Former TechStars Seattle leader emerges with new AI startup

The former managing director at Techstars Seattle has a new startup of his own. Marius Ciocirlan (above, left) is the CEO of a new AI company that just raised $4 million to help companies manage adherence to brand guidelines. His co-founders at MarkOS are David Dawson, Ridwell co-founder (above, center); and Wesley Yun, Asana’s former head of design. Read more.

AI will be in the spotlight in Microsoft’s earnings report Tuesday afternoon. The results will provide new insights into the impact of AI on the company’s business, and its attempt to keep pace with AI demand. We’ll also be listening for comments from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about the high-profile CrowdStrike outage impacting Windows PCs. Read more.

What makes cells go psychedelic? And how does the past shape our present worldview? Those are two of the latest projects chosen for the Seattle-based Allen Institute’s OpenScope program, which lets scientists study the weird workings of the brain. Read more.

Fighting fire with AI-trained cameras in Washington state. Humans can’t always spot the earliest signs of a wildfire, so officials with the Department of Natural Resources have turned to technology that can monitor sites where fire risk is high, see smoke and alert first responders. Read more. 

Hot Links:

• Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Marketplace is closing today, nearly 19 years after the company introduced its second-generation console. (IGN)

• Washington has embraced the expansion of power-hungry data centers, but done little to forecast the impact of their giant energy demands on the state. (The Seattle Times)

• How former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer cracked the code on success after corporate life with his second act as L.A. Clippers owner. (Fast Company)