...
Snowflake commits $6B to Amazon Web Services over 5 years in latest AI infrastructure deal
May 28, 2026
Snowflake’s office in Bellevue’s Spring District, where it expanded its regional presence last year. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser) Snowflake on Wednesday committed to spend $6 billion on Amazon Web Services over five years, adding to the cloud giant’s growing roster of AI infrastructure...
Seattle teens to take on real-world ocean science challenges in underwater robotics championship
May 27, 2026
The Triton Robotics team, back row from left: Griffin Fisher, Tenzin Larkin, Thomas Gust, Simon Hajduk, Theo Lipson. Front row from left: Miles Lipson, Emi Enoki. (Triton Robotics Photo) A team of Seattle high schoolers will compete against underwater robotics teams from around the world during...
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