GeekWire's Most-Read Stories of the Week

Catch up on the top tech stories from this past week. Here are the headlines that people have been reading on GeekWire.

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THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES Jeff Bezos-backed startup Nautilus Biotechnology set to go public via SPAC at $900M valuation Nautilus Biotechnology, a Seattle-based biotech startup led by Isilon co-founder Sujal Patel, is the latest company to go public using a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. Seattle’s newest billionaire says tax talk will drive business away, claims Seattle freeze is ‘garbage’ Tanium co-founder and CEO Orion Hindawi may not be as well known as Jeff Bezos, Steve Ballmer, Bill Gates or other Seattle area billionaires. Zillow Group will pay $500M to acquire home touring tech company ShowingTime Zillow Group said it will pay $500 million to acquire ShowingTime, a Chicago-based real estate company that sells software to facilitate home showings. SPONSOR MESSAGE Calling all startup geeks! Check out this sample of GeekWire Startups, our weekly newsletter that includes all the latest headlines from the tech startup scene in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. To subscribe, visit geekwire.com/newsletters and update your email newsletter preferences. Eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine? Seattle techies create site that shows open appointments As Washington residents struggle to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations, a volunteer team of software engineers has created an online solution. Zillow skit on Saturday Night Live goes viral as show pokes fun at house-browsing ‘fantasies’ Zillow Group didn’t have a Super Bowl ad, yet it may have come away from the weekend with the biggest marketing bump thanks to Saturday Night Live. Analysis: Washington state’s response to data breach affecting 1.4M people is stunningly callous Not our fault. And good luck, you're on your own. SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE DAY Discover Point Roberts Marina Resort Amazon wealth reigns: Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott lead list of top U.S. philanthropists for 2020 Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was the top American philanthropist in 2020, giving away $10.1 billion to non-profit efforts associated with climate change and education, according to a ranking released this week by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Blue Origin shows off an on-the-ground pathfinder version of its cargo lunar lander Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture is testing a full-scale prototype of its lunar lander as part of a campaign to get a jump on heavy-duty moon deliveries. Pet sitting marketplace Rover grabs a bone, valued at $1.3 billion in latest SPAC deal Another day, another SPAC. Today, we’ve learned that Seattle online pet sitting marketplace Rover plans to join the public ranks via a merger with True Wind Capital’s SPAC that values the company at a $1.35 billion enterprise valuation. With backing from Bill Gates, Pivotal Commware raises $50M for 5G products Pivotal Commware says it has closed on a $50 million funding round that will give a boost to its millimeter-wave 5G network infrastructure products. Zillow Group tops Q4 estimates with $789M in revenue as housing boom drives record traffic Seattle-based Zillow Group beat analyst estimates for its fourth quarter earnings, reporting $789 million in revenue and non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.44. Online pet retail giant Chewy plans to hire several hundred at new Seattle-area office Chewy is coming to Seattle. The online pet retailer will open a corporate office in the Seattle region by the end of this year and plans to hire several hundred for technology, product and merchandising roles. Go deep on snow depth data: New online tool puts Pacific NW mountain totals in historic context As the Seattle area braces for snow later this week, the mountains around the Pacific Northwest have already seen sizable accumulations this year. VC family: Madison McIlwain follows her father’s footsteps, and carves out her own tech interests An elevator pitch, quick coffee, lunch or Zoom chat might be how some investors get a feel for a particular company or founder. ‘Developers, developers, developers!’ Ballmer and Sinofsky talk Microsoft, memes, more in Clubhouse Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and former Windows president Steven Sinofsky met for a surprising chat on Thursday night when they appeared together on the invite-only conversation app Clubhouse.

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