INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
New cell and gene therapies bring the possibility of cures once hardly imaginable. But the potential cures could also cost millions of dollars, like Novartis (NYSE: NVS ), the owner of the gene therapy Zolgensma, has suggested in advance of an imminent FDA approval decision. MORE
Beyond Meat , the meat replacement company whose packages of Beyond Burgers line grocery store aisles across America, has priced its initial public offering. MORE
Los Angeles-based Wavemaker Partners is one of the lead investors in a round for a cognitive health startup, Savonix , in an extension of its Series A funding. Savonix said it raised $9.6M in a Series A extension round which was led by Fusion Fund and Wavemaker Partners, boosting its total Series A financing to $14.7M. The investment round also included DEFTA Partners, Rethink Impact, and DigiTx Partners. MORE
Santa Monica-based Happy Returns , the returns logistics company led by David Sobie, announced this morning that it has raised $11M in a financing round, which included a strategic investment from PayPal. Prior investors U.S. Venture Partners and Upfront Ventures also participated in the funding. Happy Returns has now raised $25M in total, and has now grown to a total of 55 employees. MORE
Camarillo-based semiconductor developer Semtech said this morning that it has a new design win, this time with its BlueRiver technology. According to Semtech, IDK Corporation, a developer of professional A and broadcast equipment, is linking its audio networking with Software Defined Video Over Ethernet (SDVoE) using its BlueRiver products. Shipment volumes and expected financial impact of the win were not announced. MORE
Los Angeles-based Cedars Sinai is one of the major backers of a new startup, Censinet , in the company's Series A funding. According to Censinet, it raised $7.8M in a Series A, co-led by HLM Venture Partners and Cedars-Sinal Health System, to provide third party risk management for healthcare providers. The funding also included seed investors Schooner Capital, LRVHealth and Excelerate Health Ventures. MORE
Wednesday, May 1, 2019 -- Recurring Revenue Conference - April 30 to May 1st - Marina Del Rey. Welcome to the 5th annual Recurring Revenue Conference: Scaling SaaS and Subscription Businesses presented by Sutton Capital Partners. Join 700+ entrepreneurs, executives and leading investors to discuss the Subscription Economy. Hear from companies including Zenefits, Mavenlink, Dollar Shave Club, ipsy, Sage Intacct, ProfitWell, Headspace, Winc and many more. MORE
Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat , which develops plant-based meat products, which look and taste like real meat, has set its IPO pricing range, as its preps to go public. According to Beyond Meat, it expects an initial offering price of between $19.00 and $21.00 per share. The company has applied to list on the Nasdaq Global Market as BYND. Beyond Meat's IPO is being underwritten by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan, Credit Suisse, BofA Merrill Lynch, Jefferies, and William Blair. MORE
Fountain Valley-based HyperX , the gaming division of memory maker Kingston Technology, has rolled out two new DDR4 memory kits, aimed at system builders and DIY PC enthusiasts. According to Kingston, its new Predator DDR4 memory kits, available in 4266MHz and 4600MHz frequency versions, are available as 8GB modules in kits of two. Pricing on the new devices were not announced. MORE
The Chief Marketing Officer of high flying, Los Angeles-based job recruiting technology developer ZipRecruiter has resigned from the company, after a story was published last week by BuzzFeed, detailing alleged sexual misconduct at his prior employer, Uber. Eyal Gutentag reportedly resigned on Friday. According to the report, Gutentag had been terminated from his job at Uber in 2015, over an alleged sexual battery incident, before later joining ZipRecruiter as CMO. MORE
Sarah Paiji had the idea to launch the eco-friendly refillable cleaning supply retailer Blueland after hearing about the abundance of microplastics in the water she was using to dilute her child’s baby formula. MORE
Less than a month after rebranding as Canoo , the startup electric vehicle company formerly known as Evelozcity is on the hunt for $200 million in new capital. The startup, which is backed by a clutch of private individuals and family offices hailing from China, Germany, and Taiwan, is hoping to line up the new capital from some more recognizable names as it finalizes supply deals with vendors, according to a person with knowledge of the company’s plans. MORE
