This week on the GeekWire Podcast: A study commissioned by the City of Seattle says the city is not in decline but is in danger — finding that 10 companies, nine of them in tech, pay three-quarters of the payroll tax on large employers, and that the tax structure uniquely penalizes the hiring of senior, high-compensation workers.
The report says Seattle should be most concerned about AI but most active in cleantech, the one industry the city can actually shape, since it owns the electric utility and controls permitting, building codes and land use.
Meanwhile, the Seattle Times and Newsday sue Microsoft and OpenAI, accusing them of copying hundreds of thousands of articles to train their AI models, putting Microsoft’s hometown paper against a company that helps fund some of its journalism.
Which leads us to a new GeekWire Trivia Challenge about the Microsoft products that Apple later turned into categories. Stick around to the final segment to see if you can figure it out.
Upcoming Event
AI meets real estate
GeekWire, in partnership with Real Estate at Work, is recording the GeekWire Podcast live at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, with Toby Roberts, SVP of Engineering at Zillow. John Cook and Todd Bishop host with Real Residential broker Leka Devatha at Atmosphere Seattle. Grab a ticket.
The agency that oversees prediction markets has investigated Polymarket trades on Biden pardons and the Iran war—and even more potential insider trading at Google, documents obtained by WIRED show.
Some things just lie on the surface, while others take time to find. In OSINT, finding the right data often means digging deep. Before you reach a conclusion, there must be solid evidence to support it, and data acquisition is always the most time consuming part of this process. The success of your investigation depends on how well you can find information and connect the dots.
OpenPlanter can automate part of this process.
OpenPlanter
Essentially, OpenPlanter is a recursive language model investigation agent. It ingests different kinds of data, which can be corporate registries, campaign finance records, government contracts and more. It then resolves entities across them and surfaces connections through evidence-based analysis. You can also use it to build profiles of individuals based on publicly available information.
OpenPlanter has both a desktop GUI and a terminal interface. The second one is more convenient.
Setting Up
The setup process is quick. We just need to create a Python environment that will host the needed libraries.
kali > git clone https://github.com/ShinMegamiBoson/OpenPlanter.git
kali > cd OpenPlanter
kali > python3 -m venv venv; source venv/bin/activate
kali > pip install -e .
Once it’s done, we need to give it our API keys.
To make web searches, OpenPlanter needs the Exa API. Exa is cheap to use and gives free credits for new accounts, so you don’t have to pay upfront. OpenRouter API is also needed to run the tool. OpenRouter has free AI models, but there is a daily usage limit. Make an account there and get your free API key.
To configure keys, run this command and paste them:
kali > openplanter-agent --configure-keys
At this point, you can use the tool.
Using OpenPlanter with OpenRouter
The daily API usage limit is enough to run a couple of basic tests, like the one below.
OpenPlanter will use Exa API key to find information. Without Exa, it burns tokens faster and gives incomplete results.
Normally, the tool saves the results in a text file in the current directory, but it doesn’t always happen. Be careful and make sure you don’t lose anything.
Here is our first report.
To make things more interesting, we asked it to find a complete list of Tatneft executives. Tatneft is one of the largest oil and gas companies in Russia.
The report was well organized, but all this information is readily available on the internet, due to the size of the Russian company.
When it was asked to find more information on a specific person from the list above, it struggled to find much and ended up with some generic data and a wrong social media account. Well, maybe that person is hard to find, so we gave it a second chance and picked a unique name from the same list: Nail Ulfatovich Maganov.
kali > openplanter-agent --task "Find as much information as you can on Nail Ulfatovich Maganov who works at Tatneft. If possible, find his Vkontakte, phone number, address, email and check if his email has been in data leaks. Save the results in a text file" --provider openrouter --model openrouter/free
The results can be seen below. OpenPlanter did find his LinkedIn account and extracted information from various places.
It also found OpenSanctions records associated with Nail Maganov.
But he is a well known figure in Russia. What about regular employees at a large Russian company? We will use Sibur for this example. Founded in 1995, it’s Russia’s largest petrochemical company.
