It can take 18 months from initial concern about a critical employee to getting a replacement up to speed. Of course, I’ll tell another harrowing story here. But first. an old friend, Dick Tanaka, gets credit for the 18-month rule. MORE

Irvine-based technology distributor Ingram Micro said on Wednesday that its Ingram MicroCommerce & Lifecycle Services arm has opened up a new facility in Brazil. According to the company, it has opened up a new IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Processing Center, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which will provide lifecycle support services, onsite data destruction and e-waste recycling services. READ MORE>>. ingram micro asset disposal recycling ewaste electronic waste brazil international MORE

Santa Monica-based PatientPop , which develops cloud-based practice management software for healthcare providers, has added two new executives to its team. PatientPop said it has named Jeb Burrows as Vice President of Business Development & Channels, and Caitlin Reiche as Head of Strategic Product Management. Burrows was most recently Executive Director of Partnerships, Events, and Inside Sales at athenahealth. MORE

Hawthorne-based SpaceX successfully launched another payload into space on Wednesday, sending the NASA TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) into orbit around the earth. SpaceX also landed the first stage of the Falcon 9 on its landing barge, "Of Course I Still Love You". The NASA mission will look for exoplanets orbiting nearby stars, by detecting the fluctuation in light of nearby stars, as those planets transit across the face of those stars. The launch was from Cape Canaveral. MORE

At the end of March, Congress passed a $1.3 trillion spending bill to fund federal agencies for the rest of the fiscal year and avert another government shutdown. MORE

The mayor of Los Angeles confirmed earlier reports that SpaceX will build its largest rocket, the BFR, at the Port of Los Angeles. The company intends to build a manufacturing facility on an 18-acre site at Berth 240 and use waterways to transport the massive rocket. MORE

Hawthorne-based SpaceX hope to hire another 700 employees in Los Angeles, at a new site at the Port of Los Angeles, to work on its Mars rocket, according to officials in Los Angeles on Monday. According to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the City of Los Angeles is looking to lease 19 acres to SpaceX at the port for a manufacturing site, for its "BFR" rocket--which Elon Musk would like to use to transport humans to Mars. MORE

The University of Southern California ranked No. 2 on a list of top 10 universities for video game development programs, according to Sherman Oaks-based 80 Level, an online publication covering the gaming industry MORE

Saviynt raises $40 million; Snoops Dogg’s Casa Verde invests in Green Bits; USC earns top-10 spot for video game development programs MORE

Redlands-based GIS software developer Esri said on Thursday that it will donate software licenses for its popular ArcGIS software, to official statistical agencies in the least developed nations in the world. According to Esri, eligible "Least Developed Countries (LDCs)" and "Small Island Developing States (SIDS)" can get up to $700,000 each in software for census work from the company. MORE

Los Angeles-based H Code Media , which provides digital advertising services for the US Hispanic market, said this week that it has inked a deal with Mexican media company Grupo Milenio. Acording to H Code Media, the deal calls for it to represent 100 percent of the ad inventory for sports website MedioTiempo, as well as Milenio, a major national newspaper in Mexico. Financial details of the deal were not announced. MORE

Santa Monica-based game publisher Activision said Wednesday that it has rolled out a new Alexa Skill, which lets players of its popular game, Call of Duty: WWII , get in-game advice from Alexa. According to Activision, the new skill will provide personalized player recommendations, updates on in-game achievements, and more. The new skill--voiced as a soldier from the game--will analyze a user's match and recommend ways users can improve the next time they play. MORE

Thursday, April 26, 2018 -- Network with capital sources: Angels,VCs,High Net Worths,advisors and 100 entrepreneurs seeking capital and counsel. See [link] (more MORE

The Los Angeles Business Council and the UCLA Lukin Center for Innovation says that the West Coast region's GDP growth rate "significantly exceeded" that of the rest of the nation--rising 32.1 percent in eight years--even as the region has aggressively moved to use clean and renewable energy and as it has implemented the strictest environmental regulations in the nation. According to the LABC and the UCLA study, the figures undercuts the argument that the U.S. MORE

A report from Bloomberg, published Thursday afternoon, says that San Diego-based Qualcomm is planning to cut its workforce in California by about 1,500. According to the report, the cut is in response to investors pressuring the company to cut its costs by about $1 billion. Qualcomm has about 34,000 employees globally. READ MORE>>. qualcomm jobs employment workforce technology semiconductor MORE

Los Angeles-based real estate lending marketplace PeerStreet (www.peerstreet.com) recently announced a big, $29.5M funding round, so we though we'd catch up with one of its co-founders, Brett Crosby , to learn more about the new funding and the company's growth. Tell us a bit where PeerStreet is nowadays? MORE

