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Washington Technology Industry Association Releases Washington State Artificial Intelligence Landscape Report

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Demystifying the Local AI Ecosystem to Inform Future Growth

SEATTLE, Nov. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA), a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a robust, equity-centered technology sector that empowers thriving communities, today released a comprehensive report detailing Washington state’s artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. The Washington State Artificial Intelligence Landscape report provides a deep dive into the state’s AI ecosystem, highlighting key trends, challenges, and opportunities for growth.

The report was developed in partnership with Moonbeam Exchange and by the WTIA Advanced Technology Cluster, which is funded through the Washington State Department of Commerce Innovation Cluster Accelerator Program. The report highlights Washington’s leadership, strengths, opportunities, and areas for improvement. The report finds that Washington state ranks 6th across the US according to 5 key innovation dimensions (Startups, Government-Industry R&D, Government-Academia R&D, Investors, Jobs). Individually, Washington ranks:

5th in startup activity.7th in investor activity.5th in job activity.10th in federally-funded university research & development (R&D) activity14th in federally-funded industry R&D activity.

Washington state is at the forefront as it extends its global expertise in cloud computing to power the next wave of AI ,” said Nirav Desai, CEO at Moonbeam Exchange. “This report underscores the state’s potential to become a global leader in AI. We are excited to collaborate with the WTIA to share these insights with the broader community.”

“AI is transforming industries and creating new economic opportunities,” said Kelly Fukai, COO at WTIA. “This report provides valuable data and analysis that will help policymakers, businesses, and investors understand the AI landscape in Washington state and capitalize on its growth potential.”

The report offers actionable insights that will be used to inform economic development, workforce development, and policy activities across the state to foster AI innovation and development in Washington. These recommendations include:

Provide more opportunities for founders to help develop skills, be introduced to resources, access peer mentoring and networking programs to assist in revitalizing the startup ecosystem and attract new founders and startups to the state.Assist with federal R&D funding applications for startups and academic institutions throughout the state. Additionally, founder education on how to solicit and win non-dilutive investment is critical to the advancement of deep-tech in the state.Proactively tell the story of the state, to attract national and international capital and incumbent investment. A flagship conference or an expansion of international trade shows and trade mission delegations will help with this narrative. The public sector and state associations could recruit and host delegations for the purposes of the attraction of new sources of capital.Activate the tech ecosystem with more focus on in-person programming; curated events for founders and investors to meet and exchange ideas.

The full report is available for download here: https://share.hsforms.com/1RAtJGiVkSwaXLwuNoZXzQgr4oir .

About WTIA
The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) is a consortium that includes a not-for-profit member trade association, a federally and state regulated association health plan, and a for profit corporation providing business services. The organization’s mission is to foster a robust, equity-centered technology sector that empowers thriving communities. We recruit technology companies and allies that view diversity as a competitive advantage, value collaboration as essential to sustainable growth, and fully embrace the opportunity to partner with and empower the communities in which we operate.

Contact: Nick Ellingson, Advanced Technology Cluster Manager, Nick@watech.org

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SOURCE Washington Technology Industry Association

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Quote.com Announces New Senior Leadership Additions

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Quote.com, a leading tech-enabled, omnichannel performance marketing organization, today announced the addition of two new executive team members to support the company’s continued growth and strategic expansion. Chase Nichols joins as Chief Marketing Officer and Ben Hochstetler as Senior Vice President of Marketing.

Quote.com announced the addition of two new executive team members, Chase Nichols and Ben Hochstetler.

The appointments strengthen Quote.com’s leadership team as the company continues to invest in execution, growth, and expanding its ability to help consumers access insurance solutions more easily and efficiently. “We are excited to welcome Chase and Ben to the Quote.com leadership team,” said Nick Stommes, Chief Executive Officer at Quote.com. “Both bring deep industry expertise, experienced execution capability, and a strong focus on operational excellence that will help accelerate our growth while improving how consumers access and compare insurance options. Their leadership will play a critical role at Quote.com as we continue scaling our platform and strengthening our partnerships.”

Chase Nichols joins Quote.com as Chief Marketing Officer; Chase is responsible for all performance marketing planning, organization, and execution, and is focused on driving efficient, measurable consumer touchpoints. With nearly two decades of experience in financial services and performance marketing environments, he brings a data-first approach to scaling growth while balancing brand development and direct-response marketing.

Ben Hochstetler joins as Senior Vice President of Marketing, leading digital marketing strategy and execution across Quote.com’s omnichannel performance marketing footprint. He brings more than 15 years of experience building and scaling performance marketing execution in highly competitive and regulated markets.

