AI startup lands cash from Sam Altman | Layoffs hit Flyhomes | Banzai goes public

Jeff Bezos on AI | PNNL opens new Center for AI ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: Calgary's thriving tech ecosystem offers more than just opportunity: [See why Calgary is your next tech destination.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES A new startup out of Portland has attracted the attention of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman with its combination of artificial intelligence and human empathy to help people stay on task. Altman’s Apollo Projects has invested $3 million in Shelpful, which uses OpenAI's GPT-4 to run its own chatbot called HabitGPT. [Read more.]( (Above: Shelpful co-founders, from left, CMO Lydia Swift, CEO Sharon Pope, and CTO Chris Morse.) More layoffs at real estate startup Flyhomes: An undisclosed number of employees were let go in the latest round of cuts at the Seattle company, which said it is facing “persistent and worsening industry headwinds." [Read more](. Banzai goes public: The Seattle-based marketing tech company, which announced a SPAC deal last year, rang the opening bell at Nasdaq in New York City on Friday morning. [Read more](. “Large language models in their current form are not inventions, they’re discoveries.” Jeff Bezos had a lot to say in a wide-ranging interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, but his comments about AI were especially timely and interesting. [Read more.]( Pacific Northwest National Laboratory shines brighter spotlight on AI: The Department of Energy facility in Richland, Wash, is creating the Center for AI @PNNL, where researchers will use the tech to focus on scientific discovery, national security and energy resilience. [Read more.]( Wizards of the Coast is a bright spot for its struggling parent company Hasbro. So why is the Seattle-area maker of Dungeons and Dragons slashing jobs? [Read more](. First Row Partners picks winner of new competition: The Seattle VC firm spent the past six weeks running its Ensemble program designed to educate startup investors while providing capital and advice to early stage startups. Standd, a D.C. startup and Techstars Seattle grad that builds software to help lawyers and investors review deals, won the top investment prize. [Read more](. Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [Build what’s next in Canada’s most adventurous tech city.]( Calgary is gaining global recognition as the place where visionaries have a global impact. Here you’ll find a community that works together to tackle global challenges. With Calgary ranking among the Top 60 emerging startup ecosystems globally in 2023, there’s no wonder Calgary stands tall as a city of boundless opportunity. [Discover the limitless possibilities.]( LATEST HEADLINES [Seattle real estate startup Flyhomes conducts more layoffs amid ‘worsening industry headwinds’]( [Seattle marketing company Banzai goes public, rings opening bell at Nasdaq following SPAC deal]( [Startup that helps law firms and VCs review deals wins new First Row Partners competition]( [Sam Altman’s venture fund invests $3M in startup using humans and AI to keep people on task]( [Pacific NW National Lab opens AI center to concentrate on science, security, energy]( [Hasbro laying off Wizards of the Coast staff is baffling — and could lead to a brain drain]( [Jeff Bezos on AI: Large language models are ‘not inventions, they’re discoveries’]( [Salesforce-backed cybersecurity startup Oleria is raising more cash]( [Why many rural communities are still in the ‘digital dark’ — and how Washington state is trying to help]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [INRIX: Finance Pricing Manager]( - [City of Redlands: Network Engineer]( - [City of Redlands: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analyst]( - [INRIX: Lead Software Engineer, Big Data]( - [INRIX: Lead Software Engineer]( - [City of Newport: Systems Administrator I or II]( - [City of Redlands: IT Security Analyst]( - [Submittable: Director of Engineering]( [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. 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](