Los Angeles-based digital marketing software developer SRAX said this morning that it has launched into a new vertical, the auto industry, with a new product called SRAXauto. According to the company, the new tool is aimed at auto manufacturers and dealers, and helps them to target and reach buyers at dealerships, auto shows, or desktop and mobile platforms. MORE

Los Angeles-based Saviynt , a developer of identity management software, announced this week that it has raised $40M in a Series A funding round. The funding came from Carrick Capital Partners. Saviynt is led by CEO Amit Saha. According to the company, it will use the new funding round to expand its U.S. and international field operations, to build out its ecosystem of technology and system integration partners, for its product roadmap, and customer service. MORE

Santa Monica-based Tala , which provides financial services for underserved consumers using their mobile phones, has raised $50M in a Series C funding, plus an additional $15M in separate funding, according to the company. The funding was led by Revolution Growth, and also included IVP, Data Collective, Lowercase Capital, Ribbit Capital, and Female Founders Fund. Tala said it will use the new funding to expand to Mexico and India. Tala is led by founder and CEO Shivani Siroya. READ MORE>>. MORE

Santa Monica-based consumer Internet company Leaf Group --the owner of such online properties as Saatchi Art, Livestrong.com, Society6, and Hunker--has named a new General Counsel and Executive Vice President. According to the company, Adam Wergeles joined the company to serve as General Counsel and Executive Vice President, joining the company from Serviz, where he had been Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, and General Counsel. MORE

San Diego-based Agentology , which develops automated lead referral and management tools for the real estate industry, has raised $12M in a funding round, the company disclosed Tuesday. The funding was led by Defy.vc, which will add Trae Vassallo to Agentology's board. Agentology says it handles and qualifies real estate leads for real estate agents, using a team that is 100 percent based in the US. MORE

Hawthorne-based SpaceX is getting set to launch yet another payload into space for NASA, saying all systems and weather are go for the 6:51 p.m. EDT launch of the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission. MORE

San Diego-based business intelligence software developer VizExplorer announced this morning that it has raised a round of strategic funding from Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital. Size of the new investment was not announced. VizExplorer said that it was previously owned by Endeavor, which will continue to have a minority investment in the company. Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital is part of Morgan Stanley Investment Management focused on private equity investments. MORE

Wednesday, April 25, 2018 -- IEEE Buenaventura EMBS Talk on Vivonetics. Wearable sensors have become ubiquitous in the world of fitness tracking and quantified self, but data from these devices is limited to basic analysis. Vivonoetics, with our software platform VivoSense, enables continuous data to be analyzed with accuracy and repeatability. VivoSense is a sensor agnostic software that combines multiple sensor data onto one analysis platform. MORE

West Hollywood-based Casa Verde Capital , the new, $45M investment fund run by rapper Snoop Dogg, is one of the investors in a software developer developing code for running cannabis businesses. Green Bits , which focuses on compliance for cannabis dispensaries and retailers, said it raised $17M in a Series A funding, led by Tiger Global, and also included Snoop Dogg's Casa Verde Capital. MORE

Los Angeles-based j2 Global , the widely diversified provider of Internet services and online media, has acquired two more companies, the company said today. j2 Global said it acquired ThreatTrack (VIPRE Security), a provider of security-focused cloud services, and certain assets of Lifescript , a provider of digial media in the health area. Financial details of those acquisition were not announced. j2 Global said it does not expect those acquisitions to be material to its business. MORE

Tuesday, April 24, 2018 --. MORE

There are few things more universal in wardrobes the world over than blue jeans. But they are also the number one item that is returned by online shoppers, says Rian Buckley, founder and CEO of Fitcode. Fit is the number one purchase driver and reason to return,” she says. MORE

Los Angeles-based "last mile" scooter service Bird --which is backed by. Valor Equity Partners, Index Ventures, Craft Ventures, Goldcrest Capital, Tusk Ventures and Upfront Ventures--has just been served a "cease and desist" letter by the City of San Francisco, alongside competitors Lime and Spin. All three companies operate dockless, motorized scooter rentals aimed at helping bridge the "last mile" between public transportation and a user's destination. MORE

TheWaveVR raises $6 million for Los Angeles office; PatientPop adds to leadership team; Snapchat seeks boost in advertisement revenue with Shoppable AR MORE

TheWaveVR , the VR startup led by Adam Arrigo which develops a social virtual reality platform and community focused on music and visual arts, anounced Thursday morning that it has raised $6M in a Series A fundingThe round was led by RRE Ventures, and also included LA's Upfront Ventures, KPCB, Greycroft VR Gaming Tracker Fund, The VR Fund, and others. MORE