Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 22, 2015

'Five-and-a-half years ago I first met Chamillionaire at a tech conference in LA. I saw him on stage at the event talking about how he used social media to engage audiences. This was 2009 and his understanding of audience engagement was far beyond anything I was hearing from most people at that time. I reached out after the event to learn more. We started hanging out a bit and discussing technology and entrepreneurship.

Conference 330

Conference Slides Social Media Summary 330

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

'Despite the widespread impact of software today on our lives, there are a number of areas of computer science research which have had a difficult time in being translated into practical, every day usage. One of those areas is game theory--the use of computer simulations to predict the behavior of multiple people or entities, and how they will behave together, most famously depicted in that 1980''s movie, War Games.

Research 196

Research Patents USC Software 196

InfoChachkie

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

'A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Rose Broome, Founder of HandUp is rocking the non-profit world. HandUp allows donors to hyper-focus their donations to individuals with specific needs. This is a game changer for the homeless. Rather than panhandling for spare change, HandUp, with the help of its partners, allows people in need to create a video which tells their story.

Platform 180

Platform Startup Tips Help 180

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'When we accept the work commitment from a person we hire, we make a pact with the new employee that often stops at agreeing to pay for service rendered and to provide a safe working environment. There should be more than that. With some people you hire, you know you are just renting their services as they pass through your organization, aimed at a higher calling.

Help 157

Help Statistics Organization Email 157

Advertiser: Aggregage

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

Company

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

'A shortened, better edited and with nicer pictures version of this post first appeared on TechCrunch. But if you want it in it’s full V1 glory read on … You’ve never been a CEO but might like to be one some day. But how? Nobody sees you as a CEO since you’ve never been one? I wrote this conundrum and the need to take charge of how the market define your skills in my much-read blog post on “ personal branding.” If you don’t create the message about your

Technical Review 273

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital IP 273

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

'Think you see some suspicious drones overhead in the San Fernando Valley? No, they''re not filming a movie for Hollywood , nor are they the LAPD spying on your criminal activites. They are not even a local unmanned aerial vehicle maker testing their products. No, apparently-- according to a report --they are a Singapore startup''s effort to sell your information to marketers.

San Fernando 176

San Fernando Mobile Report Hollywood 176

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

'You know the steps to startup fundraising: Target potential investors. Get warm introductions. Set up tons of meetings. Get serious with a handful of prospects. Make your pitch. Negotiate your terms. Sign term sheets. Voila, you’re funded! While this seems straightforward, in reality the process is much more fraught. In the best case, getting funded can take months, and in the worst, you might end your quest without a single signed term sheet.

Startup 69

Startup News Invest Entrepreneur 69

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 24, 2015

'Los Angeles-based b> YP , the provider of business search and local marketing services, said today that it has launched a brand new product. YP said it has launched ypSearch , a new product aimed at small business owners, which both provides search ads on YP''s properties, as well as on major search engines. The company said the tool not only lists ads on its own properties, but also delivers those ads to Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Advertising 160

Advertising Product Yahoo Tool 160

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

'Los Angeles-based online advertising technology developer Rubicon Project > has just passed the $100M mark, reporting yesterday that its 2014 year end revenues were $125.3M. The company said it is expecting 40 percent year-over-year revenue growth in 2015. The details came as the company released its fourth quarter results, where it reported net income of $1.4M on revenues of $41.8M for the quarter.

Advertising 148

Advertising .Net Report Los Angeles 148

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

'Latisys , the colocation and infrastructure provider which has a big data center in Irvine, is now officially part of Zayo Group , Zayo said today. According to Zayo, which announced the acquisition of Latisys on January 14th, the deal adds eight new facilities--including that OC data center--to its zColo colocation arm. Latisys had set up its data center in Irvine in 2011.

Orange County 147

Orange County Acquisition 147

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

'Los Angeles-based venture investment firm Upfront said late Sunday that it has named rapper and entrepreneur Chamillionaire as its newest entrepreneur-in-residence. According to Upfront''s Mark Suster, Chamillionaire has been making small co-investments in such companies as Maker Studios, and working with the firm as an advisor. Suster said Chamillionaire willl be moving to Los Angeles for awhile, and working out of the firm''s offices to develop his entrepreneurial ideas.

Los Angeles 145

Los Angeles Ideas Entrepreneur Invest 145

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

'San Clemente-based software developer DealerSocket has acquired web-based, auto dealership software maker FEX DMS , the company said Thursday. Financial details of the buy were not disclosed. FEX DMS develops automotive dealer management systems aimed at independent dealers, handling inventory management, deal processing, loan servicing, electronic payments, and other functions for those dealers.

Software 143

Software Software Development Acquisition Web 143

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'INVST , a Westlake Village-based startup which offers up an online platform to help alternative investment funds find accredited investors, has signed up three new clients for its service, the company said this week. The startup--founded and led by Alon Goren--said it has signed up Sperry Van Ness, DealPoint Merrill; Canyon Creek Capital; and Benhamou Global Ventures as clients of the company.

