socalTECH

OCTOBER 21, 2010

Camarillo-based Connexity , a new Internet advertising firm headed by former Fastclick CEO Dave Gross, said today that it has raised a seed funding round. The funding round came from Persistence Partners, which is also headed by Gross. Amount of the round was not announced. READ MORE>>.

Seed Funding 113

Seed Funding Ventura Funding Advertising 113

socalTECH

JANUARY 14, 2016

San Diego-based MindTouch , a developer of software-as-a-service tools to help companies create self-service, customer support sites, has raised $12M in a Series A funding. The funding came from PeakSpan Capital, along with SK Ventures and SAP SE.

Customer 100

Customer Custom Software Services 100

socalTECH

JULY 6, 2017

XCOR--which has been working on developing a "space plane" since at least 2005--said the layoffs came due to "adverse financial conditions", although it apparently is still looking for funding. XCOR has apparently laid off all of its employees , due to the inability of the company to raise money.

Fandango 113

Fandango Layoffs Southern California Funding 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2012

Irvine-based Enevate , a developer of rechargeable lithium ion batteries, has raised $24M in a Series B funding, the company said this morning. The company said the funds will go to bring its first products to market and to accelerate commercialization of its technology. READ MORE>>.

Technology 153

Technology Draper Mission Ventures Capital 153

socalTECH

JUNE 17, 2016

Fouad ElNaggar , a former venture capitalist who had been responsible for the Los Angeles office of Redpoint Ventures, has scored funding for a new startup, Sapho. in a Series A funding, which was led by Alsop Louie Partners. According to Sapho, it has raised $9.5M Sapho is in Silicon Valley. READ MORE>>.

Redpoint 100

Redpoint CIO Venture Capital Startup 100

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 6, 2016

San Diego-based KnuEdge , a startup which was founded by former NASA administrator Dan Goldin, said this morning that it has unveiled its voice recognition and authentication technology--which it has developed with $100M in funding. READ MORE>>.

Software 100

Software San Diego Web Mobile 100

socalTECH

MARCH 5, 2013

The funding came from MindFund, Charles River Ventures, Trinity Ventures, Naval Ravikant, as well as others. Scripps for $525M in 2005. Los Angeles-based Cheers , the new startup from Bizrate founder Farhad Mohit, disclosed Tuesday afternoon that it has raised $2.5M Bizrate eventually became Shopzilla, and was acquired by E.W.

Southern California 159

Southern California High Tech Social Media Mobile 159

socalTECH

OCTOBER 26, 2015

The company said it already has funded more than $35M in real estate loans, across 78 properties, during its pre-launch phase. The company says that Crosby is the founder of Google Analytics; he had been a co-founder of Urchin Software in San Diego, which eventually became Google Analytics after its acquisition in April of 2005.

Google 100

Google San Diego Los Angeles Acquisition 100

socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2017

The acquisition comes just over 12 years after Xirrus was founded by Dirk Gates in 2005.

Thousand Oaks 127

Thousand Oaks Acquisition Startup Networking 127

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 2, 2011

Steuer was most recently CEO of MerchEngines, which he founded in 2005; he also has served at MusicNet (acquired by Real Networks), CNET (acquired by CBS), Infoseek (acquired by Disney), Xoom.com (acquired by NBC), and ZeroDegrees (acquired by IAC). He also was an investor in angel fund Andojo. READ MORE>>.

Idealab 154

Idealab Incubator Pasadena Mobile 154

socalTECH

DECEMBER 31, 2018

The biggest news this year for Okapi, Southern Californias original seed stage venture capital fund, is that we ramped up the deployment of our 3rd fund and saw its portfolio grow by another 10 companies! Are there any technology innovations, gadgets, devices, software, that you found most interesting in 2018?

Venture Capital 113

Venture Capital Capital Southern California News 113

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

Manhattan Beach-based Morphlabs , the developer of cloud computing products headed by Winston Damarillo, announced this morning that it has raised $5M in a Series C funding round. The firm said the funding will go toward deployment in the ASEAN and North American area.

Manhattan Beach 154

Manhattan Beach Cloud Computing IBM IBM 154

socalTECH

OCTOBER 13, 2010

in a funding round, according to a regulatory filing by the firm. Source of the new funding was not disclosed, however, Jim Simons, a venture capitalist at Split Rock Partners, is listed as a board member of the firm. No details on the funding have been announced. Split Rock was the venture firm which backed LowerMyBills.