Santa Monica-based Snap Inc. , the parent firm of Snapchat , reported its quarterly results on Tuesday afternoon, saying that its daily active users (DAU) increased by 2 percent quarter-to-quarter, to 190 million. However, Snap continues to post steep losses, saying it had a net loss of $310M in Q1 of 2019, on revenues of $320M. Its Q1 revenues were up 39 percent compared to last year. MORE
Astound , a company selling automated employee help desk services, has raised a new round of $15.5 million from investors led by the Los Angeles investment firm March Capital Partners. MORE
La Jolla-based Avidity Biosciences , a developer of biopharmaceuticals that uses monoclonal antibodies and oligonucleotide-based therapeutics, said on Monday that it has received $20M in an upfront payment, as well as an investment of $15M in a deal with Lilly. According to Avidity, the company is also eligible to receive up to approximately $405 million per target for development, regulatory and commercialization milestones, as well as tiered royalties on product sales. MORE
Los Angeles-based Two Bit Circus , which has a "micro amusement park" which incorporates technology, games, entertainment, and more in its own physical, 38,000 square foot space, is offering up a new program which seeks to link with game developers. According to Two Bit Circus, it has launched a new " Park as a Platform ", where it will work with game developers to adapt those games and experiences for "location-based entertainment". MORE
Anyone who hires anyone, or has ever looked for a jobs knows how important a resume is. However, in the technical arena--as a programmer, developer, or software engineer--it's hard to tell from a resume how good you really are. Plus, it's often difficult to find that technical talent, which might not be looking for a job. That's where Los Angeles-based Rolebot (www.rolebot.net) comes in. MORE
Corona, California-based Clubspeed , a software developer which develops software used by entertainment and activity centers to manage their business, has raised $20M in a funding round, according to investor Bellwether Financial Group. Bellwether said it joined Navadon Capital Partners in the $20M funding round, which gives the two companies a majority interst in Clubspeed. MORE
Consider your core. It is the one skill, process or advantage you have over your competition. Then think of all the things you do to surround that core with people and assets that complete your company and allow you to release your product or perform your service. MORE
Los Angeles-based March Capital is the lead investor in an artificial intelligence startup, which is aiming at improving employee service, as it further continues its theme of investing in big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning startups in the enterprise. MORE
San Diego- and Irvine-based startup incubator operator EvoNexus says it is looking to attract financial technology (fintech) startups, and is now accepting startup applications for a new financial technology incubator it has launched with Franklin Templeton and Royal Bank of Canada. Acording to EvoNexus, it is seeking early stage companies with emerging financial technology to the new fintech incubator program. MORE
It appears that another one of the owners of Los Angeles-based streaming television provider Hulu may be looking to unload its current, minority stake in the company, according to a report from CNBC this morning. According to CNBC, Comcast is looking to sell its current 30 percent stake in Hulu to Disney. The report named "people familiar with the matter" in the report. Hulu just purchased a 9.5 MORE
Santa Barbara-based Impact , which develops software used by brands to manage partnership and affiliate programs, has launched a new product to help those companies with managing mobile linking. According to IMpact, it has added "deep linking" to specific product pages in apps, and tracking of in-app clicks and conversions for "partner attribution", in and enhancement to its platform. The company said the move will help marketers drive more revenue and higher mobile conversion rates. MORE
San Diego-based Perspectium , which develops software for service management integration, has raised $8M in its Series B funding round, according to the firm. The investment came from TVC Capital. According to Perspectium, the new funding will help it continue expansion to global markets, and launch new products. MORE
Google is surfacing the location of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Southern California, and elsewhere, on Google Maps, the company announced on Tuesday morning. According to Google, users can load Google Maps on their desktop, Android phone, iOS, and Android Auto and search for "ev charging stations" and see the location of the nearest stations run by such partners as Chargemaster, EVgo, SemaConnect and soon ChargePoint. The new feature is available in both the U.S. and the UK. MORE
