Microsoft’s quantum breakthrough | Latest update to the GeekWire 200

This week on the GeekWire Podcast, we discuss Microsoft's quantum breakthrough; a Washington state bill that targets Uber and Lyft surge pricing; the latest update to the GeekWire 200 ranking of Pacific Northwest startups; and Amazon's move to take creative control of the James Bond franchise.

🎙️Read more and listen here, and subscribe to GeekWire in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. 

Qualterra, an Eastern Washington startup that converts crop and forestry wastes into biochar, raised $4.5 million. 

• Seattle startup Kapta Space, a radar technology company working with the DoD, raised $5 million.

• Track the latest startup investments with our fundings list.

Upcoming events: Tech and startup community gatherings on our radar in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

• Feb. 24: Entrepreneur Trail Walk Issaquah | February 2025

• Feb. 24: A Spotlight on Rumors: Illuminating How Influence and Improvisation Shape Online Conversations

• Feb. 24: MakerDeck IRL Mixer: Makers, Techies, & Geeks!

• Feb. 25: Startup & Small Business CoWorking Redmond | February 2025

• Feb. 25: The Corporate Venture Connections Series (CVCS) – Industry 4.0

• Feb. 26: 2025 Investment Outlook Panel – Investing in the age of Gen AI

Check out the GeekWire Calendar for more.

Hot Links:

• New research on AI coding tools shows the negative impact on code quality. (GitClear)

• Zillow lowered its projections for U.S. home value growth over the next year. (Fast Company)

• T-Mobile rolled out new plans for first responders, members of the military, and their families. (Phone Arena)

Thanks for subscribing to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com; and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com.