We tried two individuals. During the first attempt, the tool didn’t find the correct person. After the second attempt with a different employee, it gave the results.
It found Svetlana’s position (Head of HR). This information was in her LinkedIn account. The rest of the information deserves further validation. Keep in mind, Russia has undergone a massive data blackout, systematically dismantling its open data and public statistics infrastructure. No wonder it’s hard to find things there.
Using OpenPlanter with Ollama – Locally
OpenPlanter’s own docs push toward frontier models (GPT-5.2, Claude Opus 4.6, Cerebras Qwen3-235B), because the whole process is quite demanding. Small local models will be noticeably weaker. But we still gave it a try. The first model was Qwen3:0.6B and its first attempt didn’t produce any results. After the second attempt, it found recent vulnerabilities that Windows had.
We also tried it with Qwen3:4b, but it produced absolutely irrelevant data in its response.
We didn’t stop here and tried it again. The results were still irrelevant. Instead of making a report on Mikhail Karisalov (CEO of Sibur) it spoke about something else.
Using OpenPlanter with Ollama – Remote Servers
If you decide to rent a server with good hardware to test other models, don’t waste your time on it. We tried various models, but none of them worked well. OpenPlanter calls a model, the model replies and then it fails. The output can be seen on the screen.
Here is an example with Qwen3.6:27b. Qwen3.6:35b had the same issue.
We also tried Ornith:35B.
These models support thinking and tooling, but they can’t really do much in this case.
Terminal Interface
It’s also important to mention that there are two ways you can use OpenPlanter in the terminal. So far, you’ve seen only one. If you’re more comfortable with a chat interface, you can use the second option.
kali > openplanter-agent --provider openrouter --model openrouter/free
Here you run your prompts and tweak the tool using the available commands.
Summary
After testing the tool in various ways, we came to the conclusion that it works reliably only with OpenRouter. That’s what gave us the best results. The developers also push towards frontier models or OpenRouter. The whole process of investigation relies heavily on the Exa API. Using it with Ollama models hosted externally (VPS) will not work, as it fails silently even if you select a supported AI model.
The tool might confuse people, especially if their names are common and their social media profiles are empty. Everything it finds deserves validation. Occasionally, it may check the results, marking them HIGH, MEDIUM or LOW depending on its confidence. It doesn’t always do it, but this can be fixed if the prompt explicitly asks for it. Most importantly, OpenPlanter can still save you time.
Learn more with our AI for Cybersecurity training. During the training, we’ll show you different ways of using AI in cybersecurity, set up local models and solve tasks with it.
A new report says Seattle’s economy “may not be in decline, but it is in danger.” (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota)
An independent study commissioned by the City of Seattle says the city’s tax structure is unique among its peers in the way it “specifically penalizes the hiring of senior, high-compensation workers,” with that penalty falling overwhelmingly on large tech employers.
Overall, Seattle’s business taxes are actually in line with competing cities, write researchers from the economic consulting firm Formation in the new report. But Seattle’s taxes are “particularly distortionary when it comes to hiring high-wage employees,” they add.
Mayor Katie Wilson helped design the tax, known as JumpStart, before taking office. But even the strongest supporters of new local and state taxes would concede that Seattle is “reaching the limits of how much it can tax the industries and people that it is depending upon to drive its growth,” the researchers write.
Another risk for the city is the resulting concentration of the tax base. Three-quarters of the payroll tax on large employers comes from 10 companies. Nine of them are in tech-related sectors.
A big company shifting 10,000 workers out of Seattle would cost the city about $50 million a year in payroll tax revenue, the researchers say in an accompanying slide deck, without naming Amazon explicitly. That’s more than a quarter of the $175 million deficit the city projects for next year.
In that way, much of the city’s financial future depends “on the marginal location and compensation decisions of a handful of employers,” the report says. Because much of the taxed compensation is vesting stock, it adds, the city’s revenue is exposed to “the single most volatile attribute of these firms — one the city has no ability to forecast or influence.”
Reducing that dependence through growth is the bigger point of the report.
