Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

I’m often asked about the differences between being at a VC and being an entrepreneur and whether I prefer one or the other. The biggest difference I cite is that Venture Capital often feels like an “individual sport” while startups are a “team sport.” The reason is that at a VC you have a group of partners who often have different focus areas of excellence, each pursues deals in their respective field, each makes investments and sits on boards and each spends their

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Rancho Palos Verdes Santa Monica Venture Capital Startup 276

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NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Who are the top 50 people to watch in Southern California? We've attempted to do that for the last three years, trying to ferret out exactly who the people--not companies--are to watch in the region's technology industry. It's a thankless, unforgiving, made more difficult in that there are no repeats on this list from our prior two years (many were nominated), and our specific exclusion of serial entrepreneurs (who make up a big chunk of Southern California's startup activity), and our exclusion

SoCalTech 216

SoCalTech Lootcrate Southern California Snapchat 216

InfoChachkie

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ Manager, was tenacious and ambitious, but he was musically inept. Brian was instrumental in establishing the Beatles’ career, but he had no input on the band’s production of music. In the same way, investors can be immensely additive to an entrepreneur’s journey, as long as they know the limits of their ability to help. Effective startup investors guide management’s decision process, but ultimately they support the team’s decisions.

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Startup Guide Venture Capital Entrepreneur 189

Berkonomics

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Customer empowerment is moving so fast nowadays that many of us are running to just catch up. Yet if we don’t or can’t, it is a sure thing that someone else will. Blame the Internet for this rise in customer expectations. But don’t close your eyes to the fact that your customers have grown to expect your products or services in the form of…. ‘WHAT I want, WHEN I want, and WHERE I want.’.

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Custom Customer Demand Competition 159

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

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 18, 2015

One of the business ironies that many entrepreneurs have learned the hard way in the past is that ideas which are truly disruptive carry the highest risk of failure, take the longest to gain traction, and thus are the least likely to get external funding. So some entrepreneurs stick with incremental solutions, avoiding more transformational or adaptive solutions implying disruptive change.

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Startup Cloud Computing Ideas Entrepreneur 102

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Santa Monica-based CARD.com , the online financial services provider led by Ben Katz, is announcing this morning that it has raised $9M in a growth capital facility, from Columbia Pacific Advisors' Growth Capital Strategy and Fenway Summer Ventures. The company offers up a prepaid MasterCard which can be customized with a user's favorite brands and characters, from the Walking Dead and Family Guy, to Sesame Street, Star Trek and the Care Bears.

Mobile 186

Mobile Santa Monica Los Angeles Capital 186

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

I had a bunch of topics teed up now that I’m back in LA after 2 weeks of constant travel. I felt excited to write because it’s a cathartic outlet for me and saves me from doing email. But no words would come out this weekend. After watching the terrorist activities in Beirut and Paris and blog post seemed trite. It’s terrible that a group of Islamic extremists is having some success in perverting the Muslim religion in an attempt to divide the rational world of moderate people.

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Help Writing Blogging News 244

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 15, 2015

As a startup advisor, I see many aspiring entrepreneurs whose primary motivation seems to be to work part time, or get rich quick, or avoid anyone else telling them what to do. Let me assure you, from personal experience, and from helping many successful as well as struggling entrepreneurs, that starting a business is hard work, and doesn’t come with any of the benefits mentioned.

Entrepreneur 101

Entrepreneur Organization Customer Custom 101

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NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Santa Monica-based Open House Realty , the real estate software developer led by Mazen Fawaz, has raised $13.5M in a Series A funding, the company disclosed today. The funding came from Triangle Peak Partners and March Capital Partners. The startup--until recently, known as Agent Ace --helps home buyers and sellers find the real estate agents who would be the best fit for them.

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Santa Monica Software Development Software Capital 151

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

The possibilities of the Internet of Things (IoT) has pushed programmers, developers, scientists, and tech experts to create amazing new items and revolutionary new services. Some do it for the potential cash rewards; others do it for the scientific and technological breakthroughs sure to come. For whatever reason, the IoT will likely shape our future in the coming decades, often in exciting and fascinating ways.

Examples 67

Examples Technology Ideas Help 67

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Santa Monica-based Tuition.io , a startup that developers technology-enabled services to help millennials pay off their student loans, refinance their student loans, and pay off debt, said this morning that it has raised $5M in a funding round. The funding came from MassMutual Ventures, Wildcat Venture Partners, and Mohr Davidow Ventures. Tuition.io is led by Brendon McQueen.

Santa Monica 145

Santa Monica Services Funding Help 145

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NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Calabasas-based Ixia , which develops networking testing hardware and software, announced this morning that it has launched a new, partner program, specifically aimed at the global market. Ixia said its new Global Solutions Provider Program (GSPP) will help global solutions providers, by offering up support for planning and design, performance and security testing, and more.