Southern California 187

Southern California Santa Monica Venture Capital Sites 187

socalTECH

AUGUST 2, 2012

Connexity the online advertising startup headed by former Fastclick co-founder Dave Gross, announced this morning that it has raised $3M in a seed funding round. Gross said the funding will go towards sales and technology. As part of the funding, John Greathouse of Rincon Venture Partners has joined the company's board.

Seed Funding 124

Seed Funding Netflix Advertising Sales 124

socalTECH

OCTOBER 18, 2010

According to Ice Energy, a Colorado maker of equipment which uses equipment which shifts energy produced at off-peak hours to peak power demand times, SAIL was one of a number of investors in a $24M, first close of a Series C funding round.

Venture Capital 157

Venture Capital Demand Invest Capital 157

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 22, 2010

The firm appears to be the company Damarillo told socalTECH in July which had just received venture funding. Damarillo is behind a number of successful firms based on open source, the most notable of which was Gluecode, which he sold to IBM in 2005. He's currently heading up Morphlabs , which shares the same address as MaestroDev.

Manhattan Beach 242

Manhattan Beach Java Mission Ventures SoCalTech 242

Xconomy

MAY 21, 2019

Sebastian Thrun first made his mark on autonomous vehicle development at the dawn of that industry, when he led a Stanford team whose robot car Stanley won the $2 million DARPA Grand Challenge in 2005 by racing driverless through the Mojave Desert for 132 miles.

Education 87

Education Software Engineering Training Research 87

Xconomy

JULY 26, 2016

Ostendo Technologies, a Carlsbad, CA-based company founded in 2005 to advance curved screens and other innovative display technologies, has raised $41.8 The financing includes both new investment funding and a conversion of debt to equity, according to a notation in the filing. million of a new financing round intended to bring in $62.8

Technology 40

Technology Venture Capital Beverly Hills Funding 40

socalTECH

JANUARY 5, 2011

FamilyFinds.com is focusing in on deals on services and experiences for families, and is the latest venture for Matt Coffin, who sold his last firm, LowerMyBills.com, to Experian back in 2005 for over $330M. READ MORE>>.

Sites 174

Sites Competition Acquisition Los Angeles 174

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2015

Let me take you back just 10 years ago to 2005 in Silicon Valley where I returned after 11 years of living in Europe. At the time almost nobody had heard of the following funds: FirstRound Capital, TrueVentures, Floodgate and SoftTech. The Lessons of Fab & Why You Should Worry About “Over-Funding” Your Business.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Invest Cloud Computing 150

socalTECH

DECEMBER 31, 2018

Raising money as a first-time VC fund is hard.In Many of my friends who are VCs (and some friends who tried to raise a fund unsuccessfully) warned me that raising for a first-time fund would be very difficult. What was the biggest lesson you learned this year? As I look back on the last 18 months, I realize just how hard it was.

Capital 113

Capital Venture Capital News Invest 113

socalTECH

AUGUST 13, 2009

in revenues of 2005. ReachLocal has raised funding from VantagePoint Venture Partners, Rho Ventures, and Galleon Special Opportunities Fund. One of the revelations in yesterday's Inc. The revelation is the first public disclosure how much the firm's business has grown recently. READ MORE>>.

ReachLocal 133

ReachLocal Woodland Hills Advertising Funding 133

socalTECH

JULY 30, 2012

At the time, Levinsohn had just formed a Los Angeles venture capital fund, Fuse Capital, in a deal with Best Buy, and invested in at least one company here, Tecca.

Yahoo 145

Yahoo Southern California News Venture Capital 145

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 28, 2011

The trend of funding anything from the first $25k to funding $50 million at a billion+ valuation is unlikely to last as the skills and style to be effective at all stages are diverse enough to warrant focus. I will argue that LPs who invest in VC funds will also need to adjust a bit as well.

Venture Capital 334

Venture Capital Software Capital Startup 334

socalTECH

JULY 14, 2010

Morphlabs said that the funding will go to accelerate expansion in the United States and Asia. Damarillo is best known for founding Gluecode, which he sold to IBM in 2005, and has since been starting up firms whose basis is open source software. and AO Capital Partners Ltd.

