The 2018 Special Olympics USA Games opened in Seattle on Sunday at the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium with a parade of athletes and musical performances and inspiring moments meant to showcase acceptance and inclusion. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella was among the dignitaries who took the stage to offer encouraging words to those in attendance. The Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant is the premier corporate partner for the Games. Here are Nadella’s comments in full: “It’s such an honor to be here today. The energy, the enthusiasm in this stadium is palpable and it’s incredible. On behalf of everyone at Microsoft… Read More
The Seattle Mariners went back to the future on Saturday night with a celebration rooted in the past. In honor of the 20th anniversary of “Turn Ahead the Clock Night,” a promotional event from the Ken Griffey Jr. days of 1998, the Mariners put on their backward hats again for some forward-looking perspective. Sleeveless maroon, black and silver uniforms were the most striking feature of the night, with many players choosing to wear them untucked and baring their tattooed arms on a less-than-balmy evening at Safeco Field. Some even spray-painted their cleats silver, to match silver batting helmets. The big… Read More
Taunt, a Seattle-based startup that allows esports fans to interact and predict game outcomes, announced Thursday that it has closed a $3 million seed financing round, led by Foundry Group. Taunt is a spinout of the startup studio Pioneer Square Labs, whose new venture fund PSL Ventures joined in the investment along with Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital and CRCM Ventures, an esports industry investor. Foundry, which helped PSL get off the ground back in 2015, helped Taunt get started in September by leading a $1.7 million investment round. Taunt became the fifth startup to spin out of PSL, joining LumaTax, Jet Closing, AdLighting… Read More
Today’s featured stories Smart gameball startup Play Impossible inks retail deal with Apple, partners with NFL players, raises cash Seattle engineer creates Cluck, a Chrome extension to identify scams in Craigslist apartment listings How can U.S. improve its immigration policy? We asked immigrant entrepreneurs and tech leaders Subscribe to GeekWire on YouTube. [Editor’s Note: TLDR is GeekWire’s tech news rundown show, hosted by Starla Sampaco. Watch today’s update above, subscribe to GeekWire on YouTube, check back weekday afternoons for more, and sign up for TLDR email updates below.]
Play Impossible started with a simple thesis: the internet-of-things world had lost a sense of joy and fun. So its founders went to work, creating a sensor-infused smart inflatable ball that links to a smartphone app and lets people play different physical games. Now the Seattle startup has landed a retail deal with Apple; inked a partnership with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA); discovered demand in an unexpected market; and raised more venture capital dollars to fuel its growth. Play Impossible today announced an additional $1.25 million in new funding from existing investors Two Sigma Ventures, Hardware Club, and Ben Franklin… Read More
