Sat.Jul 13, 2013 - Fri.Jul 19, 2013

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Why You Need to Ring the Freaking Cash Register

Both Sides of the Table

'I work with a lot of startups. I start to notice when bad behavior creeps into the system as a whole. I have seen much of that behavior over the past 2 years get worse. Nobody seems to want to make money any more. I remember just a decade ago in 2003 when we all laughed at how dumb people in the 90′s were talking about the race to “capture as many eyeballs as possible” before your competition.

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Elon Musk's Next Plan: Connect LA, San Francisco In Half An Hour

socalTECH

'Tech mogul Elon Musk , who has proved that you can, indeed, build your own rocketship to space with his success with Hawthorne-based SpaceX , said today that he plans to unveil a brand new transportation system called Hyperloop. Musk said in a tweet that he will release the plans for Hyperloop, which will deliver people between San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than half an hour, on August 12th.

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Combustion Matters More Than Scale

InfoChachkie

'A version of this article previously appeared in The Wall Street Journal . Tenderfoot Boy Scouts are taught to differentiate between the three combustibles required to build a sustainable fire: tinder, kindling and fuel wood. It''s a long, cold night if the tinder does not light the kindling or if the kindling fails to ignite the fuel wood. However, once the fuel wood is lit, a fire is relatively easy to sustain, as the resulting hot coals readily trigger the combustion of new fuel.

RSS 206
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Water flows downhill. Why fight it?

Berkonomics

'Substitute the word “money” for “water” and we have an explanation for most all of the reasons why successful products move from concept through early adopters through mass market. Money flows to the cheapest effective solution to a problem. Fighting this fact will just extend the misery of accepting a product or marketing failure in the marketplace.

.Net 179
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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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Startup Grind Turns the Tables on Mark Suster

Both Sides of the Table

'One of my favorite events last year was attending Startup Grind where I got to interview Clayton Christensen, author of The Innovator’s Dilemma. Not just because meeting Clayton was influential in shaping my thinking about markets but also because Derek Andersen (who founded Startup Grind) is such an awesome host and runs a very informative events.

Startup 337
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Santa Barbara, San Diego Tops On Per-Capita Venture Capital

socalTECH

'A new study released earlier this month has ranked the Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta metropolitan area, as well as the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos metropolitan area among the top ten markets for venture capital activity. The report, from The Atlantic , found that Santa Barbara-Santa-Maria-Goleta was number five in the nation in terms of venture capital activity per 100,000 people, with $59.1M in deals in 2012 and 3.3 venture capital deals per 100,000 people.

More Trending

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10 Reality Checks to Verify Your Entrepreneur Fit

Startup Professionals Musings

'Making the decision to become an entrepreneur is a major commitment, with huge implications for skills and lifestyle. Yet there is no standardized testing or certification required or available anywhere to help you decide if you are a good fit for entrepreneurship, or entrepreneurship is right for you. An MBA or other academic credentials just don’t do it.

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LA Tech Startup Innovators and Fun Facts

Tech Zulu Event

'Silicon Valley? That’s so yesterday. Today’s startup innovators come from about six hours south of Silicon Valley. If that’s news to you, here are eleven of Los Angles’ best and brightest. Get to know them now before they become household names. Venture Capital: Upfront Ventures. Previously known as GRP Partners, Upfront Ventures has focused on early stage investments since 1996.

Startup 111
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Catalyzing Innovation In Pasadena, with Innovate Pasadena

socalTECH

'As much as the idea of "Silicon Beach" wants to represent the whole of the local technology industry in Los Angeles, there are -- as one would expect in such a large metropolitan area -- many different neighborhoods and communities spread across the region, all with their own individual identities, companies, and technology focuses. In the same way that the technology community is not the same when you''re talking San Francisco versus Palo Alto versus San Jose, Southern California''s technology

Pasadena 242
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How to Solve the Biggest Frustration Marketers Have With Social

Both Sides of the Table

'When polled 88% of marketing professionals said they couldn’t accurately measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns and the majority said lack of ROI measurement is their single greatest frustration with social media (Forbes). If you look at the left side of the graphic you’ll see the easy, traditional measurement of followers, RTs, FAVs & replies.

Marketing 307
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7 Reasons to Brand Yourself Before Your Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

'Starting a business is usually the result of a personal dream or need. Investors tell me that they invest in people, more than the idea. Customers buy from people, not from a company, at least at the startup stages. That’s why it’s important to build a personal brand, in parallel and before your business brand. This will kick-start your business, and improve your odds of success.

Startup 109
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Kaleio Integrates National and International Job Listings via Indeed.com | Founder Interview Jim Riley

Tech Zulu Event

'Industry-specific networking site Kaleio , has partnered with Indeed.com to include both national and international job listings within the Kaleio Marketplace in a move that is expected to make it a one-stop professional networking and business tool for students and the non-executive workforce. According to Kaleio founder & CEO, Jim Riley, “This partnership marks a significant step in us becoming an invaluable resource for college students and working-class professionals to not only f

Yahoo 100
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Angel Group: New SEC Rules Could Kill Angel Investing

socalTECH

'The Angel Capital Association , a group which represents angel investors, says this week that the changes in the final rules banning "general solicitation" of companies seeking investments from accredited investors, could "kill most angel investment in the country." Those rules--which had been hailed as making it easier for companies to raise capital from investors--apparently include rules to verify the accredited status of investors in companies.

