UW spinout snags $20M for protein-discovery platform | Nordstrom to sell microbiome tests

Cashierless tech coming to Whole Foods | Bill Gates buys controlling stake in Four Seasons ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Get the Ultimate Guide to CLM: [Transform your contracts with an end-to-end solution. Download the guide!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Finding therapeutic proteins: A $20 million funding round for A-Alpha Bio propels the company from a grant-funded University of Washington spinout to a full-fledged biotech startup supporting the development of potential treatments for COVID-19 and other diseases. CEO David Younger (above, standing) founded the company in 2017 with CTO Randolph Lopez using the technology they helped develop while graduate researchers at the UW’s Institute for Protein Design. A-Alpha Bio combines computational tools with yeast experiments to identify potentially therapeutic proteins. [Read more](. Cashierless tech coming to Whole Foods: Amazon is introducing its “Just Walk Out” shopping experience at Whole Foods locations in Washington, D.C., and Sherman Oaks, Calif., next year. The tech, which relies on a multitude of cameras and sensors to help shoppers avoid checkout lines, is used at Amazon Go convenience stores and some Amazon Fresh locations. [Read more.]( Gut check at Nordstrom: This will test the limits of Nordstrom's generous return policy. The longtime retailer is pairing with Seattle-area startup Viome Life Sciences to sell kits that analyze the microbiome, the collection of bacteria and other microbes in the gut and other regions of the body. The Viome ‘Health Intelligence’ kit requires collection of a stool sample and will sell as part of Nordstrom’s beauty category for $199 on Nordstrom.com and in select stores in 2022. [Read more.]( Bill Gates buys controlling stake in Four Seasons: The Microsoft co-founder’s Cascade Investment [is spending $2.2 billion to purchase half of the stake in the luxury hotel chain]( owned by Saudi Arabian Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Former Microsoft CVP joins Tola Capital: Phil Sorgen, who spent 24 years at Microsoft before taking a gig as chief revenue officer at RingCentral, [is joining Seattle-area investment firm Tola Capital as a venture partner](. Pittsburgh gets more Seattle love: Seattle-based investment banking firm Cascadia Capital [is eyeing Pittsburgh for its new special purpose acquisition company](. “Great engineering talent, great city and quality of life,” said Cascadia CEO Michael Butler. GeekWire reported on some of those trends when we spent a month in the Steel City four years ago, [as part of our GeekWire HQ2 project](. Thanks for reading, and have a great day. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com, and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Conga is here for your automation transformation.]( We all know the trends that are bound to come back around — feathered haircuts, vinyl records, even in-person meetings. You know what we don’t want to see again? Manual revenue processes — from sales to proposals to signatures. We’ve outlined 7 steps to get you started. [Get the free infographic today!]( LATEST HEADLINES [Amazon fires back at SpaceX in regulatory war of words over satellite constellations]( [From Go to go bigger, Amazon bringing cashierless ‘Just Walk Out’ tech to two Whole Foods stores]( [Shutterstock pays $110M to acquire PicMonkey, a photo editing and graphic design software maker]( [Bill Gates’ Cascade Investment firm buying controlling stake in Four Seasons Hotels]( [Former Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Sorgen joins Tola Capital as venture partner]( SPONSORED: GEEK REAL ESTATE [Spacious Living with Incredible Sun-Filled Backyard in English Hill, Near The Eastside’s Tech Core]( [Gut check at Nordstrom: Retail giant to sell microbiome test from Seattle-area startup Viome]( [University of Washington spinout A-Alpha Bio snags $20M for protein-discovery platform]( [Smartsheet revenue rises 44% to $131.7M; CEO touts work management software for hybrid world]( [Study: Blood self-collection device from a Seattle startup accurate for COVID-19 antibody samples]( [Microsoft acquires Australia-based video creation platform Clipchamp, a startup with Seattle backing]( [Seattle investment bank Cascadia Capital has its eye on Pittsburgh for SPAC acquisition target]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [INRIX: Director, Enterprise Sales]( - [AI2- Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence: Technical Product Manager]( - [HIGHSPOT: DACH Senior Implementation Consultant]( - [HIGHSPOT: Senior Backend Software Engineer, Training and Coaching]( - [HIGHSPOT: Engineering Accelerate Manager]( - [HIGHSPOT: Account Development Representative, DACH]( - [HIGHSPOT: Senior Revenue Accounting Manager]( - [HIGHSPOT: Strategic Services Director]( - [HIGHSPOT: Human Resources Business Partner, Engineering]( - [HIGHSPOT: Senior Director, Revenue Analytics]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? 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