Sat.Dec 01, 2018 - Fri.Dec 07, 2018

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Putting the band back together, ExactTarget execs reunite to launch MetaCX

TechCrunch LA

Scott McCorkle has spent most of his professional career thinking about business to business software and how to improve it for a company’s customers. The former President of ExactTarget and later chief executive of Salesforce Marketing Cloud has made billions of dollars building products to help support customer service and now he’s back at it again with his latest venture MetaCX.

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Silicon Beach Report Dec. 5: Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Creates New Venture

L.A. Business Journal

Upfront Ventures leads $14 million MetaCX round; Axiomatic invests in Matcherino; Hyperloop Transportation Technologies links with German port authority.

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Can a “good-hearted” entrepreneur succeed in business?

Berkonomics

People argue over whether an entrepreneur with a sense of fairness, a desire for collegiality, a want to share the profits can succeed in the long run within a business world full of lions and tigers that eat timid entrepreneurs for lunch. Does a “good heart” diminish the chances of success? First, let’s separate the “good heart” from the issue of whether an entrepreneur is driven to succeed.

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Top CTO Challenges for 2019

SoCal CTO

The LA CTO Forum recently conducted a survey to find out what our Chief Technology Officer (CTO) members saw as their biggest challenges heading into 2019. We received over 250 responses that provides a pretty good insight into the top CTO challenges. The rating scale was 1-5 with: Not a challenge A small challenge Somewhat a challenge Definitely a challenge Keeps me up at night We provide both an Average and a Scaled Rating that gives much higher weight to 4s and 5s and discounts 1s and 2s.

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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

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Freeletics raises $45M for its AI-powered mobile fitness coach

TechCrunch LA

One of Europe’s most popular fitness applications is poised to flourish in the U.S. market with the help of several Los Angeles-based investors. Freeletics , headquartered in Munich, Germany, is today announcing its first round of private capital after bootstrapping since 2013. The $45 million Series A was co-led by FitLab, Causeway Media Partners and JAZZ Venture Partners, with participation from Courtside Ventures, Elysian Park Ventures and ward.ventures.

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Boring Company Tunnel Opening Shifts To December 18th

socalTECH

The official opening of the first tunnel being built by Los Angeles-based Boring Company , a prototype tunnel meant to prove out its technology and feasibility of transporting people and traffic beneath city streets, has shifted to December 18th, according to Elon Musk. The official opening of the tunnel system had been scheduled for December 10th. According to Musk, the tunnel opening will "include modded but fully road legal autonomous transport cars & ground to tunnel car elevators.

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Upfront Ventures Leads $14M MetaCX Funding Round

L.A. Business Journal

Early-stage venture capital investor Upfront Ventures, based in Santa Monica, led a $14 million investment round for MetaCx, an Indianapolis-headquartered developer of e-commerce management software.

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Startups: The Year That Was and The Year That's Ahead

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, December 5, 2018 -- Startups: The Year That Was and The Year That's Ahead. Cal Lutheran Center for Entrepreneurship. Speaker: Ben Kuo, editor and founder, socalTECH.com We are excited to invite back Benjamin Kuo, editor and founder of socalTECH.com, for another year in review. He will talk about some of the noteworthy funding deals, acquisitions, exits and trends of 2018, and talk about what might be in store for the future.

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Upfront Ventures Leads Investment In MetaCX

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based venture investor Upfront Ventures is the lead investor in a MetacX , a startup developing collaboration software for suppliers and buyers of enterprise software. According to MetaCX, it raised over $14M in the funding round, which was led by Upfront Ventures. Upfront's participation was led by Kobie Fuller, who joins MetaCX's board of directors as part of the funding.

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As Unicorns Multiply, Bootstrapped Tech Businesses Holding Steady

Xconomy

Why do unicorns get all the attention? Brian de Haaff wonders this sometimes, especially as compared to his own tech business, Aha. It’s not a “unicorn”—a business with a valuation of more than $1 billion—and it’s not even close. Instead, Aha is a bootstrapped startup. Founded in 2013 by de Haaff and Chris Waters in the Bay Area, the company announced in July it had surpassed $40 million in annual recurring revenue from the subscribers to its software-as-a-service.

