Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 16, 2011

It’s easy to think that the wife of a well-known & successful VC ( Fred Wilson ) would have had an easy and storied life of wealth and privilege. I had previously had the opportunity to spend time with Joanne Wilson , Fred’s wife, and knew otherwise. That’s why I was so interested in having “ The Gotham Gal &# come on This Week in VC ( video link on YouTube , download iTunes, episode 15) ) and dispel those myths.

Startup 311

Startup Venture Capital Sales Entrepreneur 311

socalTECH

APRIL 22, 2011

El Segundo-based iChange , the operator of an online community focused on lifestyle changes, weight loss, and nutrition, has been acquired by Herbalife , according to investor Momentum Venture Management. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. iChange, which was headed by Stu MacFarlane, will be used by Herbalife's independent distributors to provide wellness coaching to clients.

El Segundo 263

El Segundo Coach Invest Company 263

InfoChachkie

APRIL 18, 2011

Note: This is part I of a two part series. Part II will be available soon. “He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened.”. Lao Tzu, Ancient Chinese Philosopher. Ever wonder why most people are dissatisfied with photos of themselves? The reason is more than false modesty. We know our appearance by the image we see in a mirror. However, the image seen by everyone else, including a camera, is our actual image, rather than our reversed, mirrored reflection.

Entrepreneur 217

Entrepreneur Startup Slides Examples 217

Berkonomics

APRIL 17, 2011

Growing companies give rise to many events that great managers will take advantage of to create and shape the culture of the company itself. Each new plateau in revenue growth, each time a month’s orders hit a record, each large order from the sales department, all of these and more give rise to opportunities to celebrate publicly. Everyone in a stressful corporate environment loves to pause and relish the latest victory.

Sales 136

Sales Custom Customer Organization 136

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

APRIL 19, 2011

I recently sat down with Matt Coffin , the founder of LowerMyBills, which sold for $400 million but was very nearly a bankruptcy only a few years early, and talked “startups.&#. Matt is one of the most transparent, focused & honest startup guys you’ll meet. You can watch him on YouTube , download in iTunes (for gym or commute) 3/31/11 edition.

Acquisition 304

Acquisition Startup Customer Custom 304

socalTECH

APRIL 21, 2011

Los Angeles-based MyLife.com , the people search service run by Jeffrey Tinsley, said today that it has acquired CitizenLocal.com , a local deals site. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. MyLife said the buy will allow businesses and merchants to promote their offerings to its 50 million registered members. MyLife said it hopes the buy will help lawyers, accountants, plumbers, contractors, and other service providers using its site to generate new clients.

MyLife 217

MyLife Sites Acquisition Los Angeles 217

SoCal Tech Calendar

APRIL 20, 2011

Tuesday, April 26, 2011 -- LA Games Conference. What will be the hot games and gaming platforms in 2011 and beyond? What trends will be shaping the games industry? How can you stay ahead in an increasingly competitive marketplace? Over 300 of the most influential decision-makers in the games industry gather for the LA Games Conference to network, do deals, and share ideas about the future of console, PC, online and mobile games.

Conference 124

Conference Press Hollywood Competition 124

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 20, 2011

If you read this blog often you'll know that I'm a huge fan of First Round Capital. They have totally changed the way you run a VC firm, investing heavily in systems & events for their founders that are pushing the boundaries of the way our industry works. One example is that they introduced a program where their founders can pool together shares from their company and exchange them for a small portfolio of other First Round Capital companies.

Capital 284

Capital Venture Capital Startup Technical Review 284

socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2011

Los Angeles-based ScoreBig , an online, members-only service providing discounted sports, concert, and theater tickets, has raised $14.1M in a funding round, according to a regulatory filing by the firm today. The filing indicates the funds came as part of an ongoing $20M fundraising effort by the company. No details on the funding have been announced by the company.

