A reboot for Glowforge

Ten years after the Seattle startup launched its 3D laser cutter/engraver and upended the world of home crafting, the co-founders of Glowforge are attempting to weather trying times and a restructuring, and return the company to what made it successful.

• Glowforge, which raised $183 million over the years, went through an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors. On the brink of liquidation, CEO Dan Shapiro (above) and CTO Mark Gosselin acquired key assets including the brand, hardware and software. 
• With 20 former employees, Glowforge aims to “get back to basics” and to serve customers “rather than optimizing for investor presentations,” according to Shapiro. Read more.

Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman is forming a new Superintelligence team to develop “humanist superintelligence” — AI designed to serve, not surpass, humanity. The move reflects Microsoft’s push to balance rapid AI progress with control, safety, and clear limits. Read more.

In the wake of months of pressure over how Israel has allegedly used Microsoft’s technology during the war in Gaza, the company is creating a new internal mechanism for employees to report concerns about how its technology is developed and used. Read more.

It’s time for Smartsheet to step out of the shadows. That was the message from Rajeev Singh , the new CEO at the enterprise software giant, speaking at the company's Engage conference in Seattle on Wednesday. We caught up with the longtime Seattle-area tech leader to learn more about why he’s betting that Smartsheet can redefine enterprise software for the AI era. Read more.

Biotech giant QIAGEN is paying $225 million to acquire Parse Biosciences , a Seattle company founded in 2019 that develops single-cell sequencing products. Read more.

Accipiter Biosciences , a Seattle biotech startup born from the Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington , emerged from stealth with $12.7 million and partnerships with Pfizer and Kite Pharma . The startup’s AI tools engineer proteins that have the unusual ability to bind multiple cellular targets at once — a potentially game-changing approach for drug development. Read more.

Digs , a Vancouver, Wash.-based real estate startup that describes itself as “CarFax for the home,” raised $5 million.

• Check out recent funding data across the Pacific Northwest here.  

The Seattle Torrent has arrived. Nope, it’s not an internet file-sharing reference, but rather the name of the city’s new professional women’s hockey team. And the name is a nod to a violent stream of water. Read more. 

Hot Links:

• Remitly topped estimates for its Q3 revenue but shares fell more than 20% (Remitly)
• Can the rise of AI fuel a trade school boom? (KUOW)
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) is partnering with The Jane Goodall Institute to help preserve the renowned researcher’s work. (Amazon)
• Bloomberg picked 24 AI startups to watch in 2026 — no Seattle-area companies made the list. (Bloomberg)
• Amazon donated disaster relief technology outside the U.S. for the first time, flying batteries and WiFi connectors to Jamaica to help with Hurricane Melissa recovery. (Amazon)
• Amazon’s Ring launched a new “Single Event Alert” feature that combines multiple camera notifications into a single alert to reduce notification overload. (Ring)

Sign up here to receive GeekWire's daily newsletter in your inbox each day at 11 a.m. PT.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Join global cloud leaders at AWS re:Invent for hands-on learning & expert insights: Level up your cloud skills.

SPONSOR MESSAGE: UW cancer research saves lives and makes America healthier. The University of Washington is transforming what’s possible in cancer care — and our federally funded research drives discoveries that save lives. From early detection to cutting-edge treatments and better outcomes for cancer patients, UW research breakthroughs bring hope to families here in Washington and across the country. But that research is now at risk. Learn how you can help.