Feb 16, 2022

NuScale Power

NuScale Power and Poland's KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. (KGHM) will announce an agreement to initiate the deployment of NuScale's small modular reactor (SMR) technology. The definitive agreement between NuScale Power, whose SMR is the first and only small modular reactor to receive design approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and KGHM, a Poland-based leader in copper and silver production and large industrial energy user, will position KGHM as a clean energy implementation leader with the first deployment of SMRs in Poland. Under the agreement, NuScale will work with KGHM to support the deployment of SMR technology, and together, the organizations will take steps toward deploying a first NuScale VOYGR power plant in Poland as early as 2029, which would help Poland avoid up to 8M tons of CO2 emissions per year. The first task under the agreement will identify and assess potential project sites and develop project planning milestones and cost estimates. KGHM and NuScale first began their collaboration in September 2021, after the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the development, licensing and construction of a NuScale VOYGR plant in Poland. NuScale is headquartered in Portland and has offices in Corvallis, OR; Rockville, MD; Charlotte, NC; Richland, WA and London, UK.

Impinj

Seattle-based Impinj, a leading RAIN RFID provider, announced the company has joined the DoseID Consortium to expand its focus on RAIN radio-frequency identification (RAIN RFID) applications in healthcare, and to participate in developing standards for RAIN RFID healthcare use. DoseID is a member-driven industry consortium with representatives from leading pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers and hospitals. Impinj partners with healthcare providers that use its RAIN RFID products to deliver solutions that improve patient care, reduce costs, and increase efficiencies by better managing assets and inventory and by automating systems that keep patients and staff safe. Solutions built by Impinj partners are designed to work within an existing healthcare setting, supporting compliance with procedures and regulations and making the work of caring for patients easier.

Feb 15, 2022

Kevala

Seattle-based Kevala announced that it raised $12.1 million in Series A funding to modernize the healthcare industry through scheduling and compliance software. Cercano Management led the round, with participation from existing investors Costanoa Ventures, High Alpha, and PSL Ventures. Kevala spun out of Pioneer Square Labs in April 2020. Kevala is an intelligent workforce management and engagement platform built to solve the staffing problems in healthcare facilities. Kevala is first addressing the needs of long-term care organizations, including senior living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation and hospice. By building an integrated and intelligent SaaS solution, Kevala is able to maximize employee productivity and engagement, while improving quality of care and the bottom line. Clients are able to curate and float pools of talent within their organizations or opt to fill open shifts from the Kevala Care Network, a fully credentialed pool of per diem and contract healthcare professionals. Kevala has also automated how healthcare facilities track and maintain caregiver credentials. Kevala currently offers solutions to hundreds of organizations across five states, and plans to continue to expand its reach into new states with its software platform and the Kevala Care Network of caregivers this coming year.

nLIGHT

nLIGHT, a provider of high-power semiconductor and fiber lasers used in the industrial, microfabrication, aerospace, and defense markets, announced that it has acquired the assets of plasmo Industrietechnik GmbH (“Plasmo”), an Austrian-based provider of automated quality assurance and diagnostic solutions. Plasmo's products are driven by proprietary machine vision and analysis software that monitor and help automate a wide range of industrial welding and additive manufacturing processes. Complementing nLIGHT's expanding laser portfolio, the acquisition of the Plasmo assets strengthens nLIGHT's position as a critical enabler of next generation manufacturing solutions in these growth markets. Headquartered in Camas, Washington, nLIGHT employs over 1,275 people with operations in the U.S., China and Finland.

Inland Northwest Partners

Inland Northwest Partners appointed KayDee Gilkey as its new executive director. Gilkey comes to INP with more than 30 years of service to nonprofit boards on a local, regional, and state level, and is former two-term mayor of the town of Fairfield, Washington. Gilkey is the economic development organization's second director and assumed her position earlier this month. She succeeds Sharon Matthews, who held the position for 25 years. Matthews retired at the end of 2021. Gilkey will concurrently remain as director of industry relations for the Washington State Beef Commission. She currently serves on the Liberty Community Education Foundation Board of Directors and serves as chapter advisor to WSU's Alpha-Gamma-Delta chapter. Inland Northwest Partners originated in 1986 as an in-house Avista economic development program and became an official non-profit corporation in 1996. In 2004, the organization developed the Inland Northwest Economic Alliance to better support community and economic development professionals from across the Inland Northwest. INP members meet quarterly to share common economic challenges and solutions within the eastern Washington and northern Idaho region. Topics include technology, financing community initiatives, forging regional partnerships, civic capacity-building, business expansion and retention strategies, and talent attraction. INP often partners with local chambers or state organizations for value-added training.

Feb 11, 2022

NuScale Power

Scott

NuScale Power announced the expansion of its leadership team to include Clayton Scott who has joined the company as executive vice president of business development. The appointment of Scott represents an expansion of executive leadership within the sales and business development functions. Scott will be leading the commercial global business development activities, including the sales, and marketing and communications functions for all NuScale products and services in the U.S. and abroad. Scott joins NuScale with an extensive business development background and more than 40 years of professional experience in the nuclear sector including managing utility contracts globally, construction management, expertise in licensing and compliance, mergers and acquisitions, engineering design, and startup and operation of nuclear power plants. Prior to joining NuScale, Scott was a senior vice president – global sales, deputy director, instrumentation and control at Framatome. NuScale is headquartered in Portland and has offices in Corvallis, Ore., Rockville, Md., Charlotte, N.C., Richland, Wash. and London, UK.

WaFd Bank

Washington Federal, Inc., parent company of Washington Federal Bank (WaFd Bank) was recognized as one of America's Best Employers 2022 by Forbes. America's Best Employers 2022 were identified in an independent survey taken by approximately 60,000 American employees working for companies with more than 1,000 workers in the United States. The evaluation was based on direct and indirect recommendations from respondents who were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employer to friends and family. WaFd is a national bank with headquarters in Seattle and more than 200 branches in eight western states.

Lattice Semiconductor

Lattice Semiconductor announced that it has been named a 2022 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards winner for its excellence, innovation, and leadership in information security for the second year in a row. The Lattice Sentry solution stack and Lattice SupplyGuard service were recognized in the Embedded Security and Endpoint Security product categories for North America, respectively. Cybersecurity Excellence Awards finalists and winners are selected based on the strength of their nomination as well as the popular vote by members of the information security community. Lattice Semiconductor is headquartered in Hillsboro, Oregon.