Los Angeles 199

Los Angeles Funding Capital Services 199

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 22, 2011

Face reality. As an entrepreneur, you should assume none of your customers is like you, yet I find that most entrepreneurs assume just the opposite. Customers don’t have your technical base, the passion, and interest in your solution. In fact, even if they did, they couldn’t find you in the clutter. An underrated portion of every startup effort must be about communication and marketing.

Marketing 99

Marketing Search Engine Optimization Startup Custom 99

SoCal Tech Calendar

APRIL 19, 2011

Monday, April 25, 2011 -- Digital LA - Branded Entertainment Panel. Join us for our Branded Entertainment panel. We'll discuss how content creators and brands work together to create, develop, and market digital branded entertainment, distributed via online, mobile, iPad, etc. Our scheduled speakers (more to be added) include: - David Beebe, Director, ABC Digital Studio @davidbeebe - Believe Entertainment Group, created The LeBrons animated web series featuring HP, Sprite, Bing, Intel, etc. - Mo

Entertainment 124

Entertainment Web Content Mobile 124

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 19, 2011

TechZulu is back again this year for all you gaming fans out there. We have partnered up with DMW for the LA Game Conference and their Gamification and Transmedia Workshops. So what does that mean for you? FREE tickets of course! With a grand total of over $2400 worth of tickets we are sending 4 lucky (1 to each workshop and 2 to LA Game Conference) TechZulu readers to these amazing events.

Conference 84

Conference Press Hollywood Writing 84

socalTECH

APRIL 19, 2011

Los Angeles-based Savings.com , which operates an online deal and shopping site, said today that it has launched a new, personalized online shopping feature on its site. According to the firm, shoppers on the site can now create a profile which will filter out only the most useful and relevant deals for users. Savings.com, run by Loren Bendele, is looking to help online shoppers sort out the best deals from the flood of offers they are now receiving.

Email 189

Email Sites Los Angeles Help 189

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 16, 2011

A while back I emphasized how important is to have a company website these days ( Publish Your Website Or Customers Won’t Find You ). I should have added that a website not optimized for search engines is lost in the heap of a billion dead websites. Unless someone searches for your company by name, it won’t show up in the first few pages of any search results.

Google 93

Google SEO Search Engine Optimization SEM 93

SoCal Tech Calendar

APRIL 19, 2011

Monday, April 25, 2011 -- Gamification Workshop. Got Game? Gamification Techniques for Entertainment and Media Executives: Applying the Latest in Social Game Mechanics and Techniques to Boost Engagement and ROI. One of the hottest trends in marketing right now is called Gamification. This unique workshop co-hosted by two leading companies in Gamification, Bunchball and Badgeville, will show you the latest in how some of the world❝s leading media companies and brands - such as NBC, Warner Bro

Entertainment 124

Entertainment Media Competition Marketing 124

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 20, 2011

BlogWorld in NYC? That’s right folks, BlogWorld and New Media Expo have left their old stomping grounds in Las Vegas to venture on to a new chapter. BlogWorld is now being held in New York City in May and Los Angeles in November. Now you get a double dose of BlogWorld awesome in a year! And of course you will be getting all of the amazing TZ interviews live from the Expo floor.

Social Media 65

Social Media Media Tips Content 65

socalTECH

APRIL 22, 2011

A report released today by Silicon Valley Bank said that 83 percent of startups plan to hire this year, up from 73% of startups that had hiring plans in last year's survey. SVB said its Startup Outlook 2011 survey came from the responses of 375 U.S-based private, venture capital backed software, hardware, life science, and cleantech companies. The study was conducted by independent market research firm Koski Research during February 2011.

Report 188

Report Startup Study Research 188

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 20, 2011

The best survival guides tell you how to be proactive and avoid the probabilities of ending up in a worst case scenario. Of course you need to learn how to recognize a bad situation before it bites you, and you need to know all the secret ways to wiggle your way out, before you succumb. The challenges stem from the simple fact that every entrepreneur is starting something new, where things are predictably unpredictable.

