Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'When I first met Meredith Perry she was 24. That was three months ago this week. Today I’m handing her the largest A-round check I’ve ever written as a VC as we lead her $10 million A-Round at uBeam. As I’ve written about recently, at Upfront Ventures we started talking a couple of years ago about wanting to fund stuff with more meaning.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'Elon Musk , the technology mogul and visionary who has brought us such technology innovations widespread electronic payments via PayPal, electric cars via Tesla Motors , and commercial rocket service via SpaceX , warns that artificial intelligence has the threat of becoming mankind''s "biggest existential threat" last week. Musk likened the technology to "summoning the demon".
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Berkonomics
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'One of my books, Extending the Runway , uses parallels to piloting a plane to equate to the process of creating and building a small company, making maximum use of resources to get to and beyond breakeven. It is worth revisiting the most important point of that book, which was written to prompt discussion between entrepreneurs, professional managers and their boards of directors about issues that could unite them or strain the relationships between them.
InfoChachkie
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. What happens when you release a CD in the form of a bottle of beer? Telegraph Brewing and the California band Buellton asked themselves this question and decided to answer it by doing it. If you haven''t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly JohnGreathouse.com articles! The Sounds Of Silent Partner.
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Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 26, 2014
'Yesterday I wrote a post about The Silent Benefits of PR in which I pointed out that most young companies I encounter don’t fully grasp the benefits of PR because they are less measurable than product milestones or customer acquisition analyses (like CAC/LTV). In that article I talked about how PR drives: recruiting, employee retention, biz dev deals, funding and even M&A and that often “attribution” to your PR activities is unknown.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'Are you tired of booking that "luxury room" on your favorite vacation rental site, and finding it''s really a dump? The founders of hotelstay.com (www.hovelstay.com) got tired of helping to list lots of "luxury properties" on vacation rental sites--which were anything but luxury--and decided to create their own marketplace which calls a spade a spade.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Tech Zulu Event
OCTOBER 25, 2014
' I’ve got a golden ticket! It certainly feels that way if you’re able to get on a new platform before anyone else, doesn’t it? Google has just allowed each of their “ Inbox by Gmail ” users to invite three of their friends and of course everyone is wondering what’s new with the technology giant. So what is Inbox by Gmail?
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 29, 2014
'I’m pretty on record as saying I don’t think many private-to-private tech mergers make sense. They are often done from a position of weakness. Something in both companies isn’t working, which is why they come together. I often don’t believe in the therm M&A because in my experience mostly A works. But of course there are always exceptions.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'Los Angeles-based Enrou , an online marketplace for fashion and lifestyle products which benefit causes such as education, entrepreneurship, the environment, empowerment of women, and youth, has scored a $400,000 prize from Forbes, as part of a competition from the magazine publisher. Enrou--led by Ann Wang--won over over a hundred other companies who had applied for the prize.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 26, 2014
'Over 25 years ago, Michael E. Gerber wrote a best-selling business book called The E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. The E-Myth (“Entrepreneurial Myth”) is the mistaken belief that most businesses are started by people with tangible business skills, when in fact most are started by “technicians” who know nothing about running a business.
Tech Zulu Event
OCTOBER 29, 2014
'My first experience with ON had me do a double-take, the whole feel already seemed familiar. The roll of selfies and the idea of meeting new people had me thinking I was on Tinder, but upon closer inspection I was on the ON homepage. ON is like a smorgasbord of the best features from other social media platforms and combines it into one experience that could change the way we meet new people.
Frank Addante
OCTOBER 29, 2014
'For over a year, I was focused on Rubicon Project’s IPO. A lot of people have asked me, “What is it like going through the IPO process? What’s it like being the CEO of a public company? What is the company like after the IPO?” It’s interesting… An IPO is a big, and important, process–the best way for me to describe it is that it’s like planning a wedding.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'Irvine-based Kareo , which provides cloud-based, medical office software, said Friday that it has raised $15M in a mezzanine debt funding round. The funding came from Escalate Capital Partners. The company said the new funding brings its total raised to $47M in 2014. Terms of the new funding were not announced. Kareo, which is led by Dan Rodrigues and which targets small medical practices, said the new funding goes towards expanding its reach and development of its technology.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 31, 2014
'According to several recent reports , job satisfaction for employees is at an all-time low. An online survey published earlier this year found that nearly two-thirds of the respondents were not happy at work. One obvious alternative is to become an entrepreneur. As a mentor to many aspiring entrepreneurs, I’m often asked what it takes to switch and get real satisfaction from this lifestyle.
