Both Sides of the Table

JULY 7, 2015

If you follow the Twittersphere you may have noticed several people weighing in on this recent piece by Mike Isaac of the NY Times, asking “ How Many Angels is Too Many? ” I found myself nodding through all of it with quotes like, “Seed investing is the status symbol of Silicon Valley,” said Sam Altman. I myself coined the term ENIFA (everyone now is a f **g angel) in 2011 but it didn’t stick as well as the term Unicorn did.

Angel 265

Angel Startup Seed Funding Invest 265

Berkonomics

JULY 9, 2015

By David Steakley. Editor’s note: Popular contributor, David Steakley, returns this week with his take on the importance of cloud delivery for technology businesses. – DWB. Everyone knows that software-as-a-service has displaced the old style of delivering enterprise software. You may have assumed that this has transpired as a natural evolution of technological capabilities.

Sales 171

Sales Software Custom Customer 171

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2015

Last week, two Los Angeles area technology companies--influencer subscription service Quarterly (www.quarterly.co), and technology studio Science Inc. (www.science-inc.com) inked a business deal together, including both investment and major collaboration. The two have a long history in the subscription area, so we though tit would be intersting to hear from Quarterly's CEO, Zach Frechette and Science's co-founder, Mike Jones to hear more about how the two are hoping to work together to expand th

Marketing 169

Marketing Commerce Startup Newsletter 169

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2015

Starting a new business is a serious undertaking. Yet many aspiring entrepreneurs I know approach it as a fun project, get-rich quick scheme, or perhaps an expensive hobby. Others quit their day jobs and commit everything to their new passion, without regard for their own well-being, or the welfare of others around them. Neither of these approaches bodes well for success.

Startup 109

Startup Ideas Framework Entrepreneur 109

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

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 8, 2015

Since the dawn of Sci-Fi, humanity has been concerned about AI and whether it will eventually lead to our demise. This a mindset held by great thinkers such as Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates. This fear has often overshadowed the many benefits AI offers and the advantages to our world they can provide. With only speculation to reinforce this worry about our future, we have held ourselves back from the wonders advanced AI can and is already giving us.

Artificial Inteligence 76

Artificial Inteligence Design Examples Writing 76

Tech Coast Venture Network

JULY 10, 2015

Check out this Forbes article written by our every own Ash Kumra and Seline Shenoy!

Education 100

Education 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 8, 2015

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. I often get asked about the real alternatives to bridge this valley, and there are some good ones I will outline here.

Entrepreneur 105

Entrepreneur Startup Technical Review Equity 105

Tech.Co

JULY 6, 2015

No one goes into to the florist industry for the money. Florists are passionate about what they do. They should be seen as craftspeople and their work should be taken seriously. The big companies in the industry (think FTD, Teleflora, 1800Flowers) that dole out work to local florists are not only stifling their creativity, but killing their businesses.

Platform 72

Platform Design Tool Resource 72

Tech Coast Venture Network

JULY 10, 2015

Check out this Forbes article written by our every own Ash Kumra and Seline Shenoy!

Education 100

Education 100

socalTECH

JULY 6, 2015

We recently ran into Page Howe , the Chief Engagement Officer for the.LA (www.la) domain name extension, who sat down with us and told us about why he's out making the rounds with community groups and events, promoting the use of.LA as a domain extension. Howe is a veteran of the domain name business, having made his name buying and selling domain names over the years, including having founded Joe's Domains.

Social Network 163

Social Network Startup Mobile Google 163

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 4, 2015

I know some entrepreneurs with successful businesses, and others who seem to have a great relationship with their family, but I can’t think of many who have both. Some people would argue that these two successes are mutually exclusive, but I’m not convinced. Individually, they both take focus, commitment, and a variety of skills, all the strengths of a good entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur 103

Entrepreneur Demand Competition Activity 103

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 10, 2015

Techstars Disney Accelerator class of 2015 was announced yesterday. The ten companies in this year’s program represent a diverse cross-section of technologies, and are inspired by their visions for the applicability of these technologies in the media space. 2 3D-Printing Companies. MakieLab lets kids bring toys to life by building their own customizable 3D-printed toys through creative games and apps.

Artificial Inteligence 68

Artificial Inteligence Class AMA Platform 68

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 6, 2015

Many people are too cautious in sales processes and as a result when they present their solutions they end up sounding milquetoast and undifferentiated from anybody else in the market. In this post I advocate taking a harder stand on where your product or solution differentiates in the market – even if it means you lose some deals as a result.

Sales 260

Sales SaaS Startup Venture Capital 260

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2015

Shift Technologies , a venture backed startup which has received funding from DFJ, Highland Capital, and others, is extending its efforts into Los Angeles, after launching in San Francisco. Shift Technologies said it has recently opened up operations in LA and is in the middle of leasing a massive warehouse for cars in the city, its first outside the San Francisco Bay Area.

