This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Seattle startup funding drops 40% in the first half of the year while AI money floods everywhere else. We dig into the numbers and the implications for the region. Plus: a Seattle judge deals Kalshi a setback, Impinj marks a decade on the Nasdaq after a 26-year climb, and nearly 40 Seattleites trade their smartphones for flip phones for five weeks. 

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Venture funding drops in Seattle area as AI boom reshapes startup world

Helion raises $465M at $15.5B valuation as it aims to commercialize fusion

UK data center startup Nscale bets big on Bellevue for U.S. engineering hub

Anthropic expands in Seattle as AI boom offers hope for struggling office market

Seattle judge deals blow to Kalshi, rejects prediction market's federal defense

How Impinj has survived 26 years in a market that's 'just getting going'

Ditch your smartphone for a flip phone for a month?

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

 

This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Seattle startup funding <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/venture-funding-drops-in-seattle-region-as-ai-boom-reshapes-startup-world/">drops 40%</a> in the first half of the year while AI money floods everywhere else. We dig into the numbers and the implications for the region. Plus: a Seattle judge <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/seattle-judge-deals-blow-to-kalshi-rejects-prediction-markets-federal-defense/">deals Kalshi a setback</a>, Impinj <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/the-little-chips-that-could-how-impinj-has-survived-26-years-in-a-market-thats-just-getting-going/">marks a decade on the Nasdaq</a> after a 26-year climb, and nearly 40 Seattleites <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/ditch-your-smartphone-for-a-flip-phone-for-a-month-this-group-wants-seattleites-to-try/">trade their smartphones for flip phones</a> for five weeks.&nbsp;
Related Stories
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/venture-funding-drops-in-seattle-region-as-ai-boom-reshapes-startup-world/">Venture funding drops in Seattle area as AI boom reshapes startup world</a>
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/helion-hits-15-5b-valuation-with-465m-in-new-cash-to-commercialize-fusion-this-decade/">Helion raises $465M at $15.5B valuation as it aims to commercialize fusion</a>
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/uk-data-center-startup-nscale-bets-big-on-bellevue-for-u-s-engineering-hub-amid-ai-boom/">UK data center startup Nscale bets big on Bellevue for U.S. engineering hub</a>
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/anthropic-expands-in-seattle-as-ai-boom-offers-hope-for-struggling-office-market/">Anthropic expands in Seattle as AI boom offers hope for struggling office market</a>
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/seattle-judge-deals-blow-to-kalshi-rejects-prediction-markets-federal-defense/">Seattle judge deals blow to Kalshi, rejects prediction market's federal defense</a>
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/the-little-chips-that-could-how-impinj-has-survived-26-years-in-a-market-thats-just-getting-going/">How Impinj has survived 26 years in a market that's 'just getting going'</a>
<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/ditch-your-smartphone-for-a-flip-phone-for-a-month-this-group-wants-seattleites-to-try/">Ditch your smartphone for a flip phone for a month?</a>
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.
&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

What's going on with Seattle startup funding, a Kalshi setback, Impinj's long game, and a smartphone detox

This week: Silicon Valley legend Vinod Khosla's family is leading a group that's buying the Seattle Seahawks for a record $9.6 billion. We dug into hours of his talks and interviews to answer the big questions: Who is this guy, why does he want an NFL team, and what does his track record tell us about the kind of owner he'll be? Plus, the blind spot that could get him into trouble.

Featuring highlights from his 2015 talk at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Also: A mystery trove of aerospace artifacts is rescued from a Seattle-area electronics recycler, and we want to hear about your coolest tech history find. Send your comments, voice memos and photos to todd@geekwire.com.

