Los Angeles-based Arensis , a startup developing off-grid power systems that use biomass for generating power, said it is deploying its systems to Puerto Rico, in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The company--which is based in the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI)--said it is initially deploying its system at the City of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The company says its initial unit will power Farjado's Sports Complex, which is being used as a refugee shelter and distribution center. MORE

Thursday, October 26, 2017 -- Growth Capital Conference. Network with capital sources, advisors, deal makers and 100 entrepreneurs seeking capital and counsel. DEAL DISPLAY showcases growing firms needing capital and counse. View products, videos, online demos. See [link] (more MORE

SendGrid , the provider of back-end email delivery services which has a big office in Orange County, has filed for an IPO, saying that it is hoping to raise up to $100M in an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. The company has applied to list as SEND. The IPO is being underwritten by Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, illiam Blair, KeyBanc Capital Markets, Piper Jaffray, and Stifel. MORE

Thursday, October 26, 2017 -- Information Security Spooktactular. WITI Los Angeles. Are you spooked every-time you hear of a Security Breach? Do the recent Hacks of Equifax and Target make you tremble in fear! Today more than ever, having a basic understandand#8203;ing of Information Security, its issues and threats is essential. Join us at this Halloween themed event and let a Panel of Industry experts to help us scare away your terrors! See [link] (more MORE

Thursday, October 26, 2017 -- Founder Stories: David Knight, Angel City Data. Burbank Tech Talks and TechFire. The City of Burbank, in partnership with TechFire is featuring a Burbank tech success story, Angel City Data's Founder and President, David Knight. Angel City Data has deployed over 2,000 custom desktop, web and mobile software solutions for clients such as Apple, Disney, Warner Bros., Harvard, Caltech, UCLA, USC, the BBC, and NASA. MORE

Have you ever dreamed of visiting Mars? Google has teamed up with NASA and JPL to power a new, 3D, virtual reality experience of the real surface of Mars, on the new Access Mars website. According to Google, it has taken the photos taken by the Mars Curiosity rover, which have been used by NASA to create a 3D model of Mars, and lets users experience the surface of the planet using WebVR. MORE

Hawthorne-based SpaceX has been selected by NASA for a new launch contract, to launch NASA's Sentinel-6A mission into space, NASA said on Thursday. According to NASA, it is targeting launch of its Sentinel-6A from Vandenberg Air Force Base in November 2020. NASA said total cost for it to launch the new mission will be approximately $97M, including launch services and other mission related costs. MORE

Aliso Viejo-based genetic testing company Ambry Genetics has successfully been acquired by Konica Minolta , in a deal worth $1 billion, Konica Minolta and the Innovation Network of Japan (INCJ) said on Thursday afternoon. The companies had announced the acquisition deal on July 6th. Ambry, which was founded in 1999, operates a genetic testing lab which provides offer hereditary cancer panels and clinical exome sequencing. READ MORE>>. MORE

LAEDC includes 9 sites in L.A. region bid for Amazon’s second headquarters, crypto venture firm Blockchain Capital raising $150 million for two funds, and Snap partners with Discovery, Eurosport for Olympics coverage MORE

Los Angeles-based Trace , a developer of mobile apps which automatically track your sports activity using sensors, video, and artificial intelligence, has scored a round of investment from Intel Capital. Size of the funding round was not announced. Intel Capital announced its investment in Trace on Thursday, as part of a larger announcement of investments of $60M in 15 technology startups. MORE

Playa Vista-based hyperloop developer Hyperloop Transportation Technologies --the company led by Dirk Ahlborn and Bibop Gresta--says it has linked up with insurance company Munich Re on a risk analysis and feasibility effort. According to HTT, Munich re created a "Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Risk Report" which assesses the feasibility and insurability of HTT's technology and system. MORE

Close. How about employees all the way down the line and through the corporation? How do we align them to the goals and strategies of the enterprise? Obviously for the appropriate individuals, a bonus program aligned to the department’s goals is appropriate. MORE

SpaceX targeting November for mysterious 'Zuma' launch, Elon Musk readies second tunnel boring machine and New York Yankees invest in Vision Esports MORE

Back in 2001, I started my 3rd company out of my 3rd bedroom in my newly rented townhome on the beach after separating from my oldest son’s mother. I had no choice. I had just sold my last company and I needed to keep busy. I built and built and built and one day, I wrote a business plan and sent it off for review to an angel funding group. I pitched 4 locations, including Hawaii. I got a few bucks out of a guy that wasn’t even in the room, but overheard from outside the banquet room. MORE

