Finalists revealed for 2024 GeekWire Awards | Amazon’s latest AI feature for sellers

Funding female founders | Tips to snag non-dilutive funding ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: The GeekWire Awards return May 9, 2024: [Celebrate the Pacific Northwest's leading innovators, entrepreneurs and technologists at one of the most-anticipated tech events. Register today!]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Finalists revealed for 2024 GeekWire Awards: It’s time to vote for the best in Pacific Northwest tech as we prepare to honor entrepreneurs, innovators, deal makers and non-profit leaders across more than a dozen categories, from Startup of the Year to Next Tech Titan. [Cast your ballot here](. Voting runs through April 12 and we’ll announce the winners live onstage at Showbox SoDo in Seattle on May 9. (Above, Viraj Mody, left, and Linda Lian, co-founders of Common Room, accept the Startup of the Year award at the 2022 GeekWire Awards.) [Read more.]( Funding female founders: Pam Kostka, a longtime tech leader and the former CEO of nonprofit All Raise, [laid out four key issues]( that need to be addressed to help boost funding for startups founded by women. Kostka (above, left) spoke at a Graham & Walker event on Tuesday in Seattle with the firm’s founder Leslie Feinzaig. The Redmond (Wash.) Police Department is adding a new tech tool in its fight against fentanyl and other illicit drugs. The handheld device TruNarc uses a laser to analyze substances through packaging, protecting officers and preserving evidence. [Read more](. Amazon’s latest AI feature for sellers: Input a URL, get a product listing. [Read more](. Tech Moves: Lila Tretikov, the former deputy chief technology officer at Microsoft, has joined SIlicon Valley investment firm NEA as partner and its new head of AI strategy. [Read more](. It was just a year ago when rumors and speculation circulated about [Microsoft buying TikTok](. Now, with the U.S. House of Representatives [passing a bill]( today that could ban the popular social media app unless its China-based parent company sells it, will Microsoft make a bid? - Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent the following statement to GeekWire: “I’m very concerned about foreign adversaries’ exploitation of Americans’ sensitive data and their attempts to build backdoors in our information communication technology and services supply chains. These are national security threats and it is good members in both chambers are taking them seriously. I will be talking to my Senate and House colleagues to try to find a path forward that is constitutional and protects civil liberties.” “AI is going to force us to be even more human if we want to differentiate ourselves from the world.” — Yoodli co-founder Varun Puri on a new episode of the Shift AI Podcast with Boaz Ashkenazy. [Read more and listen](. Tips to snag non-dilutive funding: Richard Giersch, executive director of Life Science Washington Institute, shared advice for founders on how to land small business grants at a recent talk in Seattle. [Read more](. Hot Links: - Microsoft is rolling out Copilot for Security, a generative AI chatbot for cybersecurity that charges companies on an hourly basis. ([The Verge]( - Hyundai is hosting mobile clinics at four locations in the Seattle area on Friday and Saturday where car owners can get anti-theft devices installed in their vehicles. ([Hyundai]( - Inside the organized crime rings plaguing retailers, where at least one operation led to stolen cosmetics items being resold on Amazon. ([CNBC]( - A new initiative aims to fill the employment gap in the manufacturing industry by helping young people get necessary education and training. ([Edmonds College]( Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great day. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com; and GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@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 [2024 GeekWire Awards finalists revealed: Vote now for the best in Pacific Northwest tech]( [Former Microsoft deputy CTO Lila Tretikov joins NEA as head of AI strategy]( [Shift AI Podcast: Building confidence through AI with Varun Puri, CEO of Yoodli]( [Amazon’s latest AI feature will let sellers generate product listings from their existing websites]( [Funding female founders: Former All Raise CEO on what needs to change]( [In fight against fentanyl and other drugs, police departments deploy handheld narcotics analyzer]( [Looking for non-dilutive funding? 5 tips for startups seeking small business grants]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [AdaptX: Vice President of Engineering]( - [INRIX: Finance Pricing Manager]( - [INRIX: Sales Development Representative (SDR)]( - [City of Newport: Systems Administrator II]( - [GeekWire: The Etzioni Internship in Climate Tech Journalism at GeekWire, Summer 2024]( - [GeekWork: ML Engineer]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? 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