About Quote.com

Quote.com is a tech-enabled omnichannel performance marketing organization that delivers high-quality, mission-critical demand at scale to industry-leading partners. The company serves customers across multiple insurance verticals, including auto, home, life, and Medicare insurance. Quote.com provides significant value to consumers by providing an independent, third-party comparison-shopping experience.

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Young Voices Across Oceans: Telling China’s Story Fiji Special Showcases GDI Achievements

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SHENZHEN, China, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (GDI). Shenzhen Media Group’s “Telling China’s Story” program presents a special Fiji season, taking the perspective of young Chinese people to the Pacific island nation of Fiji. It documents the implementation of numerous cooperative projects which are smaller in scale but well-designed, showcasing the heartwarming stories and broad prospects of China and Fiji working together to promote common development and share the fruits of cooperation, vividly illustrating the practical achievements of the GDI.

 

The program will air from April 20th to 22nd, 2026. The first episode features Chinese actor Zhao Xiaotong, food blogger Yang Beichuan, and Wu Dongwei, a doctoral student at China Agricultural University, who visit the China-Fiji Juncao Technology Demonstration Center in Nadi, Fiji, to explore how this “Happiness Juncao” from China has taken root and grown in the South Pacific island nation, benefiting people’s livelihoods.

This “Happiness Juncao” has yielded “win-win results” in Fiji, bringing tangible changes to local families. Internet technology engineer Ashmir not only gained a stable income by learning Juncao (a type of grass cultivation) to grow mushrooms, but also successfully paid off his car loan.

During this filming, a “Mushroom Team” of young Chinese people joined Ashmir in a Fijian market to promote mushroom dishes and introduce locals to various new ways to enjoy mushrooms. The humble mushroom became a bond of friendship across mountains and seas, conveying the warm sentiments of mutual understanding between the Chinese and Fijian people amidst the bustling market atmosphere.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/young-voices-across-oceans-telling-chinas-story-fiji-special-showcases-gdi-achievements-302750267.html

SOURCE Shenzhen Media Group

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Laminar Wins Gold 2026 Edison Award for Physical AI that Powers the Self-Driving Factory

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Top honor recognizes Laminar’s innovation and transformation in the CPG manufacturing industry

BOSTON, April 22, 2026 /CNW/ — Laminar, a physical AI solution helping the world’s leading manufacturers run more productive and sustainable factories, announced that it received a Gold 2026 Edison Award in the Manufacturing & Logistics category. The award recognizes Laminar for enabling food and beverage manufacturers to unlock new levels of productivity and sustainability through innovation – running faster production lines while cutting water, chemicals, and downtime.

“Laminar is leading the way CPG manufacturers implement physical AI on the factory floor with first-of-their-kind self-driving processes,” said Annie Lu, Laminar Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. “Our patented spectral sensors and complete library of ML models enable a new, transformative approach to closed-loop automation, making the goal of the self-driving factory achievable today. We are honored the Edison Awards recognized our commitment to building a new category of technology and reshaping the future of manufacturing.”

Laminar’s physical AI transforms operations by enabling CPG manufacturers to transition from manual, timer-based operations to self-driving. Deployed across six continents for Coca-Cola, AB InBev, Danone, and Unilever, Laminar delivers measurable sustainability and profitability gains from the same investment. Laminar’s self-driving processes include:

Self-Driving Clean-in-PlaceSelf-Driving Product ChangeoverSelf-Driving Batch OptimizationSelf-Driving Quality ControlAnd more

The Edison Awards, established in 1987 and named in honor of inventor Thomas Edison, celebrates game-changing innovation across industries worldwide. Drawing a global community of innovators across 60+ countries, the Edison Awards elevate solutions that reimagine our future.

Recognition for Laminar’s Innovation

Headquartered at Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA – North America’s leading cleantech incubator – Laminar is a woman-founded startup backed by top-tier investors, including Greycroft, Construct Capital, 2048 Ventures, and Flybridge Capital.

Recognized for its innovation and impact, Laminar received AB InBev’s 2024 Cheers Award for outstanding startup partnership and was named Unilever’s 2023 Supplier Startup of the Year. Laminar’s solution is also deployed in World Economic Forum Lighthouse factories recognized for their leadership in cutting-edge technology.

About Laminar

Laminar’s physical AI helps the world’s leading manufacturers run self-driving factories with more sustainable, efficient operations. Our patented spectral sensors and complete library of ML models transform manual operations into self-driving processes that cut water, chemicals, and downtime in real-time. Deployed in factories across six continents and trusted by global leaders like AB InBev, Coca-Cola, and Unilever, Laminar is building a new category of physical AI that will power the future of process manufacturing. Learn more at runlaminar.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/laminar-wins-gold-2026-edison-award-for-physical-ai-that-powers-the-self-driving-factory-302749392.html

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