TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 19, 2019

For Bill Gross, the founder of Idealab and brains behind the excursion, the unveiling was simply the latest in a string of demonstrations for new technologies commercialized by his nearly three-decade old startup company incubator. I’m pleased to have been an early backer of Bill Gross’s novel solar concentration technology.

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Lancaster Idealab Los Angeles Incubator 205

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 6, 2014

David Carter and Allen Hurff are two startup veterans, who believe they have a new formula to help create early stage, technology companies, through their new "startup studio", Zuma Ventures (www.zumavc.com). Incubators, at the core level, take basic core level technology and try to build a company around it.

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Startup Technology Incubator Silver Lake 231

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 3, 2016

Pasadena-based ObEN , an Idealab-backed startup which is developing artificial intelligence technology for creating highly realistic, virtual reality avatars, has raised $7.7M Gordon Cheng (Cameron Pace Group China), and Idealab. in a series A funding, the company announced this mroning. Entertainment Co.,

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Artificial Inteligence Idealab Entertainment Pasadena 100

socalTECH

AUGUST 15, 2019

Energy Vault , a startup of Pasadena-based Idealab developing radically different energy storage technology--based on the movement of large, concrete blocks via robotic arms--has raised $110M in a Series B funding, the company announced this morning.

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Idealab Pasadena Demand Design 124

socalTECH

MAY 26, 2009

Pasadena-based X1 Technologies , a developer of desktop search software, announced today that the firm has raised new funding from backer Idealab, plus made a few executive changes. Size of the new investment round in the firm was not disclosed by the company. X1 did not say if prior investor U.S. READ MORE>>.

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Idealab Technology Funding Pasadena 100

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 20, 2012

We have been holding off on this announcement for quite a bit and now we can officially announce Bill Gross of Idealab as our SuperDemo presenter. Bill Gross founded Idealab in March 1996 and serves as the company’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. SuperDemo: Bill Gross. Bill received his B.S.

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Idealab Tech Coast Angels CalTech Startup 84

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 7, 2016

That's the idea behind the technology being developed by Pasadena-based ObEN (www.oben.me), which is led by co-founde rand CEO Nikhil Jain. Nikhil told us a bit about the startup,which was spawned out of Idealab, and recently raised a round of funding from CrestValue Capital, Cybernaut Westlake Partners, Leaguer Venture Investment Co.,

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Idealab Artificial Inteligence Startup Ideas 173

socalTECH

MAY 17, 2011

A report today from Greentech Media says that Pasadena-based Idealab 's sale of portfolio firm RayTracker was worth $44.8M. Idealab, Quercus Trust, and Phoenix Fire had invested $3.5M in funding in RayTracker a developer of solar tracking technology. RayTracker was a spinout of Idealab's Energy Innovations.

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Idealab Report Acquisition Pasadena 140

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 17, 2011

After the acquisition, MyMiniLife became the common technology platform at Zynga and powers 150M monthly users including games like Cityville, Farmville, and Frontierville. Alex Maleki , Member of New Venture Group at Idealab. Alex is a member of the New Venture Group at Idealab, headed by Allen Morgan. He received a B.S.

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Tech Coast Angels Idealab Angel Design 100

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 8, 2020

Watt says that the new studio will focus on what he calls “human performance” The businesses will use a blend of technology and human interaction to create services targeting fitness, nutrition, and mental health, according to Watt. For Watt, the studio model represents the next iteration of startup investing.

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Company Companies Idealab Tool 249

socalTECH

OCTOBER 3, 2019

The company has a very long and complex history, its technology originally been spun out of Idealab back in around 2004 as a vendor of desktop search software. X1 is led by CEO Craig Carpenter and CTO Brent Botta. X1 says it now has more than 600,000 users in 20,000 different organizations using its products. READ MORE>>.

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CTO Hire Idealab Pasadena Software Development 124

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

Alex Maleki , Member of New Venture Group at Idealab. Alex is a member of the New Venture Group at Idealab, headed by Allen Morgan. Alex previously helped lead the Proto Group at Idealab, working to determine the feasibility of new business ideas. Idealab continues to explore a range of technology frontiers.

