GeekWire Weekly Roundup: Tech Highs and Lows of November 2025
As the autumn leaves fall across the tech landscape, GeekWire’s most popular stories this past week reveal both dramatic downturns and promising innovations. From the potential collapse of a once-thriving e-bike empire to new hardware announcements, artificial intelligence breakthroughs, and legal troubles in the startup world, the tech sector continues its perpetual cycle of disruption and reinvention.
Seattle-based Rad Power Bikes, once North America’s largest e-bike seller, faces a possible closure according to a required state filing. This would mark a stunning collapse for what was previously Seattle’s highest-profile consumer hardware startup. Rad Power Bikes rode the pandemic-era e-bike demand to reach unicorn status, but appears to be the latest casualty in a challenging economic environment for hardware companies. The potential shutdown parallels a broader trend highlighted in another popular article this week, suggesting Seattle’s consumer-hardware ambitions are once again colliding with economic reality. These developments raise questions about the sustainability of hardware-focused business models in today’s volatile market conditions and signal a sobering moment for the local startup ecosystem that once celebrated Rad’s scrappy rise to prominence.
In more positive news, the AI sector continues to show strength with Microsoft showcasing its vision for AI agents at its new Experience Center One. In glowing demo rooms, Microsoft is making a high-stakes pitch to businesses, attempting to get them on board with its vision of an AI-powered future. This push comes as artificial intelligence applications continue to transform business operations across industries. Meanwhile, ChipStack, a promising startup that emerged from Seattle’s AI2 Incubator in 2023 and raised more than $7 million, made headlines this week, though details about its current developments weren’t specified in the roundup. These stories reflect the continued investment and interest in AI technologies despite broader economic uncertainties in the tech sector.
Amazon has rebranded its effort to expand global access to high-speed internet, with Project Kuiper now being known as Amazon Leo. This initiative represents Amazon’s continued push into satellite internet service, positioning the company to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink and other providers in the growing space-based connectivity market. The rebranding signals Amazon’s commitment to this strategic area despite the company’s various cost-cutting measures in other departments over recent years. As global demand for reliable internet access grows, particularly in underserved regions, Amazon’s investment in this infrastructure could have significant implications for digital inclusion and the company’s future revenue streams beyond its core e-commerce business.
The financial technology sector saw significant movement with the completion of a previously announced deal coinciding with the closing of a $500 million Series G funding round for Clio. Additionally, Arrived, a platform that lets people buy fractional shares of single-family rental homes and vacation rentals for as little as $100, made headlines, though specific details about recent developments weren’t included in the roundup. These stories highlight ongoing investor interest in fintech solutions that democratize access to investments previously available only to wealthier individuals. Despite market fluctuations, financial technology continues to attract substantial funding as it transforms how people invest, manage, and interact with money in increasingly accessible ways.
In the gaming world, Valve captured attention with plans to release new Steam hardware devices in early 2026. Described as new parts of the “Steam Hardware family,” these upcoming products suggest Valve’s continued commitment to expanding its presence in the gaming hardware market. This announcement comes amid increasing competition in the handheld gaming PC space that Valve helped pioneer with its Steam Deck. While details remain limited, the announcement indicates Valve’s strategic focus on hardware as a key component of its gaming ecosystem, potentially offering new ways for players to access their Steam libraries beyond traditional PCs.
On a more sobering note, the former chief financial officer of a Seattle e-commerce startup called Fabric has been convicted of four counts of wire fraud for misappropriating approximately $35 million from his former employer. This cautionary tale highlights the critical importance of financial oversight and governance in the fast-moving startup world. As companies rapidly scale and handle increasingly large sums of investor money, the case serves as a reminder of the potential vulnerabilities that can exist even within promising ventures. Such incidents underscore the necessity for robust financial controls and transparency as startups navigate the challenging path from early-stage funding to sustainable business models, particularly in an economic climate where investor scrutiny has intensified and the margin for error has narrowed considerably.
