Sat.Feb 04, 2017 - Fri.Feb 10, 2017

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Why Was Winter in Venture Capital Funding so Short?

Both Sides of the Table

It was only a year ago that many in the Venture Capital industry were predicting that “winter was coming” and to be fair the author of this post was chief amongst them. Yet as we enter February 2017 the VC funding markets are booming, Snap, Inc has filed for its IPO, AppDynamics was just purchased for $3.7 billion by Cisco and the only winter that can be found is at the ski resorts following California’s epic snowy and rainy January.

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Avoid the race to zero…

Berkonomics

When do you sell your company? Obviously we all want to sell at the top. And there is the problem. How do you know when you are at or near that right point to sell for maximum value? Those of us in the business of calculating (guessing) this mythical peak in value often make the same mistake as our entrepreneurs. We hang on just a little bit longer, expecting continued or accelerating growth and value as in previous periods of the same.

Pricing 217
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The HomeFinder Group, Led By RealtyTrac Vet, Acquires HomeFinder.com

socalTECH

Irvine-based The HomeFinder Group , led by RealtyTrac veteran Michael Sawtell, has acquired HomeFinder.com. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Newly formed The HomeFinder Group (THG) says it will focus on lead quality and conversion for brokers, agents and mortgage lenders through its own consumer facing web sites. HomeFinder was previously owned by real estate technology developer Placester.

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U.S Dept. of Commerce Grants $500,000 to Cal State L.A. For Bioscience Bootcamp.

L.A. Business Journal

The U.S. Department of Commerce granted nearly $500,000 to California State University, Los Angeles and its partners, the Biocom Institute and the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), to fund the creation of a bootcamp for bioscientists in the region.

Commerce 156
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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

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.

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10 Top Rules For Marketing In Today’s Digital World

Startup Professionals Musings

Viral marketing and word-of-mouth are not enough these days to make your product and brand visible in the relentless onslaught of new promotional media out there today. Innovation in marketing is perhaps more important than product innovation. Yet in the business plans I see, the marketing content and budget are smaller than ever. More than just spending, you need to create an “experience” in this digital age which sets you apart from the banner ads, email blasts, and old-school websites out the

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Often Advocates Of Faster FDA, Patient Groups Wary Of Trump Deregulation

Xconomy

In the biomedical world, perhaps the biggest question looming over President Donald Trump’s upcoming pick for Food and Drug Administration commissioner is how drastically that person will help roll back FDA regulations. Trump said at last week’s meeting in Washington D.C., with pharmaceutical executives that he wanted to slash FDA rules by 75 to 80 percent—“at a level no one has seen before”—while still promising “tremendous protection for the people.

Help 66

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Brogan BamBrogan Starts Second Hyperloop Company

L.A. Business Journal

Brogan BamBrogan is starting his second hyperloop company, named Arrivo, just months after leaving and settling a lawsuit against the company he founded, Hyperloop One.

Company 120
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How To Survive A Deadly Drag On Startup Productivity

Startup Professionals Musings

A “downer” is defined here as someone who seems to dwell on the negatives of every business challenge, and loves to highlight bad news or potential problems. No matter how smart or experienced this person may otherwise be, things must change or they will kill your startup. I’m not talking about someone who has an occasional bad day, but rather people who when asked, “How are things?

Startup 61
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Kentucky Biotech CEO’s Message For McConnell: I’ll Be Muslim, Too

Xconomy

President Trump’s order to bar refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries is on temporary hold, and a court hearing later today could eventually force a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. One of the latest biotech executives to speak out against the ban is in the backyard of Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the top Republican in the U.S.

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Snapchat's Would-Be Investors Drive Up Wrong Stock

socalTECH

Enthusiastic, yet clearly unsophisticated, fans of Venice, California-based Snap Inc. , the parent company of Snapchat , have driven the stock of a completely unrelated, over-the-counter company, Snap Interactive , through the roof this week. According to CNET , Snap Interactive's stock--which had been trading below $6 a share all year, has jumped as high as $15 a share, all due to widespread investor confusion on exactly what company they were buying the stock for.

Snapchat 133
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Snap Announces Deal with A&E to Develop First Original Snapchat Show

L.A. Business Journal

Snap Inc. and A&E Networks jointly announced a content production partnership Friday that will include the development of the first original unscripted content on Snapchat.

Snapchat 111
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7 Key Actions to Align Business Elements For Change

Startup Professionals Musings

New business owners are rightfully proud of the changes they bring to the market, so they readily admit that change is good. Yet these same entrepreneurs often quickly get set in their ways, and find themselves resisting changes to their own business, and begin to fear further customer change in their domain. Change is no longer seen as an opportunity, but as a big risk and cost.