El Segundo 124

El Segundo EC2 Cloud Computing Venture Capital 124

socalTECH

DECEMBER 30, 2016

Rob Freelen: The best lesson I learned in 2016 is that a well-managed company can succeed in any funding environment. Despite the Q1 correction in valuation, and subsequent drop in VC funding, we saw numerous LA companies not only survive, but thrive - despite the macroeconomic trends. What's the biggest lesson you learned this year?

Santa Monica 124

Santa Monica Southern California Venture Capital SoCal 124

socalTECH

MAY 4, 2010

Oversee said that it had also discovered that Brady had embezzled funds from Oversee, by fraudulently refunding himself a share of the purchase price for names he won. Oversee said Brady had affected about 5 percent of the auctions on the site since 2005, affecting about 1 percent of SnapNames auction revenue. READ MORE>>.

Oversee.net 133

Oversee.net Pricing Los Angeles Report 133

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 25, 2008

Pasadena-based Cramster.com, an online community focused on students and homework, said today that it has raised $3M in a Series A funding round. Cramster said the funding will go to broaden its subject areas, accelerate new features, and create more awareness of the firm. READ MORE>>

Education 113

Education Pasadena Sites Funding 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2009

OVP is known for its list of "missed deals" in its portfolio, and recently added Networks In Motion to its missed deal for its 2001-era Fund 6. According to OVP's site, it was approached in 2005 by the CFO of a former portfolio company, who had made money for the firm twice before, begging the firm to invest.

Networking 133

Networking Orange County Redpoint Mission Ventures 133

socalTECH

JULY 1, 2009

Done Right--formerly known as PerformLocal--was founded in 2005, and has received venture funding from August Capital, Glynn Capital Management, and MDV Mohr, Davidow Ventures. According to Charlotte, North Carolina-based Tree.com , it has acquired certain assets of Done Right, and will offer Done Right as its newest service offering.

Yahoo 100

Yahoo Pasadena Acquisition Capital 100

socalTECH

JANUARY 14, 2009

Los Angeles-based United Sample, which operates online survey and sampling services for the market research industry, announced today that it has raised $3M in a Series B funding round. United Sample said that Dana Settle of Greycroft will join the firm's board along with the funding. READ MORE>>.

Sample 113

Sample Venture Capital Sales Research 113

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 14, 2015

You can read it in VCs discussions about hedge fund managers, activist investors or the need to have dual-share voting structures. What is your realistic assessment of current strength if you went into a fund raising round right now? I put up this slide as part of my discussion. Now that we have all that. Others will follow.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Slides Capital Funding 150

socalTECH

MARCH 5, 2009

The firm is backed by funding from Overbrook Entertainment, the entertainment firm run by Will Smith, James Lassiter and Ken Stovitz, and launched in April of last year. O'Brien is one of the co-founders of Xdrive, which was sold to AOL in 2005. O'Brien said, in explaining the move. READ MORE>>.

Media 100

Media SoCalTech Entertainment Content 100

socalTECH

MARCH 5, 2009

The firm is backed by funding from Overbrook Entertainment, the entertainment firm run by Will Smith, James Lassiter and Ken Stovitz, and launched in April of last year. O'Brien is one of the co-founders of Xdrive, which was sold to AOL in 2005. O'Brien said, in explaining the move. READ MORE>>.

Media 100

Media SoCalTech Entertainment Content 100

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2013

My partner Steven Dietz is an expert on cars (and auto startups having funded DealerTrack , TrueCar , Digital Airstrike , Uparts and others) and I called him and he said, “Decline everything. I still drive the same car I bought for cash in 2005. That’s where the dealer makes all their margin – upselling you at close.”

Conference 398

Conference Technical Review Truecar Software Review 398

socalTECH

DECEMBER 21, 2017

We talked with Richard about NordicEye's $30M fund, its interests in Los Angeles, and why a Nordic venture capital firm has its eyes on Southern California's technology startups. Give us an overview of your fund and what you invest in? We're in the process of raising funds with institutional investors as well.

Southern California 133

Southern California Startup Venture Capital Invest 133

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 25, 2011

I was significantly wiser by 2005 when I started my second company. From there VentureHacks was then launched which gave entrepreneur advice on fund raising from your point of view. It’s no surprise that I got a bit fawked on my first company. There was no guide. VCs were negotiating with asymmetric information.

Venture Capital 304

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Guide Blogging 304