Software founders plant seeds for ag tech startups | TwinStrand raises $50M to identify rare genetic mutants

Tech jobs hold steady | Zoox co-founder on Amazon acquisition | Redfin earnings ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: The GeekWire Awards return May 20, 2021: [Celebrate the Pacific Northwest's leading innovators, entrepreneurs and technologists at one of the most-anticipated tech events. Register today!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Software founders plant seeds for ag tech startups: Pacific Northwest entrepreneurs who found success in the software industry are now bringing their startup savvy to the food and agriculture industry. [We checked in with four founders]( to get a sense of how they’re cross-breeding technology with agriculture. Above, Carbon Robotics CEO Paul Mikesell — who previously sold Isilon Systems for $2.25 billion — in a farm field with his company’s autonomous weeder. Tech jobs hold steady: The great migration of tech talent out of large tech hubs such as Seattle, San Francisco and Boston may be overblown. That’s one finding from a new report that compared job postings in eight large tech hubs to other major metropolitan areas — [but there’s another disturbing trend line](. Redfin’s business ‘hitting on all cylinders’: The Seattle real estate company saw a 40% surge in revenue in the first quarter, [reporting $268 million in sales](. A strong housing market is helping boost business for Redfin, which is trying to keep up with growth. Interview with Zoox co-founder: On the latest episode of our Day 2 podcast, we speak with Jesse Levinson, CTO of Zoox, the self-driving taxi company acquired by Amazon last year. Levinson talks about the acquisition, Zoox’s vision for environmental sustainability, and its larger goals in urban mobility. [Listen here and read the transcript](. TwinStrand raises $50M to identify rare genetic mutants: The University of Washington biotech spinout has developed technology in both gene sequencing and analyzing sequencing results to help find what the company calls “genetic needles in the haystack.” [Read more](. In case you missed it: [While the money is outrageous, here’s why the divorce between Bill and Melinda Gates likely won’t be]( Thanks for reading, and see all our latest headlines below. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [The GeekWire Awards return May 20, 2021!]( GeekWire’s annual celebration of the Pacific Northwest technology community is coming up on Thursday, May 20th via live stream. [Register today!]( LATEST HEADLINES [Seattle-area tech leaders join forces to try to raise $10M to aid India’s COVID-19 battle]( [Why these successful software founders are planting seeds for new ag tech ventures]( [Tech jobs hold steady in Seattle and other big tech hubs, but there’s another disturbing trend line]( [Amazon Web Services debuts 5-week accelerator for clean energy startups]( [Grandson of Jonas Salk raises cash to find ‘genetic needles in the haystack’]( SPONSORED: GEEK REAL ESTATE [Notable Sale: Marsh Commons Estate]( [Jeff Bezos sells more than $2.4B in Amazon stock]( [Redfin posts 40% revenue gain, says business ‘hitting on all cylinders’ as housing market booms]( [Zoox CTO on the Amazon acquisition, and the environmental promise of self-driving taxis]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [Chewy, Inc.: Head of Inventory Optimization]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Staff Software Engineer]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Head of Forecasting]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Software Engineer II]( - [Vulcan: Software Quality Assurance Lead, EarthRanger]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Staff Software Engineer]( - [INRIX: Software Development Engineer]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Associate Director, Product Manager]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Staff Software Engineer]( - [New York Philharmonic: IT Support Specialist]( [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](