The 127-page assessment, called “Seawall: Building a Resilient Seattle Economy,” goes well beyond the topic of taxes. The title refers to Seattle’s rebuilt waterfront seawall, engineered to hold back the water and also let marine life take hold. The researchers offer this as a model for protecting the city’s economic base while building a more diverse economy on top of it.
A decade of growth lifted wages at every level of the income spectrum, the report finds. Few other U.S. regions spread prosperity as broadly. But the same growth made Seattle far more expensive, especially for families.
Fast-forward to today, and the report sees an economy that’s dangerously concentrated, “significantly more AI-exposed than the national average,” short of the electricity it will need, and no longer producing mid-sized companies.
In danger, not in decline: The report is also careful to point out the city’s unique position and strengths. Seattle’s tech workforce is “almost peerless,” it says: 23% of the nation’s AI engineers are based in the region, and output per tech worker is more than double the national average.
The region also has the rare combination of a big tech industry and a strong manufacturing base.
Seattle “may not be in decline, but it is in danger,” the researchers write — “not because it is losing its place in the industry, but because the industry could undergo a radical change, and arguably already is.”
The concern that Seattle is becoming “the next Cleveland,” raised in a GeekWire column in February by Seattle tech veteran and angel investor Charles Fitzgerald, is “likely hyperbolic,” the researchers write. (They acknowledge that it “caused quite the stir this past winter.”)
The report points instead to Portland and Los Angeles as the more relevant warnings, citing Portland’s pileup of new business taxes and Los Angeles’ failure to turn a deep talent pool into jobs.
Fitzgerald responded Wednesday evening on his blog, Platformonomics, writing that the city “has finally acknowledged there is such a thing as an economy.” His main objection was who wasn’t in the room: “No businesses were involved, but that seems to be the norm hereabouts on economic matters.”
The report’s acknowledgments list dozens of interviewees, including the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the Washington Roundtable and the Tech Alliance. No large tech employer is among them.
Ryan Donahue, a co-founder and managing partner at Formation, said in an email that the researchers interviewed many business representatives but no large companies directly, saying he expected a predictable message from their government affairs teams.
The person who led the report’s tax and cost analysis previously ran Amazon HQ2 recruitment at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the agency that landed the project for Arlington, Va., Donahue said, providing insights into how firms like Amazon weigh those decisions.
A path forward: The report recommends that the city focus on five industries: artificial intelligence, cleantech, maritime, life sciences and space. Cleantech is the priority, the report says, because Seattle owns or regulates much of what the sector needs, from Seattle City Light to building codes, permitting and land use.
The Seattle Office of Economic Development commissioned the report from Formation in 2025, under then-Mayor Bruce Harrell, to examine the drivers of the city’s business climate.
Harrell’s successor, Mayor Wilson, released the report Wednesday afternoon alongside an executive order convening a task force of business, labor, community and civic leaders, directing the city to improve permitting pathways, and calling for a proposal to create a Seattle Strategic Initiatives Fund.
In releasing the report, Wilson’s office said the findings “are independent and are not City policy.” But speaking on KUOW-FM’s Soundside as the report was released, the mayor called it “fantastic,” describing it as “super nuanced,” and urging listeners to take the time to read it.
The cost of a hire: JumpStart, the payroll expense tax, applies to large employers based on the compensation they pay to high-earning workers in Seattle. Approved by the City Council in 2020 and in effect since 2021, it was created to fund affordable housing, small-business support and climate programs, but the city has increasingly used it for general government operations.
Wilson helped create the tax before running for mayor, saying on her campaign website that she “played an instrumental role in designing and passing” the payroll tax.
Under JumpStart, hiring a software engineer at $650,000 in total compensation costs about $17,000 a year more in Seattle than in Bellevue, the report says. For an employee earning more than $1 million, the difference exceeds $33,000. San Francisco imposes no per-employee tax at all, and New York City’s equivalent is less than $6,000, according to the researchers.
That $17,000 reflects the tax’s top rate, which this year applies only to employers with about $1.3 billion or more in Seattle payroll. Two or three companies at most are in that tier, the report says. At the city’s lowest rate for that pay level, the same engineer would cost about $11,800, according to Seattle’s published rates.
