GeekWire

3 days ago | geekwire.com | Lisa Stiffler

Group14 Technologies is slowing the launch of its flagship battery materials plant in Eastern Washington, pushing the start of production to early 2026, as tariff tensions and uncertain U.S. policy cloud the outlook for clean energy manufacturing. Despite the delay, the company remains optimistic about long-term customer demand and a potentially huge new market for Group14’s silicon anode product as data center operators are adding utility-scale batteries to their power supplies.

4 days ago | geekwire.com | Lisa Stiffler

Echandia, a Swedish maker of battery systems for marine vessels, raised $34 million. Echandia leaders said the investment will be used to increase its production capacity, grow its U.S. market presence, and fund R&D efforts. Almost a year ago, the company celebrated the opening of its manufacturing and sales facility in Marysville, Wash., which is its first site in North America.

4 days ago | geekwire.com | Alan Boyle

Starfish Space’s second Otter Pup spacecraft went into Earth orbit today, marking the first step in what the Seattle-area startup hopes will be a successful demonstration of the vehicle’s ability to dock with other satellites. Otter Pup, which is about the size of a microwave oven, was one of 70 payloads that hitched a ride to space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-14 smallsat rideshare mission.

4 days ago | geekwire.com | Lisa Stiffler

The University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs has named the six startups participating in its inaugural Climate Tech Incubator. More than 30 companies applied to the eight-month program, which is part of the recently launched Seattle Climate Innovation Hub. The broader effort is a collaboration between CoMotion, the Seattle Office of Economic Development, the climate co-working group 9Zero, and the funding nonprofit VertueLab.

4 days ago | geekwire.com | Alan Boyle

Kent, Wash.-based New Frontier Aerospace says it has put its 3D-printed Mjölnir rocket engine through a series of successful hot-fire tests, in preparation for an initial flight test of a hypersonic drone that could take place as early as next year. Mjölnir is named after the hammer that was wielded by Thor in Norse mythology (and in Marvel movies). The first job for this hammer would be to propel an uncrewed aerial system called Pathfinder for a series of hovering tests, currently set for 2026.