This week on the GeekWire Podcast: Newly unsealed court documents reveal the behind-the-scenes history of Microsoft and OpenAI, including a surprise: Amazon Web Services was OpenAI’s original partner. We tell the story behind the story, explaining how it all came to light.

Plus, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella debuts a new AI catchphrase at Davos, startup CEO Dave Clark stirs controversy with his “wildly productive weekend,” Elon Musk talks aliens, and the latest on Seattle-area physical AI startups, including Overland AI and AIM Intelligent Machines.

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With GeekWire co-founders John Cook and Todd Bishop; edited by Curt Milton.

Overland AI, a Seattle-based startup that develops autonomous driving technology for rugged terrain, is expanding its reach beyond military applications.

The company this week revealed a partnership with The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), which is testing the use of Overland’s technology for wildfire response.

CAL FIRE used two of Overland’s self-driving 4-wheelers for resupply (food, water, battery delivery) and wildfire logistics missions at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. It’s the first time CAL FIRE has evaluated autonomous ground vehicle tech for its firefighting operations.

“When we started this company, we always saw our technology as being inherently dual-use — meaning that it could be used for both military and civilian applications,” said Stephanie Bonk, co-founder and president at Overland. “This is the first time we’re actually demonstrating that.”

Bonk said Overland’s technology “thrives” in a rugged environment where wildfires often occur.

Fire departments are testing various technologies to help manage wildfires, including AI-trained cameras that spot plumes of smoke.

Overland spun out of the University of Washington in 2022 and has inked various military-related partnerships, including a $18.6 million contract with the U.S. Army and Defense Innovation Unit. Overland also works with the U.S. Marine Corps and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a unit of the Department of Defense.

Last year the startup announced a $32 million funding round and opened a 22,000 square-foot production facility in Seattle.

The company is led by Bonk and CEO Byron Boots, a robotics researcher who leads the UW’s Robot Learning Laboratory and is the Amazon Professor of Machine Learning at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering.

Overland is ranked No. 14 on the GeekWire 200, our list of top privately held startups across the Pacific Northwest. Its investors include 8VC, Point72 Ventures, Overmatch Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Ascend, Osage University Partners, and Caprock. The company has 101 employees, up from 58 people a year ago, according to LinkedIn data.

DARPA, the Pentagon’s research and technology arm, confirmed on January 14, 2026, that its Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency (RACER) program has completed final operational tests and is ready for transition to U.S. military units and commercial users. The announcement follows a series of Army and Marine Corps demonstrations that showed RACER-equipped vehicles […]