Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of March 9, 2025.
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Most popular stories on GeekWire
Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar lander is on deck to deliver NASA payload to the moon
NASA says it has penciled in Blue Origin’s Blue Moon MK1 cargo lander to deliver a scientific payload to the moon’s south polar region as soon as this summer. … Read More
Zillow responds to Rocket’s planned $1.75B acquisition of Redfin
Rocket Companies’ planned $1.75 billion acquisition of Seattle-based brokerage Redfin sparked questions about a potential competitive threat to fellow Seattle real estate company Zillow Group, another key player in the digital real estate arena. … Read More
Tech Moves: Longtime Google leader Umesh Shankar joins Microsoft as new corporate VP
After nearly 19 years at Google, Umesh Shankar has joined Microsoft AI as a corporate vice president of engineering. … Read More
Redfin to be acquired by Rocket Companies in $1.75B deal
Follow-up: Zillow responds to Rocket’s planned $1.75B acquisition of Redfin Rocket Companies agreed to acquire Seattle-based Redfin in a $1.75 billion deal that will bring together the nation’s largest mortgage lender with a longtime tech-enabled real estate brokerage. … Read More
Report: Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy cuts climate policy team and partnership support
Breakthrough Energy, the climate-focused global initiative created by Bill Gates, has cut dozens of staff, reports The New York Times. … Read More
Steve Ballmer on Microsoft’s first 50 years, its OpenAI deal, and why he’s still its biggest investor
[Editor’s Note: Microsoft@50 is a year-long GeekWire project exploring the tech giant’s past, present, and future, recognizing its 50th anniversary in 2025. … Read More
College students get a taste of startup life inside dynamic UW entrepreneurship class
Best class ever? That was my thought after watching eight teams pitch their startup ideas on Wednesday in Seattle, the culmination of an entrepreneurship class at the University of Washington teaching students the ins and outs of building a tech company. … Read More
Microsoft and Amazon quantum advancements spark questions about the future of encryption
With recent announcements of new quantum computing advancements, Microsoft, Amazon and Google have set a new countdown clock ticking on today’s encryption — now an even shorter race than expected. … Read More
Private and uncensored AI: Seattle tech vet joins new startup taking on AI giants with a crypto twist
Seattle tech entrepreneur Jesse Proudman is taking another startup leap with Venice.ai, a new AI app focused on privacy and uncensored interactions that is positioning itself as an alternative to mainstream generative AI services from giants such as OpenAI and Anthropic. … Read More
Seattle startup vets launch new company to rethink marketing for spas and beauty brands
Former Petabyte executives are bringing their data expertise and tech chops to Rhodium, a new Seattle-area startup focused on helping medical spas and beauty brands interact with customers. … Read More