Qualtrics raises $1.55B in IPO: Qualtrics plans to continue growing in Seattle after raising $1.55 billion in its IPO, said Qualtrics CEO Zig Serafin (above right), in an interview with GeekWire after virtually ringing the Nasdaq opening bell with Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith, The experience management tech company has about 800 employees in Seattle, which it describes as its second headquarters alongside its longtime home in Provo, Utah. Its IPO is a spin-out from SAP, which swooped in to acquire Qualtrics for $8 billion in late 2018 days before the company previously planned to go public. SAP had a different surprise for Qualtrics in the lead-up to the IPO today. Read the story.
Sustainability success so far for Microsoft: In the first year since it set the goal of becoming carbon negative by 2030, Microsoft announced Thursday that it has reduced its carbon emissions by 6%. The tech giant is investing in electric vehicles, battery systems to replace diesel generators used to back up its data centers, and renewable power, among other measures, and at this pace is on track to reach its target — which is among the most aggressive corporate climate goals. “We very much believe that what’s good for the climate will be good for business,” Microsoft President Brad Smith told GeekWire. Read more.
Wealth tax targets billionaires: Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and about 100 other ultra-wealthy Washington state residents could face a 1% tax on their billions under legislation introduced Wednesday. House Bill 1406 would produce an estimated $2.25 billion in 2023 and $2.5 billion in 2024. Among other things, the revenue would be used to offer credits against taxes paid disproportionately by low-income and middle-income families. Read more.
Bezos takes in a Texas light show: Calling it a “perfect night,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos kicked back in his pickup truck this week to watch the test firing of his Blue Origin space venture’s BE-4 engine in preparation for the engine’s use in two rockets later this year. Read more.
Goodnight, moon? Not so fast: A newly published study by the University of Washington is adding more evidence to the debate that humans are hard-wired to sleep less when the moon is full or the lights are on. Although the effect is more robust in communities without access to electricity, it was also measured in Seattle. Read more.
Ay, oh, way to go Ohio: The Buckeye State is trying to lure Seattleites to the midwest with a series of billboards in the city touting the benefits of living in a place where one can “actually save for a rainy day.” JobsOhio thinks it can capitalize on the pandemic-driven transformation in where and how people work, especially those in tech jobs. Read more.
Tanium scores $150M in funding: The fast-growing cybersecurity company, which moved its headquarters from Silicon Valley to the Seattle area last year, has a fresh round of capital to fuel its next phase of growth.
Tech Moves: Longtime Microsoft executive Kurt DelBene is retiring later this year following his second stint with the company; Hiya has promoted COO Kush Parikh to president. Read about those and other key personnel changes across the Pacific Northwest tech industry.
Iron Man’s soft spot for sustainable TP: Actor Robert Downey Jr. launched two venture funds focused on planet-saving technology, and one of the companies he’s backing is Seattle-based tree-free toilet paper maker Cloud Paper. Downey is putting his money, and the weight of his celebrity reach, into helping the startup “share its mission with the world.” Read more.
Two types of vaccine distribution: A week after 2,400 people were vaccinated at its Seattle headquarters, Amazon will host another pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic this Sunday. That process is a bit different than how stranded motorists ended up getting shots along the highway during a snowstorm in southern Oregon this week.
Thanks for reading, and see all our latest headlines below. — GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com and GeekWire editor Todd Bishop, editor@geekwire.com.
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