Vote for Startup of the Year | LinkedIn explores adding games to feed

Homecoming for Seattle-based entrepreneur-turned-investor | Seattle’s underground comics scene ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Act Fast for INNOVATEwest Early Bird Tickets: [Save over $400 and gain exclusive access to social events including the Tech Bash Party, Welcome Reception and more.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Amid a shaky venture capital market last year, there were still plenty of startups that gained momentum and reached new heights. That’s true for the five finalists up for the Startup of the Year category at the [GeekWire Awards]( Kevala, Overland AI, Pictory, Shipium, and SingleFile. Winners will be revealed May 9 at the Showbox SoDo in Seattle. [Cast your vote and get tickets here](. Adding some fun to the LinkedIn feed: The Microsoft-owned social platform is exploring adding several puzzle-based games to the overall LinkedIn experience, which could help “deepen relationships” and “spark the opportunity for conversations.” [Read more.]( Homecoming for Seattle-based entrepreneur-turned-investor: Andrew Peterson is back in town after a journey that took him halfway across the world and through a $825 million startup exit. Now the co-founder of Signal Sciences is looking to invest in enterprise software startups with a new fund. [Read more](. The rise, fall, and revival of Zulily: On a new episode of the GeekWire Podcast, we revisit the whirlwind saga of the Seattle e-commerce brand, explaining its decline and potential new rise led by investor and entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis of CNBC’s “The Profit.” [Read more and listen here.]( The artists who had a hand in the rise of Seattle’s underground comics scene shared the story of how that scene started and grew during a recent discussion at Emerald City Comic Con. A “perfect storm” of small publishers, alternative publications, the growing music scene and more helped independent comics flourish. [Read more.]( Hot Links: - Starbucks is shutting down Odyssey, the coffee giant’s foray into NFTs and blockchain that [launched]( as part of its rewards program in 2022. ([Decrypt]( - Amazon and FedEx — two logistics rivals — reportedly discussed a partnership last year to help deal with package returns. ([Wall Street Journal]( Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great week. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Tell your story with GeekWire Studios.]( Looking to highlight a key customer, showcase your presence at an industry conference or spread the word about an important product launch? [GeekWire Studios]( the sponsored content arm of GeekWire, helps companies tell their stories. Learn how AWS, Smartsheet, BECU and other top brands tap into the power of GeekWire Studios [here]( or contact us at advertising@geekwire.com to learn more. LATEST HEADLINES [Vote for Startup of the Year: Kevala, Overland AI, Pictory, Shipium, SingleFile]( [This Seattle investor went from Google to Africa to a big exit — and is back home investing in startups]( [LinkedIn explores adding puzzle-based games to its feed]( [The secret history of underground comics in Seattle, told by artists who were there]( [Week in Review: Most popular stories on GeekWire for the week of March 10, 2024]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [AdaptX: Vice President of Engineering]( - [City of Newport: Systems Administrator II]( - [INRIX: Sales Development Representative (SDR)]( - [INRIX: Finance Pricing Manager]( - [GeekWork: ML Engineer]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2024 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](