Amazon unveils new supply chain service for sellers | Electric sweeper cleans Seattle

How much should sellers depend on Amazon? That’s the underlying question as the company expands its infrastructure for sellers further beyond the virtual walls of Amazon.com. The latest: a service that sellers can use to distribute products in bulk from Amazon warehouses to fulfillment channels and physical stores not affiliated with the e-commerce giant. Read more.

• The news comes amid reports that the Federal Trade Commission is poised to sue Amazon on allegations including unfair business practices in its logistics services for sellers and pricing for third-party products.

• The company’s annual conference for sellers, Amazon Accelerate, starts Wednesday at the Seattle Convention Center. 

Elon Musk called Bill Gates “categorically insane,” and other names, according to Walter Isaacson’s new biography on the Tesla CEO. The beef between billionaires was born out of a dispute over the fact that the Microsoft co-founder shorted Tesla’s stock. Read more.

Seattle’s AI clout: Seattle is a leading AI hub, according to local leaders we spoke with for our story. But everyone else may not be as aware — and that could make a difference in further establishing Seattle as a magnet for AI talent and getting the city’s innovation flywheel spinning with more force. 

• "Others may promote better and the stated “HQ” of many companies is [the] Bay Area, but much of the value is being driven out of Seattle — where Microsoft, Amazon, AI2 and countless amazing AI startups are based,” Madrona Managing Director Matt McIlwain wrote on LinkedIn. 

• "We also simply have more talent than almost anywhere else,” Ascend founder Kirby Winfield wrote in his own post. 

Startup fundings: 

• Former Uber engineers raised $3.2 million for Rengage, a Seattle startup that aims to help marketers test and launch customer engagement strategies. Read more.

• Spokane, Wash.-based Treasury4 landed $20 million to fuel growth of its software that manages financial and treasury processes. Read more. 

Microsoft and Seattle’s Allen Institute for AI are using AI tools to boost how geospatial data generated from satellite imagery is analyzed. Read more. 

Electric sweeper to clean up in Seattle: The city’s Department of Transportation is testing a cleaner and quieter machine on protected bike lanes as part of the move toward a zero-emission fleet of vehicles. Read more.

Expanding internet access: Washington state is giving $14.5 million to three organizations working to get people online.

Hot Links:

• iPhone 15 reveal: Apple is unveiling various products at an event today, including the latest iPhone. (The Verge)

• It’s in the game: The Seattle Symphony will perform music from video game soundtracks in two shows this weekend. (Seattle Symphony)