Los Angeles- and Austin-based Slingshot Aerospace , the venture-backed developer of artificial intelligence software for processing satellite, aerial, and drone imaging, said this morning that it has won a $6M contract award, from the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC). According to the company, the award goes towards use of its software for "next-generation" space situational awareness and enterprise space battle management. MORE
San Diego-based BlueNalu , a developer of cellular technology being applied to the aquaculture and sustainable seafood industry, said it is expanding in San Diego, with a move to a larger research facility. According to the company, the move will help it on its efforts to commercialize its technology. MORE
Los Angeles-based Qulab , a biopharmaceuticals startup developing artifical intelligence software aimed at small molecule drug design, said on Wednesday that it has launched its first product, Quleap. The startup--backed by Cota Capital, Civilization Ventures, Plug and Play, and 415--says that Quleap automated small molecule, synthesis planning, and a cloud engine for simulating biomolecules. MORE
San Diego-based Poseida Therapeutics , a biopharmaceuticals startup developing non-viral gene engineering technology, has raised $142M in a Series C funding, the company said on Monday. According to the company, the funding was led by Novartis Pharma AG, which invested $75M in the round. Other investors in the round included Aisling Capital Management, Pentwater Capital Management, Perceptive Advisors, plus Malin Corporation plc., Longitude Capital, Vivo Capital and Boxer Capital, LLC. MORE
Tesla has announced that it has extended the range of its Model S vehicle to 370 miles and Model X to 325 miles on a single charge — extending the range of its flagship car to make the trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco on a single charge. . MORE
Los Angeles-based Down To Shop , a startup which combines humorous videos, a mobile app, and shopping, has scored funding from Greycroft Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, and Firstmark, the company said this week. Financial details of the funding have not been announced, but the company previously raised around $5.9M in a funding round in 2018, based on regulatory filings from the company. The startup was founded by Cyrus Summerlin and Max Hellerstein. MORE
TechCrunch LA
APRIL 23, 2019
Tesla has announced that it has extended the range of its Model S vehicle to 370 miles and Model X to 325 miles on a single charge — extending the range of its flagship car to make the trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco on a single charge. .
Berkonomics
APRIL 25, 2019
Consider your core. It is the one skill, process or advantage you have over your competition. Then think of all the things you do to surround that core with people and assets that complete your company and allow you to release your product or perform your service.
socalTECH
APRIL 24, 2019
Anyone who hires anyone, or has ever looked for a jobs knows how important a resume is. However, in the technical arena--as a programmer, developer, or software engineer--it's hard to tell from a resume how good you really are. Plus, it's often difficult to find that technical talent, which might not be looking for a job. That's where Los Angeles-based Rolebot (www.rolebot.net) comes in.
SoCal Tech Calendar
APRIL 25, 2019
Wednesday, May 1, 2019 -- Recurring Revenue Conference - April 30 to May 1st - Marina Del Rey. Welcome to the 5th annual Recurring Revenue Conference: Scaling SaaS and Subscription Businesses presented by Sutton Capital Partners. Join 700+ entrepreneurs, executives and leading investors to discuss the Subscription Economy. Hear from companies including Zenefits, Mavenlink, Dollar Shave Club, ipsy, Sage Intacct, ProfitWell, Headspace, Winc and many more.
Xconomy
APRIL 23, 2019
New cell and gene therapies bring the possibility of cures once hardly imaginable. But the potential cures could also cost millions of dollars, like Novartis (NYSE: NVS ), the owner of the gene therapy Zolgensma, has suggested in advance of an imminent FDA approval decision.
TechCrunch LA
APRIL 22, 2019
Beyond Meat , the meat replacement company whose packages of Beyond Burgers line grocery store aisles across America, has priced its initial public offering.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
TechCrunch LA
APRIL 23, 2019
Astound , a company selling automated employee help desk services, has raised a new round of $15.5 million from investors led by the Los Angeles investment firm March Capital Partners.