Startup 93

Startup Guide Resource Pricing 93

SoCal Tech Calendar

APRIL 22, 2011

Thursday, April 28, 2011 -- TechAmerica: SACRAMENTO UPDATE: WHAT ARE THE TOP FIVE INITIATIVES THE STATE IS WORKING ON THAT CAN HURT/HELP THE TECH INDUSTRY? Discussion will include: 1. Green Chemistry and other Environmental Issues 2. Taxing our way to prosperity 3. Privacy, who needs it! 4. The SmartGrid, Smart Idea for Consumers? 5. The Budget Cuts.

Ideas 113

Ideas Help 113

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 18, 2011

techzulu posted a photo:

Hollywood 49

Hollywood 49

socalTECH

APRIL 19, 2011

Venice, California-based Briabe Media , a mobile marketing firm targeting Hispanic, African, and Asian American consumers, said today that it has raised more than $2M in funding. The firm came from Stochasto Holdings AS of Norway. According to Briabe, the funding also includes a joint venture between the company and Stochasto Holdings AS. Briabe Media offers up mobile advertising targeted at ethnic audiences, and is headed by James Briggs.

Media 187

Media Venice Mobile Advertising 187

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 19, 2011

Entrepreneurship is not a job for the Lone Ranger. Every startup requires building and maintaining effective relationships with people, including partners, team members, customers, and investors. That means giving and asking for feedback, and learning from it, especially negative feedback. “Friction” is feedback mixed with emotion, making it all the more difficult to sort out the value.

Entrepreneur 92

Entrepreneur Mentor Examples Product 92

SoCal Tech Calendar

APRIL 22, 2011

Thursday, April 28, 2011 -- Power of Angel Investing. CONNECT. This full-day seminar provides an overview of the angel investing process including the details of finding, evaluating, and structuring deals. It will also go into depth on how to develop angel-entrepreneur relationships that lead to success. This highly interactive program provides attendees with practical information on best practices in angel investing through a balance of expert presentations, panel discussions and small group ca

Invest 113

Invest Angel Case Study Study 113

socalTECH

APRIL 18, 2011

Upping the ante in the battle between Pasadena-based Twitter client software firm UberMedia and Twitter itself, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Twitter is buying Twitter client software firm TweetDeck. According to the WSJ, Twitter is in talks with TweetDeck to acquire the firm for around $50M. The buy directly contradicts multiple reports that TweetDeck was to be acquired by UberMedia in February.

Report 186

Report Journal Pasadena Software 186

socalTECH

APRIL 19, 2011

Los Angeles-based TreatFeed , a new startup focused on word-of-mouth, social marketing, said today that it has raised $5.4M in a Series A funding round. The firm, founded by Brett Markinson and Konstantin Glasmacher, said the funding was led by Norwest Venture Partners. Norwest's Josh Goldman and Tim Chang have both joined the company's board of directors.

Los Angeles 185

Los Angeles Funding Marketing Startup 185

socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2011

Dmitry Shapiro , the founder of Veoh and most recently the CTO of MySpace Music, is looking to build an alternative to Facebook at his new startup, Altly. The stealth mode startup has yet to detail its plans, however, Shapiro gave a hint of its plans in a Twitter post this morning. Shapiro recently left MySpace Music, just ten months after he joined.

Veoh 182

Veoh Startup 182

socalTECH

APRIL 21, 2011

Thousand Oaks-based Eka Technologies said today that it has launched a line of products which provide geo-tagging of photos for Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, Ricoh, and other digital cameras. According to Eka Technologies, its FotoSpot and FotoMapr peripherals adds GPS photo location and other information to camera photos, using either SDHC memory cards, Bluetooth, or cabled connections.

Thousand Oaks 180

Thousand Oaks Product Technology 180

socalTECH

APRIL 21, 2011

Los Angeles-based PriceGrabber said Thursday afternoon that it has launched a new, local deal aggregation service, which aggregates daily deals from over 20 group buying sites. The new deals.pricegrabber.com site, which is in beta, includes deals from Groupon, LivingSocial, DealOn, FamilyFinds, Savings.com, and many others. Pricegrabber said the site covers over 160 metro areas across 10 categories.

