Seattle AI startup raises $10M seed round | Microsoft faces new antitrust probes

There’s a lot of talk about how generative AI could be a game-changer for enterprise information. Tektonic AI, a new startup out of Seattle, just raised a $10 million seed round to build software AI agents that understand natural language queries and help employees accelerate their work. Read more. 

(Above, from left: Ted Kummert, venture partner at Madrona; Steve Singh, managing director at Madrona; Nic Surpatanu, founder and CEO of Tektonic AI; and Henry Huang, partner at Madrona Venture Labs)

GeekWire's AI photo debate: When does the use of technology for photo editing run afoul of journalistic ethics? An internal discussion at GeekWire over an AI-enhanced photo of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman illuminated a small slice of the vast uncharted territory we’ll all be navigating in the years ahead. Read more.

Microsoft is reportedly facing a pair of new antitrust probes from the Federal Trade Commission, including one focused on its recent deal with Inflection AI. Read more.

DoorDash says it will remove a $4.99 fee on consumer orders if Seattle councilmembers pass a revised minimum wage law for delivery drivers. Read more.

A rare tech growth story: Acumatica opened a larger HQ in the Seattle area. The cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology company employs nearly 700 globally and says it’s planning to expand its headcount by 20% this year. Read more.

Smartsheet stock was up more than 16% this morning after the Bellevue, Wash.-based software company topped earnings expectations. Read more.

Museum of Illusions, a global attraction that blends art, science, and psychology into a family friendly immersive experience, is bringing a permanent location to downtown Seattle. Read more.

Hot Links:

• Amazon plans to test its Zoox self-driving cars in Austin and Miami this summer, with safety drivers behind the wheel. (TechCrunch)

• An AI-generated news outlet boasted a worldwide roster of journalists and millions of monthly visitors, and it’s being sued, along with Microsoft, by an Irish broadcaster caught up in a falsehood published on the news portal MSN. (The New York Times)

• New airplanes are taking to the skies of Microsoft’s “Flight Simulator” on Xbox in honor of the missions they flew on D-Day, June 6, 1944. (Microsoft)

• Seattle is the smartest city in the U.S. based on a study by a real estate tech company measuring tech infrastructure, tech jobs, and other metrics. (ProptechOS)