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Calabasas Design Networking Software 142

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Lawrence Ng , the co-founder of Oversee.net, said this morning that it has launched a new, startup fund called the OnRamp Fund , a $10M, international incubation fund that invests in early stage startups. OnRamp Fund said it will offer up access to mentoring and advisors, funding, and cross-border support for its startups, particularly with those looking to reach across the United States, Taiwan, and China.

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Oversee.net Incubator Startup Funding 138

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NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Google said Thursday that it is expanding its Google Express next day delivery service across Southern California, and will offer next day delivery from such stores like Costco, Target, Kohl's, and L'Occitane en Provence. Google did not say which zip codes in Southern California that it will offer the next day shipping, only that it will offer up the new service in "new cities, towns and rural areas" in Southern California.

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Southern California Google Services Angel 132

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NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Santa Monica-based smart, Wi-Fi connected doorbell manufacturer Ring said Wednesday that it has linked up with an insurance company, American Family Insurance, in a deal which gives customers of the insurance company discounts--and will cover a customers' insurance deductible if a home is burglarized. According to companies, customers of American Family Insurance will receive a $30 discount off of Ring's $199 video doorbell, and Ring will reimburse any insurance deductibles, if a home is burglar

Company 132

Company Companies Santa Monica Customer 132

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NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Los Angeles-based social sharing service Flipagram is powering the release of a new single from the band One Direction , which was released on Firday. Flipagram--whose tools help users share quick, mobile photo and video slideshows--said One Direction's new single, "Perfect", from One Direction's new album Made In The A.M., was released on Flipagram on Friday.

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Flipagram Entertainment Los Angeles Tool 132

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NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Worried about the government and others watching your every move? A group says that televisions manufactured by Irvine-based Vizio are providing an unprecedented amount of data to marketers, collecting information on very time you watch TV, what shows you are viewing on both traditional TV and on the Internet, and connecting that all to your IP address to figure out your gender, age, income, interests, and more.

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IP Report Marketing 132

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NOVEMBER 20, 2015

Irvine-based videogame accessory and hardware maker Razer is planning on launching a new, corporate venture capital fund, starting next year, according to a report. Razer, which is led by Min-Liang Tan, reportedly plans to invest in companies, which it plans to incubate and help with its international business. Razer has its U.S. headquarters in Irvine, but also has offices in Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, South Korea, and China.

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Venture Capital Capital Funding Incubator 131

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NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Amazon.com is extended its Prime Now service to San Diego today, offering up one hour delivery for a long list of items to its customers in the city from local stores and Amazon's own warehouse. Amazon said it is offering up things like paper towels, milk, Kindle devices, and more through the service. The new service includes an option to purchase items from local stores run by Sprouts Farmers Market, Bristol Farms, Northgate Gonzalez Market, and Sprinkles Cupcakes.

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San Diego Orange County Los Angeles Services 131

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NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Los Angeles-based gay social networking app Grindr said today that it has named Lukas Sliwka as Chief Technology Officer. Sliwka has been at Grindr since October of 2013, serving as Vice President, Engineering. Sliwka has previously also served at Beachbody, Yamaha, and Mazda. Grindr says it is developing a lifestyle destination for contemporary gay men, and says it now has more than two million active daily users in over 196 countries.

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Beachbody Chief Technology Officer Social Network Los Angeles 131

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NOVEMBER 19, 2015

Los Angeles-based online electronics and technology retailer Newe said today that it will be rolling out its Black Friday deals on Monday, November 23rd, to give shoppers time to pick up bargains early and spend more time at home with friends and family. Newegg said it is offering up deals on about 5,000 products during the week. Newegg's top Black Friday deals include highly discounted desktop PCs and laptops, tablets, speakers, and hard drives.

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NewEgg Los Angeles Technology Product 131

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Match Group , the parent company of Los Angeles-based dating app Tinder, has priced its IPO at $12.00 per share, selling 33,333,333 shares in its IPO, and will debut tomorrow on the NASDAQ Global Select Market as MTCH, despite a snafu when a UK tabloid published an interview with Tinder CEO Sean Rad. Match had estimated its IPO range at between $12.00 and $14.00 per share.

Pricing 131

Pricing Los Angeles Content Marketing 131

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NOVEMBER 17, 2015

Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX , the commercial spacecraft and rocket developer led by Elon Musk, looks to be the only bidder in a U.S. Air Force contract , to send a next generation GPS satellite into space. The move comes as competitor United Launch Alliance (ULA) declined to put in a bid, as a result of being unable to use a Russian built RD-180 engine as part of the bid.

Outsource Development 131

Outsource Development SpaceX Hawthorne Develop 131

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NOVEMBER 16, 2015

Los Angeles-based OpenX has launched support for flexible ad units, increasing the capabilities of its platform, the company said late last week. OpenX said the new support lets advertisers multiple size ad units into a singular auction, which it says will help buyers access inventory in its exchange. The company said the support also helps publishers with yield increases.