TechCrunch LA
APRIL 23, 2019
Less than a month after rebranding as Canoo , the startup electric vehicle company formerly known as Evelozcity is on the hunt for $200 million in new capital. The startup, which is backed by a clutch of private individuals and family offices hailing from China, Germany, and Taiwan, is hoping to line up the new capital from some more recognizable names as it finalizes supply deals with vendors, according to a person with knowledge of the company’s plans.
socalTECH
APRIL 25, 2019
Camarillo-based semiconductor developer Semtech said this morning that it has a new design win, this time with its BlueRiver technology. According to Semtech, IDK Corporation, a developer of professional A and broadcast equipment, is linking its audio networking with Software Defined Video Over Ethernet (SDVoE) using its BlueRiver products. Shipment volumes and expected financial impact of the win were not announced.
socalTECH
APRIL 23, 2019
Los Angeles-based Cedars Sinai is one of the major backers of a new startup, Censinet , in the company's Series A funding. According to Censinet, it raised $7.8M in a Series A, co-led by HLM Venture Partners and Cedars-Sinal Health System, to provide third party risk management for healthcare providers. The funding also included seed investors Schooner Capital, LRVHealth and Excelerate Health Ventures.
socalTECH
APRIL 23, 2019
San Diego-based BlueNalu , a developer of cellular technology being applied to the aquaculture and sustainable seafood industry, said it is expanding in San Diego, with a move to a larger research facility. According to the company, the move will help it on its efforts to commercialize its technology.
socalTECH
APRIL 24, 2019
Los Angeles-based Qulab , a biopharmaceuticals startup developing artifical intelligence software aimed at small molecule drug design, said on Wednesday that it has launched its first product, Quleap. The startup--backed by Cota Capital, Civilization Ventures, Plug and Play, and 415--says that Quleap automated small molecule, synthesis planning, and a cloud engine for simulating biomolecules.
socalTECH
APRIL 25, 2019
It appears that another one of the owners of Los Angeles-based streaming television provider Hulu may be looking to unload its current, minority stake in the company, according to a report from CNBC this morning. According to CNBC, Comcast is looking to sell its current 30 percent stake in Hulu to Disney. The report named "people familiar with the matter" in the report. Hulu just purchased a 9.5
socalTECH
APRIL 25, 2019
Los Angeles-based Wavemaker Partners is one of the lead investors in a round for a cognitive health startup, Savonix , in an extension of its Series A funding. Savonix said it raised $9.6M in a Series A extension round which was led by Fusion Fund and Wavemaker Partners, boosting its total Series A financing to $14.7M. The investment round also included DEFTA Partners, Rethink Impact, and DigiTx Partners.
socalTECH
APRIL 25, 2019
Santa Monica-based Happy Returns , the returns logistics company led by David Sobie, announced this morning that it has raised $11M in a financing round, which included a strategic investment from PayPal. Prior investors U.S. Venture Partners and Upfront Ventures also participated in the funding. Happy Returns has now raised $25M in total, and has now grown to a total of 55 employees.
socalTECH
APRIL 22, 2019
San Diego-based Poseida Therapeutics , a biopharmaceuticals startup developing non-viral gene engineering technology, has raised $142M in a Series C funding, the company said on Monday. According to the company, the funding was led by Novartis Pharma AG, which invested $75M in the round. Other investors in the round included Aisling Capital Management, Pentwater Capital Management, Perceptive Advisors, plus Malin Corporation plc., Longitude Capital, Vivo Capital and Boxer Capital, LLC.
socalTECH
APRIL 22, 2019
Fountain Valley-based HyperX , the gaming division of memory maker Kingston Technology, has rolled out two new DDR4 memory kits, aimed at system builders and DIY PC enthusiasts. According to Kingston, its new Predator DDR4 memory kits, available in 4266MHz and 4600MHz frequency versions, are available as 8GB modules in kits of two. Pricing on the new devices were not announced.
socalTECH
APRIL 22, 2019
The Chief Marketing Officer of high flying, Los Angeles-based job recruiting technology developer ZipRecruiter has resigned from the company, after a story was published last week by BuzzFeed, detailing alleged sexual misconduct at his prior employer, Uber. Eyal Gutentag reportedly resigned on Friday. According to the report, Gutentag had been terminated from his job at Uber in 2015, over an alleged sexual battery incident, before later joining ZipRecruiter as CMO.
socalTECH
APRIL 24, 2019
Los Angeles-based Down To Shop , a startup which combines humorous videos, a mobile app, and shopping, has scored funding from Greycroft Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, and Firstmark, the company said this week. Financial details of the funding have not been announced, but the company previously raised around $5.9M in a funding round in 2018, based on regulatory filings from the company. The startup was founded by Cyrus Summerlin and Max Hellerstein.