Los Angeles 153

Los Angeles Technology Angel Services 153

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2015

Every new baby gets a name before it is introduced to the world, and yet some entrepreneurs continue to send me business plans with TBD (to be determined) in place of a business name on the front page. They don’t realize that the name they choose, or lack of it, sets an initial perception of the business that may override all of its value. Your business name will have the same impact on potential customers.

Social Media 103

Social Media Customer Custom Startup 103

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 7, 2015

The internet has revolutionized human life by being able to provide instant and quick access to information. Not only that, it has also improved how we communicate with others via our social media networks, e-mail addresses and voice chats. It has also improved the everyday services that we usually encounter—from banking, booking plane tickets, and even conducting business and the bigger picture of retail marketing.

Social Media 65

Social Media Search Engine Optimization Startup Media 65

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 4, 2015

The Fourth of July. The day we celebrate American independence. It’s more about our celebrating what we love about our country than it is about winning a war. Like many who live here I’m proudly American. It is the country that welcomed my forebears when others wouldn’t. My story is different from yours, but the same. We all came from different economic means by relatives willing to risk their lives and their livelihoods to stake out a new beginning in a foreign land that was o

Course 290

Course Resource Study Product 290

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2015

The Walt Disney Company announced the names of the companies in its second, startup accelerator program it runs out of Burbank, with the help of Techstars. According to Disney, the second class of the Disney Accelerator includes ten startups, who will participate in a three month mentorship and investment program. The program runs until October 6th, when Disney will have a Demo Day for the startups.

Class 152

Class Startup Burbank SaaS 152

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 10, 2015

One of the most popular and least successful models I see in new business plans for startups is the so-called Facebook model, providing free services to users while collecting revenue from ads to offset costs and grow the business. To make this work, you need heavy traffic on your site -- probably at least a million page views per month -- which most sites never achieve in their lifetimes.

Advertising 99

Advertising PPC CPC Sites 99

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 6, 2015

This is episode 1 of the TechZulu Tech Wrap. Produced by PodShare’s Elvina Beck and Kera Package for June 20-July 6, 2015. If you missed out on all the news last week because of… well you simply checked out Tuesday for the long 4th of July weekend, we got you covered. If you enjoyed the w(rap) please comment below to let us know ;). Referenced Stories / More Info :: Facebook – [link].

News 52

News Entertainment Software 52

socalTECH

JULY 7, 2015

Shyp , an on-demand, shipping and delivery service which serves Los Angeles, said today that it has inked a partnership with charity Goodwill , where it will pick up items for the charity--for free--from Los Angeles users. Shyp--which is based in San Francisco--said it will pick up items from Los Angeles customers for the next month, as part of an expanded effort with the charity group.

Demand 149

Demand Los Angeles Custom Customer 149

socalTECH

JULY 6, 2015

San Diego-based Maxwell Technologies , which develops ultracapacitor-based energy storage and other products, said today that it has received a $25M, three year revolving line of credit. The new funding will go towards working capital. Maxwell said the line comes from East West Bank. Terms of the credit line were not disclosed. Maxwell develops ultracapacitor products, power modules, and a number of other energy and aerospace related products.

Technology 147

Technology San Diego Funding Product 147

socalTECH

JULY 8, 2015

Los Angeles-based streaming television site Hulu said Tuesday that it has added a new, subscription option to access SHOWTIME , as part of its premium video service. Hulu said that, for $8.99 per month--on top of its existing, $7.99 per month subscription--its viewers will have full access to both on-demand SHOWTIME shows, as well as access to both the East and West Coast live feeds of the cable channel.

Hulu 139

Hulu Demand Los Angeles Sites 139

socalTECH

JULY 8, 2015

Los Angeles-based private equity investor Kayne Partners , the growth private equity arm of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, said Tuesday that it made an investment in Language Access Network (LAN), a Columbus, Ohio-based provider of on-demand, video interpretation services. Financial details of the investment were not disclosed. Language Access Nework serves the healthcare industry, by providing video interpretation services for patients who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have limited English sk

Networking 138

Networking Equity Demand Los Angeles 138

socalTECH

JULY 10, 2015

Pasadena-based customer relationship management (CRM) software developer Rexter is launching a new product, later today, at the Microsoft Accelerator Demo Day in Seattle. The company--which entered the accelerator earlier this year--said its new product, Rexter360 , is an enterprise version of its RexterPro product, which helps users by applying a scientific, mathematical calculation of relationship strength and engagement level to figure out who to call to advance sales activities.