The rate rises with an employee’s pay, and a company that crosses one of the city’s payroll thresholds pays the higher rate on every qualifying worker, not just the next hire.
“No other comparison city has a tax with both of these features,” the report says.
An issue of perception: Business leaders interviewed for the study described JumpStart as a problem “not primarily for its cost but because the process of enacting it communicated that the city’s governing orientation is fundamentally extractive.”
The researchers add: “Whether or not that characterization is fair, it is the operating perception, and perception shapes location decisions.”
But the researchers stop short of recommending a change. Taxes have “modest effects on firm location and expansion decisions,” they write, and Seattle is unlikely to lose its biggest employers to other regions, because the alternatives are either more expensive or have weaker talent.
“The Eastside is the only real threat in that regard,” the report says.
The study is blunt about what is at stake in keeping those employers. “If they leave,” it says, “Seattle won’t become more equal, it will just become poorer.”
What to do about taxes? The report does not recommend raising or lowering that top rate. Research on how firms respond to local taxes draws on thousands of firms across dozens of jurisdictions, it says, and “cannot tell us how any one firm will respond to any one tax change.”
With two or three firms in the top tier and “one firm by far the most dominant,” the question “is fundamentally a question about how that single firm will react.” It adds, “That is not a question this report, or the literature it draws on, is equipped to answer.”
GeekWire has contacted Amazon for comment on the report.
Other tax options that have been floated — vacancy taxes, wealth taxes, head taxes beyond JumpStart, expanded gross receipts schemes — are “either disallowed under state law or would, if enacted, likely push out the firms and workers Seattle most needs to retain,” the report says.
And once the state’s new 9.9% tax on income above $1 million takes effect in 2028, Seattle earners above that level will face a combined state and local marginal rate of about 10.5%. Pushing meaningfully above that, the report says, “would be a high-stakes tax experiment.”
Mayor Katie Wilson with business, labor and community leaders after signing an executive order on the economy Wednesday at the Seattle Office of Economic Development. (City of Seattle Photo)
Where Wilson stands: The mayor has already conceded the Bellevue point. “I don’t think it’s good that it is less expensive to do business in Bellevue than in Seattle,” she said in May. “We’re going to be taking that into consideration.”
She defended the tax in June, crediting it with helping Seattle recover from the pandemic and cautioning against blaming downtown’s problems on any single cause.
Her relationship with the tech community has been rockier. At a Seattle University event in April, asked about that state tax, Wilson said concerns about wealthy residents leaving were “super overblown” — then waved and said, “the ones that leave, like, bye.” The moment drew national coverage and criticism from Seattle investors.
A bet on cleantech: Taking a step back, the report says Seattle’s best opportunity is in cleantech, a category it defines broadly to include clean energy generation, energy efficiency and sustainable production methods and materials.
The shift is already showing up in local venture funding. Cleantech and energy companies took 3% of the venture capital raised by Seattle-area private companies from 2016 to 2020, and 20% from 2021 to 2025, according to Crunchbase data cited in the report. Three companies — TerraPower, Helion and Group14 — account for 70% of that.
The city “should be most concerned about AI but most active in cleantech,” the report says.
AI will ultimately be more important to Seattle’s future, the researchers explain, but the city has almost no ability to shape it. Cleantech is different: Seattle owns the electric utility, writes the building codes and controls permitting and much of the land.
The city can also use its own purchasing power to create a market for what these companies build, the report says, pointing to a New York program that used public housing demand to bring a new cold-climate heat pump into production.
To reach the top tier of cleantech ecosystems, the report says, Seattle would need a dedicated entity putting at least $5 million a year into growing the sector, funded through ratepayer charges, philanthropy, corporate sponsorship and competitive federal grants.
What’s next:According to the city, Wilson’s executive order calls for the task force to convene industry roundtables in the coming months. The report’s own first-year list runs to ten items, including a business-led commission on the city’s fiscal exposure, with an emphasis on AI, and structured visits with 50 companies across the five industries it identifies.