With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

This week:&nbsp;Silicon Valley legend Vinod Khosla's family is leading a group that's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/what-to-know-about-vinod-khosla-the-silicon-valley-legend-whose-family-is-buying-the-seahawks/">buying the Seattle Seahawks for a record $9.6 billion</a>. We dug into hours of his talks and interviews to answer the big questions: Who is this guy, why does he want an NFL team, and what does his track record tell us about the kind of owner he'll be? Plus, the blind spot that could get him into trouble.
Featuring highlights from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZcXup7p5-8">his 2015 talk</a> at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Also: A mystery trove of aerospace artifacts is <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/recycler-rescues-mysterious-trove-of-rare-aerospace-hardware-and-sets-out-to-discover-its-past/">rescued from a Seattle-area electronics recycler</a>, and we want to hear about your coolest tech history find.&nbsp;Send your comments, voice memos and photos to <a href="mailto:todd@geekwire.com">todd@geekwire.com</a>.
With GeekWire co-founders Todd Bishop and John Cook.

Silicon Valley icon Vinod Khosla: What kind of Seattle Seahawks owner will he be?

On this week's show, we're out on the GeekWire deck for our annual founder open house, where we dig into Microsoft's latest round of layoffs — including a major Xbox shakeup — and the surprising rise of hardware companies on the GeekWire 200.

Then we sit down with four guests to talk about how AI is reshaping how they build: 
Jana Schuster of StackIQ, whose AI-native platform helps companies find redundancy in their software spending — like Rocket Money, but for business — with a small team.
Blake Resnick and David Benowitz of Brinc Drones, whose mechanical engineers are now vibe coding their own prototypes;
Boaz Ashkenazy of Shift AI, who's setting up always-on agents and rethinking how we interact with AI tools.

Finally, the GeekWire Trivia Challenge: how a longtime T-Mobile executive got his start in the wireless business, and the star-studded history of T-Mobile celebrity endorsers.

Stories mentioned:
Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs, about 2% globally, revamps salesforce and launches massive Xbox overhaul
GeekWire 200 update: New unicorns and a hardware surge remake our list of top Pacific NW startups
Former GitHub CEO's startup Entire unveils its answer to the crush of AI coding agents
Chicago software company plants flag in Seattle area as new leadership team seeks AI talent
T-Mobile exec Mike Katz exits after 28 years, as carrier reshuffles top ranks and taps ex-AT&T leader

With Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

On this week's show, we're out on the GeekWire deck for our annual founder open house, where we dig into Microsoft's latest round of layoffs &mdash; including a major Xbox shakeup &mdash; and the surprising rise of hardware companies on the GeekWire 200.
Then we sit down with four guests to talk about how AI is reshaping how they build:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/janaschuster/">Jana Schuster</a> of <a href="https://stackiq.co">StackIQ</a>, whose AI-native platform helps companies find redundancy in their software spending &mdash; like Rocket Money, but for business &mdash; with a small team.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-resnick-164871bb">Blake Resnick</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-benowitz/">David Benowitz</a> of <a href="https://brincdrones.com">Brinc Drones</a>, whose mechanical engineers are now vibe coding their own prototypes;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/boazashkenazy">Boaz Ashkenazy</a> of <a href="https://shiftai.fm">Shift AI</a>, who's setting up always-on agents and rethinking how we interact with AI tools.</li>
</ul>
Finally, the GeekWire Trivia Challenge: how a longtime T-Mobile executive got his start in the wireless business, and the star-studded history of T-Mobile celebrity endorsers.
Stories mentioned:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/microsoft-cuts-4800-jobs-about-2-globally-revamps-salesforce-and-launches-massive-xbox-overhaul/">Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs, about 2% globally, revamps salesforce and launches massive Xbox overhaul</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/geekwire-200-update-new-unicorns-and-a-hardware-surge-remake-our-list-of-top-pacific-nw-startups/">GeekWire 200 update: New unicorns and a hardware surge remake our list of top Pacific NW startups</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/former-github-ceos-startup-entire-unveils-its-answer-to-the-crush-of-ai-coding-agents/">Former GitHub CEO's startup Entire unveils its answer to the crush of AI coding agents</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/chicago-software-company-plants-flag-in-seattle-area-as-new-leadership-team-seeks-ai-talent/">Chicago software company plants flag in Seattle area as new leadership team seeks AI talent</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/t-mobile-exec-mike-katz-exits-after-28-years-as-carrier-reshuffles-top-ranks-and-taps-ex-att-leader/">T-Mobile exec Mike Katz exits after 28 years, as carrier reshuffles top ranks and taps ex-AT&amp;T leader</a></li>
</ul>
With Todd Bishop and John Cook. Edited by Curt Milton.

