New venture fund in Seattle aims to accelerate climate tech adoption

Washington state educators will soon get new guidance on how to incorporate AI in the classroom. Chris Reykdal, the state’s superintendent of public instruction, told GeekWire he’s bullish about how the tech can enhance student learning. Read more. 

Seattle-area travel-planning startup Steller raised $5 million to boost its app that combines human experiences with artificial intelligence to help people plot their next adventure. The company is led by longtime tech investor Pete Bryant, who said AI helps fill in “data gaps” around the content produced by travel influencers and other users. Read more.

Google Cloud says it will eliminate ‘exit fees’ for customers who decide to fully migrate their data to other clouds, becoming the first major cloud vendor to take this step. Regulators in the U.S. and Europe are increasingly scrutinizing customer lock-in by the major cloud platforms, including Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. Read more in this Google blog post and Reuters report.

The news that Pete Carroll is out as Seattle Seahawks head coach after 14 seasons shocked NFL fans as well as current and former players, who shared how much Carroll meant to them as a leader. Beyond football, Carroll brought his expertise to tech startup conferences and Microsoft training events.

Hot Links:

• Amazon is bringing its Just Walk Out retail technology to hospitals, allowing workers to buy food and drink items with their employee badges. (Amazon) 

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is the newest guest on Bill Gates’ podcast. They discuss AI regulation and what apps they use most frequently. (Axios; Gates Notes)

• U.S.-China tensions are causing Microsoft execs to question whether to maintain an advanced technologies lab in Beijing. (The New York Times) 

• Google laid off hundreds of employees across engineering and hardware groups. (CNBC) 

• Recent layoffs at Amazon also hit teams working on Amazon Pay. (Business Insider)

• Melinda French Gates says her priorities for 2024 include increasing women’s power and influence; addressing health inequities; and advocating for a more inclusive economy. (LinkedIn)

• Founder fights: Seattle tech investor Leslie Feinzaig shares advice for startups dealing with co-founder issues. (LinkedIn)