Others include naming a senior staffer in the mayor’s office to run the city’s AI agenda, and a childcare cost-sharing pilot split three ways between employee, employer and city, with the city’s share paid out of JumpStart.
On taxes, the report’s primary recommendation looks beyond City Hall. It urges Wilson to build a cross-partisan coalition of mayors and county executives to press Olympia for new municipal revenue tools, including changes to the state’s 1% cap on property tax growth.
A caller on KUOW asked Wilson whether there’s a limit to how much Seattle should grow. She said she shares the concern, then pointed back to the report, which she said makes clear there is “no graceful path” for Seattle to cool down its growth.
Singapore and Thailand are deepening AI, digital trade, and payments cooperation as both countries prepare to shape ASEAN’s next phase of digital integration.
Singapore and Thailand are deepening AI, digital trade, and payments cooperation as both countries prepare to shape ASEAN’s next phase of digital integration.
Brazil’s election court faces a new AI test after a synthetic Jair Bolsonaro appeared in campaign content, exposing gaps between regulation and technology.
Brazil’s election court faces a new AI test after a synthetic Jair Bolsonaro appeared in campaign content, exposing gaps between regulation and technology.
GSA terminated the security clearances of several hundred employees after an audit to ensure clearances "are strictly aligned with operational necessity."
Dubai has rapidly established itself as one of the world’s leading digital economies. Government initiatives, smart-city programs, growing technology investments, and the UAE’s broader digital-first agenda are encouraging businesses to modernize the way they operate.
Today, digital transformation in Dubai goes far beyond moving business processes online. Companies are adopting Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, automation, data analytics, enterprise software, IoT, cybersecurity, and modern digital platforms to improve efficiency and create better customer experiences.
From startups and SMEs to large enterprises and government organizations, businesses are increasingly partnering with technology companies to modernize legacy systems, automate workflows, migrate to the cloud, and build connected digital ecosystems.
However, choosing the right transformation partner can be challenging. To help businesses identify suitable providers, we have compiled a list of the top 10 digital transformation companies in Dubai for 2026, considering technology expertise, transformation capabilities, enterprise experience, innovation, scalability, and ability to deliver business-focused solutions.
1. Apptunix UAE
Founded: 2013 Headquarters: Global Delivery Centers with a strong presence in Dubai and the Middle East
Apptunix UAE has established itself as a leading digital transformation company helping businesses in Dubai modernize operations, adopt emerging technologies, and build future-ready digital platforms. The company brings more than 12 years of experience and 2,500+ successful projects, with expertise spanning AI, cloud, automation, enterprise software, mobile applications, and digital modernization.
Apptunix takes an end-to-end approach to transformation. Instead of focusing on a single technology, its teams help businesses identify operational challenges, develop transformation strategies, modernize legacy systems, automate processes, and implement scalable digital solutions.
Its digital transformation capabilities include AI and data-driven solutions, cloud migration, business process automation, enterprise application development, legacy modernization, cybersecurity, digital experience development, and technology consulting.
The company works across industries including healthcare, fintech, logistics, retail, real estate, travel, entertainment, education, and enterprise services.
For Dubai businesses looking for a technology partner capable of combining strategy, software engineering, AI, cloud, and automation, Apptunix is a strong choice for end-to-end digital transformation.
2. Way2Smile Solutions
Way2Smile Solutions provides digital transformation, cloud, AI, automation, and enterprise technology services to organizations in the UAE and wider region.
The company focuses on helping businesses modernize technology infrastructure and improve operational efficiency through cloud platforms, intelligent automation, data solutions, and custom enterprise applications.
3. Febno Technologies
Febno Technologies is a Dubai-based technology company offering ERP implementation, business automation, software development, and digital transformation services.
Its expertise is particularly relevant for businesses looking to modernize internal operations through enterprise applications, workflow automation, cloud technologies, and integrated business management systems.
4. Beveron Technologies
Beveron Technologies provides custom software development, cloud solutions, enterprise applications, and digital transformation services.