Microsoft's reset, a new era for Seattle startups, and how AI is changing everything for founders

This week on the show, we're sharing the debut of Positive Charge, a new GeekWire podcast from reporter Lisa Stiffler and producer Laura Scott about the innovations that could help save the planet. 

In this episode, they dig into the high-stakes race to harness the power of the sun and make fusion energy real, visiting two Seattle-area startups chasing this dream, and asking whether limitless clean power is finally within reach.

Also out this week: their debut episode on the "forever chemicals" in our water and the companies figuring out how to destroy them. Follow Positive Charge wherever you get your podcasts, or at geekwire.com/positivecharge.

Positive Charge is presented with support from Amazon Sustainability.

Sources and references
David Kirtley, Helion Energy, CEO and co-founder
Manav Singh, Helion Energy, director of electrical engineering 
Matthew Thompson, Zap Energy, senior vice president of fission technology and former vice president of systems engineering and pulsed power
Laura Berzak Hopkins, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, associate laboratory director for Strategy and Partnerships, and deputy chief research officer

GeekWire’s related coverage:
Helion gives behind-the-scenes tour of secretive 60-foot fusion prototype as it races to deployment
Helion makes big bet on ‘Tiny Merge’ fusion testbed to meet aggressive Microsoft timeline
Inside Zap: Fusion pioneer tries to build ‘a star in a jar’ to unlock abundant clean energy
Zap Energy’s nuclear double play: Fusion startup adds traditional fission to its lineup, in industry first

This week on the show, we're sharing the debut of <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/positivecharge/">Positive Charge</a>, a new GeekWire podcast from reporter Lisa Stiffler and producer Laura Scott about the innovations that could help save the planet.&nbsp;
In this episode, they dig into the high-stakes race to harness the power of the sun and make fusion energy real, visiting two Seattle-area startups chasing this dream, and asking whether limitless clean power is finally within reach.
Also out this week: their <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/forever-chemicals-are-everywhere-but-these-companies-are-out-to-destroy-them/">debut episode</a> on the "forever chemicals" in our water and the companies figuring out how to destroy them. Follow Positive Charge wherever you get your podcasts, or at <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/positivecharge/">geekwire.com/positivecharge</a>.
Positive Charge is presented with support from Amazon Sustainability.
Sources and references
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-kirtley-490b8230/">David Kirtley</a>, Helion Energy, CEO and co-founder</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/manavsingh0/">Manav Singh</a>, Helion Energy, director of electrical engineering&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmatthewthompson/">Matthew Thompson</a>, Zap Energy, senior vice president of fission technology and former vice president of systems engineering and pulsed power</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.pppl.gov/people/laura-berzak-hopkins">Laura Berzak Hopkins</a>, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, associate laboratory director for Strategy and Partnerships, and deputy chief research officer</li>
</ul>
GeekWire&rsquo;s related coverage:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/helion-gives-behind-the-scenes-tour-of-secretive-60-foot-fusion-prototype-as-it-races-to-deployment/">Helion gives behind-the-scenes tour of secretive 60-foot fusion prototype as it races to deployment</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/helion-makes-big-bet-on-tiny-merge-fusion-testbed-to-meet-aggressive-microsoft-timeline/">Helion makes big bet on &lsquo;Tiny Merge&rsquo; fusion testbed to meet aggressive Microsoft timeline</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2025/go-inside-zap-a-seattle-area-company-trying-to-build-a-star-in-a-jar-to-unlock-abundant-clean-energy/">Inside Zap: Fusion pioneer tries to build &lsquo;a star in a jar&rsquo; to unlock abundant clean energy</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/zap-energys-nuclear-double-play-fusion-startup-is-the-first-to-add-traditional-atomic-power-to-its-lineup/">Zap Energy&rsquo;s nuclear double play: Fusion startup adds traditional fission to its lineup, in industry first</a></li>
</ul>

What's going on with Seattle startup funding, a Kalshi setback, Impinj's long game, and a smartphone detox

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