From Portland to Pittsburgh, it’s likely that every city in the U.S. with more than 1 million people has made its case to Amazon to locate the company’s second headquarters there. At least, hopefully they have already, because today—if you haven’t heard—was the deadline to apply. MORE

For the second time in two months, remarkable recoveries from desperate cases of cancer have led to early approval of a cutting-edge therapy called CAR-T, which is made from a patient’s own genetically engineered cells. More than a month before the decision was due, the FDA has given the nod to axicabtagene ciloleucel, now branded as Yescarta, to treat adults with desperate cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) who have failed at least two other treatments, such as chemotherapy. MORE

Los Angeles and San Diego are among the metro areas with the highest startup activity, based on a new report from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The foundation ranked Los Angeles as number 3, and San Diego as number 4 in terms of the highest startup activity in the United States, based on the rate of new entrepreneurs, startup density, and other factors. Miami was ranked number on in the nation. MORE

Welcome to Tech Scenes where we explore what makes tech founders and the cities they live in thrive. In this solo episode we meet up with John Tomich and talk about Onestop Internet , the growing changes in ecommerce, explosive growth, and the long history of tech startups in Los Angeles. MORE

Saturday, October 28, 2017 -- TiEcon Southwest 2017. TiE Southern California’s signature annual entrepreneurship conference brings together entrepreneurs, corporate executives, venture capitalists and business professionals for the best combination of substantive conversation, education and peer networking. See [link] (more MORE

In advance of an anticipated Senate hearing on drug prices, President Donald Trump once again denounced drug companies as “getting away with murder.” ” The first time he did so, using the same phrase just before his inauguration , the markets shuddered. MORE

Social Reality’s stock price spiked more than 70 percent to close at $4.90 a share Tuesday after the marketing software developer announced an initial coin offering MORE

For Michèle Morris, the big question hanging over organizers as they laid the groundwork last year for the first Design Forward Summit was whether the innovation community in San Diego understood the value of design. “We We didn’t know who was going to show up—and 600 people showed up,” said Morris, who is associate director of the Design Lab at UC San Diego and a founder of the Design Forward Summit. MORE

E-Sports ad tech firm VY Esports raises seed round, Elon Musk offers more details on Big F - Rocket and dog walking startup Wag loses pets, draws public ire and spooks investors MORE

Los Angeles-based The Tech Info Group , a managed IT services, back-up, cloud, and security provider, has been acquired by Capitas Partners , the two said late Friday. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. According to the companies, Capitas Partners will also invest $200,000 of growth capital in TTIG as part of the transaction. MORE

San Diego-based Qualcomm Ventures , the venture investment arm of Qualcomm, has had an exit in its portfolio--smart lock maker August Home. August was acquired by ASSA ABLOY on Thursday. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. August was venture backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, Comcast Ventures, Maveron, Qualcomm Ventures, AGL, Liberty Mutual and SPDG. The company had raised $75M in total. August is based in San Francisco. READ MORE>>. MORE

SpaceX gets $97 million NASA contract, Newhall Ranch part of local Amazon pitch and Musk’s Boring Co. gets Maryland dig approval MORE

Kite Pharma wasn’t expecting a regulatory decision for its non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment until November, but this week, the company got the FDA’s O.K. The approval of axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta) marks the second time in the two months that the FDA has given the nod to a CAR-T therapy, a treatment made from a patient’s own engineered cells. The first, tisagenlecleucel from Novartis (NYSE: NVS ), was approved in August to treat a severe form of pediatric leukemia. MORE

When I was younger, I experienced the Girl Scouts program like many girls have. I made it to the “Juniors” level before retiring my cookie-selling skills. I learned a lot through the program and had a few fun summers at camp. MORE

Santa Monica-based Tapatalk , which develops mobile community software apps used heavily by online forums, has acquired Panjo , a marketplace for gear for auto, sport, and hobby enthusiasts. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. Tapatalk said the deal was for cash and stock. Tapatalk's software provides mobile-friendly access to web-based forums and online communities. Tapatalk had announced its effort to acquire Pango in August. READ MORE>>. MORE

Entrepreneur-turned-venture capitalist Vinod Khosla made big headlines almost six years ago when he wrote a blog post called “Do We Need Doctors or Algorithms?” MORE

The better you understand someone, the more you will be able to relate to them in all areas of life. This is just some advice from Alejandro Rioja , CEO of Flux Ventures. We asked him about building relationships and advice for founders needing to expand their network. MORE