“Seattle as a defense tech hub is real”:That’s howMadrona’sTim PorterseesShield AI’s deal to buy Echodyne for up to $5.3 billion, believed to be the second-largest acquisition of a private venture-backed company in Washington state history. Kirkland-basedEchodyne’s 400 employees will stay put, alongsideShield’s plans to build its X-BAT fighter jet south of Seattle. The company spun out of Bellevue’s Intellectual Ventures in 2014 with a $15 million round led byBill Gatesand Madrona.
A rare second exit for a Seattle startup:Some startups dream of getting acquired by a big tech company.Suplari, Inc.has now done it twice.Docusignthis week announced its acquisition of the AI-powered spending analysis company, five years afterMicrosoftbought the Seattle-based startup and nearly three years after the Redmond tech giant spun the company back out to its founders. Here’sthe backstory.
Smartsheet not included:A year into the job, CEORajeev SinghwantsSmartsheetto be more than its flagship project management software. On Wednesdaythe Bellevue-based company unveiled vsActual, an AI tool for CEOs and CFOs that compares a company’s strategy and budgets with the work happening in tools such as Jira, Workday and Slack, and flags projects that drift off plan.
No robots at the open house:ZillowCEOJeremy Wacksmansays people will let AI agents cancel subscriptions and book appointments,but not hunt for homes, calling the search “the fun part” of moving. Whether or not he’s right, it’s a key issue for Zillow, which makes most of its money when people browse its listings and connect with real estate agents and loan officers.
Following the science:Mary Brunkowhelped crack an immune-system mystery — and earned a Nobel Prize for it. Her path took her from a fruit fly lab at theUniversity of Washingtonto a Seattle-area biotech, where she helped identify a gene crucial to keeping the immune system in check. Next month, she’ll be honored at the GeekWire Gala asa 2026 Uncommon Thinker, an award recognizing Seattle-area inventors, scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs having a major impact.
Shortcut to a yes:Longtime investorMartin Tobiasgot pitched by about 4,500 startups last year. He wrote checks for 10. Now he’screated an AI toolthat could help the others find backing. Investor Match reads a founder’s pitch deck and returns 20 investors ranked by fit for $20, which Tobias says just covers his costs.
Amazon’s new food delivery deal:Amazonhas teamed up withUberto make Uber Eats the new restaurant delivery partnerfor Prime members. The benefit covers hundreds of thousands of restaurants in nearly 10,000 U.S. cities and towns. Amazon, which shut down its own service in 2019, had been partnering withGrubhubfor the last couple of years.
A spot on “Shark Tank”? No sweat:Seattle apparel brandNeat™appeared on the popular reality TV showon Wednesday and pitched its high-tech T-shirts designed to hide wet spots. After a grilling, they came away with a $400,000 deal with Lori Greiner — and a spike in web traffic as the episode aired.
Hot Links:
- Amazon’s drone delivery plans hit turbulence: The Seattle tech giantwithdrew plans for a Prime Air drone delivery hubin Westborough, Mass., about 35 miles west of Boston, following intense community opposition over noise, safety, privacy and environmental concerns. (NBC Boston)
- And speaking of drone delivery, South San Francisco-basedZipline, a graduate of the 2011 Techstars Seattle class, raised $1.5 billion at a $21.5 billion valuation and is expanding itsWalmartdrone delivery partnership by 300 sites, three months after Amazon announced its own national drone deliverypushthrough Prime Air. (Axios)
- IonQ, whichopened a quantum computer manufacturing facility in Bothell in 2024, completed its $1.15 billion acquisition of cybersecurity company Elisity, expanding its push into quantum security. (Quantum Computing Report)
- Microsoft passed on a major AI data center expansionwithNscalein Texas amid power grid delays, adding to concerns about the AI infrastructure boom. (Bloomberg)
- A slowdown in AI data center construction could benefit tech giants Microsoft and Amazonby easing massive spending commitments, improving cash flow and reducing the risks of overbuilding, even as political opposition to AI infrastructure grows. (Axios)
- Blue Originhas pushed back the next launchof its heavy-lift New Glenn rocket into January 2027 following earlier testing setbacks. (CNBC)
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