Angel 203
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NRG Solar Buys Project In Guam

socalTECH

'Carlsbad-based solar power project developer NRG Solar said Monday that it has acquired a large-scale, solar project on Guam. NRG said the 25.65 megawatt solar project was acquired from Quantum Guam Power Holdings, LLC. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. NRG Solar is a subsidiary of energy giant NRG Energy, and constructs and operates solar power projects.

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Southern California Firms Get $587.0M In Venture Capital In Q2

socalTECH

'The latest numbers from the MoneyTree survey came out this evening, tallying up $587.0M in venture capital investments in Q2 2013 across Southern California, spread across 80 deals. Those numbers reflected a drop from Q2 of last year, when there was $868.98M in investments across 97 deals. However, venture dollars invested were above Q1, when Southern California saw $569.1M in investments across 90 deals.

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Core Innovation Capital's Quest To Find Finance Innovation, With Arjan Schutte

socalTECH

'Los Angeles has recently become the hotbed for financial startups--from Green Dot, to Blackline Systems, to Wallaby and ZestCash. That increase in startups has not gone un-noticed. Thanks to that activity, a new, venture investor has moved into town, Core Innovation Capital (www.corevc.com) , to specifically take advantage of those opportunities. We spoke with Arjan Shutte about the investment firm and its interest in financial startups, and why it moved from New York.

Capital 183
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Launchpad LA Starts Accepting Fall 2013 Applications

socalTECH

'Launchpad LA , one of the more high profile startup accelerators in Los Angeles, has opened up applications for its next class. The accelerator has been accepting applications since last week for its Class 6, which will run from mid-September to mid-January. According to the accelerator, applications for the next class are due August 11th. Launchpad LA offers up a $100,000 investment, free office space in Santa Monica, mentoring and access to resources, and much more to companies.

Mogreet 183
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Core Innovation Capital Sets Up Shop In LA

socalTECH

'In the latest positive move for the Los Angeles venture capital market, a new investor has moved into town, to take advantage of the area''s growing startup market. According to Core Innovation Capital , it has moved its offices to Los Angeles from New York City, to be closer to potential investments in its focus area of funding companies serving underbanked consumers in America.

Capital 174
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Abbott Medical Optics Acquires Optimedica

socalTECH

'Santa Ana-based Abbott Medical Optics , which developer intraocular lenses and other products for ocular surgery, plus refractive and eye care products, has acquired a Silicon Valley developer of opthalmic surgery devices. Abbott said that AMO has acquired Santa Clara-based Optimedica , which develops femtosecond laser-based, cataract surgery devices, for $250M in cash plus up to $150M in earn out.

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PageWoo Targets Mobile Advertising For Small Businesses

socalTECH

'PageWoo , the mobile advertising company headed by Jason Crilly and Holden Steinberg, has rolled out a brand new product aimed at small businesses. According to PageWoo, its new NearWoo product helps small businesses identify, target, and acquire new customers, using geofencing and big data for targeting ads to those customers. According to PageWoo, its new product can target consumers based on interests, psychographics, and buying patterns.

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CyberFlow Analytics Raises $2M For Cyber Security Efforts

socalTECH

'San Diego-based CyberFlow Analytics has raised $2M in a seed round of funding, to go towards its software for protecting corporate IP from corporate espionage and malware. The firm said the seed round of funding came from Toshiba America Electronics Components. CyberFlow, which is headed by Dr. Hossein Eslambolchi--former Chief Technology Officer of AT&T--said the new round brings its total raised to $2.6M.

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Kuapay Taps Nobel Prize Winner As Advisor

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based startup Kuapay has tapped a Nobel prize winner as its newest advisor, the startup announced today, and has added Myron Scholes as Chairman of its Advisory Board. Scholes is the economist best known for co-creating the Black-Scholes options pricing model. Kuapay is a developer of mobile wallet software, and is led by Joaquin Ayuso.

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Tech Coast Angels Among Most Active Angel Groups

socalTECH

'A new report today, from the Angel Resource Institute, Silicon Valley Bank, and CB Insights, has found that the Tech Coast Angels is again one of the most active angel investment groups in the country. The Tech Coast Angels were among a number of groups who invested the most per deal in the last 12 months. Other active angel groups include the Alliance Angels, Desert Angels, Golden Angels Investors, Golden Seeds, Houston Angel Network, JumpStart New Jersey Angel Network, Nashville Capital Netwo

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uSamp Gets $15M More For Market Research Tools

socalTECH

'Encino-based sampling and online research firm uSamp announced this morning that it has raised $15M in a new round of funding. According to uSamp, the Series D round came from OpenView Venture Partners and DuPont Capital Management, and will go towards accelerating the development of the company''s Instant.ly platform. uSamp''s services and software is used by marketers for surveys, sampling, and market research. uSamp has now raised somewhere around $29.0M in funding.