The company helps organizations replace outdated processes with modern digital systems designed to improve productivity, scalability, and customer engagement. Its combination of software engineering and cloud expertise makes it suitable for businesses undergoing technology modernization.
5. ParamInfo
ParamInfo is a technology and digital transformation company serving businesses across the UAE and other markets. Its services include enterprise software, cloud solutions, AI, data analytics, application modernization, and IT consulting.
The company works with organizations seeking to modernize existing technology environments and implement scalable digital platforms that support long-term business growth.
6. Techlancers Middle East
Techlancers Middle East provides technology consulting, software development, cloud, AI, and digital transformation services for businesses across the GCC.
Its approach focuses on combining technology strategy with implementation, helping organizations adopt modern platforms and improve operational processes without disrupting their existing business environment.
7. Alfazance Consulting
Alfazance Consulting is a Dubai-based digital transformation and business applications consulting company. Its expertise includes business applications, process improvement, enterprise technology, and digital modernization.
The company is particularly relevant for organizations looking to improve internal workflows, implement business applications, and align technology investments with broader operational objectives.
8. Business Experts MEA
Business Experts MEA is a Dubai-based technology and consulting company focused on Microsoft business solutions and enterprise transformation.
The company helps organizations with ERP and CRM modernization, business automation, analytics, cloud migration, and related technology initiatives. Its Microsoft-focused expertise makes it suitable for businesses looking to modernize their enterprise technology ecosystem.
9. Zero&One
Zero&One provides cloud consulting, managed services, application modernization, data, and technology solutions from its Dubai presence.
Its focus on AWS and cloud technologies makes the company a relevant option for businesses looking to migrate applications, modernize infrastructure, improve scalability, or develop cloud-based digital platforms.
10. Finesse Technologies
Finesse Technologies is a Dubai-based software and systems integration company offering enterprise digital transformation and cybersecurity services.
The company works with organizations on technology modernization, enterprise software, security, integration, and transformation initiatives. Its local presence can be valuable for businesses seeking on-the-ground support for complex digital projects.
How to Choose the Right Digital Transformation Company in Dubai
Digital transformation is a long-term business initiative, so selecting a technology partner requires more than comparing development costs. Businesses should evaluate whether a company can understand their existing infrastructure, business objectives, industry requirements, and future technology needs.
Consider these factors before choosing a partner:
Experience with enterprise digital transformation
AI, automation, and cloud expertise
Enterprise software and system integration capabilities
Experience modernizing legacy systems
Data security and cybersecurity practices
Ability to scale solutions as the business grows
Industry-specific knowledge
Transparent project management and communication
Post-launch support and continuous optimization
The right partner should create a transformation roadmap based on measurable business outcomes rather than simply recommending the latest technology.
Final Thoughts
Digital transformation has become an important growth strategy for businesses operating in Dubai. Organizations across retail, healthcare, fintech, logistics, real estate, manufacturing, hospitality, and government are adopting AI, cloud computing, automation, analytics, and modern enterprise platforms to become more efficient and competitive.
The companies featured in this list offer different areas of expertise, from cloud and ERP modernization to AI, automation, enterprise software, and cybersecurity. Businesses should evaluate providers based on their specific transformation objectives, technical requirements, industry experience, and long-term support capabilities.
Among these companies, Apptunix stands out for its broad combination of digital transformation consulting, AI, cloud modernization, automation, enterprise software, legacy modernization, and digital product development. Its ability to bring multiple technologies together under a single transformation strategy makes it a strong technology partner for businesses looking to modernize and scale in Dubai.
Whether you’re modernizing legacy infrastructure, automating business processes, migrating to the cloud, integrating AI, or developing a completely new digital platform, choosing the right transformation partner can determine how effectively your business turns technology investment into measurable growth.
The best digital transformation company in Dubai, UAE is not simply the one offering the most technologies. It is the partner that understands your business, develops a practical roadmap, implements the right solutions, and continues optimizing your digital ecosystem as your organization evolves.
Discover how Cisco’s FedRAMP Certified Class D (High) enables federal agencies to strengthen their Zero Trust architecture and secure mission-critical data.
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