Sites 176

Sites Los Angeles Services Angel 176

socalTECH

APRIL 18, 2011

Aliso Viejo-based Quest Software announced this morning that it has enhanced its Quest ChangeAuditor, its auditing software for network attached storage (NAS). Quest said that it has added new support for EMC Celerra and NetApp filers to the software. The software collects information about changes and access to data on those file servers, for security and compliance purposes.

Software 172

Software Networking 172

socalTECH

APRIL 19, 2011

Los Angeles- and San Francisco-based online gaming service MindJolt , which is run by MySpace co-founder Chris DeWolfe, has acquired two companies, according to a report today. According to the New York Times, MindJolt has acquired Hallpass Media , an online game portal, and Social Gaming Network , a developer of iPhone and Android games. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Los Angeles 170

Los Angeles Platform Report Media 170

socalTECH

APRIL 19, 2011

Los Angeles-based Goldstar , the half price ticketing and event promotion service, has tapped Matt Coffin , Sean Moriarty , and Neil Patrick Harris as advisors, the company said Tuesday. Coffin is the former founder of LowerMyBills.com, and is now an investor in such firms as Demand Media, Houtelook, Ad.ly, ShoeDazzle, and other startups. Moriarty is the former President and CEO of Ticketmaster, and is currently an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Mayfield Fund, and was also an executive at Citysear

CitySearch 170

CitySearch Ticketmaster Pricing Demand 170

socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2011

10 of the 44 venture-backed companies currently filed to go public are from Southern California, according to an analysis today from the Wall Street Journal. According to the report, there are 44 U.S., venture-backed companies currently filed for an IPO, with 10 from Southern California and 13 from Silicon Valley. Those firms include Boingo Wireless , Active Network , NewEgg , GameFly and Peregrine Semiconductor.

Southern California 167

Southern California Cornerstone OnDemand NewEgg SoCal 167

socalTECH

APRIL 21, 2011

Impinj , a developer of RFID chips which has satellite engineering office in Rancho Cordova and Newport Beach, and which was founded by a California Institute of Technology (Caltech) professor, has filed for an IPO. The firm said it is raising up to $100M on the markets. The IPO is being underwritten by Morgan Stanley , J.P. Morgan, Needham & Company , Pacific Crest Securities , and Raymond James.

CalTech 165

CalTech Orange County Venture Capital Capital 165

socalTECH

APRIL 19, 2011

Los Angeles-based HipGeo has raised $500,000 in an initial round of funding, the firm is announcing this week. The funding comes from Morado Venture Partners, a seed stage fund run by ex-Yahoo executives Ash Patel and Michael Marquez. Other investors in the round include Galen Buckwalter, former Chief Scientist at eHarmony, and San Diego angel investor Bob Bingham.

eHarmony 164

eHarmony Yahoo San Diego Los Angeles 164

socalTECH

APRIL 21, 2011

Southern California has a long history and relationship with the automobile industry, and has been seeing a resurgence in interest with the rise of electric cars. Among the high visibility companies here are such companies as Coda Automotive and Fisker Automotive, both of which have raised a huge amount of venture funding. Among the lesser known companies hoping to capitalize on the trend is Bremach USA (www.bremachusa.com), based in Chino, which is creating an electric-powered, utility vehicle

Southern California 164

Southern California Training Design Funding 164

socalTECH

APRIL 18, 2011

Los Angeles-based ImaginAb , a biotechnology firm spun out by UCLA faculty members, announced this morning that it has concluded a technology licensing agreement with the school. ImaginAb said that it has licensed technology related to novel fluorine chemistry for the rapid and robust labeling of proteins, peptides and biomolecules for diagnostic imaging with Positron Emission Tomography (PET).

UCLA 160

UCLA Technology Los Angeles Angel 160