Satellite servicing and mental health screening startups raise cash | Zulily layoffs 

Tech company grapples with loss of colleague in Ukraine | Microsoft’s accessibility chief on Bing’s new chatbot ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Unique & Urban Venue for Weddings, Conferences and Meetings: [Plan your event at Block 41 today!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Starfish Space, a Seattle-area startup founded by two veterans of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin space venture, raised $14 million to support plans to develop spacecraft capable of hooking up with bigger satellites to boost their orbits — or safely dispose of them. - The capability to rendezvous and dock with other satellites — and guide them where they need to go — will become more important as companies including SpaceX, Amazon and OneWeb fill out their broadband satellite mega-constellations. [Read more](. In other space news: - Kent, Wash.-based Stoke Space won the go-ahead to take over the Florida launch complex where John Glenn began the trip that made him the first American in orbit in 1962. [Read more](. - Relativity Space, the startup founded in Seattle, is launching the first 3D-printed rocket later today — [watch it here]( and check back on GeekWire.com for updates. More Seattle startup funding news: - Aiberry raised $8 million for its AI-powered software that analyzes audio, visual, and language from a short conversation to screen for mental health conditions. [Read more](. “It’s war. It’s real. Real people die,” said Sergei Dreizin, Akvelon co-founder and CEO. “It makes it very, very real. For being a few thousand miles away, it comes home.” - Bellevue, Wash.-based software engineering company Akvelon is mourning the loss of a 29-year-old colleague, Yana Rykhlitska, who was killed March 3 in a mortar attack on the vehicle she was traveling in near Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine, while serving as a paramedic in the 93rd Brigade of the Ukrainian Ground Forces. Rykhlitska, who would have turned 30 years old in a few weeks, was buried today. [Read more](. Zulily laid off corporate employees for the second time in a year as the Seattle-based online retailer and its parent company Qurate navigate declining revenue. - Zulily’s revenue dropped 28% to $254 million in the fourth quarter due to lower unit volume, reduced shipping rates, and lower site traffic. [Read more](. As Microsoft hosts its annual Accessibility Summit today, we spoke with the company’s accessibility chief about the disability divide, Bing’s AI chatbot as a helpful tool, and more. - Jenny Lay-Flurrie (above) said the level of interest and passion around the summit is a good indicator of the need for the event. [Read more.]( “This is without a doubt the scariest article I've published.” - That’s how Leslie Feinzaig [described]( her column in [Fast Company]( about International Women’s Day. The founder of Seattle investment firm Graham & Walker asks for “no more female founder takedowns.” A giant sailing yacht linked to Jeff Bezos was spotted, and a new book reflects the Amazon founder’s vision for building a space station beyond the moon. - The triple-masted vessel, now apparently named Koru, has been linked to Bezos for a few years and is now undergoing sea trials. [Read more.]( - If Bezos needs a blueprint for building a space station beyond the moon with ore from an asteroid, he just might want to start with “Critical Mass,” a newly published sci-fi novel by Daniel Suarez. [Read more](. Toilets, toilets, toilets! - LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer [is very excited]( about the number of places to go to the bathroom at his team’s new arena. Thanks for reading, and have a great day. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com, and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Deloitte Technology Fast 500: Pacific Northwest CEOs share their journeys to join the nation’s fastest-growing tech companies]( The Pacific Northwest’s presence on Deloitte’s ranking of the 500 fastest growing tech companies in the nation is expanding. 27 of our region’s startups made the list in 2022, with 3-year growth rates from 242% to 9,154%! See the list, and listen to a panel featuring 3 CEOs of local winners. Learn about their inspiring journeys plus hear advice for sustaining growth in a very challenging business environment. Access the list and panel discussion [here](. LATEST HEADLINES [‘It’s war. It’s real. Real people die.’ Tech company grapples with loss of colleague in Ukraine]( [Microsoft’s accessibility chief on Bing’s chatbot, the disability divide, and more]( [Starfish Space raises $14M to advance development of satellite servicing vehicles]( [Godspeed, Stoke Space! Rocket startup gets John Glenn’s launch pad at the Cape]( [Seattle-area startup using AI for mental health screening tech raises $8M]( [Zulily lays off employees for the second time in a year amid revenue declines]( [Giant sailing yacht linked to Jeff Bezos spotted undergoing sea trials]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [Global Innovation Exchange, University of Washington: Technology Services Specialist]( - [INRIX: Head of Product – Vision Zero]( - [Remitly: Senior Software Development Engineer – Lending (Seattle Or U.S. Remote)]( - [Remitly: Senior Site Reliability Engineer (Seattle or US Remote)]( - [GeekWire: GeekWire Advertising Project Manager]( - [MedBridge: Software Engineer III (Back end)]( - [Remitly: Software Development Engineer III – New Initiatives]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2023 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. 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