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Silicon Beach Report Dec. 6: Netflix’s $100M bid for “Friends”

L.A. Business Journal

Netflix pays $100 million for exclusive rights to “Friends;” Hulu chief hints streamer may be considering bid for sports; Aussie cotton farmers to use Semtech’s LoRa wireless networking tech.

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The Soul Of A Deal With Author Richard Wolpert

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, December 4, 2018 -- The Soul Of A Deal With Author Richard Wolpert Venture Partner Accel Partners Hub101. The Soul Of A Deal With Author Richard Wolpert Venture Partner Accel Partners, Co-Founder accelerator Amplify.LA. Moderated by Alon Goren Founding Partner of GHV, Co-founder of Crypto Invest Summit, LA Blockchain Week and 805 Startups Special.

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WhiteFox Defense Lands $12M For Drone, Airspace Management

socalTECH

San Luis Obispo-based WhiteFox Defense Technologies , a new startup developing technology which protects critical infrastructure against drone intrusions, has raised $12.0M in a Series Seed funding round. The funding was led by JAM Capital, and also included Stage Venture Partners, Okapi Venture Capital, Serra Ventures, OCA Ventures, as well as Frontier Venture Capital.

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Why Team Management By Fear Is Bad For Any Business

Startup Professionals Musings

Despite the ease of communication through social media, new tools, the popularity of fearless independence and #MeToo, I still see many business organizations that are less than productive due to fear. Yet in my work as an advisor to senior executives, I find that many fail to see reality in their own organizations, and have no idea whether they are part of the problem or the solution.

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L.A.’s NuOrder Closes on $15M Investment to Grow B2B Platform Between Businesses

L.A. Business Journal

Los Angeles-based NuOrder, a B2B wholesale e-commerce platform, closed on a $15 million Series C financing round, led by Radnor, Pa.-based venture capital firm NewSpring and joined by existing investors Upfront Ventures of Santa Monica and Argentum of New York City.

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LA Auto Show

SoCal Tech Calendar

Sunday, December 9, 2018 -- LA Auto Show.Last year, the global show had 1,000 of the latest models, vehicle debuts, and concept cars on display and this year, the expectation is no different.

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Transphorm's Semiconductors Powering New Solar Power Generator Product

socalTECH

Goleta-based semiconductor Transphorm , which designs and manufactures gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors, says its technology has been used in a new product from Inergy. According to the two, Inergy and its design partner Telcodium used Transphorm's semiconductors as a key part of its new portable solar generator, the "Kodiak Extreme". The new solar generator provides up to 2kW of 110 or 120V output which it says is more powerful and lighter than competitive products, and in particular runs m

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Synthorx Gets $131M In Upsized IPO For Synthetic Biology Drugs

Xconomy

Synthorx, which is working to develop cancer and autoimmune therapies using technology that allows it to expand the genetic alphabet, raised $131 million in an upsized IPO on Thursday. The company sold more than 11.9 million shares at $11 apiece. Nearly 1.8 million additional shares are available for its underwriters to purchase. Synthorx, headed by president and CEO Laura Shawver, had planned to sell 9.1 million shares for between $10 and $12 each.

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Silicon Beach Report Dec. 7: InSight Rover Begins Mars Analysis

L.A. Business Journal

New sponsors for Call of Duty World League; InSight Rover starts taking red planet data; former employees say Defy Media’s abrupt closure left them without final paychecks.

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LA Auto Show

SoCal Tech Calendar

Saturday, December 8, 2018 -- LA Auto Show.Last year, the global show had 1,000 of the latest models, vehicle debuts, and concept cars on display and this year, the expectation is no different.

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Semtech Gets LoRa Wireless Win In Australia

socalTECH

Camarillo-based analog and mixed signal semiconductor developer Semtech reported another win with its LoRa, low power wireless networking technology, this time in Australia. Semtech said its technology is being used to create a "smart farming network" in Australia, as part of a win with the National Narrowband Network Co (NNNCo), an Australian carrier.

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5 Reasons to Seek Geographic Diversity in a Venture Portfolio

Xconomy

Silicon Valley. New York City. Boston. Call them tech hubs or startup capitals, they are drawing in our nation’s venture capital dollars. But when it comes to new investments, venture capitalists can’t be so short-sighted. The opportunities beyond these markets may be richer than many realize. In July 2018, my venture capital firm, Alumni Ventures Group (AVG), encountered an investment opportunity in RealSelf, a marketplace that features reviews of providers of medical aesthetics and cosmetic tr

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VR Goes Out of Box

L.A. Business Journal

Economic reality forces VR firms to switch focus for wider audience.

