Digit the robot is going to Wall Street: Agility Robotics, the Salem, Ore.-based maker of two-legged warehouse robots, will make its stock-market debut through a $2.5 billion merger with a special purpose acquisition company. The company, which counts Amazon as an early investor and tester of the technology, is led by former Microsoft and Magic Leap executive Peggy Johnson.
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Water progress: Microsoft says it has cut the water its data centers use for cooling by 90% over two decades, to a rate that’s about three times better than the industry average. The company also replenished more fresh water than it withdrew globally for the first time, a milestone toward its 2030 water-positive goal. It echoes recent moves by Amazon and Google as tech giants try to address pushback over the boom in AI data centers. Read more.
British Columbia-based General Fusion is charging ahead with its goal of commercializing fusion energy, creating a roadmap for a deployment in Italy, hitting new temperature goals and pursuing an IPO through a SPAC. The progress continues despite setbacks in recent years that include layoffs, a public plea for funding and ongoing uncertainty about the viability of its technology. Read more.
Syndio’s first-ever acquisition: The 9-year-old Seattle-based pay equity startup acquired Embrace.ai, an agentic AI startup whose founders and technology will help Syndio build out its AI-powered compensation platform. Read more.
Moment of “Zen” in Seattle: Another billionaire’s superyacht squeezed through the Ballard Locks and attracted attention Tuesday evening, just weeks after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s giant vessel cruised into town. The 289-foot, $200 million Zen is reportedly owned by the founder of a Chinese medical equipment company. Read more.
Lime goes Beastmode: Even Seahawks great Marshawn Lynch jumped on a Lime device last week for the USA vs. Australia World Cup match in Seattle. He helped set a single-day ridership record in the city as Lime recorded 83,000 trips. Read more.
A three-peat for student entrepreneurs: A team of Seattle-area high schoolers won the 2026 TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE) Global Pitch Competition earlier this month, marking the third straight year the local chapter has won the startup contest title. Read more.
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Amazon is ramping up its multi-billion-dollar fast-delivery push in India, expanding its quick-commerce service to over 300 cities to challenge dominant local rivals. (Bloomberg)
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San Francisco-based AI productivity platform Superhuman finalized a lease for a new 10,000-square-foot office space in Seattle’s Westlake neighborhood. (PSBJ)
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Amazon’s Zoox rolled out a redesigned robotaxi as it gears up to expand into more U.S. cities and start charging for rides later this year. (CNBC)
Thanks for subscribing, and have a great day. — GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, [email protected]; reporter Kurt Schlosser, [email protected]; and reporter Lisa Stiffler, [email protected].
