TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 16, 2020

Milken is taking the plunge into institutional investing, joining Norton as a partner in Watertower Ventures just as the firm prepares to close on a $50 million new fund. With that in mind, the Watertower Ventures group, which launched in 2017 with a small, $5 million fund, is a return to those roots. “I see two things happen.

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socalTECH

APRIL 5, 2013

Culver City-based Fullscreen , which operates a multi-channel youTube network, and is led by George Strompolos (formerly of YouTube/Google), has raised $30M in a new round of funding, according to reports today. The funding round reportedly values the company at $110M pre-money. READ MORE>>.

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socalTECH

JULY 18, 2018

Los Angeles-based media brand Pocket.watch , which creates content for kids, has raised $15M in a Series B funding round, led by Viacom, the company said today. As part of the funding, Viacom Media Networks COO Sarah Levy joins the company's board of directors.

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TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 19, 2020

and international cities like London, Mexico City, Seoul and Vilnius are building professional social networks for black professionals and blue collar workers, fashion labels, educational tools in augmented reality, kids entertainment, and an interactive entertainment production company. Wabisabi Design, Inc.

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socalTECH

OCTOBER 20, 2020

Playa Vista-based VENN , which operates a streaming game network, has raised $26M in a Series A funding round, the company said on Tuesday. The funding was co-led by BITKRAFT Ventures and Nexstar Media Group, and also included Eldridge, WISE Ventures, Alumni Ventures Group, as well as the company's seed investors.

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TechCrunch LA

JULY 15, 2019

Coupled with the launch of a new networking application called AllBright Connect and the company’s AllBright Magazine, the women’s networking organization is on a full-on media blitz. The company’s new round was led by Cain International and was designed to take AllBright into three U.S.

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socalTECH

MAY 13, 2014

Los Angeles-based viral video company Jukin Media has raised a strategic funding round, for that company''s video entertainment network on YouTube, according to the company. The company said the funds will go towards bolstering its technology and infrastructure. Jukin Media was founded by Jonathan Skogmo. READ MORE>>.

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socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2017

Los Angeles-based TYT Network , the online news empire run by Cenk Uygur, said this morning that it has raised $20M in a round of funding, to expand the company's management, creative talent, subscription offerings, marketing, and content and community. Shawn Colo of 3L will join the company's board as part of the funding.

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socalTECH

APRIL 3, 2013

in a new, Series C funding, the company said this morning. According to Tealium, the new funding comes from Tenaya Capital, Battery Ventures and Presidio Ventures. The new funding brings the company's total raised to $27M. The firm did not disclose actual financial details of that increase, however.

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TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Riot Ventures , the Los Angeles-based, early-stage and deep technology investment firm is going out to market to raise a $75 million second fund to finance the development of startups in LA and beyond, according to fundraising documents viewed by TechCrunch. Oculus, Snap, Tinder and others.

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socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019

Drivetime , a developer of interactive, voice-driven audio entertainment apps for drivers, has raised $11M in a Series A funding, the company said this morning. According to the startup, the funding was led by Makers Fund and also included the Amazon Alexa Fund and Google. The company's titles include JEOPARDY!,

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Southern California SoCal Seed Funding Entertainment 100

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 28, 2018

Phunware, based in Austin, Texas, is backed by Wavemaker Partners (Draper Network Fund), Fraser McCombs Ventures, Maxima Ventures, Samsung, Cisco Investments, World Wrestling Entertainment, PLDT Capital, Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN), Baylor Angel Network (BAN) and others. READ MORE>>.

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Draper Acquisition Entertainment Mobile 153

socalTECH

MARCH 25, 2010

Los Angeles-based Taltopia , an angel backed, online social networking site focused on Hollywood, said today that it has launched both Apple iPhone and Google Android applications. Taltopia is backed by $800K in angel funding; the firm said it is now actively seeking investors in a second round of funding. READ MORE>>.

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socalTECH

OCTOBER 10, 2014

LinkedIn is one of the largest social networks, with 300 million users, and we fell that it has a higher quality user base. Max Fischer: I''m a former investment banker and investment professional, and I have worked a little bit in the entertainment space as well. This is the first based off of LinkedIn. Why LinkedIn?

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Networking Startup Ideas Mobile 185

socalTECH

JUNE 3, 2010

in a funding round, and acquired online social networking site WEvolt , focused on comic books and creative content. WOWIO said the funding was led by CEO Brian Altounian. WOWIO said that part of its plans are to license and create branded entertainment based on content submitted on the site. READ MORE>>.

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Funding Hollywood Social Network Content 140

socalTECH

MAY 9, 2013

Los Angeles-based Yektra announced this morning that it has raised $3M in a Series A funding round. Yekra says it is a digital entertainment distributor connected with an affiliate marketing system. The funding came from Maurice Gallagher, Bray Capital, Shay O''Brien, and Michael Rogers. READ MORE>>.

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socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 22, 2014

Santa Monica-based KIN , which operates a female-focused lifestyle YouTube network, has raised $12M in a funding round, the company said last week. The funding came from Corus Entertainment, Emil Capital, Mayfield Fund, General Catalyst Partners and Rustic Canyon Partners. The company is led by Michael Wayne.

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socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 18, 2017

in a Series B funding round, the company said last week. The funding was led by DRW Venture Capital, and also included Mobile Financial Partners. Santa Monica-based Sixgill , a developer of Internet-of-Things, sensor software, has raised $27.9M

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socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2011

Well, Los Angeles based Near Networks (www.nearnetworks.com) is looking to both reach customers online, and avoid the tacky, lousy production of typical small business ads, with a new service. What is Near Networks? I imagine it must be difficult to scale this and build out a network of filmmakers? Sam Rogoway: Yes, it has.