Press 56
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Biotech Leaders Sign Letter Condemning Trump’s Travel Ban

Xconomy

The blowback from U.S. business leaders to President Trump’s travel ban continues—today from a throng of biotech executives. This morning, 165 U.S. biotech leaders have signed a letter voicing “deep concern and opposition” to the order, which bars entry to the U.S. to refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. The Jan. 27 order placed a 90-day ban on immigrants from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen.

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Techstars Launches Virtual Accelerator

socalTECH

Startup accelerator operator Techstars announced this morning that it is launching a new "virtual accelerator", which seeks to provide the same kind of experience virtually that the startup accelerator is offering. The inaugural class of four companies in the the accelerator includes two different companies with founders in San Diego. Techstars--which operates three, physical accelerators in Los Angeles--said that the class includes Qeepsake operates a service which helps parents keep a baby boo

San Diego 118
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Silicon Beach Report Feb. 10: Snap Announces Deal with A&E to Develop First Original Snapchat Show

L.A. Business Journal

Snap Announces Deal with A&E to Develop First Original Snapchat Show, Honest Co. Looking for Consumer Package Goods CEO to Replace Brian Lee, and Activision Hits Record $2B in Sales in Q4.

Snapchat 109
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3 Ways IoT Startups Are Securing Their Devices

Tech Zulu Event

With so many smart technology devices and users— six billion Internet of Things (IoT) connections in 2015—we’ve long surpassed the adoption phase. Now, the focus has shifted to refining and improving features to help products stand out from the competition, especially in the realm of security. For years, tech enthusiasts, users, creators, and hackers have expressed their concern over the safety vulnerabilities of numerous IoT devices, from smart locks to thermostats.

Startup 52
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Trump’s Immigration Policies Threaten to Thwart Economic Growth

Xconomy

For the entire staff at Global Detroit, the Executive Orders from President Trump on immigration, refugees, the so-called Muslim ban, and the wall have been devastating and deeply distressing. They challenge our sense of American values and history. Beyond our personal and moral reactions, however, the Executive Orders also may have some impact on the work of Global Detroit to spark regional economic growth, job creation, and prosperity.

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Southern California Biotech Execs Take Stand Against Immigration Order

socalTECH

A long list of executives in Southern California have joined in a joint statement , published in Nature on Tuesday, which call the Presidential Immigration order a "misguided policy", and complained the move gave a message that "America is no longer welcoming of any immigrants, whatsoever." The executives--from such firms as Xencor, Amlyin Pharmaceuticals, Salus Discovery, Regulus Therapeutics, Metacrine, ViaCyte, Dauntless Pharmaceuticals, aTyr Pharma, Orexigen Therapeutics, Verity BioConsultin

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Silicon Beach Report Feb. 8: Snap Inc. Hires Swiss Engineer to Fight Copycats

L.A. Business Journal

Snap Inc. hires Swiss engineer to fight copycats, SpaceX aims for Feb. 18 to launch resupply mission to Space Station, and Exactuals Raises $10 million and signs SAG-AFTRA as client.

SpaceX 109
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7 Steps To Driving A Culture Of Business Innovation

Startup Professionals Musings

Every business founder knows the need for a culture that promotes continuous innovation, an entrepreneurial spirit, and one that creates sustainable value across all functions in the business. Yet most don’t really know how to create that environment, or assess when they have achieved it. They only know in retrospect too late when they don’t have it, and the business is in crisis mode.

Startup 81
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As Iraqi Immigrant, Bio CEO Sees Pros and Cons in U.S. Travel Ban

Xconomy

Noori Barka came to California on an H-1B visa in 1986 to work for Santa Monica-based Specialty Laboratories, a medical diagnostics company best known for its clinical testing services. Barka said he had just completed his doctorate in immunology in Belgium, and moved to America with his wife, Evelyn, and his son, David, who was then barely a month old.

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Soraa Deploys In UK Museum

socalTECH

Soraa , the developer of Gallium Nitride (GaN) LED lighting technology, based on research out of UC Santa Barbara, has deployed its products at a museum in the United Kingdom. Soraa said its lighting systems are now being used at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England, which the company says is the world's oldest public museum. Soraa's LED lighting systems are being used to replace what had been a halogen powered light generator system.

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Silicon Beach Report Feb. 6: BBC to Show Special “Plant Earth II” Episodes on Snapchat

L.A. Business Journal

BBC to show special “Plant Earth II” episodes on Snapchat, Snap’s research and development division remains top secret, and Stem’s royalty splitting service taking off.

Snapchat 109
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How To Get Step-By-Step Assistance For Your Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

It seems like every day I hear from an aspiring entrepreneur who doesn’t know where to start, or doesn’t have the time or expertise for all the mechanics of starting a business based on their great idea. While I can route them to hundreds of resources on the Internet for individual pieces of this task, I never found an online platform that integrates all the required activities, until now.