Westlake Village 142

Westlake Village Invest Venture Capital Tool 142

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'3D Robotics , the unmanned aerial vehicle maker behind the IRIS, X8, and many other drone vehicles, said Thursday that it has raised $50M in a Series C venture funding round. The funding was led by Qualcomm Ventures. The company--which has major operations in San Diego--said the deal comes along with a partnership with Qualcomm, where it will use Qualcomm''s Snapdragon processors in its design. 3D Robotics not only sells drone hardware, it also makes all of its technology available through open

Technology 139

Technology San Diego Venture Capital Design 139

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

'Los Angeles-based Demand Media has sold its social media software arm, Pluck , to New York-based Sprinklr , the companies said Thursday. Financial details of the sale were not announced. Pluck, which is based in Austin, was founded in 2003, and had been acquired by Demand Media in 2008 in a deal worth $56.3M. READ MORE>>.

Demand 135

Demand Media Social Media Los Angeles 135

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'Los Angeles-based Slickdeals , the online coupon and deal site led by Josh Meyers, has tapped two technology veterans for its board. Slickdeals said Thursday that it has named Tim Cadogan , the CEO of Pasadena''s OpenX , along with Nathan Hubbard , head of commerce at Twitter , to its board of directors. Prior to becoming CEO of OpenX, Cadogan was Senior Vice President of Global Advertising Marketplaces at Yahoo!

OpenX 135

OpenX Yahoo Pasadena Commerce 135

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 24, 2015

'Los Angeles-based online advertising technology developer and marketplace operator OpenX is reporting a win this morning with Major League Gaming (MLG), saying that MLG has selected the company as its exclusive provider of ad serving and monetization of its digital media advertising. Financial details of the win were not announced. OpenX said that MLG has a reach of 20 million fans, and will use OpenX''s platform for all of its digital advertising inventory, including directly sold inventory, r

OpenX 135

OpenX Advertising Los Angeles Platform 135

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

'Santa Ana-based SEKUR.me , the electronic payments startup led by Jack Bicer, said this morning that it has integrated the Apple Touch ID and Samsung''s fingerprint recognition features into its mobile, online payment app. SEKUR.me said it software now lets shoppers purchase items--using their fingerprint--instead of entering checkout forms or credit card numbers on e-commerce sites.

Commerce 132

Commerce Mobile Sites Software 132

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

'GoDaddy , the parent of Los Angeles-based website hosting service MediaTemple , said in a regulatory filing late Tuesday that is has selected the NYSE for its IPO. GoDaddy said that it hopes to trade under the ticker symbol GDDY. GoDaddy filed for an IPO back in June. GoDaddy is backed by KKR, Silver Lake, and Technology Crossover Ventures. The company has significant operations in Los Angeles, largely due to the company''s acquisition of Media Temple in 2013; GoDaddy''s recent push into the sm

Silver Lake 131

Silver Lake Technical Review Equity Los Angeles 131

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

'Irvine-based Mavenlink , the developer of business and project management software led by Ray Grainger, said Tuesday that it has raised $19M in a round of funding. The funding was split between $15M in equity, plus $4M in a credit facility. The equity investment was led by Carrick Capital Partners, and the credit facility came from Silicon Valley Bank.

Tool 131

Tool Equity Venture Capital Software 131

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

'Irvine-based Kofax > , the developer of software used for scanning and handling paperwork, reported a nearly $1M deal today. Kofax said that a large, un-named U.S. affordable health insurance provider has invested $945,000 in a set of Kofax software to handle medical claims processing. Kofax said the customer will use its products to automate the processing of more than 800,000 medical claims and related documents annually.

Software 131

Software Sales Report Invest 131

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

'Los Angeles-based AdRev , the startup led by Ryan Born which provides digital rights management for music publishers on YouTube, says that it has just hit $14.8M in royalty payouts through its service. The company says it saw around 4.6 billion average views per month on the content it is managing. The royalty payments are nearly triple the $5 million in royalty payouts the company in 2013, and nearly ten times the $1.4M in royalty payouts the company had in 2012.

Content 131

Content Los Angeles Services Startup 131

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

'Woodland Hills-based United Online said this morning that its MyPoints.com loyalty marketing service has launched a new, mobile app called Swappable , to help consumers buy and send gift cards. According to the company, the new app lets users buy gift cards using their credit cards, and easily gift those cards to friends. Among other features of the app are the ability of gift recipients to "swap" those gift cards for other, equal value gift cards from other merchants, and personalized photo, v

Woodland Hills 131

Woodland Hills Mobile Marketing Help 131

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

'Los Angeles-based YouTube network Machinima revealed last week that it has raised $24M in a funding round from Warner Bros., along with Redpoint Ventures, MK Capital, Coffin Capital and Allen DeBevoise. However, the company also made some big cuts in its staff on Friday, following the funding round. According to reports from the Hollywood Reporter, Machinima cut 14 percent of its staff on Friday, immediately following the announcement of the new funding round from its backers.