Research 168
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Mark43 Raises $1.95M From Launchpad LA, Others

socalTECH

'In what might be the geographically furthest investment so far by Los Angeles startup accelerator Launchpad LA , the accelerator is one of the investors in a Boston-based startup tackling law enforcement information sharing software. Boston''s Mark43 said this week that it has raised $1.95M in a seed funding round, which included Spark Capital, General Catalyst Partners, Lowercase Capital, SV Angel, Launchpad LA, Rough Draft Ventures, Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann and others.

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Interview with Bryan Burkhart, H.Bloom

socalTECH

'Los Angeles has always been a major market for launching products, and in the era of e-commerce has become highly attractive for its large consumer population, a technology-savvy population, and affinity for new products and services. The latest company to expand into the market is H.Bloom , a venture backed luxury floral delivery and gifts company based out of New York.

Legalzoom 165
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Cornerstone OnDemand Enhances Free Nonprofit Training Effort

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based Cornerstone OnDemand , the developer of cloud-based talent management tools, is extending out its nonprofit efforts today through its foundation, the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation. According to the foundation, it has enhanced its Gift of Learning program it operates to include new, free e-learning content aimed at nonprofit professionals.

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Insights and Opinions: The Wisdom of Differentiation

socalTECH

'In our Insights and Opinions section today, we feature an article from Ivan Nikkhoo , an entrepreneur, investment banker and VC at Siemer & Associates, talking about The Wisdom of Differentiation. "America has believed that in differentiation, not in uniformity, lies the path of progress. It acted on this belief; it has advanced human happiness, and it has prospered." - Louis D.

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eHarmony's Waldorf Backs Online Education Firm Grovo.com

socalTECH

'Greg Waldorf , who was the founding investor in Los Angeles-based eHarmony , and was previously its CEO, is the lead investment in an online education firm''s Series A. According to Grovo.com , a New York-based provider of Internet-based training videos, Waldorf led a $5.5M Series A funding for the company this morning. The funding also included Greg Sands of Costanoa Venture and Jeff Clavier of SoftTech VC, along with Lerer Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, David Tisch, David Honig (Vision Ventures

eHarmony 157
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Novatel Wireless Gets M2M Win

socalTECH

'San Diego-based wireless module developer Novatel Wireless reported a design win today for its M2M modules. According to Novatel, it is providing its modules to Capstone Metering, a Texas-based technology company, to power a water meter solution. The water meter will include ability to send data over the Verizon CDMA network, for remote reading of water usage.

San Diego 153
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Beachmint, PandoDaily Battle Over Story

socalTECH

'It looks like the battle between Los Angeles e-commerce startup Beachmint and technology blog PandoDaily is flaring up into a major firestorm, over the accuracy of a story posted a couple of weeks ago by the tech blog. The blog had run a story a couple of weeks ago saying that Beachmint had returned money to its investors and ejected its founders, a story which was vehementaly denied by the company.

Blogging 153
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HitFix Heads To The Big Screen With Theater News Deal

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based online entertainment site HitFix , which is headed by Jen Sargent, is in a new deal today which will bring the company''s entertainment news to theaters. HitFix and NCM Media Networks, which provides integrated media to consumers in U.S. movie theaters, said they are in a strategic relationship to bring entertainment news to theater screens.

News 153
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Quarterly Ups Funding To $2.2M

socalTECH

'Hollywood-based gift delivery firm Quarterly has raised its funding up to $2.2M, according to a regulatory filing by the company. According to the filing, Quarterly has now raised $2.2M out of an ongoing $2.5M funding round. Quarterly has previously announced funding from True Ventures, SV Angel, Initialized Capital, and Collaborative Fund. Quarterly delivers curated, quarterly gift packages to subscribers, based on the tastes and preferences of popular bloggers and celebrities.

Funding 153
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Tinder Hits Android

socalTECH

'Will Android and iPhone users date each other? Mobile dating app developer Tinder is about to find out today, as it released a brand new, Android version of its mobile dating app this morning. Tinder, which is based in West Hollywood, looks to be gaining traction in the market--or at least, its market efforts--for its mobile dating app, which lets users "like" or "pass" on people nearby who might be interested in a date.

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EdgeCast Gets $54M For Content Delivery Efforts

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based content delivery network EdgeCast has just filled up its warchest, announcing Thursday that it has raised $54M in a big funding round. The new funding was led by Performance Equity Management, and also included existing investors Menlo Ventures and Steamboat Ventures. EdgeCast said the Series D growth investment will go towards developing and launching new services.

Content 150
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Netlist Raises $15M

socalTECH

'Irvine-based Netlist , a publicly listed developer of memory for the cloud computing and storage market, announced Thursday that it has raised $15M in credit financing. The funding came from Fortress Investment Group. According to Netlist, it will use the new funding to support ongoing development of its product and patent portfolio. Both Netlist and Fortress said that the focus of the investment would be to bolster its intellectual property and patent assets, and capitalize on those patents.

Patents 147