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LA Auto Show

SoCal Tech Calendar

Friday, December 7, 2018 -- LA Auto Show.Last year, the global show had 1,000 of the latest models, vehicle debuts, and concept cars on display and this year, the expectation is no different.

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The Trade Desk COO Steps Down

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based advertising technology developer The Trade Desk says its Chief Operating Officer, Rob Perdue, is stepping down. According to the firm, Perdue--who has been at the firm since 2013, before its IPO--will step down after a transition period in the first half of 2019. The Trade Desk said Perdue will be stepping down to spend more time with his family.

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“JK Told Me He Was Planning This”: A CRISPR Baby Q&A with Matt Porteus

Xconomy

Last week, Chinese researcher He Jiankui stunned the world with his claim to have created the world’s first gene-edited humans. He said he had used CRISPR-Cas9 to change the DNA of the embryos of twin girls, to make them immune to HIV infection, then implanted them in their mother’s womb via in vitro fertilization. He announced on video the girls were born healthy.

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SRAX Financial Officer Departs

L.A. Business Journal

Downtown-based advertising technology firm Social Reality Inc. (doing business as SRAX) announced Nov. 30 its Chief Financial Officer J.P. Hannan will resign.

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South Bay Monday Club Member Holiday Lunch

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, December 13, 2018 -- South Bay Monday Club Member Holiday Lunch. Email Fred@mondayclub.com.

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Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Creates Joint Venture In Germany

socalTECH

Playa Vista-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), the hyperloop technology developer led by Dirk Ahlborn, has created a joint venture with a German company, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik Aktiengesellschaft (HHLA), which is the biggest container terminal operator in the Port of Hamburg. According to the two, the new joint venture will focus on using hyperloop technology for what the two called the largest rail port in Europe, and also will look to extend that technology to other ports

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How To Maximize The Level Of Your Business Contacts

Startup Professionals Musings

In the world of entrepreneurs and startups, high level relationships are everything. You can’t start a business alone. You need partners, team members, investors, vendors, and customers. But people don’t realize that all relationships are not the same. There are people you only recognize on the street, business friends, and then close friends whom you can always count on to help.

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SpaceX Breaks Launch Record

L.A. Business Journal

SpaceX reaches new heights with record-breaking rocket launch.

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South Bay Monday Club Member Holiday Lunch

SoCal Tech Calendar

Monday, December 10, 2018 -- South Bay Monday Club Member Holiday Lunch. Email Fred@mondayclub.com.

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Freeletics Finds $45M For Digital Workout App

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Freeletics , a startup focused on digital fitness, has raised $45M in a Series A funding round, the company said this morning. The funding was led FitLab, Causeway Media Partners and JAZZ Venture Partners, and also included Courtside Ventures, Elysian Park Ventures, ward.ventures, plus Tony Robbins. Freeletics said its investor group is affiliated with several professional sports franchises, including the San Francisco 49ers, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles

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10 Business Constants Flourish In This Age Of Change

Startup Professionals Musings

In this age of constant change, I usually find myself writing about what has changed. Yet I find that periodically it pays to reflect on what hasn’t changed in business, probably won’t change in the foreseeable future, and is still critical to our success in our professional career, as well as the success of our business. Here is my list of the basics that some people in business tend to forget: Showing up consistently must still be priority one.

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Silicon Beach Report Dec. 3: SpaceX Sends 64 to Space

L.A. Business Journal

XPrize Foundation plans awards; Overwatch League and Fanatics sign deal; Falcon 9 launches satellite payload.

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LunaDNA Offers Stock for Data in Bid to Build Research Database

Xconomy

Henrietta Lacks’ “immortal cells” contributed enormously to the progression of scientific discovery, but Lacks, a poor, black woman who died from cervical cancer in 1951 months after her cells were harvested, never personally benefited from or consented to the medical research the HeLa cell line enabled. Dawn Barry, a former executive at San Diego genome sequencing powerhouse Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN ) who cofounded LunaDNA last year, says her company is committed to compensating those who help it