GeekWire's Most-Read Stories of the Week

Catch up on the top tech stories from this past week. Here are the headlines that people have been reading on GeekWire. ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Become a GeekWire member: [Support independent journalism and join today!]( THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES [Jeff Bezos-backed startup Nautilus Biotechnology set to go public via SPAC at $900M valuation]( Nautilus Biotechnology, a Seattle-based biotech startup led by Isilon co-founder Sujal Patel, is the latest company to go public using a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. [Seattle’s newest billionaire says tax talk will drive business away, claims Seattle freeze is ‘garbage’]( Tanium co-founder and CEO Orion Hindawi may not be as well known as Jeff Bezos, Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates or other Seattle area billionaires. [Zillow Group will pay $500M to acquire home touring tech company ShowingTime]( Zillow Group said it will pay $500 million to acquire ShowingTime, a Chicago-based real estate company that sells software to facilitate home showings. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Calling all startup geeks!]( Check out this sample of[GeekWire Startups]( our weekly newsletter that includes all the latest headlines from the tech startup scene in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. To subscribe, visit [geekwire.com/newsletters]( and update your email newsletter preferences. [Eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine? Seattle techies create site that shows open appointments]( As Washington residents struggle to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations, a volunteer team of software engineers has created an online solution. [Zillow skit on Saturday Night Live goes viral as show pokes fun at house-browsing ‘fantasies’]( Zillow Group didn’t have a Super Bowl ad, yet it may have come away from the weekend with the biggest marketing bump thanks to Saturday Night Live. [Analysis: Washington state’s response to data breach affecting 1.4M people is stunningly callous]( Not our fault. And good luck, you’re on your own. SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE DAY [Discover Point Roberts Marina Resort]( [Amazon wealth reigns: Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott lead list of top U.S. philanthropists for 2020]( Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was the top American philanthropist in 2020, giving away $10.1 billion to non-profit efforts associated with climate change and education, according to a ranking released this week by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. [Blue Origin shows off an on-the-ground pathfinder version of its cargo lunar lander]( Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture is testing a full-scale prototype of its lunar lander as part of a campaign to get a jump on heavy-duty moon deliveries. [Pet sitting marketplace Rover grabs a bone, valued at $1.3 billion in latest SPAC deal]( Another day, another SPAC. Today, we’ve learned that Seattle online pet sitting marketplace Rover plans to join the public ranks via a merger with True Wind Capital’s SPAC that values the company at a $1.35 billion enterprise valuation. [With backing from Bill Gates, Pivotal Commware raises $50M for 5G products]( Pivotal Commware says it has closed on a $50 million funding round that will give a boost to its millimeter-wave 5G network infrastructure products. [Zillow Group tops Q4 estimates with $789M in revenue as housing boom drives record traffic]( Seattle-based Zillow Group beat analyst estimates for its fourth quarter earnings, reporting $789 million in revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.44. [Online pet retail giant Chewy plans to hire several hundred at new Seattle-area office]( Chewy is coming to Seattle. The online pet retailer will open a corporate office in the Seattle region by the end of this year and plans to hire several hundred for technology, product and merchandising roles. [Go deep on snow depth data: New online tool puts Pacific NW mountain totals in historic context]( As the Seattle area braces for snow later this week, the mountains around the Pacific Northwest have already seen sizable accumulations this year. [VC family: Madison McIlwain follows her father’s footsteps, and carves out her own tech interests]( An elevator pitch, quick coffee, lunch or Zoom chat might be how some investors get a feel for a particular company or founder. [‘Developers, developers, developers!’ Ballmer and Sinofsky talk Microsoft, memes, more in Clubhouse]( Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and former Windows president Steven Sinofsky met for a surprising chat on Thursday night when they appeared together on the invite-only conversation app Clubhouse. GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [Playful Software, Inc: Startup Sr Product Manager]( - [INRIX: Senior Product Manager – Location Intelligence]( - [Logic20/20: Data Engineer – Spark]( - [INRIX: Content Strategist]( - [Substantial: Senior Engagement Manager]( - [INRIX: GM, Automotive Sales]( - [Temporal Technologies: Sr. Developer Advocate]( - [Temporal Technologies: Sr. Solutions Architect]( - [INRIX: Senior Product Marketing Manager]( - [Proprio Vision: Lead Software Development Engineer – Test]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2021 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](