Lisa Stiffler

As startups and researchers advance alternative proteins for both people and pets, the sector is working to overcome hurdles like high costs, consumer skepticism and concerns over processing. By leveraging continuous manufacturing and sustainable ingredients like plant proteins and insects, companies like Rebellyous Foods and Jiminy's are striving to make eco-friendly alternatives accessible, affordable and mainstream.

The University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs is partnering with Microsoft and E8 to launch a four-month incubator tackling the growing environmental impact of AI data centers. The program will support early-stage startups developing solutions for energy storage, efficient cooling, e-waste reduction and low-carbon materials.

Providence will receive $1.1 billion from Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny — one of the largest gifts ever pledged to a U.S. healthcare institution — to build Oregon's first women's hospital and expand cardiovascular services. The funds, directed to Portland's Providence St. Vincent Medical Center and Providence Heart Institute, build on the Knights' prior $200 million gift to the heart institute.

Helion Energy has opened a downtown Seattle office as its headcount hits 800 employees, adding to its five-building Everett headquarters and its Malaga, Wash., site, where the fusion startup is building its Orion generator facility. The company, which has raised more than $1.5 billion, is racing to get Orion operational within two years to meet a contract to supply fusion energy to a Microsoft data center.

T-Mobile named Jessica Uhl as CFO-designate, succeeding Peter Osvaldik as CFO come February. Microsoft and Blue Origin saw the departure of vice presidents, while startups AZX and Caddi added leaders, among other tech personnel changes.

The University of Washington has opened the West Coast's first public, open-access battery manufacturing lab to help startups scale novel chemistries for grid storage, defense and transportation. Built with $7.5 million in state climate funding, the Seattle facility provides equipment and expertise for developing prototype pouch cells

Microsoft is shuffling leadership, naming Aneesh Raman chief economic opportunity officer and promoting Jenny Lay-Flurrie to CVP of the Trusted Technology Group. Zillow has a new policy lead while Oracle, Hiya and DAT Freight & Analytics see departures.

Redfin fills CEO role with former Meta VP Alessio Sanfilippo after acquisition by Rocket

Movable shelving towers that hold items that are autonomously moved to Amazon employees who pack them for shipping. (GeekWire Photo / Lisa Stiffler)

A decade or two on the road will drain an EV battery’s range and hobble its acceleration. But while it peters out for daily commutes, that battery still has a lot of juice left. This episode of Positive Charge from GeekWire focuses on companies resurrecting these batteries to power off-grid communities, industrial sites and energy-hungry data centers.