Farmer Bill? The largest owner of private farmland in the United States, with 242,000 acres, is none other than Bill Gates, according to The Land Report, which dug into the Microsoft co-founder’s holdings across multiple states. It’s not clear what Gates is doing with all the land, which includes a purchase of 14,000 acres in Washington state for $171 million. A spokesman for Gates’ Cascade Investment declined to comment, other than to say that the firm is very supportive of sustainable farming. Read more.
“We had our entire world ripped out from under us in a number of different ways.” Jason Haddock, the CEO of 3X4 Genetics, and his co-founder Yael Joffe planned to move to Seattle from South Africa to oversee the U.S. expansion of the genetic testing company. Then came the one-two punch of President Trump’s visa ban and COVID-19. Stuck in limbo, they’re still dreaming of the Pacific Northwest and planning to ultimately make the move. Read more.
We’re No. 10! The Seattle region’s economy boasts a gross domestic product of $383 billion, according to an analysis by Greater Seattle Partners, using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That places the region among the top 10 largest regional economies in the U.S., pushing Atlanta to 11th. Read more.
Four acquisitions for Porch: Seattle’s newest public company, Porch Group, hasn’t slowed down following its stock market debut. Flush with cash, the home services technology company announced four acquisitions, including a deal to buy Irving, Texas-based insurance company Homeowners of America for $100 million. Porch also said it expects a net loss between $53 and $55 million for 2020 — about $20 million deeper than previously projected — saying investors are encouraging more aggressive spending in pursuit of growth.
Accolade dials up more telemedicine: Accolade, the Seattle-based health benefits platform, is paying $460 million to buy 2nd.MD, a Houston, Texas-based company that helps patients get expert medical opinions by video or phone. It comes amid the boom in virtual care due to the pandemic.
Return to Seattle skies for Blue Angels: The U.S. Navy’s aerobatic act hopes to return for the traditional Seafair air show in August, after COVID-19 canceled the event last summer. If they do get the all-clear, expect louder fly-bys because the team will be using Boeing-built F/A-18 Super Hornets, which produce more thrust — and more noise — than legacy Hornets.
🎙️ Coming up: Seattle tech veteran Mike Davidson, former vice president of design for Twitter, joins us as a guest commentator Saturday on the GeekWire Podcast, discussing a possible path forward for social networks after the tumultuous events of recent weeks. Subscribe here or in any podcast app, and check GeekWire on Saturday morning for the show.
Thanks for reading, have a great weekend, and see all of our latest headlines below. — GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, editor@geekwire.com, and reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com.
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