Sat.Jul 19, 2014 - Fri.Jul 25, 2014

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The Changing Structure of the VC Industry

Both Sides of the Table

'There has been much discussion in the past few years of the changing structure of the venture capital industry. On the surface the narratives have been. The rise of “micro VCs” or seed-stage funds. The rise of alternative sources of capital (crowd funding and the like). The poor performance of the asset class (this analysis has largely been wrong as I pointed out here –> most analyses were clumsy rear-view mirror looks at the data).

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Pipeliner CRM's Nikolaus Kimla On Moving to LA, Sales Entrepreneurship

socalTECH

'Southern California has a growing number of companies in the customer relationship management area, including a fairly new company in the area, Pipeliner CRM (www.pipelinersales.com). The company--which originally started in Austria--set up shop here two years ago to further expand its footprint in the US, and most recently hired away the entire Los Angeles marketing team of crosstown CRM software developer Nimble.

Sales 229
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Create a ten percent profit model.

Berkonomics

'Most entrepreneurs, when starting to model their business operations using a spreadsheet, start with expected revenue by month. Then they calculate cost of sales, and then project their expenses, to find the bottom line profit or loss each projected month. There is a rarely-used twist that makes lots of sense. Add a new row at the bottom of the spreadsheet.

Startup 199
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Agility Is The Key To Survival In Good Times And Bad

Startup Professionals Musings

'Most small businesses are trying to forget the recent recession, and get back to “business as usual.” They don’t realize that business as usual is gone forever. With social media and smart phone conversations, real product information spreads at astounding speeds. Entrepreneurs that are not listening, not engaging, and not changing will be left behind even in the best of times.

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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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Here’s Why a Booming Tech Market May Fool You into Thinking You’re Successful

Both Sides of the Table

'Since 2009 we’ve been in an unequivocal bull market. Venture capitalists have raised increasing amounts of money from their investors (LPs) every year. An impressive number of new VCs have been created – most of them with new seed funds. We’ve had an explosion of alternate sources of financing from crowd-sourcing, angels, accelerators, incubators, corporates, corporate incubators.

Marketing 354
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TrueCar's Scott Painter On Entrepreneurship And IPOs

socalTECH

'Very few Southern California startups make it from seed funding all the way up through an IPO, and rarely do they do so with their original founder. One of Southern California''s big success stories -- from startup, to venture funding, and a recent IPO--is Los Angeles-based TrueCar , which had its IPO in May. We spoke with Scott Painter , CEO and founder of the company--and already a successful serial entrepreneurs--about the journey from startup to public company, lessons learned, and his advi

Truecar 209

More Trending

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Smart Entrepreneurs Know Customer Buying Moments

Startup Professionals Musings

'Today’s customers are much more in control of their buying decision, as they have more choices and more information than ever before. Almost instantly, via the Internet or on their smartphone in the store, they can find the lowest price alternative or their favorite features, without waiting for push marketing or listening to your best sales person.

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Invested.in Launches New Site For Alternative Investment

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based crowdfunding technology developer Invested.in said Wednesday that it has launched a new site, INVST , a new network for institutional-quality alternative investment funds. Invested.in said that it has partnered with Carillon Capital, LLC--run by former E*TRADE Financial executives--on the site. Carillon Capital is led by Steve Dervenis and Rob Snow.

Sites 194
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Dealflicks Raises $1.7M

socalTECH

'Los Angeles- and San Francisco-based Dealflicks , an online service which offers up discounted movie tickets to help theater chains fill empty seats, has raised $1.7M in a seed funding. The company disclosed Monday that the funding came from 500 Startups, Siemer Ventures, Archer Gray, Rubicon VC, Wefunder, Be Great Partners, Rosepaul Investments, Mogility Capital, Sierra Maya Ventures, and Warner Brothers, along with angels.

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TigerText Lands Community Health System Operator

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based TigerText , the developer of secure, real-time messaging apps and software aimed at the healthcare and enterprise markets, reported a win with a community health system which operates 58 hospitals across 20 states. TigerText reported that Fauquier Health, which is part of LifePoint Hospitals, has selected its secure messaging platform and application for internal communications, access to on-call schedules, and more.

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Fullscreen In Talks To Sell Itself To Otter Media, Says Report

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based multichannel content network Fullscreen is in the midst of selling itself to Otter Media , the joint venture between AT&T and The Chernin Group, according to reports. The deal is reportedly worth between $200M and $300M. The Chernin Group is already part owner of Fullscreen, having backed the company in prior venture rounds. Fullscreen is led by George Strompolos.

