How Pittsburgh became a health innovation hub | Testing LimeBike’s Seattle e-bikes | Lin-Manuel Miranda and Bill & Melinda Gates, together on stage

Read the latest tech headlines from GeekWire [View this email in your browser](. [83c70c80-cefc-43e4-9cc7-74e048a5ee95.png]( February 14, 2018 [Top Stories]( [Find a Job]( [GeekWire Events]( [GeekWire 200]( [Become a Member]( Early bird tickets on sale now [The GeekWire Bash, March 15: Ping pong, foosball, dodgeball and more geeky games!]( Today's top stories [Pittsburgh poised to build thriving health innovation industry — if it can escape ‘valley of death’]( By Clare McGrane The Steel City is pumping resources into turning its world-class research into a thriving health industry, tackling the 'valley of death' along the way. [These 8 Pittsburgh-area startups make up the third class of the city-backed PGH Lab incubator]( By Nat Levy PITTSBURGH — PGH Lab, a startup incubator led by the city of Pittsburgh, today announced its third class of companies. 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Email us at info@level11.com [Microsoft for Startups gives entrepreneurs Azure time and sales support backed by $500M in funding]( By Tom Krazit Microsoft launched a new program designed to help startups get off the ground and into Microsoft’s ecosystem of cloud services on Monday, overhauling its BizSpark program and giving it a catchy new name. [Varsity Tutors raises another $50M to expand globally, accelerate growth in Seattle]( By Frank Catalano Varsity Tutors, an education technology startup that combines live experts with an online and mobile platform for learners, today announced it has closed a $50 million Series C funding round. Home of the Week - Sponsored Post [In-City Oasis Brimming with Vintage Architecture on Capitol Hill]( This is life at 2222 Crescent Drive. Timeless elegance flourishes in this stunning Craftsman on Capitol Hill’s iconic Crescent Drive. Sited well back from the street on its over-sized lot, the home offers grand expanses of green space for outdoor living and entertaining, while offering a welcoming… [Is a startup ‘funding gap’ holding Pittsburgh back? Tech leaders disagree over popular theory]( By Nat Levy PITTSBURGH — This city’s tech clout has grown immensely in recent years, yet it is often said that Pittsburgh still suffers from a lack of venture capital to fuel startups. [Microsoft Edge boosts SpaceShipTwo into virtual space on Virgin Galactic’s website]( By Alan Boyle Virgin Galactic is offering a virtual SpaceShipTwo tour on its website, with a big assist from Microsoft Edge Web Showcase. [Boeing’s outlook for the commercial aviation market goes up, up and away]( By Alan Boyle You don't need a crystal ball to tell that Boeing and commercial aviation are riding an updraft — but it's handy to have someone around to explain why. [Q&A: The inside story of ‘Ledger,’ the academic journal for blockchain and cryptocurrency research]( By Todd Bishop PITTSBURGH — Christopher Wilmer is a chemical engineer at the University of Pittsburgh, an assistant professor in the Swanson School of Engineering’s Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Department who uses computer simulations to investigate hypothetical materials. [I rode an electric LimeBike around downtown Seattle — and up a hill — and lived to tell the tale]( By Monica Nickelsburg The phrase “it’s just like riding a bike” has never resonated with me. [Center for Infectious Disease Research awarded $17.2M to tackle tuberculosis ‘global health crisis’]( By Clare McGrane Seattle’s Center for Infectious Disease Research announced Tuesday that it has received a new, $17.2 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to fund its research into tuberculosis, a persistent and deadly disease in many parts of the world. [Bill and Melinda Gates join Lin-Manuel Miranda to talk ‘Hamilton,’ global health, AI and more]( By Kurt Schlosser Bill and Melinda Gates answered “10 tough questions” in their annual letter, released Tuesday morning. [Startup Spotlight: Trainiac puts a personal trainer in your pocket to help you get fit]( By Lisa Stiffler If you really want to get a fitness program going, it’s not enough to just count your daily steps. [Researchers use computing power to raise the bar for ultrathin metasurface cameras]( By Alan Boyle Cameras that capture images on a flat surface aren't yet ready for prime time, but a new software-based approach could soon get them there. 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