Gut-test startup Viome inks deal with CVS | Cutting carbon from aviation

“We’re putting more and more carbon in the atmosphere and things are warming up. We have to take some bold action.”

• That was Richard Wahls, manager of NASA’s Sustainable Flight National Partnership, speaking at an event hosted by the Museum of Flight in Seattle. 

• Set against the backdrop of the museum’s notable aircraft from history, presenters laid out numerous strategies being pursued in the U.S. to cut carbon emissions from flight. 

• All of the approaches — from sustainable aviation fuel to new aircraft — come with costs and tradeoffs and will be ready to roll out on different timelines. Read the story from GeekWire reporter Lisa Stiffler, who covered the event on Thursday. 

Gut check: Seattle-area health tech startup Viome Life Sciences closed a $86.5 million Series C round and announced a deal with CVS to sell its gut microbiome test in 200 CVS locations across the U.S. 

• Founded seven years ago by serial entrepreneur Naveen Jain, Viome is one of several venture-backed startups selling at-home test kits that analyze the gut microbiome, the collection of microbes in the gut and other parts of the body. 

• Viome provides food recommendations, as well as supplements and probiotics. “The future of medicine will be delivered at home, not at the hospital,” Jain told GeekWire. “And the medicines of the future are going to come from a farm, not a pharmacy.”

• But some scientists and researchers remain wary of microbiome kit companies, even as nutrition is increasingly linked to various health conditions. Read more.

AI assistant for small biz: Former Zillow Group colleagues, including ex-CEO Spencer Rascoff, unveiled a new startup that uses generative AI to help businesses automate initial conversations with potential leads. Read more.  

What’s your data story? That’s one question investors are asking AI startups, according to a VC panel discussion this week in Seattle. Read more.

Selling on Amazon: Seattle startup Workflow Labs raised a $1.3 million seed round to boost its software platform that helps online retailers manage their Amazon businesses. Read more. 

Hot Links:

• Microsoft’s AI-powered Bing hasn’t helped dent Google’s lead in search, according to market share data. (Wall Street Journal) 

• Amtrak and the Washington Dept. of Transportation rolled out an electric bus for a route between Seattle and Bellingham. (Axios Seattle)

• Amazon is getting mocked over how much it is offering to pay influencers to boost its TikTok-like shopping feed. (TechCrunch)