Media 168
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eHarmony: Subscriber Numbers Hit Record

socalTECH

'Santa Moica-based matchmaking site eHarmony said today that it has hit a record breaking number of subscribers, thanks to the return of founder Dr. Neil Clark Warren two years ago. The service said it has seen a 54 percent growth in subscribers since Warren''s return, which the company said came after a "serious decline" due to its prior management team. eHarmony did not report on the exact number of subscribers using the service now.

eHarmony 159
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Brain Corporation Taps Qualcomm Exec For Board

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Brain Corporation , a company which is developing an operating system for robots, said this week that it has added former Qualcomm President and Vice Chairman Steve Altman to its board--and also revealed that it is getting the support and backing of Qualcomm itself in its efforts. The company, which says it is developing an operating system aimed at creating autonomous, adaptive, and affordable robots using smartphone processors, is planning to make it OS available to beta devel

San Diego 153
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Edgewave Raises $6M For Cybersecurity Efforts

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Edgewave , a developer of cloud-based, cybersecurity tools, has raised $6M in a Series A funding, according to the company. The funding came from TVC Capital, the private equity investor which focuses on software and software-enabled service firms. Edgewave is led by Mike Walls, who most recently was in charge of the U.S. Navy''s global cybersecurity operations.

San Diego 153
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Fullscreen Launches Live Festival

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Fullscreen , the YouTube multi-channel-network (MCN), is going live, saying that it has launched a live, "interactive social festival" which will feature YouTube and Vine stars. Fullscreen says it has tied with festival producer Kevin Lyman and 4Fini, which runs the Warped Tour, to launch INTOUR , a social festival which will feature live performances, music, games, and more from those YouTube stars.

Hollywood 153
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Demand Media: Rightside Group Spinoff Expected August 1st

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based Demand Media said late Thursday that it expects the separation of its domain name services business, Rightside Group , on August 1st. According to Demand Media, it expects the tax-free dividend distribution of all outstanding shares of Rightside to its common stock holders by August 1st, with Rightside expected to list itself on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under NAME immediately after that distribution.

Demand 147
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Underground Solutions Raises $45M, Acquires Company

socalTECH

'Poway-based Underground Solutions, Inc. (UGSI), a developer of water and wastewater infrastructure and technology, has raised $45M in a financing round, and acquired another company in the water industry. According to UGSI, it raised $30M in a Series C funding, with an option for an additional $15M in funding from Riverwood Capital. The company said it will use a portion of that funding to acquire water treatment technology developer Process Solutions, Inc. , which is based in Campbell, Califor

Company 147
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Qualcomm Launches $150M Venture Fund In China

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Qualcomm said late Wednesday that it has launched a new, $150M strategic venture fund in China, which will invest in Chinese companies working on mobile technology. Qualcomm said the new fund--being managed by Qualcomm Ventures, its venture capital arm--will invest in companies in the area of the Internet, e-commerce, semiconductors,and education and health.

Funding 147
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Qualcomm Backs Korean Delivery Service Naldo

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Qualcomm , via its venture capital arm, Qualcomm Ventures, has invested in a Korean "instant delivery" startup Naldo , in a Series A funding. The funding came from both Qualcomm Ventures and Softbank Ventures Korea. Financial details of the funding were not disclosed. Naldo offers up a service for Korean consumers and businesses, letting them order products and receive them in only a few hours using local couriers.

Services 147
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Microsemi Buys Mingoa

socalTECH

'Aliso Viejo-based semiconductor maker Microsemi has acquired Cork, Ireland-based Mingoa , a developer of semiconductor IP focused on accelerated, real-time Ethernet. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. According to Microsemi, it will use the buy to enhance its capabilities in the Carrier Ethernet area. Mingoa was founded in 2009, and had been targeting such areas as enterprise carrier Ethernet, mobile/small cell backhaul, and data centers with its technology.

IP 147
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TYLT Rolls Out Travel Charger

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based TYLT , the consumer electronics company related to TYLT Labs, announced today that it has started shipping a new, travel charger which combines a USB wall charger with portable battery. The company said its Energi 2K Travel Charger provides a rechargeable 2,200 mAh battery combined with ability to charge any device using USB from the wall.

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Edmunds.com Claims Electric Vehicle Travel Record

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based car shopping site Edmunds.com says that it has set a new, electric vehicle travel record using a 2013 Tesla Model S, driven by two of it staffers. According to Edmunds.com, its Director of Vehicle Testing Dan Edmunds and Photo Editor Kurt Niebuhr drove the Tesla from Redondo Beach to New York City , in 67 hours and 21 minutes, which beats the previous record of 76 hours and 5 minutes.

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OneRoof Energy Ties With Cloud, Digital Services Company

socalTECH

'San Diego-based OneRoof Energy , the solar energy services financing and solar installation company led by David Field, said today that it has tied with "digital services" company Elevate. Accor ding to OneRoof Energy, the move will help extend OneRoof to a "substantial" customer base. Elevate provides home services, ranging from smart home, digital phone, broadband, and in-home technology support services.

Services 147
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CheckAlt Wins Another Credit Union

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based payment processing technology provider CheckAlt has signed up another customer, Energy Capital Credit Union, according to the company. Financial impact of the win was not announced. CheckAlt--which is led by Shai Stern--develops Check 21 payment processing products, used for capture of paper checks and other payment transactions by financial institutions.