Product 135

Product Pasadena Software Development Activity 135

socalTECH

JULY 10, 2015

Irvine-based HireRight has appointed Jim Weber as the company's new Chief Revenue Offier, the company said Thursday, to help drive global growth. Weber was most recently head of sales for the Wealth Management Group at Thomson Reuters, and also has served at Barclays Global Investors, and California Federal Bank. HireRight is a provider of online background checks, drug testing, and employment verification services.

Sales 135

Sales Help Services Company 135

socalTECH

JULY 10, 2015

Santa Monica-based TrueCar , the provider of negotiation-free, car buying services which is led by Scott Painter, said late Thursday evening that it has ended a partnship it has with AutoNation. TrueCar said that AutoNation had represented 3.1 percent of its total revenues in the first quarter of 2015, and that it estimates that its users supplied 7 percent of AutoNation's Q1 2015 new vehicle sales.

Truecar 135

Truecar Santa Monica Sales Custom 135

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2015

Los Angeles-based NantBioScience and San Diego-based Sorrento Therapeutics announced this morning that the two have launched a new, joint venture, aimed at small molecule treatments for cancer. The two said they will invest $100M in the new, joint venture, which they call a "moonshot program" to develop small molecules for treating caner. The companies said the new, JV will be 60 percent owned by NantBioScience, and 40 percent owned by Sorrento.

San Diego 135

San Diego Los Angeles Invest Angel 135

socalTECH

JULY 7, 2015

Helio , one of Southern California's biggest telecom startup disasters, is back from the dead, and is looking to offer up its prepaid wireless services again, according to the company's website. According to Helio, it will offer up $29 a month for unlimited talk, text, and rate limited data, as it reopens the MVNO, which originallys started in Los Angeles.

Southern California 135

Southern California Startup Los Angeles Mobile 135

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2015

Santa Monica-based pet-sitting marketplace operator DogVacay has launched an update to both its iPhone and Android apps, with a number of new features and changes. DogVacay said that the new apps are available both on iTunes and Google Play. The apps include updated host profiles, navigation, browsing, and more. READ MORE>>.

Santa Monica 132

Santa Monica Google 132

socalTECH

JULY 10, 2015

Camarillo-based analog and mixed signal semiconductor provider Semtech reports a design win for its HD-VLC technology, into a design for Japanese manufacturer Ikegami Tsushinki Co., Ltd. Semtech said that Ikegami, whch makes professional video camera systems, will use its technology for transmitting HD quality images as a part of a video monitoring system for trains.

Design 131

Design Training Report Technology 131

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2015

Los Angeles-based Zealot Networks , the startup led by Danny Zappin which connects creators and influencers with brands, has acquired viral content site ViralNova. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed, but the price was reportedly around $100M. The two companies said that ViralNova is on track to have $35M in revenues in 2015, and is now seeing an average of 100 million monthly visits to its site.

Networking 131

Networking Content Los Angeles Sites 131

socalTECH

JULY 9, 2015

San Diego-based Pathway Genomics said this morning that it has added a new advisor to the company. Pathway Genomics said it has added Paul Sonnier, a digital health advocate and social entrepreneur known for his Twitter and LinkedIn following, has joined the company's Strategic Advisory Board. Pathway Genomics said Sonnier has more than 35,000 members in his Digital Health group on LinkedIn, and over 25,000 Twitter followers.

San Diego 131

San Diego Entrepreneur Company Companies 131

socalTECH

JULY 8, 2015

Santa Barbara-based Resonant inc. , which is developing front end radio frequency filters, said it has added Dr. Thomas R. Joseph to its board of directors. Joseph was previously Senior Manager Technical Products at RFMD (Qorvo), until he recently retired, and also had served at Hughes Aircraft Company, and TRW Space and Defense. The company said that Joseph is an expert on SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) resonators, which is the technology that Resonant's products are based upon.

Santa Barbara 131

Santa Barbara Mobile Product Technology 131

socalTECH

JULY 8, 2015

Los Angeles-based online e-commerce retailer NewEgg is (already) kicking off its back to school sales, saying today that it has launched a new contest to award $16K to students--plus launched a new "student only" store on its website. NewEgg said it has launched a new Hack2School Challenge which will provider more than $16K in prizes to students for submitting their "college hacks", using technology to improve the college experience.

NewEgg 131

NewEgg Commerce Sales Los Angeles 131

socalTECH

JULY 8, 2015

Oxnard-based DEKRA Insight/a> , a consulting, testing, and advisory firm focused on process safety, said today that it has acquired Optimus Seventh Generation Ltd. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Optimus Seventh Generation Ltd. is based in Aberdeen, Scotland, and offers up safety consulting to industry. DEKRA Insight said the acquisition boosts its workforce to over 550 people.

Acquisition 131

Acquisition 131