Get caught up on the latest technology and startup news from the past week. Here are the most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of Jan. 18, 2026.
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Most popular stories on GeekWire
The Microsoft-OpenAI Files: Internal documents reveal the realities of AI’s defining alliance
Internal emails, texts, slide decks, and deposition testimony show how Microsoft went from being sidelined at OpenAI’s founding to wielding decisive influence over the AI lab that launched the generative AI era — and how that power is now being tested as OpenAI emerges as a platform company with leverage of its own. … Read More
Tech Moves: Amazon employee retiring after 20 years; former Oracle and Microsoft execs take new roles
A longtime leader for Fulfillment by Amazon retires and offers parting thoughts, while former executives with Oracle, Microsoft and LevelTen take new roles. … Read More
Seattle’s ORCA transit system gets major tech upgrade with new ‘Tap to Pay’ feature
Seattle’s ORCA transit system is rolling out an upgrade that will let riders pay fares by tapping their credit card or smartphone — no dedicated ORCA card required. … Read More
‘Wildly productive weekend’: Former Amazon exec’s vibe coding post sparks debate over viral AI tools
A weekend vibe-coding project by the startup leader and former Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO sparked debate over the speed, scalability, and real‑world value of increasingly popular AI development workflows. … Read More
Reports: Amazon’s latest layoffs could begin next week
Amazon laid off about 14,000 workers globally in October. … Read More
Meta laying off 331 workers in Washington state as part of broader cuts to Reality Labs division
The heaviest hit facility is the Reality Labs office in Redmond, followed by the Spring District office in Bellevue, according to a state filing. … Read More
Seattle startup that brings hedge fund investing capabilities to anyone raises $1.2M
The company aims to give everyday investors access to strategies traditionally reserved for hedge funds and ultra-wealthy clients. … Read More
The race to replace lithium: Seattle startup lands funding for salt-powered battery technology
Seattle startup Emerald Battery Labs raised just under $1.1 million in a pre-seed round to continue scaling its sodium-ion battery technology. … Read More
Tech Moves: Former Microsoft CVP joins Amazon; Chronus names CEO; REI hires AI leader
Amazon Quick Suite has a new vice president, Chronus named a CEO, Supio added to its C-suite, and REI got an AI lead, among other Seattle area tech moves. … Read More
Satya Nadella’s new metaphor for the AI Age: We are becoming ‘managers of infinite minds’
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella riffed on some famous lines from tech leaders past this week in an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and offered up his own trippy candidate to join the canon of computing metaphors. Read More … Read More