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OpenX Product Advertising Los Angeles 131

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NOVEMBER 20, 2015

Diamond Bar-based Biosense Webster , a manufacturer of technology for diagnosing and treating heart rhythm disorders, said Friday morning that it has acquired Coherex Medical , a developer of devices to treat high-risk atrial fibrillation (Afib) patients. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Biosense Webster is a subsidiary of JOhnson & Johnson.

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Diamond Bar Technology Develop Development 125

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NOVEMBER 20, 2015

Pasadena-based Guidance Software reports that Stephen Richards, one of the members of its board of directors, has passed away unexpectedly. Richards was COO and CFO of McAfee, and also served as CFO of E*TRADE Group, among other positions. Richard had been on the company's board for periods since 2006. READ MORE>>.

Software 125

Software Pasadena Report Company 125

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NOVEMBER 20, 2015

San Diego-based Kyriba , which develops software used for treasury management, said it has named Eric Riddle as Executive Vice President of Supply Chain Finance. Riddle was most recently at IQNavigator, and also served at Prime Revenue, as well as Avotus Corporation and Metiom (formerly Intelysis). Riddle will be responsible for the company's supply chain finance operations globally.

San Diego 125

San Diego Software Develop Development 125

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NOVEMBER 20, 2015

Los Angeles-based online matchmaking site eHarmony said Thursday that it is expanding its market, and has launched a brand new site, specifically aimed at Spanish speaking singles. According to eHarmony, its new web site is built to serve both Spanish speaking singles in the U.S., as well as support its globalization strategy with an expansion to Latin America and beyond. eHarmony says that it already has 37% of its users who are bilingual, and speak Spanish. eHarmony said it not only is caterin

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eHarmony Sites Course Web 125

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NOVEMBER 20, 2015

Match Group , the parent company of high profile dating app company Tinder , saw a solid IPO on Thursday, despite a fiasco involving an interview with Tinder CEO Sean Rad. Match, which runs Match.com, Tinder, OkCupid, PlentyOfFish, Meetic, Twoo, OurTime and FriendScout24, debuted at $12.00 per share on Thursday, rising over 22 percent to close at $14.74.

Marketing 125

Marketing Company Companies Acquisition 125

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NOVEMBER 19, 2015

El Segundo-based PCM , the IT services provider once known as PCMall, said it has acquired the business-to-business assets of Systemax's North American Technology Group. Those businesses include IT products brand TigerDirect. The deal was worth $14M in cash. TigerDirect is an online retailer of electroincs, computers, jewelry, health and fitness, home, and many other products.

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El Segundo Product Services Technology 125

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Aliso Viejo-based semiconductor developer Microsemi said today that it has boosted its bid for PMC-Sierra , to $12.05 per share in cash and stock, valuing the the hostile bid for the company to $2.3 billion. Microsemi said it is now proposing to pay $9.22 in cash and 0.0771x of share of its common stock for every share of PMC common stock. The new bid comes after PMC-Sierra's board rejected Microsemi's prior bid, saying that--although the total enterprise value was higher than its original buyou

Develop 125

Develop Development Company Companies 125

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

In an questionably timed interview, a UK tabloid the EveningStandard has published a lengthy interview with Tinder CEO Sean Rad , even as Tinder's parent company, Match Group , has recently filed for an IPO. Typically, companies in the IPO process enter a "quiet period" where executives avoid talking about their companies in public or in intereviews.

Company 125

Company Companies Acquisition Startup 125

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

Santa Monica-based private equity investor Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. said this morning that it has acquired Syncsort Incorporated , a developer of enterprise software based in New Jersey. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. Syncsort develops Hadoop and other big data integration software for the mainframe market. Syncsort is based in Woodcliff, New Jersey, and offers up Apache Hadoop, Splunk, Apache Spark, and other analytics software for the IBM z Systems mainframe and ot

Capital 125

Capital Santa Monica IBM IBM 125

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NOVEMBER 18, 2015

WellCaster , a developer of enterprise wellness apps, has set up its operations in Los Angeles, and hired LA technology veteran Jay Goss as President of the company. The company--which originally started in New York--develops mobile apps specifically aimed at enterprise customers ofering up wellness apps to their employees. The app runs on iOS and Android.

Mogreet 125

Mogreet Los Angeles Startup Education 125

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NOVEMBER 17, 2015

Los Angeles-based ScoreBig , which helps connect consumers with live entertainment tickets and venues, said this morning that it has named Scott MacDonell as the company's new Senior Vice President of Marketing. MacDonell was previously at agency Oxford Road, serving clients like BlueApron.com and ZipRecruiter. MacDOnennl was the VP of Marketing at LegalZoom for 10 years.

Marketing 125

Marketing Legalzoom Entertainment Los Angeles 125

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NOVEMBER 17, 2015

Calabasas-based DTS , the developer of surround sound and other sound processing technology, said today taht it has linked with Ultra HD Blu-Ray production tool developer Jargon Technologies , to include the DTS:X Encoder and DTS BD Digital Bridge Tool Suite with Jargon's Blu-Ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray authoring software. Financial details of the link were not announced.

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Tool Develop Development Calabasas 125