Ex-Zillow execs raise cash from SoftBank for Pacaso amid controversy in Wine Country

Bill Gates calls vaccine inequity a ‘public health tragedy’ | Amazon CEO on monopoly power | Remitly sets terms for IPO ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and singer Ciara to speak at the 2021 GeekWire Summit October 4th & 5th: [Get your tickets today!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Pacaso lands investment from SoftBank: The fast-growing real estate startup has already hit a triple-digit revenue run rate less than a year after launching and just raised more cash, this time from SoftBank via its $40 billion Vision Fund 2. The investment is a vote of confidence in the company, which lets people own fractional shares of a vacation home. “This product has struck a nerve, and it is exciting to see,” said former Zillow Group CEO Spencer Rascoff, who co-founded the company with dotloop founder Austin Allison. But not everyone is so excited about Pacaso’s business. The startup has caused an uproar among longtime residents in areas such as California's Napa Valley, where it buys homes. [Read more](. Other fundings: - [SkyKick raises $130M:]( Seattle software maker helps companies migrate and manage their files in the cloud and has grown significantly during the pandemic. - [Strike Graph raises $8M:]( compliance automation startup that spun out of Madrona Venture Labs is growing globally and expanding its service offerings. Amazon’s monopoly power: Facing a new slate of regulators and legislators calling for new principles of antitrust scrutiny, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy [made a familiar case in his first television interview]( since taking the reins from founder Jeff Bezos two months ago. “Sometimes the rhetoric sounds good, but you’ve got to look at what reality is, and at 1% of worldwide retail, it’s hard to argue that’s a monopoly,” he said Tuesday on CNBC. Bill Gates calls vaccine inequity a ‘public health tragedy’: As people in the United States debate COVID-19 vaccine mandates, the pandemic is a central topic in a [new Goalkeepers report from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation]( which serves as a reminder that many people around the world still can’t get the shot even if they want it. Related: [Bill Gates backs Cipher, a new online climate news source from his Breakthrough Energy]( Remitly sets terms for IPO: The fintech company expects to raise up to $332.6 million when it goes public, one of the largest IPOs for a Seattle-area tech company. [Read more](. More executive shuffles at Blue Origin: The changing of the guard is continuing at Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture [with the departure of Stephen Bennett]( a senior vice president who led the team behind the company’s New Shepard suborbital spaceship. Bennett will become chief operating officer at Toronto-based Kepler Communications, which graduated from Techstars Seattle in 2016. This just in: Apple [unveiled the iPhone 13]( which has a similar look to the iPhone 12 but comes with a new faster processor. 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 [The Total Economic Impact™ Of Dataiku]( Dataiku can drive 423% ROI over three years and over $12 million in a host of benefits, like increased productivity and profit. Check out the full study to deep dive into the cost savings and business value enabled by Dataiku. [Download the full study now.]( LATEST HEADLINES [Seattle-area startup Zenoti acquires salon management software maker SuperSalon]( [Amazon CEO Andy Jassy says it’s ‘hard to argue’ its retail business is a monopoly]( [Bill Gates backs Cipher, a new online climate news source produced by his Breakthrough Energy]( [Remitly aims to raise up to $332M at $6.5B valuation in IPO for Seattle fintech giant]( [Cloud automation provider SkyKick lands $130M, riding pandemic tailwinds from digital acceleration]( SPONSORED: GEEK REAL ESTATE [If Seattle Real Estate is in Your Future, You Must Meet Laura Halliday]( [Seattle compliance automation startup Strike Graph raises $8M to fuel growth and expand services]( [After milestone flight, Blue Origin SVP Stephen Bennett will join Kepler Communications as COO]( [Spaceflight Inc. unveils a new breed of orbital tug that’s built for far-out missions]( [Former Zillow execs raise cash from SoftBank for vacation home startup Pacaso amid controversy in Wine Country]( [Bill Gates calls inequitable worldwide access to COVID-19 vaccines a ‘public health tragedy’]( [Alexa, please! 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