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Tech Coast Angels Idealab Angel Startup 96

socalTECH

DECEMBER 2, 2011

Aptera had been attempting to gain funding from the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program, after initially failing to be qualify in 2008 for the program due to having three, not four wheels. READ MORE>>.

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Idealab Technical Review Google Funding 185

socalTECH

MARCH 27, 2013

Idealab-based solar energy startup eSolar has just raised $12.8M The funding--which included at least two prior investors, including Oak Investment Partners--is still in progress. Burbank-based eSolar is developing utility-scale, solar thermal power technology used for generating power on a large scale. READ MORE>>.

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Burbank Idealab Technical Review Competition 178

socalTECH

APRIL 19, 2010

Pasadena-based eSolar , the solar thermal technology developer backed by Idealab, Google, Quercus Trust, ACME Group, NRG Energy, and Oak Investment Partners, has raised $20M in an unannounced funding round, according to numbers from the latest quarterly venture capital report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association.

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Idealab Venture Capital Google Pasadena 154

socalTECH

MARCH 25, 2010

Pasadena-based eSolar , the developer of concentrating solar thermal power plants spun out of Idealab, said today that Gary J. Breton joins the company from Aurora Semiconductor, and also has served at Cypress Semiconductor and Amkor Technologies. eSolar is backed by ACME Group, Google, Idealab, NRG, and Oak Investment Partners.

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Idealab Google Pasadena Invest 133

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 21, 2010

One of the investment themes I’ve been focused on in the past 3 years has been Performance-Based Marketing. When I started investing the US advertising market was $300 billion with only 10% of it ($30 billion) of it being online and measurable. We can technology enable offline advertising. Thus, we click!

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Advertising Invest RSS CPC 284

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 30, 2008

Pasadena-based solar thermal technology developer eSolar has inked a deal with another clean technology firm, Sundrop Fuels, the company announced today. According to eSolar, it will supply its heliostat and sun tracking technology to Sundrop Fuels, and also make that technology available to other prospective partners and customers.

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Technology Idealab Outsource Development Pasadena 100

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 7, 2011

Burbank-based eSolar , the developer of solar thermal power plant technology, said Monday that it has selected Flextronics to provide design services for its heliostats and solar collector systems. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. eSolar said the efforts would focus around cost reduction targets for its customers.

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Idealab Burbank Google Design 140

socalTECH

DECEMBER 16, 2009

Pasadena-based eSolar , a developer of concentrating solar thermal power technology, said today that it has appointed John Van Scoter as its new Chief Executive Officer. eSolar is venture backed by Google, Idealab, and Oak Investment Partners. eSolar is venture backed by Google, Idealab, and Oak Investment Partners.

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Idealab Pasadena Google Invest 133

socalTECH

JUNE 24, 2010

Pasadena-based eSolar , the solar thermal technology firm backed by Idealab, Google, and others, is being eyed as the next possible solar IPO in the pipe, according to GigaOm. eSolar is heavily backed by Idealab, Google, Oak Investment Partners, Quercus Trust, NRG Energy, and others. Citing the Next Up! READ MORE>>.

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Idealab Santa Monica Google Pasadena 140

socalTECH

MAY 14, 2012

eSolar develops concentrating solar power technology used in utility scale solar installations. The company is venture backed by NRG, Google, Oak Investment Partners, Quercus Trust, Acme, and Idealab, where the company was started. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. READ MORE>>.

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Outsource Development Burbank Idealab Google 145

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 19, 2018

With lead investors like Fika Ventures and Fathom Capital, and co-investors, including Toyota AI Ventures, Ubiquity Ventures, Riot.vc, Osage University Partners and Stage Venture Partners, Elementary Robotics is readying itself for commercial pilots with a few undisclosed customers as it proves out its technology.

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Los Angeles Angel Artificial Inteligence CalTech 207

socalTECH

MAY 15, 2013

Peter Csathy , the CEO of San Diego''s Sorenson Media , and digital media veteran, has departed the company, and will head up a new legal and investment group formed by Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. The new digital media venture from Manatt was created by Los Angeles partner T.

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Media High Tech Santa Monica Southern California 168

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 1, 2013

The magazine turned its attention this month towards the Los Angeles innovation and technology economy in a section guest edited by StartEngine co-founder Howard Marks , including a reception held Wednesday evening at the Viceroy in Santa Monica.

