Travel vets raise $6M for stealthy Seattle travel startup | Redfin layoffs

Expedia vet, Concur co-founder lead stealthy Seattle travel startup: Otto, a new spinout from Madrona Venture Labs, raised $6 million to build an AI agent that serves business travelers. Otto CEO Michael Gulmann (above, right) spent nearly a decade at Expedia. Steve Singh, the Concur co-founder and Madrona managing director, is executive chairman at Otto. Read more.

• In other funding news: APiJET, a Seattle startup that helps airlines optimize their fuel use, landed a $4.5 million grant from the FAA. Read more.

Redfin layoffs: The Seattle-based real estate company confirmed that it laid off staff this week. The cuts impact less than 100 jobs. Read more.

Blue Origin reportedly encountered two recent failures in its efforts to get orbital-class New Glenn rockets ready for future launches from Florida. Read more.

Microsoft will release a preview of its new Windows Recall AI capabilities in October. The company delayed the feature earlier this year following security concerns. Recall captures screenshots at short intervals, making it easier for users to quickly query their history and find information later. Read more.

AWS lawsuit: A VR demo at the Emirates booth during the 2023 Dubai Airshow is the subject of a lawsuit filed by a software development firm against Amazon Web Services. Read more.

Getting more workers into downtown Seattle offices is just part of the formula for revitalizing the city’s core post-pandemic. City officials gave an update on the first-year progress of Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan. Read more. 

“The more you trust the AI, the less you’re going to need some human in the loop,” says Doug Seven, general manager of AWS AI Developer Experiences, on a new episode of the Shift AI Podcast. His observations dovetail with recently published comments by AWS CEO Matt Garman and Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on AI and coding. Read more and listen here.

Hot Links:

• Amazon added an annual grocery delivery subscription option for Prime members at $99.99. (Axios)

• Costco has grown into the third-largest retailer in the world by hacking the psyche of the American consumer. (New York Times)

• Lego is releasing a new Super Mario collection in January. (IGN)

• Double-decker drive thru: Chick-fil-A unveiled a new “elevated drive-thru” concept that includes two lanes for mobile app customers. We're curious to see if Starbucks tries something similar to help balance in-store and digital orders. (QSR Magazine)

• Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch is increasing the price of its mobile subscription plan. Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is launching a Twitch channel. (The Verge; Wired)