Layoffs 131

Layoffs Redpoint Hollywood Report 131

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 23, 2015

'Santa Monica-based membership-based airline Surf Air is telling potential customers that it recently reached 1200 members for its service, which allows members to take all-you-can-fly trips between the Los Angeles, Bay Area, Santa Barbara, Las Vegas, San Diego, and other areas via its own fleet of turboprops. The startup airline charges $1750 per month, letting clients book unlimited private flights to its eight destinations.

Santa Barbara 126

Santa Barbara Southern California Santa Monica San Diego 126

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

'Los Angeles-based audio enhancement and processing software developer DTS said this morning that it is in a partnership with Culver City-based M-GO , the provider of video-on-demand and streaming movie services. According to DTS, M-GO will use it DTS-HD multi-channel surround sound as part of its video on demand service. Financial details of the licensing deal were not announced.

Culver City 125

Culver City Technology Demand Software Development 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

'Los Angeles-based j2 Global said this morning that it has again extended its tender offer for all of the shares of Carbonite , until March 30th. j2 Global--which launched a hostile bid for Carbonite in December , said that so far, 5,602,174 shares of Carbonite''s shares have been tendered. j2 said it is awaiting a move from Carbonite''s board of directors, to avoid triggering a recently adopted preferred share rights agreement (aka "poison pill"), and is in discussions with Carbonite over invol

Acquisition 125

Acquisition Los Angeles Services Sales 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 27, 2015

'Los Angeles-based online fashion retailer Nasty Gal has raised $12.7M, as part of an ongoing venture funding targeted at $16M, according to a regulatory filing by the firm this week. Source of the new funding was not announced. The new funding brings the company''s total raised to $61.7M. Nasty Gal has previously raised funds from Index Ventures. Nasty Gal founder Sophia Amoruso recently stepped down as CEO , and the company had some major layoffs last September.

Layoffs 125

Layoffs Venture Capital Los Angeles Funding 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'Santa Ana-based Iteris , which provides traffic management technology, said its CEO and president, Abbas Mohaddes, has resigned. The company said Mohaddes resigned from both his position and the company''s board to "pursue other opportunities". The company has appointed Kevin Daly--who was on the company''s board--as interim CEO until the company finds a replacement.

Technology 125

Technology Company Companies 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'Irvine-based Western Digital said today that it has rolled out a new set of network attached storage devices, aimed at the creative professional and small business market. The company said it launched four new products in its My Cloud line including two- and four-bay network attached storage systems, with versions aimed at the prosumer market, and parallel models aimed at small business customers.

Networking 125

Networking Startup Marketing Custom 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'Irvine-based laser marketing technology developer TherMark Holdings has been acquired by Cleveland-based Ferro Corporation , in a deal worth $5.5M, the two said late Wednesday afternoon. TherMark develops laser marking technology used to permanently fuse marking materials to metals, ceramics, glass, and other surfaces. Ferro had been the supplier of those marking materials to TherMark.

Tech Coast Angels 125

Tech Coast Angels Pasadena Pasadena Angels Acquisition 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'San Diego-based pharmaceuticals firm Meritage Pharma has been acquired by Shire plc , Shire announced this week in a deal worth $70M upfront plus unspecified earnout. Shire said the deal gives it the global rights to Meritage''s Oral Budesonide Suspension (OBS), which is being targeted at the treatment of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a rare, chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal (GI) disease.

San Diego 125

San Diego Acquisition 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'Need some serious bling on your new Apple Watch? Los Angeles-based design firm Brikk is bringing on some serious bling to the Apple Watch, saying this morning that it is launching 30 models of the Apple Watch availablegold, platinum, and studded with diamonds. The company said the models range from $7,495 to $69,995 for its versions of the Apple Watch, with its high end model, the Lux Watch Omni, wrapped with over 12 carats of diamonds.

Los Angeles 125

Los Angeles Design Angel Company 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 26, 2015

'Luxe Valet , the on-demand valet parking app provider which launched into LA in January , has reportedly raised $20M in a new financing. The funding came from Redpoint and Venrock, and also included the company''s prior investors, including Google Ventures, Sherpa Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Foundation Capital, and Data Collective, according to the report.

Redpoint 125

Redpoint Venture Capital Report Demand 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

'Newport Beach-based Bitcentral , a developer of software used in broadcast news production and automation, said it has acquired Fission Software , a developer of software used for master control automation in the media and broadcast industry. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. Bitcentral is led by Fred Fourcher. READ MORE>>.

Software 125

Software News Acquisition Media 125

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 25, 2015

'Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX , the Los Angeles area rocket and spacecraft company, has scored two new launch agreements, this time with Luxembourg-based SES. SES said this morning that it has signed a deal for SpaceX to launch two satellites--SES-14 and SES-16/GovSat--‌into orbit in 2017. Financial impact of the deal was not announced. SES said both satellites will be launched using the Falcon 9.

SpaceX 125

SpaceX Hawthorne Los Angeles Angel 125