Paycheck Protection Program: What tech startups should know

Online grocery surge | Games on Slack | ‘Pink supermoon’ photos ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Nominations are open to recognize students around the PNW ages 12-20: [What is your Junior Geek doing?]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Happy Hump Day, GeekWire readers. Is your company going through layoffs or cutbacks? Have you been personally affected? We want to hear about the challenges you’re facing. [Send us a news tip](. Now, some headlines: Paycheck Protection Program: Banks began accepting applications for small business relief this week but eligibility requirements and major logjams [have many companies in the tech industry scrambling](. Complicated rules about investor control cast uncertainty on whether many startups are eligible for the program. Some tech companies with investor funding also find themselves in an ethical dilemma. Should they forego the limited funds so that other businesses with fewer resources can stay afloat? [Read our full report](. Related: [Washington state launches $5M grant program to help small businesses]( Online grocery surge: A record number of people are ordering groceries online due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, leading to a permanent consumer purchasing shift — and a giant revenue boost for Amazon. That’s according to RBC Capital Markets, which said Amazon’s online grocery arm could produce $70 billion in gross merchandise volume by 2023, more than 3X from 2019. [Read the story](. Can an app predict a pandemic? That's what a DARPA-funded study aims to find out. The University of Washington [is recruiting 25,000 volunteers nationwide]( to try out the HIPPOCRATIC app, which is designed to monitor the spread of infectious diseases based on data from a smartphone app. Microsoft pauses hiring for some roles: “We continue to seek industry-leading talent in a range of disciplines as we continue to invest in certain strategic areas. However, in light of the uncertainties presented by COVID-19, we are temporarily pausing recruitment for other roles,” a Microsoft spokesperson [said in a statement](. Games on Slack?! Don’t freak out, Slack purists. The new add-ons from Seattle startup Polly may be called games, but the larger goal is to help companies boost morale in the era of remote work, with real-time trivia contests, quick “hot take” polls, and quirky employee awards. Slack is still about communication and collaboration, but “there’s something more personal happening right now, or something more human,” says Polly CEO Samir Diwan. [Read the story](. Blue Origin makes medical face shields: The 3-D printers at Jeff Bezos' space ventures are typically used to manufacture spaceship parts, but now they're also [turning out the plastic frames for health care workers' face shields](. [Live blog: The latest COVID-19 developments in Seattle and the world of tech]( “Reply all” turns into $10K for charity: A dreaded “reply all” on an email featuring hundreds of people is usually enough to leave you with an upset stomach. But one customer’s message back to Seattle fine dining restaurant Canlis and more than 300 fellow patrons [is turning into a great dinner story](. Viral sensation: Remember Avi Schiffmann, the 17-year-old Seattle-area high school student that [GeekWire profiled in early March]( after he created a coronavirus information website? The rest of the world [has been clicking non-stop](. “Pink supermoon”: Check out [photos of the full moon above Seattle last night](. The moon will still be 98% full tonight — it will rise almost due east, just slightly to the south. Calling all Junior Geeks: Do you know an exceptional Junior Geek between the ages of 12 to 20 who is going to change the world? [Submit a nomination for our new monthly feature here](. Thanks for reading, and see a full list of our latest headlines below. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [During these unprecedented times, MBA admissions tests are shifting online.]( In support of those preparing for the GMAT, GRE or EA, the UW Technology Management MBA program is pleased to offer an MBA Test Prep Session. Led by a Foster School of Business instructor and experienced test prep tutor, this free session will provide participants with an overview of the test structures, practice questions, and strategies for maximizing your score. [Join us April 15]( LATEST HEADLINES [Startup stimulus? How logjams and ethics are impacting federal loans for tech companies]( [Pre-orders start for LEGO and Nintendo ‘Super Mario’ set that interacts with the physical world]( [Games on Slack: Seattle startup Polly looks to unite remote teams with shared interactive activities]( [Photos: ‘Pink supermoon’ rises over Seattle]( [Viral sensation: Seattle kid who built coronavirus website catches eye of a top Twitter tastemaker]( SPONSORED: GEEK HOME OF THE DAY [Timeless Elegance & Refinement in Newcastle]( [Led by Simple co-founder, Portland startup Sila raises $7.7M to grow fintech infrastructure platform]( [Blue Origin uses 3-D printers to make visors for medical face shields as well as rocket parts]( [Microsoft ‘temporarily pausing recruitment’ for certain roles due to COVID-19 crisis]( [UW Medicine seeks 25,000 volunteers to try outbreak-predicting smartphone app]( [COVID-19 crisis sparks ‘inflection point’ for online grocery — and huge revenue for Amazon]( [Spencer Rascoff departs Zillow Group board, 1 year after stepping down as CEO]( [SpaceX Dragon cargo craft leaves space station and splashes down in Pacific amid virus outbreak]( [Washington state launches $5M grant program to help small businesses struggling under shutdown]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI2): CTO-in-Residence // Co-Founder]( - [ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI2): Technical Co-Founder // CTO (Stealth Startup)]( - [ALLEN INSTITUTE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI2): Deep Learning Engineer // Co-Founder]( - [Rad Power Bikes: Executive Assistant]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? 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