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Networking Search Engine Optimization Product Startup 150

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 4, 2014

Los Angeles-based Youtube network StyleHaul has been acuqired by European entertainment network RTL Group , in a deal that values the company at over $205M if earn out goals are met. StyleHaul had only raised around $17M in funding since it was founded about three years ago. READ MORE>>.

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Bertelsmann Acquisition Networking Entertainment 147

socalTECH

AUGUST 5, 2019

Trinidad previously served at Google and Discovery Networks; Wilkinson was previously a venture capitalist at Exponential Partners--one of Fair's early investors; and Pierantoni was previously Chief Accounting Officer and Chief Financial Officer at TrueCar.

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Cornerstone OnDemand Truecar Ticketmaster Paramount 124

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 14, 2019

version of this new breed of entertainer, the collective behind the account is far from the only one. Or, depending on your definition, perhaps as early as Space Ghost Coast to Coast , the mid-1990s Cartoon Network series featuring an animated superhero interviewing real celebrities. million followers. Brud declined to comment.

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Social Media Content Media Artificial Inteligence 261

socalTECH

JANUARY 14, 2009

Santa Monica-based venture capital firm Anthem Ventures is the lead investor in an avatar-focused, social networking site called Meez. Anthem's Brian Mesic has been added to the firm's board as part of the funding. Amount and details of the funding were not disclosed.

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Anthem Funding Santa Monica Venture Capital 100

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Los Angeles-based Scopely , which is led by Walter Driver, has raised a big, $35M funding round, the company said this morning. Scopely said it will use the funding to expand its entertainment network, its lineup of mobile games, and more.

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TechCrunch LA

MAY 21, 2019

Propelled by new technologies, new businessmen have been landing in Los Angeles since the invention of the nickelodeon to create a studio that would dominate popular entertainment. In fact, AmazeVR has already partnered with LG U+, the telecommunications network arm of LG to produce virtual reality content.

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Chief Technology Officer Content Hollywood Netflix 211

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 22, 2017

Los Angeles-based Maple Media , a new startup led by startup veteran Clark Landry, along with Jam City veteran Michael Ritter, has raised $30M in a funding round from Shamrock Capital, the company announced this morning. READ MORE>>.

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Media Mobile Entertainment Los Angeles 113

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 1, 2017

Los Angeles-based Two Bit Circus , the STEM-focused, entertainment-and-education startup led by Brent Bushnell, is gearing up for its first beta night, which is being held in a couple of weeks.

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Education Entertainment Los Angeles Networking 100

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 17, 2018

Los Angeles-based Next 10 Ventures , a $50 million fund focused on the creator economy, is launching an incubator program to support YouTubers. Former YouTube exec unveils Next 10 Ventures, a $50M fund to back online creators. The only requirement is that they focus on educational video content targeting children and young adults.

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Incubator Content Education Seed Funding 197

socalTECH

APRIL 25, 2011

Los Angeles-based Machinima , which operates a video entertainment network for video gamers and develops associated animated content tools, has raised $3.4M Source of the new funds have not yet been announced by the company. as part of an ongoing, $5.0M fundraising round, according to a regulatory filing from the firm.

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Redpoint Entertainment Los Angeles Tool 157

socalTECH

JUNE 28, 2010

Worlize is adding Sabri Sansoy, former CTO for Animax Entertainment, to the position. Sansoy also has served as Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Technology at Game Show Network (GSN). The firm has yet to launch its service, but said earlier this month that it had raised an initial round of funding. READ MORE>>.

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Chief Technology Officer Social Network Entertainment Content 174

InfoChachkie

JULY 9, 2012

Mark Suster , fellow venture capitalist and serial entrepreneur, has written extensively about YouTube’s evolution from dogs-on-skateboards to its current status as an entertainment medium rivaling cable television networks. Feeding The New Networks. Mark provides an excellent primer regarding the future of Internet TV HERE.

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Google Develop Development Funding 133

socalTECH

OCTOBER 22, 2020

What kinds of areas does the fund make investments in? Krisztina Holly: We are an early stage fund, known for our ability to discovery and cultivate very complex science and technology deals. We just launched a third, $100M fund focused on seed to Series A investments in transformative science and technology companies.

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Southern California Capital Technical Review Startup 124

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 16, 2019

Solve began as a series developed within the mobile-focused entertainment studio, Vertical Networks. Helmed by Tom Wright and financed by Elisabeth Murdoch (through her Freelands Ventures fund, which Wright also managed) and Snap, the company was one of the early entrants to raise cash as a production studio for mobile content.

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TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 24, 2019

March Capital Partners , the Los Angeles-based venture capital firm, has raised $300 million for its latest fund. “We have two major areas and a couple of minor areas,” said Sumant Mandal, a managing director with the firm. “We like data-driven business and two-thirds of our portfolio are AI driven.

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Artificial Inteligence Capital Los Angeles Incubator 225

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 3, 2020

Traditional venture capitalists may have made it rain on expensive Hollywood studios that were promising virtual reality would be the future of entertainment and social networking (given coronavirus fears, it may yet be), but Talespin and others like it are focused on much more mundane goals.

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Training Los Angeles Tool Cornerstone OnDemand 220

socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2012

in a new funding round. The firm said the firm will go to support building the largest, social casino game publisher on both social networks and mobile platforms. As part of the funding, Playsino said it has named Brock Pierce as CEO. READ MORE>>.

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Southern California Social Network Venture Capital Entertainment 154

socalTECH

AUGUST 24, 2015

The LA Dodgers has opened the doors on its first, startup accelerator program class this morning, unveiling the 10 companies included in the first LA Dodgers Sports & Entertainment Accelerator. The accelerator begins today, and runs through a Demo Day in November at Dodger Stadium. READ MORE>>.

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