Amazon extends Prime shipping benefits and launches new $1B venture fund | Convoy lands $260M

Amazon reveals $1 billion venture fund: The first batch of companies to land funding from the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund include startups building wearable technology to improve safety in fulfillment centers and robotics designed to work alongside people. The new fund is launching as Amazon is scrutinized for warehouse worker safety and treatment. Read more. 

Convoy hits $3.8B valuation: The latest cash infusion for the Seattle startup will help boost its technology that automates transactions between trucking companies and shippers. It comes as other tech-focused firms including Uber Freight also look to disrupt the trucking industry. Read more. 

More funding news: Statsig raised $43 million to further develop and market technology that helps product teams test and evaluate new features, using live data from real customers, before launching them widely.

Aerial video of Microsoft's massive HQ revamp: A new video shows the latest progress on a multi-year redevelopment project reshaping a large swath of the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Wash. Check it out. 

New benefit for Amazon Prime: A new program will let Prime members buy items on non-Amazon e-commerce sites just as they would on Amazon.com, including streamlined checkout and free delivery of items as soon as the next day. Read more. 

Tech Moves: Expedia adds six new tech leaders; Xbox R&D chief departs; and more key personnel changes. 

Juno Therapeutics vets share startup insights: Hans Bishop and Steve Harr, two biotech leaders who worked together at the Seattle cell therapy company, spoke at a life sciences event in Seattle this week. Here’s what they said. 

Leafly celebrates on 4/20: Employees and directors from the Seattle cannabis company that just went public rang the NASDAQ opening bell on Wednesday.

NASA awards millions to SpaceX and Amazon: The companies, which are building satellites in the Seattle area, will each get more than $60 million to demonstrate orbital communications services that NASA could use.