Catch up on the week's biggest storylines, including takeaways from Seattle Tech Week, a new map of Washington tech's family tree, another $1B startup setting up shop here, and Starbucks pulling the plug on a Redmond startup's AI tool.
Big quarters for Microsoft and Amazon: Quarterly financial updates from the region's two behemoths showed a clear common thread: building out the infrastructure for AI is requiring unprecedented amounts of cash, but it's also fueling new cloud growth for both.
We talk about the Microsoft and Amazon results on a new episode of the GeekWire Podcast. Plus: Satya Nadella makes a point with a DIY app, Jeff Bezos identifies Amazon's next big business, and more. Read more and listen here, and subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.
Seattle Tech Week takes center stage: The fourth annual event drew more than 29,000 registrations across 250 local gatherings, showcasing a regional ecosystem leaning heavily into artificial intelligence.
Tracing the state's tech roots: A new visual mapping project from the Washington Technology Industry Association highlights how 625 active companies in the region trace their origins back to local hubs, with Microsoft and the University of Washington generating nearly half of all mapped spinouts. However, WTIA leadership cautioned that relying too heavily on satellite offices from California giants like Google and OpenAI could leave the regional startup engine vulnerable if those outposts contract.
Seattle lands a $1B industrial AI player: Los Angeles-based Nominal, whose software helps engineers build, test and validate complex hardware systems, is opening a permanent Seattle office and moving its head of product from L.A. to run it. CEO Cameron McCord said Seattle is one of only a handful of U.S. markets with a deep concentration of engineers experienced in large-scale infrastructure and reliability problems.
Salesforce poaches Microsoft veteran: The cross-town talent tug-of-war continued as Salesforce hired 30-year Microsoft veteran Krishna Kumar Parthasarathy to serve as executive vice president of engineering. The high-profile departure sees Parthasarathy leaving Microsoft’s security organization to head up Salesforce’s Agentforce and Service Cloud initiatives.
Starbucks cuts ties with startup tool: Coffee giant Starbucks abandoned its "Automated Counting" inventory tool just nine months after rolling it out across stores. The sudden termination following barista complaints reportedly caught vendor NomadGo — a Redmond-based startup that supplied the technology — completely off guard.
Teenager re-engineers geometry class: Frustrated by flimsy, inaccurate plastic tools in math class, Redmond high schooler Wenxin Fang decided to build a better option. His hardware startup launched a Kickstarter campaign for the ZeroPivot Protractor, a precision-machined aluminum upgrade designed for serious durability and accuracy.
Gundam arrives at Southcenter: Japanese entertainment giant Bandai Namco is bringing one of its official "Gundam Base" specialty stores to Southcenter Mall. The retail location will cater to the region's growing fanbase of anime model kit builders and collectors.
Upcoming events: Tech and startup community gatherings on our radar in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
Check out the GeekWire Calendar for more.
Thanks for subscribing, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, [email protected]; reporter Kurt Schlosser, [email protected]; and reporter Lisa Stiffler, [email protected].