Tech Zulu Event
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'The smart home may be angling for the mainstream, but right now it’s stuck swimming in a niche. Turning lights on automatically and setting thermostats from a smartphone is the stuff geeks revel in now, but for the smart home to reach flooding point, it must transform, not augment, the domestic realm — and it needs to start in the kitchen. The promise of the smart home has everyone excited about the concept, but as thrilling as it is that my lights come on when I turn into my driveway, I&
Frank Addante
OCTOBER 29, 2014
For over a year, I was focused on Rubicon Project’s IPO. A lot of people have asked me, “What is it like going through the IPO process? What’s it like being the CEO of a public company? What is the company like after the IPO?” It’s interesting… An IPO is a big, and important, process–the best way for me to describe it is that it’s like planning a wedding.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'Apple said late last week that it has expanded access to TestFlight , the app beta testing platform, letting developers invite up to 1,000 testers to beta test their iOS apps. Apple''s TestFlight service comes courtesy the acquisition earlier this year of Los Angeles-based Burstly , which was venture backed by GRP Partners, Rincon Venture Partners, SoftBank Capital, and Founder Collective.
Startup Professionals Musings
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. The good news is that a patent can scare off or at least delay competitors, and as a “rule of thumb” patents can add up to $1M to your startup valuation for investors or M&A exits (merger and acquisition). The bad news is that patent trolls (non-producing companies that make their money from licensing patents) can squeeze the lifeblood out of unsuspecting entr
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 25, 2014
'I’ve been having this PR discussion with three separate portfolio companies at once so I thought I’d just publish my thoughts more broadly. I have written many times about PR so if you want a deep dive on the “how” of PR you may enjoy reading some of these posts. PR is an insanely valuable activity in early-stage companies. Very few investors understand this and even fewer startups.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 31, 2014
'Need to figure out who is using what hashtag where? Los Angeles-based HashAtIt said Thursday that it has launched a brand new search engine, which aggregates and allows users to find hashtags across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. The search engine works both on the web as well as through mobile apps, initially on iOS. The search engine revolves around hashtag "boards" which can be embedded into other sites or social networking pages.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 29, 2014
'The news for employees over at Thousand Oaks-based Amgen got worse on Tuesday, after the company said it is deepening job cuts, and plans to now cut 20 percent of its employees as part of previously announced cutbacks at the company. Amgen--which originally planned to cut around 15 percent of its staff--said in a regulatory filing Tuesday it will reduce staffing by approximately 600 to 1,100 positions in addition to the previously announced cuts.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 29, 2014
'Hawthorne-based SpaceX has been thrust into a critical role with NASA, after a catastrophic launch failure and explosion in Virginia Tuesday evening. Orbital Sciences aborted the launch of its Antares rocket mission Tuesday evening, scattering pieces of its rocket across the night sky. The rocket had carried 5,000 pounds of experiments and equipment for the crew of the International Space Station.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 31, 2014
'Los Angeles-based Soteria Intelligence said yesterday that it has launched a new, social media threat assessment service, to help find threats voice on social networks in real time. According to Soteria Intelligence, its service is aimed at identifying things like terrorist activity, celebrity death threats, threats of school shootings, and more by filtering through social media posting.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 31, 2014
'Looking for your chance to make it into space? Los Angeles-based movie ticketing and information site Fandango said today that it is giving away the chance at a flight to space for film fans, as part of a promotion for the new film "INTERSTELLAR". According to Fandango, people who purchase a movie ticket to the movie using its service will be entered into a contest to win a trip to space on XCOR''s Lynx Mark II spacecraft.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 28, 2014
'Los Angeles-based Edmunds.com said Tuesday that it has acquired CarCodeSMS , a developer of mobile service to allow car shoppers to engage in one-on-one text messaging with dealers. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Edmunds.com said it has renamed CarCode SMS under the new name Edmunds CarCode as part of the acquisition, which came as a direct result of CarCodeSMS winning a recent "hackathon" sponsored by the Edmunds.com.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'Irvine-based nuclear and hazardous waste management technology developer Kurion said today that it has promoted its current Country Director for Japan, Yohei Iwasaki, to the role of Vice President. According to Kurion, Iwasaki has been overseeing projects for Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), as part of Kurion''s extensive role in the cleanup of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 29, 2014