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Ventura Santa Monica Idealab High Tech 182

socalTECH

OCTOBER 9, 2009

Pasadena-based eSolar , a developer of solar thermal power technology being used for power plants, said this morning that the firm has inked a deal with a South African firm to expand sales through Sub-Saharan Africa. eSolar is backed by Idealab, Google, Oak Investment Partners, and others. READ MORE>>.

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Idealab Pasadena Google Sales 145

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 10, 2012

In recent months, a dozen accelerators and incubators have emerged in the Southern California area, looking to help take the new generation of technology startups to funding and beyond. In contrast with our earlier list of accelerators , these typically do not have set schedules, defined programs, and investment amounts. Funding: Yes.

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Southern California Incubator Guide Truecar 145

socalTECH

MAY 18, 2011

Aptera is backed by Idealab, Google, Esenjay Investments, The Simons Family, and The Beall Family Trust. Aptera also said it is moving its headquarters from Oceanside to Carlsbad, where it says it will begin staffing engineering, composites product development and design positions by the third quarter of the year. READ MORE>>.

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Product Idealab San Diego Technical Review 150

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2019

Every year, at the end of the year, we share some reflections on the past year from our readers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, sponsors, and others in the local technology community. What new technology area, startup, service, or app did you find most interesting or useful this year, and why?

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SoCal Southern California Startup Venture Capital 140

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

Southern California's only finalist in the Automotive X Prize, Aptera , which is based in San Diego and backed by Idealab, did not win, but was being displayed at the announcement in Washington, D.C. The cars were judged not only on MPG, but also emissions and performance requirements. READ MORE>>.

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Class Southern California Competition SoCalTech 157

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 18, 2008

According to eSolar, Tyner's career has been spend advancing and deploying solar thermal technology. eSolar is backed by more than $140M in funding, from Google, Idealab, and Oak Investment Partners. According to eSolar, Tyner joins the firm from Sandia National Laboratories, where he spent more than 30 years. READ MORE>>

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Idealab Google Pasadena Invest 100

socalTECH

JUNE 29, 2010

Boone Pickens; Aptera Motors , in Carlsbad, which has funding from Google and Idealab; and Phoenix MC , based in Ontario. On the automobile side, there are at least six Southern California companies also working on their own, electric or other alternative vehicles, competing against Tesla and the traditional carmakers.

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Southern California Rustic Canyon Marketing San Diego 176

socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2010

If you about it, their customers have begun opening up their purses, which have been kind of tied up in the last 18-24 months, they haven't been investing in new technology or products, and equities are getting more expensive. Sumant Mandal: When we make investments, we generally don't invest in acquisition candidates.

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Clearstone Idealab Incubator Invest 140

socalTECH

MARCH 3, 2009

Pasadena-based eSolar , which is developing solar thermal power plants and technology, disclosed this morning that it has scored $30M in an investment from Indian firm ACME Group, in conjunction with a deal to construct 1 gigawatt of solar power plants in India. READ MORE>>.

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Idealab Equity Pasadena Venture Capital 100

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2012

The firm is backed by Idealab, and is headed by Internet veteran Andy Steuer. It's like an old world punchcard, taken to the current 21st century technology. Is this part of Idealab's new ventures group, or how did you connect with them? Andy Steuer: It's actually out of Idealab proper.

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Southern California Idealab Startup Customer 245

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 23, 2009

Pasadena-based eSolar , which is developing technology for utility-scale, solar thermal energy plants, has scored a deal with power generator NRG Energy, NRG said today. The deal calls for NRG to use eSolar to develop solar plants with a capacity of 500 megawatts, and will invest $10M in equity in three project sites.

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Idealab Outsource Development Pasadena Sites 100

socalTECH

MAY 25, 2016

Santa Monica-based March Capital Partners (www.marchcp.com) has just announced a brand new, $240M venture investment fund, led by longtime venture investing veterans Jim Armstrong, Sumant Mandal, Gregory Milken and Jamie Montgomery. What is the investment focus for this fund?

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Southern California Capital Funding Invest 113