Seattle after Techstars: Former managing director reflects on accelerator’s impact

Instacart COO returns to Seattle for new AI role at Microsoft | Glowforge gets in legal dispute with tech “activist” 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 In the aftermath of Techstars Seattle’s surprising demise, where should the city’s startup ecosystem go from here? And what role do startup accelerators serve in the age of AI and remote work? We spoke with former Techstars Seattle leader Chris DeVore about what happened, and his optimism about what’s next. “I think Seattle is setting itself up for a great moment in its entrepreneurial journey,” he says. Read more and hear from DeVore [on this bonus episode of the GeekWire Podcast](. Glowforge is tangled in a legal dispute with a self-professed tech “activist” who has claimed online for years that the Seattle startup is selling defective and dangerous 3D laser engravers. The company filed suit against the Las Vegas man last fall for making false and defamatory allegations, and then moved to have the claim dismissed last week. [Read more.]( Tech Moves: Instacart COO Asha Sharma is headed back to Seattle for a new role at Microsoft; ZoomInfo accounting chief Prasadh Cadambi is departing; [and more key personnel changes](. - Former Textio CEO Kieran Snyder, who stepped back from the Seattle startup in January, is [diving into research]( on how AI is impacting workplace communications and more. Generative AI for marketing: Gradial, a new Seattle startup using generative AI to help marketing operations teams increase productivity, raised $5.4 million in a seed investment round led by Madrona. [Read more](. - See all recent investments [with our fundings list](. Hot Links: - Seattle-based biotech company Avalyn Pharma, which recently raised a $175 million round, is relocating its headquarters to Cambridge, Mass. ([Puget Sound Business Journal]( - OpenAI accuses The New York Times of “hacking” ChatGPT to generate misleading evidence in the newspaper’s copyright lawsuit against the company. ([Reuters]( - Vancouver, Wash.-based biotech firm Absci expects to generate more than $75 million from a new public offering. ([Absci]( - AWS exec Angela Shippy was one of 50 “changemakers” highlighting women business leaders. ([CNBC]( Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great day. — 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 [Glowforge gets in legal tangle with tech ‘activist’ who questions safety of startup’s laser engravers]( [Former Textio CEO Kieran Snyder dives into new research on how AI is impacting the workplace]( [SpaceX and Microsoft vets raise $5.4M for Gradial, a Seattle startup using generative AI for marketing]( [Seattle after Techstars: Former managing director reflects on accelerator’s impact, looks ahead]( [Tech Moves: Instacart COO lands at Microsoft in AI product role; ZoomInfo accounting chief departs]( [Redfin trims losses in Q4 as it navigates ‘dreadful’ housing market]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [INRIX: Chief Revenue Office]( - [INRIX: Finance Pricing Manager]( - [BRINC: Senior/Principal Backend & Platform Software Engineer]( - [GeekWire: The Etzioni Internship in Climate Tech Journalism at GeekWire, Summer 2024]( - [City of Newport: Systems Administrator II]( [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](