Thinkfuse, one of the original startups to move through the TechStars Seattle program, is being acquired by Salseforce.com in a deal of undisclosed size. This appears to be a true “acquihire” where larger entities gobble up the team, not the product. As part of the deal, the Thinkfuse service will be shut down on July… Read More…
The silly side of tech: Put Clippy on your Web site with this startup’s nostalgic hack

OK, the first question we’ve got to ask is: Why? Why on Earth would someone want to recreate Clippy, the highly-annoying paperclip virtual assistant that popped up on versions of Microsoft Office from 1997 to 2oo3. Clippy was hated by many users since it interfered with daily tasks on the computer, and it was eventually… Read More…
EveryMove lands $2.6 million to create a ‘mileage rewards program’ for health

Should Americans earn rewards for good health and fitness practices, just as they earn free miles for frequent flying and discounts for safe driving? That’s the promise of EveryMove, a Seattle startup that today is announcing $2.6 million in financing from Premera Blue Cross, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, BlueCross BlueShield Venture Partners and… Read More…
The Founders’ Promise: Put your money where your angst is

“There is no reason why good cannot triumph as often as evil. The triumph of anything is a matter of organization. If there are such things as angels, I hope that they are organized along the lines of the Mafia.” – Kurt Vonnegut. Depending on who you ask, the Seattle startup ecosystem is weak and/or… Read More…
TechStars, Microsoft ally on new Windows Azure startup incubator

Microsoft is deepening its relationship with TechStars, announcing today a new startup accelerator program in Seattle designed for those companies developing cloud-based services on the back of Windows Azure. The program will kick off this fall with 1o companies traveling to the TechStars Seattle incubator space in the South Lake Union neighborhood, which ironically happens… Read More…
Jeff Bezos, Eric Schmidt bankroll money transfer startup Beamit Mobile

Seattle startup Beamit Mobile has raised $2.4 million in fresh financing from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s TomorrowVentures, Founder’s Co-op and Bezos Expeditions, the venture capital firm of Jeff Bezos. The money will be used to continue development of the company’s technology, which allows immigrants to transfer money to mobile phones in developing countries. “These investors share our vision of… Read More…
Microsoft picks 11 startups for new Kinect Accelerator

When Microsoft introduced its new Kinect Accelerator startup program a few months ago, the company anticipated receiving about 150 applications. But nearly 500 startup companies applied, making the selection process “brutally hard,” said Craig Eisler, general manager for Kinect for Windows. “It was really quite remarkable and awe inspiring to see so many ideas,” said Eisler, adding… Read More…
An inside look at SURF: How an entrepreneur’s dream became Seattle’s latest startup experiment

It’s 45 degrees outside, and a cold rain pounds against Seattle’s Exchange Building. But on the 8th floor of this historic 22-story art deco office — a concrete edifice that once housed industry titans such as GE and Standard Oil — Seaton Gras wants to talk about surfing. Why surfing? Well, for one Gras — a… Read More…
TechStars perk: Free cloud services from Microsoft’s Windows Azure

Hook ‘em while they’re young. That could very well be the code-name of a partnership announced today between Microsoft and TechStars, the high-tech incubator which operates programs in Seattle, Boulder, Boston, New York and Texas. As part of an alliance today, Microsoft said that it will offer both graduates and current enrollees of the three-month… Read More…
Microsoft partners with TechStars for new Kinect Accelerator

Microsoft is looking for a few good Kinect hackers, and it’s turning to TechStars to help discover those teams. Microsoft this week launched the Kinect Accelerator — a new incubation program developed in partnership with TechStars. Ten teams will be invited to the TechStars’ offices in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood beginning in May for… Read More…





























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