Secretive new Seattle startup lands $10M | Tech-related bills in Wash. legislative session

Meet the techies vying for open Seattle City Council seat | Tech Moves ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: BOT or NOT? This special series explores the evolving relationship between humans and machines, examining the ways that robots, AI and automation are impacting our work and lives: [Read more.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES A new Seattle-based startup called Avante confirmed that it raised $10 million in a seed funding round led by Fuse Venture Partners, saying it’s building a company with ambitions to “improve the lives of millions.” Here’s what we know: - Kabir Shahani (above, center), a serial entrepreneur who was CEO of Seattle-based marketing tech startup Amperity, is Avante’s executive chairman. - The company’s founding team also includes CEO Rohan D’Souza (above, right), a former chief product officer for health care automation company Olive AI; and epidemiologist Carly Eckert (above, left), Avante’s head of product and data science, who was executive vice president at Olive AI. - Three engineering job posts visible earlier this week said the company is focused on “improving employee wellbeing through advanced analytics and behavior change.” Those posts and that language were no longer among the company’s public job listings as of Friday morning. [Read the story](. Who will fill the open Seattle City Council seat? Around a quarter of the applicants vying for the position come equipped with experience at tech companies and startups, [according to the list revealed on Thursday](. With another Washington state legislative session now underway in Olympia, we sifted through hundreds of bills to find the tech-related proposals — [here’s the rundown](. Tech Moves: Pacvue hires another Microsoft vet; LeoStella adds a director; [and more key personnel changes across the Pacific Northwest](. Tell your story with GeekWire Studios: Looking to highlight a key customer, showcase your presence at an industry conference or spread the word about an important product launch? GeekWire Studios, the sponsored content arm of GeekWire, helps brands tell their stories. Learn how AWS, Smartsheet, BECU and other top brands tap into the power of GeekWire Studios [here]( or contact us at advertising@geekwire.com to learn more. Hot Links: - Microsoft briefly overtook Apple for the title of world’s most valuable company on Thursday. ([Axios]( - TikTok is scooping up more office space in the Seattle area. ([Puget Sound Business Journal]( Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Your Future in Cybersecurity Starts at WGU]( You can help safeguard the digital world with WGU! Our online, accredited cybersecurity degrees include key industry certs at no extra cost. You’ll have the ability to accelerate through coursework, with no set log-in times. [Learn More.]( LATEST HEADLINES [Policy proposals: A list of the tech-related bills in this year’s Washington state legislative session]( [New Seattle startup Avante raises $10M, led by former Olive AI execs and ex-Amperity CEO]( [Meet the techies vying for a vacant spot on the Seattle City Council]( [Tech Moves: Pacvue hires another Microsoft vet; LeoStella adds director; and more]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [Submittable: Director of Engineering]( - [City of Redlands: IT Security Analyst]( - [INRIX: Finance Pricing Manager]( - [GeekWire: The Etzioni Internship in Climate Tech Journalism at GeekWire, Summer 2024]( - [Dexis Professional Services: PRISM Integration SME/Engineer (Advisor-Grade 8)]( - [City of Redlands: Network Engineer]( - [INRIX: Lead Software Engineer]( - [BRINC: Senior Computer Vision Engineer]( - [City of Newport: Systems Administrator I or II]( - [BRINC: Senior/Principal Full-Stack Software Engineer]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2024 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](