PSL and Mayfield ink AI startup investing partnership | Microsoft’s AI principles

The tech ties between Seattle and Silicon Valley are getting a little stronger. A new collaboration between Seattle-based startup studio Pioneer Square Labs and venture capital firm Mayfield combines PSL’s startup incubation prowess with Mayfield, a Menlo Park fixture founded in 1969 that has stalwarts such as Lyft, HashiCorp, ServiceMax and others in its portfolio. We spoke with Mayfield’s Navin Chaddha (above, left), who previously lived in the Seattle region after Microsoft acquired his startup in 1997, and PSL Managing Director Greg Gottesman to learn more. Read the story. 

Is Microsoft learning from the past? Seeking to avoid the regulatory problems that plagued Windows back in the day, Microsoft unveiled a series of AI access principles. The company also announced an investment in Mistral AI that it says illustrates its pledge to strike broad partnerships across the industry, beyond its tight alliance with OpenAI. Read more.

GoDaddy is launching new artificial intelligence tools for small businesses that automate the process of finding domains, building websites, and creating social media posts. Much of the work on the unified experience, dubbed “Airo,” took place at GoDaddy’s engineering center in Kirkland, Wash. Read more.

Ready for a video game road trip? “Pacific Drive,” from Seattle’s Ironwood Studios, isn’t another combat-filled survival game. It’s just you, your station wagon, and a few voices on the radio, up against an unpredictable Olympic Peninsula environment. Read more.

Hot Links:

• Microsoft wants to be seen as an ethical employer as it remakes its corporate image. (New York Times)

• Plant-based “chicken” nugget maker Rebellyous Foods is looking for a home for its new production system called Mock 2. (West Seattle Blog)