What’s next for Seattle’s startup ecosystem as Techstars departs?

Convoy’s tech is back | A burgeoning battery hub in Washington 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 Techstars Seattle is done. What does it mean for the city’s startup ecosystem? That’s a question on our minds in the immediate aftermath of [the surprising news]( this week from Techstars to shut down its Seattle program. There’s buzz within Seattle startup circles that something else will fill the void. (Above: The 10th Techstars Seattle cohort at Demo Day in 2019.) [Read more]( - Related: Techstars CEO Maëlle Gavet [criticized a blog post]( penned by Chris DeVore, a longtime Seattle investor who ran Techstars Seattle as managing director from 2014 to 2019. "Home run in the first inning": That’s how Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen described the re-emergence of Convoy’s technology, less than four months after the Seattle startup collapsed and sold its assets to San Francisco-based logistics giant Flexport. “I’m so proud to see Convoy’s technology platform and marketplace relaunch this week within Flexport,” said Convoy co-founder and former CEO Dan Lewis. [Read more](. Washington state’s burgeoning battery hub in Moses Lake drew a visit this week from U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell. Their tour included stops at companies working on next-generation materials for lithium ion batteries. (Above: Group14's new factory takes shape.) [Read more.]( Startup fundings: - OpenTug, a Seattle-based marketplace and software platform for marine transportation logistics, [raised $3.1 million]( to boost its tech and grow its network of shippers and service providers. - Healionics, a Seattle medical technology company, [raised $5.5 million]( to complete ongoing human trials of its artificial blood vessel for kidney dialysis patients. High school students in Washington state’s class of 2029 might need to demonstrate some competency in computer science in order to graduate if a bill making its way through the legislature becomes law. Only 10 states in the U.S. have such requirements. [Read more.]( Hot Links: - Madrona managing director Matt McIlwain offers a framework for business models as it relates to selling AI-related software. ([LinkedIn]( - Jeff Bezos is investing in Figure AI, a startup backed by OpenAI and Microsoft that is developing human-like robots. ([Bloomberg]( - Review: Amazon’s new Echo Hub control panel is an easy-to-use, intuitive, affordable way to manage smart home devices. ([The Verge]( - Amazon’s workforce in Seattle has dropped by 10,000 employees from its 2020 peak of 60,000 due to layoffs, turnover and growth in neighboring Bellevue, Wash. ([Puget Sound Business Journal]( Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [87% of young people are talking to their parents about online risks, says new research from Microsoft. However, greater awareness of safety features and tools is needed.]( Earlier this month, Microsoft celebrated [Safer Internet Day]( – an annual event that brings people around the world together to create a safer and better online environment for all. The day provided an opportunity for people of all ages to engage and discuss online activities and safety, particularly with growing interest in emerging technologies. However, we should have conversations about online safety every day, not just on Safer Internet Day. To support that goal, Microsoft released the latest findings from our annual [Global Online Safety Survey]( along with a [Family Safety Toolkit](. We share our results publicly so that others can benefit from the insights as we collectively strive to create a safer digital ecosystem. [Learn more here.]( LATEST HEADLINES [Flexport relaunches Convoy trucking marketplace after acquiring tech from Seattle startup]( [Seattle tech leaders lament departure of Techstars but remain bullish on new opportunities]( [Techstars CEO responds to former Seattle managing director, tells him to check his facts]( [Healionics lands $5.5M to complete human trial of artificial blood vessel for dialysis patients]( [Maritime marketplace and software platform OpenTug raises $3.1M]( [Energy secretary joins Sen. Maria Cantwell in visit to Washington state’s burgeoning battery hub]( [Computer science education bill would add new graduation requirements in Washington state]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [BRINC: Senior/Principal Backend & Platform Software Engineer]( - [GeekWire: The Etzioni Internship in Climate Tech Journalism at GeekWire, Summer 2024]( - [INRIX: Chief Revenue Office]( - [INRIX: Finance Pricing Manager]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? 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