GeekWire Mid-Week Update, Presented by Wells Fargo

Read the top tech stories so far this week from GeekWire [GeekWire Mid-Week Update] Top stories so far this week [How is the ‘snowiest place on Earth’ faring in this record-hot summer? It’s a little rocky on Rainier]( Washington’s Mount Rainier is either the snowiest place on Earth, or a close runner up. [Seattle-area tech exec gets 2 years in prison in $5.5M scheme to defraud COVID relief program]( A Seattle-area tech executive who attempted to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 disaster relief loans through the Paycheck Protection Program was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday. [Alaska Airlines plane evacuated in Seattle after passenger’s Samsung cell phone catches fire]( A cell phone fire in the cabin of an Alaska Airlines plane forced the emergency evacuation of passengers after the flight from New Orleans landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday night. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Wells Fargo surpasses $10 billion in tax-equity financing of renewable energy projects]( As one of the U.S.’s leading clean energy investors, Wells Fargo Renewable Energy & Environmental Finance, or REEF, provides tax-equity financing to utility-scale projects in the wind, solar, and fuel cell sectors. As part of the company’s broader commitment to help accelerate the just transition to a lower-carbon economy, REEF has now provided more than $10B in tax-equity financing in support of more than 500 renewable energy projects across the U.S. [Learn more here](. [Seattle biotech firm Shape Therapeutics inks gene therapy deal with Roche worth up to $3B]( Shape Therapeutics has signed a deal potentially exceeding $3 billion with pharma giant Roche to support the development of gene therapies for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, the Seattle company announced Wednesday. [On The Dyrt road: Co-founders of camping app gain valuable startup insight while living remote vanlife]( Caught up in the grind of running their startup for the past several years, Sarah Smith and Kevin Long lost sight of the very thing they set out to help people do: go camping. [Zulily co-founders Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon invest in ID verification tech startup Vouched]( Vouched, a Seattle startup that helps companies verify identity, has landed $4.5 million from investors including Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon, co-founders of e-commerce giant Zulily. [Ice cream news with a twist: Jeff Bezos has his own home soft-serve machine from popular L.A. brand]( This week-old news doesn’t exactly qualify as a scoop, but it is ice cream related, so dig in anyway. [Seattle-area expense management software startup Center raises $50M]( Center, the Bellevue, Wash.-based startup that makes expense management software, has raised $50 million in new funding, the company confirmed Tuesday. [Tech Moves: Siblings at Seattle startup swap roles; Microsoft CVP departs to focus on DEI; and more]( — IoT startup Mason announced that founder and current CEO Jim Xiao will be swapping roles with his sister and current Mason President Nancy Xiao. [Booster Fuels tests consumer offering with mobile gas service at Safeway parking lots in Seattle]( Gas and groceries: Booster Fuels is expanding with a new consumer service that features its mobile gasoline trucks in Safeway parking lots in Seattle. GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [Chewy, Inc.: Associate Director, Merchandising Supply Chain]( - [INRIX: Senior Software Developer – Calculation Services]( - [INRIX: Software Developer – Data Management]( - [Chewy, Inc.: ITOC Engineer I-3]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Head of Forecasting]( - [INRIX: Director, Enterprise Sales]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Data Scientist]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Software Engineer II]( - [Vulcan, Inc: Systems Engineer, Data Services]( - [Chewy, Inc.: Head of Purchasing and Replenishment]( [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](