Google plans departure from Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood | Microsoft's quest for a quantum leap

We broke the news yesterday that Google plans to leave Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, where it first established offices in 2006, and bring all its employees in Seattle together at its South Lake Union campus. The consolidation plan does not appear to impact Google’s other major engineering hub in the Seattle region, a large complex in Kirkland, east of Lake Washington. Read more. (Above, a portion of Google’s campus in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood.)

GeekWire Podcast: We discuss Google’s departure from Fremont; an end of an era for Skype; and Microsoft's quest for a quantum leap. Read more and listen here, and subscribe to GeekWire in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. 

A stealthy Seattle-area startup led by sisters who previously worked at Meta is building a social commerce platform aiming to help brands connect with younger shoppers as they scroll through their feeds. Read more. (Above, Nectar Social CEO Misbah Uraizee, sitting, and CTO Farah Uraizee)

The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation announced $5 million in grants being awarded to six Pacific Northwest efforts deploying nature-based solutions for removing and storing carbon dioxide. Read more.

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

• March 3: AoA Webinar – The Remarkable Effect: Why Some B2B SaaS Companies Get Noticed and Keep Getting Noticed

• March 3: Scaling Without Borders: How Canada Keeps Tech Teams Competitive

• March 3: Launch Meeting for Machine Cinema Seattle

• March 4: Meet the VC: Anthony Bontrager

• March 4: Climate Angels & LPs: Crash Course w/ Stepchange Ventures

• March 4: Women in Tech Panel: Navigating Your Career in Tech

Check out the GeekWire Calendar for more.