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January 17, 2025

This social network wants to minimize screen time | Gates Foundation rebrands | Seattle VC firm launches space program

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TODAY'S TOP STORIES

Molly DeWolf Swenson doesn’t want you to use her social networking app too much. The Seattle native is CEO of Mozi, a new startup she launched with Twitter co-founder Ev Williams that aims to minimize screen time and maximize real-life connections. “The goal is not to keep you on Mozi. The goal is for you to find what you were looking for and then get off your phone,” DeWolf Swenson (above, right) told GeekWire. Read more.

Some Microsoft 365 customers are about to get a bigger bill. The company is increasing the price of its consumer Microsoft 365 bundle by $3 per month — the first price bump in 12 years — as it adds AI features to various applications. Read more.

Seattle-area venture capital firm Fuse wants to light a spark for entrepreneurs focusing on the final frontier with a new space-focused investment program. Read more.

Textio laid off 15 employees in another round of job cuts at the Seattle-based augmented writing startup. Read more.

Analog Devices landed up to $105 million in CHIPS & Science Act funding that will boost its chip manufacturing facilities in Oregon and Southwest Washington. 

Seattle entrepreneur Connor Folley, who sold his last startup to Jungle Scout, is leading a new company focused on data that fuels AI applications. 

The Gates Foundation launched a rebrand that strips "Bill and Melinda" from its name — a move that follows Melinda French Gates' decision last year to step down as chair of the organization. The foundation also revealed a new logo and announced its largest annual budget ever: $8.74 billion.

Are you a STEM professional in the Seattle region? Organizers of a science and engineering fair are looking for judges to help assess high school student projects.

Hot Links:

  • The share of U.S. teens who have used ChatGPT for schoolwork doubled last year to 26%. (Pew Research)

  • Maveron Trump Tracker: The Seattle VC firm launched a tool that tracks how government policy could affect consumer preferences and spending. (Maveron

  • Washington State Department of Transportation reminds drivers that they can’t use video game references as an excuse for speeding. (Threads)

Thanks for subscribing to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; and GeekWire reporter Lisa Stiffler, lisa@geekwire.com.
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