Seattle grocery tech startup Swiftly raises $100M | Ride-hail driver protection legislation approved

Grocery tech startup lands $100M: Seattle-based Swiftly provides software to brick-and-mortar grocery retailers such as Family Dollar and The Save Mart Companies, helping them keep up as Amazon and other e-commerce giants deepen their stake in the grocery business. Read more. 

Google deal highlights cybersecurity race: The agreement to buy Mandiant for $5.4 billion reflects a broader effort by major cloud providers to give businesses better defenses against a growing array of threats. Microsoft had reportedly been in the running to acquire Mandiant. Read the story. 

Lyft, Uber and unions back driver-protection legislation: In a compromise between the interests of drivers and ride-hailing companies, Washington state lawmakers have approved a first-of-its kind bill that sets a minimum wage and other benefits for Lyft and Uber drivers, while maintaining their status as gig workers and not company employees. 

Amazon’s bid to ‘reimagine radio’: The company launched a new app called Amp which lets users play DJ and create shows, with access to millions of licensed songs and the ability to engage with callers, all from their phones.

Rover stock falls after earnings report: The pet-sitting marketplace beat estimates with $38 million in Q4 revenue, but it said the pandemic “continues to bring some level of uncertainty in the near and medium term.” Rover also announced that CFO Tracy Knox will retire in December. Read more.

Washington state funds ‘innovation’ clusters: The Department of Commerce has awarded four $500,000 grants to public-private organizations working in life sciences, aerospace/aviation and autonomous vehicles.

Russell Wilson to Denver: The Seahawks star is headed to The Mile High City, according to reports. Wilson just opened a new fashion store in Seattle, and is CEO of a brand management and production company based in the city.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day. — GeekWire Managing Editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com, and GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com.