59 results found
CLEVELAND, Ohio — As Seattle stands at a critical juncture, navigating the transition from the software era to the age of artificial intelligence, a recent fact-finding mission to Cleveland by GeekWire contributing
AI-powered Alpha School is launching in the Seattle region this fall, with a Kirkland campus and summer programs at Microsoft. The innovative model aims to complete core academics in just two hours daily through adaptive AI, allowing more time for project-based learning and life skills, sparking both excitement and debate in education circles.
Seattle has plummeted 11 spots to 13th in a new Financial Times-Nikkei ranking of U.S. cities for foreign investment, sparking renewed debate over the city's business climate. The significant drop from last year's second-place position has fueled concerns among tech leaders and business professionals, many of whom attribute the decline to what they perceive as anti-business policies and an escalating cost of living.
Rich Barton, co-founder of Zillow and Expedia, has officially moved from Seattle to Las Vegas, citing an empty nest and a new chapter. His departure aligns with a trend of wealthy tech leaders leaving Washington state amid a contentious debate over new taxes on high earners and capital gains.
Seattle-area startup Innovega, previously known for its augmented reality (AR) contact lens technology, has unveiled Gen One, a new pair of smart glasses designed to significantly enhance sight for the nearly 300
Seattle-area teen Kameirah Johnson won the 2026 Doodle for Google contest, with her artwork "Hair Power: The Crown That Grows from Us" featured on Google's homepage. The Renton senior's piece celebrates hair as a symbol of identity and cultural strength. She received a $55,000 scholarship, and her school, Lakeside, earned a $50,000 technology package, furthering her dreams of studying art and economics at NYU.
Billionaire philanthropist Melinda French Gates is making a significant entry into professional sports, announcing Monday, June 1, 2026, that she is taking a minority stake in the Seattle Kraken hockey team. The
Mark Zuckerberg's superyacht arrived in Seattle the same day Meta disclosed nearly 1,400 local layoffs, signaling a complex period for the tech giant. Meanwhile, robot pizza startup Picnic shut down, and corporate America grapples with the rising costs of AI, including practices like "tokenmaxxing" that inflate expenses. These events highlight a tech industry facing both opulence and economic realities.
AI infrastructure firm CoreWeave has doubled its Bellevue office space to 36,000 square feet, signifying a major expansion of its engineering hub. This move highlights Bellevue's accelerating emergence as a premier AI development center in the Seattle region, attracting significant investment and talent. The company's growth reflects the broader trend of AI leaders converging on the Eastside.
Eli Lilly is set to acquire Seattle-area biotech Curevo Vaccine for up to $1.5 billion to bolster its infectious disease portfolio. The deal centers on Curevo's Phase 3-ready shingles vaccine candidate, amezosvatein, which demonstrated a more than 50% reduction in side effects during Phase 2 studies, aiming to boost vaccination rates among older adults.
Seattle-area startup Temporal, valued at $5 billion, is making an unconventional move by becoming the front-of-shirt sponsor for English Premier League club Crystal Palace FC starting in the 2026/27 season. This bold strategy aims to dramatically boost global brand visibility among millions of developers, leveraging the immense reach of professional football beyond traditional tech marketing. The deal also includes Crystal Palace becoming a Temporal Cloud customer, integrating the startup's workflow orchestration technology into its club operations.
TUKWILA, Wash. — Starfish Space’s Otter Pup 2 satellite is preparing for a pivotal orbital docking demonstration, nearly a year after its launch. The Seattle-area startup has redirected its mission to rendezvous with
Seattle is experiencing a stark contradiction: rapid population growth alongside significant tech layoffs. This paradox highlights growing anxieties among tech leaders about the region's long-term trajectory, despite its historical role as a global innovation hub. Concerns about complacency and intense competition from other cities are rising, urging Seattle to adapt to the evolving AI era.
Starbucks is cutting 61 tech jobs at its Seattle headquarters as part of a technology department reorganization, a recent Washington state filing confirms. The layoffs, impacting roles from cybersecurity to management, are tied to CEO Brian Niccol's turnaround strategy and new CTO Anand Varadarajan's vision.
SEATTLE, WA — The Pacific Northwest tech community converged Thursday evening at the Showbox SoDo, celebrating its vibrant ecosystem at the 2026 GeekWire Awards. The annual event, now in its 15th year and presented by
Seattle startup Tin Can has launched "Tin Can Communities," a new program enabling schools and neighborhoods to collectively adopt its screenless phones for kids. This initiative supports a growing movement among parents and educators seeking to delay smartphone adoption, offering bulk pricing, onboarding, and group-specific features to foster real connections and reduce social pressure across entire networks.
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) officially implemented its first district-wide cellphone policy on Monday, May 4, 2026, ending years of inconsistent rules across its campuses. The move standardizes expectations for student
GeekWire’s STEM Educator of the Year, Tracy Drinkwater, has launched the Seattle Universal Math Museum (SUMM) in Kent, Wash. The museum offers playful, interactive exhibits designed to transform negative perceptions of math into joyful exploration, challenging traditional education methods. Drinkwater will be honored at the GeekWire Awards on May 7th for her pioneering work.
Seattle’s Sniffies lands $100M investment from Match Group in major bet on sex-positive tech Seattle-based Sniffies, a prominent meetup platform for gay, bisexual, and sexually curious men, has secured a substantial
Seattle HR leader Mikaela Kiner's new book, "The Reverb Way," offers candid insights into building a thriving business without personal sacrifice. Drawing on her experience at Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, and her firm Reverb, Kiner provides practical advice for founders. The book covers navigating challenges, prioritizing work-life balance, and leveraging community, with current insights on AI's impact and Reverb's recent business rebound.
Seattle's Office of Labor Standards released a report indicating its gig worker pay law has successfully increased worker earnings and maintained order volume. This finding challenges major delivery platforms like DoorDash and Uber, who claim the law has negatively impacted drivers and consumers.
Microsoft's quantum lead, Jeff Henshaw, joins IonQ as SVP of quantum compute products. Heptio co-founder Joe Beda becomes CTO at Seattle AI startup Stacklok, returning from semi-retirement. Additionally, Amazon’s Air Science & Tech executive director, Stefan Karisch, is departing, among other significant personnel changes across the tech industry.
GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook recorded a podcast on Sound Transit's new 2 Line, the world's first light rail on a floating bridge, connecting Seattle to Microsoft's Redmond campus. They discuss engineering challenges, regional cooperation, and the future of transit.
Meta is cutting 168 positions in Washington state, predominantly impacting its Reality Labs division across Seattle, Redmond, and Bellevue. These layoffs, effective May 8, are part of a broader company-wide restructuring and follow previous reductions as Meta emphasizes efficiency and AI integration.
The new Crosslake Connection of Sound Transit's Link light rail 2 Line opens Saturday, connecting Seattle and the Eastside. Tech companies like Microsoft and Lime are actively participating in celebrations across 10 stations. This expansion is set to transform commutes for thousands of tech workers, promising a significant shift in regional transportation dynamics.