socalTECH
APRIL 24, 2019
Santa Monica-based Snap Inc. , the parent firm of Snapchat , reported its quarterly results on Tuesday afternoon, saying that its daily active users (DAU) increased by 2 percent quarter-to-quarter, to 190 million. However, Snap continues to post steep losses, saying it had a net loss of $310M in Q1 of 2019, on revenues of $320M. Its Q1 revenues were up 39 percent compared to last year.
socalTECH
APRIL 24, 2019
Corona, California-based Clubspeed , a software developer which develops software used by entertainment and activity centers to manage their business, has raised $20M in a funding round, according to investor Bellwether Financial Group. Bellwether said it joined Navadon Capital Partners in the $20M funding round, which gives the two companies a majority interst in Clubspeed.
socalTECH
APRIL 24, 2019
San Diego- and Irvine-based startup incubator operator EvoNexus says it is looking to attract financial technology (fintech) startups, and is now accepting startup applications for a new financial technology incubator it has launched with Franklin Templeton and Royal Bank of Canada. Acording to EvoNexus, it is seeking early stage companies with emerging financial technology to the new fintech incubator program.
socalTECH
APRIL 24, 2019
San Diego-based Perspectium , which develops software for service management integration, has raised $8M in its Series B funding round, according to the firm. The investment came from TVC Capital. According to Perspectium, the new funding will help it continue expansion to global markets, and launch new products.
socalTECH
APRIL 24, 2019
Los Angeles-based Two Bit Circus , which has a "micro amusement park" which incorporates technology, games, entertainment, and more in its own physical, 38,000 square foot space, is offering up a new program which seeks to link with game developers. According to Two Bit Circus, it has launched a new " Park as a Platform ", where it will work with game developers to adapt those games and experiences for "location-based entertainment".
socalTECH
APRIL 23, 2019
Los Angeles-based March Capital is the lead investor in an artificial intelligence startup, which is aiming at improving employee service, as it further continues its theme of investing in big data, artificial intelligence, and machine learning startups in the enterprise.
socalTECH
APRIL 23, 2019
Google is surfacing the location of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Southern California, and elsewhere, on Google Maps, the company announced on Tuesday morning. According to Google, users can load Google Maps on their desktop, Android phone, iOS, and Android Auto and search for "ev charging stations" and see the location of the nearest stations run by such partners as Chargemaster, EVgo, SemaConnect and soon ChargePoint. The new feature is available in both the U.S. and the UK.
socalTECH
APRIL 23, 2019
Santa Barbara-based Impact , which develops software used by brands to manage partnership and affiliate programs, has launched a new product to help those companies with managing mobile linking. According to IMpact, it has added "deep linking" to specific product pages in apps, and tracking of in-app clicks and conversions for "partner attribution", in and enhancement to its platform. The company said the move will help marketers drive more revenue and higher mobile conversion rates.
socalTECH
APRIL 23, 2019
Los Angeles- and Austin-based Slingshot Aerospace , the venture-backed developer of artificial intelligence software for processing satellite, aerial, and drone imaging, said this morning that it has won a $6M contract award, from the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC). According to the company, the award goes towards use of its software for "next-generation" space situational awareness and enterprise space battle management.
socalTECH
APRIL 22, 2019
La Jolla-based Avidity Biosciences , a developer of biopharmaceuticals that uses monoclonal antibodies and oligonucleotide-based therapeutics, said on Monday that it has received $20M in an upfront payment, as well as an investment of $15M in a deal with Lilly. According to Avidity, the company is also eligible to receive up to approximately $405 million per target for development, regulatory and commercialization milestones, as well as tiered royalties on product sales.
socalTECH
APRIL 22, 2019
Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat , which develops plant-based meat products, which look and taste like real meat, has set its IPO pricing range, as its preps to go public. According to Beyond Meat, it expects an initial offering price of between $19.00 and $21.00 per share. The company has applied to list on the Nasdaq Global Market as BYND. Beyond Meat's IPO is being underwritten by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan, Credit Suisse, BofA Merrill Lynch, Jefferies, and William Blair.
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