Convenience Big Store: Stargate, OpenAI and what it means for Microsoft

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Revisit defining moments, explore new challenges, and get a glimpse into what lies ahead for one of the world's most influential companies: Get tickets to Microsoft@50.

TODAY'S TOP STORIES

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we delve into the Stargate Project announcement by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, in conjunction with President Trump, and assess the implications for OpenAI's relationship with Microsoft. We also consider how Elon Musk's involvement in the new administration could play out for Microsoft, Amazon, and others.

Plus, we discuss Madrona's big new funds and the potential impact on startup activity in the Pacific NW; explain the Seattle region’s tenuous connection to social network BlueSky; and find a revealing piece of Microsoft history on an old CD-ROM.

🎙️Read more and listen here, and subscribe to GeekWire in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Tech Moves: IMDb taps new Seattle-based CEO; Wicket Labs founder joins Tagboard as COO; and more key personnel changes.

For the fourth installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series, we revisit Bill Gates’ classic book from the mid-1990s, “The Road Ahead,” and look back at the Microsoft co-founder’s vision for technology. Read more and listen to a related podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

See previous chapters in the Microsoft @ 50 series.
Join us March 20 in Seattle for a special Microsoft @ 50 event.

Upcoming events: Tech and startup community gatherings on our radar in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

Jan. 25: A Panel Discussion on: How to Found A Lifescience Startup?
Jan. 26: Findings Night with Bailey Ambrose Heller
Jan. 28: Summit for Under-Represented Founders
Jan. 29: AI Disruption – Embracing the Change?
Jan. 30: Seattle Startup Now: AI Leaders Panel & Happy Hour

Check out the GeekWire Calendar for more.

Hot Links:

Microsoft’s name change and price increase of its flagship productivity software was a “total disaster,” writes tech journalist Ed Bott. (ZDNET)
Whole Foods workers in Philadelphia are set to vote to form a union — and Amazon is pushing back. (New York Times)
Box CEO Aaron Levie shows how OpenAI’s new Operator agent can control browsers in the cloud and complete tasks. (LinkedIn)

Thanks for subscribing to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com; and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com.

SPONSOR MESSAGE

Microsoft@50, a special event marking Microsoft’s 50th anniversary

GeekWire is hosting a special community event on March 20, 2025 at Town Hall Seattle, bringing together key leaders from Microsoft’s past and present to examine the impact of the Redmond technology giant. Together, we’ll revisit defining moments, explore new challenges, and get a glimpse into what lies ahead for one of the world's most influential companies.

Early-bird tickets are on sale here.