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Factual Rolls Out Trusted Data Contributor Program

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based data startup Factual , which owns a giant "database in the sky" of things like geolocation data and retail business location information, has launched a new program to allow "trusted data contributors" to ensure data in its data stores are correct. The company said the limited number of providers have been vetted and will help make sure business data in its database is up to date and correct.

SEO 138
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RealD Names General Counsel

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based 3D technology developer RealD said Wednesday afternoon that it has named Vivian Yang as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. According to RealD, Yang will head up both the company''s Legal and Human Resources departments. Yang was previously SVP and GEneral Counsel for CityGrid Media, and also served at Time Warner, eCompanies Wireless, Sony Pictures, and Latham & Watkins.

Hollywood 138
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DTS Wins Trio Of Brands For Play-Fi

socalTECH

'Calabasas-based audio enhancement technology developer DTS said this morning that a trio of audio brands--McIntosh, Sonus Faber, and Wadia--have begun to use the company''s Play-Fi wireless, whole home audio technology. DTS said the move comes thanks to a deal with audio systems and speaker developer Fine Sounds Group. Financial details of the win were not disclosed.

Calabasas 138
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Simulations Plus Acquires Cognigen

socalTECH

'Lancaster-based Simulations Plus , which develops simulation and modeling software for the pharmaceuticals industry, said late Wednesday night that it has acquired Cognigen Corporation , a provider of clinical trial data analysis software. Simulations Plus said it will pay $7M for Cognigen, split between $2.8M in cash and $4.2M in stock. Cognigen will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Simulations Plus, and continue to operate under its own name.

Lancaster 138
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Teledyne Bolsters Board

socalTECH

'Thousand Oaks-based Teledyne Technologies , the diversified electronics, software, aerospace, defense, and other products company, said today that it has named Jane C. Sherburne to the company''s board of directors. Sherburne is the former Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation.

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Levine Leichtman Buys FASTSIGNS

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based private equity investor Levine Leichtman Capital Partners announced Tuesday that it has acquired FASTSIGNS International , a franchisor in the custom sign and graphics industry. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Levine Leichtman said the acquisition came in a partnership with the management of the company, which has nearly 550 franchise locations.

Equity 138
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Fandango Launches New Amazon Fire Phone App

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based movie ticketing site and service Fandango said late Tuesday that it has launched a new app, this time on Amazon''s new Fire Phone. The app--like the company''s other mobile apps--offers up movie discovery and movie ticketing. Fandango said the app has been customized for Amazon''s Fire Phone, taking advantage of a number of custom features that Amazon.com has been pushing with the device.

Fandango 138
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BlackLine Systems Names New CTO

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based financial software developer BlackLine Systems said today that it has hired a new, Chief Technology Officer. According to the enterprise software company, it has named Alain Avakian as its CTO. Avakian joins the company from Rent.com, where he had been for thirteen years; he had been one of the first employees of Rent.com, having been at the company both through its acquisition by eBay and its acquisition by TPG/RentPath.

CTO Hire 138
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Lionsgate Invests In Finnish Game Developer

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based entertainment company Lionsgate has made an investment in a Finnish game developer, Next Games , as part of a strategic partnership, the studio said this morning. According to Lionsgate, the investment comes as part of an extended Series A financing round for Next Games. Size of the investment was not disclosed. Next Games is made up of veterans from Rovio, Supercell, and Disney, and is developing mobile games, including a title around the TV series The Walking Dead.

Invest 138
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PK4 Media Buys Prosperio

socalTECH

'El Segundo-based Pk4 Media , which develops adveriting technology, said this morning that it has acquired Santa Monica-based Prosperio , a developer of a programmatic direct platform for the display and video ad market. Financial terms of the merger were not disclosed. Pk4 Media said it has acquired Prosperio''s programmatic direct platform, and will make that platform available later this year.

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United Online Names New Board Member

socalTECH

'Woodland Hills-based United Online said late Monday that it has added a new member to its board of directors. The company said it named Andrew Miller, current Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of molecular diagnostics company Cepheid, to its board. Miller has been at Cepheid since 2008, and also had served at Autodesk, MarketFirst Software, Cadence Design Systems, Adaptive Broadband, and Silicon Graphics.

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Newegg Hails Patent Win Over Acacia Research

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based online e-commerce retailer Newegg is trumpeting a new patent victory, saying that a "notorious troll" has been ordered to pay the company''s cost in a patent ruling. Newegg said that the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated U.S. Patent No. 6,128,415, a patent which covered the idea of tagging information about an image. NewEgg said that Digitech Image Technologies LLC--a subsidiary of Acacia Research--had sued Xerox, Toshiba, Fujifilm, Ricoh, Overstock.com, and Newegg

NewEgg 138