'Los Angeles-based electronics accessory maker TYLT has rolled out a pair of new wireless charging product Tuesday. Those products include a wireless car charging mount, which combines wireless charging with a place to put your smartphone or tablet while driving, and a standalone wireless charging pad called the VU SOLO. TYLT''s VU Wireless Charging Car Mount is a car mount which supports up to 5.7 inch displays and also includes a built in, wireless charging pad with support for the Qi wireless
socalTECH
OCTOBER 28, 2014
'Pasadena-based image sensor and mixed signal IC developer Forza Silicon announced this morning that it has rolled out a new, reconfigurable image sensor design aimed at the Internet of Things (IoT) market. According to Forza Silicon, the new reconfigurable image sensor is aimed at connecting smart sensors to the Internet, smart cars, smart electricity grids, and other applications.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'Limeade , a developer of software which helps employers improve the health of their employees, has raised a big, $25M funding round, the company said this morning. Limeade is backed by San Diego-based private equity investor TVC Capital. The new funding round was led by Oak/FT Partners. TVC Capital also participated in the new funding. Limeade is based in Seattle.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'Costa Mesa-based Payoff.com , which operates a peer-to-peer, lending site led by Scott Saunders--and whose Chief Scientist is Galen Buckwalter, who was the Chief Scientific Officer at eHarmony--has raised $12M in a funding effort. The funding was led by Mohamed El-Erian, the finance guru who was at Pacific Investment Management Co. Other details on the funding have not yet been released.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 31, 2014
'Earlier this week, P.S. XO (formerly Moonfrye), the e-commerce company founded by Soleil Moon Frye and Kara Nortman, announced a merger with toy and crafting brand Seedling (www.seedling.com), which was founded by Phoebe Hayman. The two renamed themselves Seedling, and announced a new funding round from Upfront Venturess. We spoke with Kara Norton and Phoebe Hayman about the newly merged company, and how Pinterest and mobile are a key to the company''s business and how the company doesn''t th
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'Topera , a developer of medical devices used to treat atrial fibrillation, has been acquired by Abott in a $250M. Topera, until recently, was based in San Diego, but apparently moved to San Mateo in the last year or so. Abbott said it will pay $250M upfront, plus unspecified earnout for Topera this morning. Topera was venture backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), which led a $25M Series C financing for the company back in April of 2013, when the company was still based in San Diego.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'Los Angeles-based uBeam , a developer of wireless charging technology which uses ultrasound to transmit energy, has raised $10M in a Series A funding round, the company said Thursday. The funding was led by Upfront Ventures, and also included Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, CrunchFund, Ludlow Ventures, as well as angels Marissa Mayer, Tony Hsieh, Troy Carter, Shawn Fanning, and Mark Cuban.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'Fans of Hello Kitty have been flocking to downtown Los Angeles over the last few weeks for the big Hello Kitty-themed display at JANM, the Japanese American National Museum, and associated Hello Kitty convention- Hello Kitty Con --being held next door at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA (The Museum of Contemporary Art) today through Sunday. As part of all of that Hello Kitty craziness, MakerBot , the 3D printer maker, said today at the conference that it will start offering up 3D printable Hello
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'Los Angeles-based Global Eagle Entertainment , the developer of in-flight wireless and entertainment systems for airlines, said today that it has linked up with satellite operator SES , to bring Ku-band satellite bandwith to the company''s systems. Financial details of the link were not announced by the companies. The two said they will offer up globall, KU-band satellite connectivity using SES''s worlwide satellite network.
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'Santa Monica-based secure texting and messaging provider TigerText has bolstered its enterprise sales expertise, saying this morning that it has hired Justin Nelson, most recently a VP at Oracle, as its new Chief Sales Officer. According to TigerText--whose enterprise products are used by health care providers and others for secure, regulation compliant instant text messaging--Nelson was mosst recently Vice President of Oracle''s Service Cloud, overseeing its Healthcare and Life Sciences divisi
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