A new Amazon smartphone? Reuters
reports the company is developing a smartphone codenamed "Transformer" within its devices unit, led by the ZeroOne group under former Microsoft exec J Allard. It’s envisioned as an AI-driven companion that syncs with Alexa and Amazon's ecosystem. It's a bold move given the spectacular failure of the Fire Phone, introduced by Jeff Bezos in 2014 (above) — which was killed after 14 months in 2015, leading to a $170 million writedown.
Read more. Can technology keep scooter riders off Seattle sidewalks? Lime is betting that AI-powered cameras mounted to its devices will help deter reckless riding by detecting where a rider is and sending audible and app alerts signaling it’s time to find a safer path. Half of the company’s fleet of 7,000 stand-up scooters will get the tech this June. Read more.
Vote for Deal of the Year: The finalists for this 2026 GeekWire Award include two major acquisitions, a landmark licensing deal, a big funding round, and a rare IPO — collectively representing billions of dollars in transactions. Read more.
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Cast more votes for the top innovators and entrepreneurs in Pacific Northwest tech ahead of the annual event in Seattle, May 7. Read more and fill out your ballot.
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Also, it’s not too late to get tickets for GeekWire’s Agents of Transformation half-day summit in Seattle next Tuesday as we explore how agentic AI is redefining work, creativity and leadership.
When former Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch took the wheel of the Treasure Truck during a 2016 promotional event in Seattle, one Amazon exec says he had visions of the deals-on-wheels program crashing to a halt. Doug Herrington, CEO of Worldwide Amazon Stores, said in a new podcast that Lynch proved to be an excellent running back and driver. Read more.
Seattle’s world-class biotech sector is getting a marketing makeover through a new branding campaign from Life Science Washington designed to help the region better pitch its research and talent to global investors. Read more.
Tech Moves: Carbon Robotics’ new CFO; Microsoft gaming GM goes to Netflix; Nordstrom gets VP of AI; and more personnel changes in PNW tech.
The City of Seattle is awarding $455,000 in Technology Matching Fund grants to help support 11 community organizations and their projects aimed at addressing digital equity. Read more.
Bluesky revealed that it raised $100 million in a Series B round last year. The decentralized social network has several employees based in Seattle, including former CEO (now chief innovation officer) Jay Graber and CTO Paul Frazee. Read more.
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Jeff Bezos is reportedly in talks to raise $100 billion for a new fund that would buy up manufacturing companies and seek to use AI technology to accelerate their path to automation. (The Wall Street Journal)
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Amazon acquired Swiss robotics startup Rivr, a move that signals the e-commerce giant’s intent to master the "last leg" of delivery with four-legged, stair-climbing robots capable of reaching customers' doorsteps. (TechCrunch)
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AWS helped U.S. and international authorities disrupt Kimwolf, “the largest DDoS botnet ever detected on the internet,” which disguised its traffic by routing attacks through ordinary home internet connections. (AWS VP Tom Scholl on LinkedIn)
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Bellevue-based cybersecurity startup Oleria launched an AI-native Adaptive Identity Governance platform designed to replace rigid legacy systems with automated, real-time access management. (Access Newswire)
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Amazon was penalized $800,068 by Washington state for illegally selling climate-polluting cooling and refrigeration products after repeated warnings. Walmart received a $383,388 fine. (Washington Department of Ecology)
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Rachel Smith, president of the nonprofit Washington Roundtable, says “it’s getting hard to make the math work” as a new report highlights the high cost of living in the state. (LinkedIn)
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NASA’s Space Launch System rocket has returned to its Florida launch pad following repairs to a helium system, keeping the Artemis 2 round-the-moon mission on track for a potential liftoff as early as next month. (Cosmic Log)
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Clothing rental startup Armoire is hosting pop-up shops at Seattle Goodwill locations featuring curated secondhand finds, running from March 20 – April 5. (Goodwill)
Thanks for subscribing to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com; reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com; and reporter Lisa Stiffler, lisa@geekwire.com. 
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