Amazon, Microsoft, Zillow and More Tech Giants Join Innovation Council to Address Seattle Challenges

GeekWire | Monica Nickelsburg | August 2
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/amazon-microsoft-zillow-tech-giants-join-innovation-council-address-seattle-challenges/

“Seattle’s tech industry titans are joining forces to advise the city on some of the pressing challenges that have arisen as a result of booming growth.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan signed an executive order creating the city’s first Innovation Advisory Committee at Zillow’s headquarters Thursday. She also announced the initial companies that will send delegates to sit on the council. They are Amazon, Artefact Group, Expedia Group, Flying Fish Partners, Microsoft, Tableau, the Washington Technology Industry Association and Zillow Group…The council will identify opportunities where technology and data can be used to help Seattle improve its processes.”

GeekWire 2000 Update: It’s the Era of Giant Funding Rounds, and Seattle-Area Startups are Benefiting

GeekWire | Nat Levy | July 31
https://www.geekwire.com/2018/geekwire-200-update-era-giant-funding-rounds-seattle-area-startups-benefitting/

“It’s a good time to be raising venture capital in the Pacific Northwest, and startups on the GeekWire 200 are benefiting nicely from that trend. Investors poured $793 million into Seattle area startups during the second quarter — the highest since 2015, and the second-largest amount since the dot-com era of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Pacific Northwest still ranks behind regions such as Northern and Southern California, the Mid-Atlantic and New England in the the recent Dow Jones Venture Source quarterly report, but money is flowing across a variety of sectors. One of the key trends we’ve noticed: Some of the top companies on the GeekWire 200 list — our ranking of privately-held Pacific Northwest tech companies — have landed enormous funding rounds in the last couple months.”

Bellevue Rolls Out Lanes for Bikeshare Companies

KING 5 | Amy Moreno | July 31
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/bellevue-rolls-out-lanes-for-bikeshare-companies/281-579214411

“Just as Seattle moves forward to expand the number of bicycles rolling around its streets, the bikeshare companies are expanding over to the eastside. On Tuesday, Lime debuted their bikeshare program in Bellevue as the city opened several miles of downtown bike lanes to go with it. Lime, with its eye-catching green bikes, is the first company to secure a contract to operate in Bellevue. The city is trying to do things a little different with their program. Lime is offering riders incentives to park bikes in designated areas, but they will not be required to leave them there.”

Amazon Gives $1.5 Million to Ease Overcrowding on Public Transit to South Lake Union

Seattle Times | Mike Lindblom | July 26
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/amazon-metro/

“Amazon will contribute $1.5 million to increase public transit capacity this fall, for Seattle routes where its workers squeeze into buses. The e-commerce giant’s money will allow 22 more trips daily that can haul 1,700 people, King County Metro Transit announced Wednesday. These affect some of the city’s most crowded corridors: the E Line on Aurora Avenue, the C Line from West Seattle, the 40, 62, and 63 from North Seattle neighborhoods, and the crosstown 8 to Capitol Hill and the Central Area. Amazon estimates more than 20 percent of its employees ride public transit, and fewer than half drive alone to its campuses between Lake Union and downtown.”