Would you have guessed that nearly 25 percent of the Seattle region's top tech startups are led by CEOs with backgrounds at Microsoft? That was the surprising result of our analysis of the GeekWire 200, our index of the top privately held tech companies in the Pacific Northwest. And fundings for the region's startups bucked the national trend, as reflected in data from our new startup deal tracker. 

Nintendo unveiled a new iteration of its Switch game console; former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pulled off what might be his greatest deal ever; and an Amazon employee showed the potential of artificial intelligence with a high-tech cat door.

GeekWire editor Todd Bishop and managing editor Taylor Soper recap and analyze the news on this episode of the show. Plus, listen for the debut of the new GeekWire Podcast theme song, by composer Daniel L.K. Caldwell. 

Would you have guessed that nearly 25 percent of the Seattle region's top tech startups are led by CEOs with backgrounds at Microsoft? That was the surprising result of <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/microsoft-veterans-lead-nearly-25-seattle-regions-top-tech-startups-geekwire-analysis-shows/">our analysis of the GeekWire 200</a>, our index of the top privately held tech companies in the Pacific Northwest. And fundings for the region's startups bucked the national trend, as reflected in data from our <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/fundings/">new startup deal tracker</a>.&nbsp;
Nintendo <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/nintendo-reveals-new-switch-lite-smaller-cheaper-version-popular-switch-gaming-device/">unveiled a new iteration of its Switch game console</a>; former <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2019/steve-ballmer-gets-shot-nba-title-blockbuster-trade-sends-stars-clippers/">Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer pulled off what might be his greatest deal ever</a>; and an Amazon employee showed the potential of artificial intelligence with <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2019/6/30/19102430/amazon-engineer-ai-powered-catflap-prey-ben-hamm">a high-tech cat door</a>.
GeekWire editor Todd Bishop and managing editor Taylor Soper recap and analyze the news on this episode of the show. Plus, listen for the debut of the new GeekWire Podcast theme song, by composer <a href="https://www.daniellkcaldwell.com/">Daniel L.K. Caldwell</a>.&nbsp;

GeekWire brings you the week's latest technology news, trends and insights, covering the world of technology from our home base in Seattle. Our regular news podcast features commentary and analysis from our editors and reporters, plus interviews with special guests.

GeekWire reporters John Cook, Todd Bishop and guests talk about the latest tech news and trends.

GeekWire

Secret Startup Ingredient: Microsoft

This week: F5 turns 30 years old this year, and the Seattle company has reinvented itself repeatedly to get here — starting, improbably, as a group of University of Washington students trying to build online video games.



On this week's GeekWire Podcast, recorded on location at F5 Tower, the company's chairman, president and CEO François Locoh-Donou joins us to trace that journey, from a 1990s internet load-balancing startup to a company that helps keep many of the world's biggest apps running and secure.



Today F5 is a publicly traded company with about 6,500 employees and more than $3 billion in annual revenue, and it counts over 80% of the Fortune 500 among its customers.



Locoh-Donou discusses F5's expansion into AI security, including its acquisition of SurePath AI this week, and the company's broader M&A strategy. On a personal note, he reflects on his path from Togo to Seattle, his leadership philosophy, and his message to high school students from underrepresented backgrounds who visited F5 Tower before the company took them to a World Cup match.



Plus: his World Cup predictions, and a GeekWire trivia question that stumps the room.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

This week: F5 <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/still-ringing-a-bell-f5-marks-its-30th-year-in-business/">turns 30 years old this year</a>, and the Seattle company has reinvented itself repeatedly to get here &mdash; starting, improbably, as a group of University of Washington students trying to build online video games.
 
On this week's GeekWire Podcast, recorded on location at F5 Tower, the company's chairman, president and CEO <a href="https://www.f5.com/company/leadership/francois-locoh-donou">Fran&ccedil;ois Locoh-Donou</a> joins us to trace that journey, from a 1990s internet load-balancing startup to a company that helps keep many of the world's biggest apps running and secure.
 
Today F5 is a publicly traded company with about 6,500 employees and more than $3 billion in annual revenue, and it counts over 80% of the Fortune 500 among its customers.
 
Locoh-Donou discusses F5's expansion into AI security, including its <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/f5-expands-further-into-ai-security-with-surepath-ai-acquisition/">acquisition of SurePath AI</a> this week, and the company's broader M&amp;A strategy. On a personal note, he reflects on his path from Togo to Seattle, his leadership philosophy, and his message to high school students from underrepresented backgrounds who visited F5 Tower before the company took them to a World Cup match.
 
Plus: his World Cup predictions, and a GeekWire trivia question that stumps the room.
With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop. Edited by Curt Milton.

From the dot-com boom to AI security: F5 at 30, with CEO François Locoh-Donou

Anthropic takes its most powerful models offline after a U.S. order, with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy reportedly contributing to the concerns that helped trigger it. Todd and John dig into the Amazon-Anthropic dynamic, how agentic AI is upending Amazon's "working backwards" tradition, an AI-driven school arriving soon in the Seattle area, and the sensor-packed World Cup ball.

With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

Anthropic takes its most powerful models offline after a U.S. order, with Amazon CEO Andy Jassy <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-ceo-reportedly-raised-anthropic-fable-concerns-prior-to-u-s-order-forcing-models-offline/">reportedly</a> contributing to the concerns that helped trigger it. Todd and John dig into the Amazon-Anthropic dynamic, how agentic AI is <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/how-agentic-ai-is-rewiring-amazons-teams-and-upending-its-traditions/">upending Amazon's "working backwards" tradition</a>, an AI-driven school <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/two-hour-learning-ai-powered-alpha-school-lands-in-seattle-region/">arriving soon in the Seattle area</a>, and the <a href="https://inside.fifa.com/innovation/innovating-the-game/connected-ball-technology">sensor-packed World Cup ball</a>.
With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

Anthropic, Amazon, and the Fable shutdown; AI-powered school arrives; World Cup tech

In February, Seattle angel investor Charles Fitzgerald warned the region not to become the next Cleveland, prompting Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb to join the podcast and make the case for his city's comeback. This week we close the loop: Fitzgerald and GeekWire co-founder John Cook call in from an abandoned Westinghouse factory in Cleveland, where days of meeting entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine left them struck by a city hustling and aligned around jobs in ways Seattle no longer is.

Back home, we dig into Seattle's unanimous one-year moratorium on new large data centers, which Fitzgerald calls political theater, and he explains why he's sitting out the SpaceX IPO.

In February, Seattle angel investor Charles Fitzgerald warned the region <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/a-warning-to-seattle-dont-become-the-next-cleveland/">not to become the next Cleveland</a>, prompting Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb to <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/clevelands-mayor-seattles-future-a-conversation-about-what-happens-when-a-citys-economy-shifts/">join the podcast</a> and make the case for his city's comeback. This week we close the loop: Fitzgerald and GeekWire co-founder John Cook call in from an abandoned Westinghouse factory in Cleveland, where days of meeting entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine left them <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/what-we-learned-in-cleveland-about-seattles-future-advice-from-a-rust-belt-city-on-the-rise/">struck by a city hustling and aligned around jobs</a> in ways Seattle no longer is.
Back home, we dig into Seattle's unanimous one-year moratorium on new large data centers, which Fitzgerald calls political theater, and he explains why he's sitting out the SpaceX IPO.

Secret Startup Ingredient: Microsoft

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