Startup 63
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Xconomy is Growing: We Need Great Salespeople in SF, Texas, and NY

Xconomy

Since Xconomy’s founding nearly a decade ago, we have grown from a single bureau in Boston to having editors covering 11 innovation clusters around the United States. And over this time, we have cultivated a reputation for outstanding news coverage and events across high-tech business sectors—from information technology to life sciences and beyond.

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LA Gets Its Third HyperLoop Company, Arrivo

socalTECH

Los Angeles now officially has its third startup working on developing technology to bring Elon Musk's concept of the "Hyperloop" to reality, in the form of Arrivo , led by former Hyperloop One CTO Brogan BamBrogan. Arrivo has apparently opened up an office just a few blocks from Hyperloop One. The new startup comes after BamBrogan was ousted from Hyperloop One, in a huge scandal involving back and forth between Hyperloop One's founders and BamBrogan.

Company 124
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Collectible Sneaker Reseller Goat Raises $25M

L.A. Business Journal

Online collectible sneaker reseller Goat raised a $25 million round led by venture capital firm Accel.

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Mark Cuban on Why You Need to Study Artificial Intelligence or You’ll be a Dinosaur in 3 Years

Both Sides of the Table

Mark Cuban opened the Upfront Summit in an epic interview by Jason Hirschhorn , founder of Media REDEF. Machine Learning / AI They discussed many topics ranging from protection of the press to what Mark looks for in an entrepreneur to investing outside of Silicon Valley and of course Trump and sports. But perhaps to most insightful was their discussion about Machine Learning / AI.

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Senate Confirms Price for HHS, But Stock Deals Still Raise Questions

Xconomy

The Senate confirmed Tom Price as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services early Friday morning by a 52-47 vote that, as expected, fell largely on party lines. Price is an orthopedic surgeon by training who has been a member of Georgia’s congressional delegation since 2004. He will now oversee a department that includes the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Pricing 43
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Interview with Mike Whitmire, CEO and Co-founder, FloQast

socalTECH

For today's interview, we sat down and talked with Mike Whitmire , the CEO and Co-founder of Los Angeles-based FloQast (www.floqast.com), a developer of financial close management software for enterprise accounting. Mike tells us about the company, who uses its software, as well as how he was initially turned away from the Amplify.LA accelerator--which only inspired him to keep working on making his startup a reality and go from just an idea, to a real company.

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Silicon Beach Report Feb. 7: Collectible Sneaker Reseller Goat Raises $25M.

L.A. Business Journal

Collectible sneaker reseller Goat raises $25 million, SpaceX plans to launch rockets every 2 weeks, and Virtual reality firm Upland expands into SoCal.

SoCal 109
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How Glenn Beck Won the Audience Over at the Upfront Summit

Both Sides of the Table

Glenn Beck holds court at the Upfront Summit with legendary VC Vinod Khosla and UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla (not related) If you asked me a year ago when we were hosting the 2016 Upfront Summit the odds of Glenn Beck speaking at the next Summit I would have emphatically said ZERO. The first sign that there might be more to Glenn Beck than the impressions I had had from occasionally watching a clip from his show was when he wrote a very thoughtful piece about the Facebook algorithm and I was s

UCSD 280
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San Francisco Appeals Court Upholds Stay on Trump’s Travel Ban—For Now

Xconomy

The Trump administration’s travel ban will remain on a temporary hold under an order issued today by a federal appeals court in San Francisco, which held that the government had failed to make its case for lifting a stay won through a court challenge by the state of Washington. That means that for the time being, current tech company employees won’t be barred from re-entering the country, even if they come from one of the seven nations targeted by the Trump order.

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Greycroft Partners Raises $250M In New Growth Fund

socalTECH

Greycroft Partners , one of the more active investors in Los Angeles technology startups, announced on Thursday that it has raised $250M in a new, growth equity fund. The fund, Greycroft Growth II , will be focused on expansion rounds for the company's existing, early stage venture funds, along with new investments not previously in its portfolio, according to the firm.

Funding 124
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Silicon Beach Report Feb. 9: Brogan BamBrogan Starts Second Hyperloop Company

L.A. Business Journal

Brogan BamBrogan starts second hyperloop company, Greycroft raises $250 million fund, Wiredrive merges with MediaSilo, and more.

Company 109
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New Clean Energy Manufacturing Institute Launches In LA

socalTECH

A new effort to promote "smart manufacturing' technology, the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII) has launched in Los Angeles, saying that it will promote the adoption of "smart manufacturing", with a focus on "radically improving" precision, performance, quality, sustainability and energy efficiency of manufacturing techniques.

UCLA 116