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MAY 25, 2021

Monrovia, California-based SiLC Technologies, a developer of machine vision tools, says it has raised $17M in a Series A funding round. The funding was led by Alter Venture Partners and Dell Technologies Capital and also included Fluxunit -- OSRAM Ventures, Sony Innovation Fund by IGV, Epson, UMC Capital, Yamato Holdings and Global Brain. The company says it has now raised $30M in total, including an earlier, $12M seed funding last year.

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MAY 25, 2021

Los Angeles-based restaurant ordering systems developer Chownow says it has named a new Chief Technology Officer. According to the company, Bharath Chinamanthur has joined the company as CTO from Blink Health, where he was EVP of Product, Engineering, and Operations. Chinamanthur also previously served at Charles Schwab as an SVP, and also served at Amazon.

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MAY 6, 2021

Los Angeles-based InvestCloud, which develops software for the financial planning and banking market, said late Wednesday that it has acquired Advicent, a provider of cash flow, trust ,and tax financial planning technology. Advicent was backed by Vista Equity. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. Advicent was based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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APRIL 16, 2021

Thousand Oaks-based Amgen said this morning that it has successfully completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Five Prime Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing immuno-oncology and targeted cancer therapies. Amgen paid $38.00 per share in cash for Five Prime Therapeutics. Five Prime's programs include bemarituzumab, a Phase 3 trial-ready, first-in-class program for gastric cancer.

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APRIL 16, 2021

SWARM Engineering, a new startup which is focused on developing supply and demand forecasting software for the food supply chain, has raised $2.7M in its seed funding round. The funding was led by S2G Ventures, and also included Serra Ventures via their new AgTech fund, Harvard Business School Alumni, Wells Street Capital, VTC Seed Fund, and Rinvest, along with angel investor Soren Schroder (Bunge).

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APRIL 16, 2021

Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX has gotten approval to launch another crew into space for NASA, with a launch targeted for April 22nd. According to NASA, it has given the "go" for an April 22 launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The launch time is set for 6:11 a.m., with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and  Megan McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

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MARCH 17, 2021

Carlsbad-based satellite wireless equipment and services provider Viasat reported today that it has received a renewal contract from the U.S. Navy, and will continue to offer up managed internet, Wi-Fi, voice, and other services fro personal use networks across Navy facilities worldwide. Financial details of that contract renewal were not announced.

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MARCH 17, 2021

Los Angeles-based modular building manufacturer Crate Modular, which is baked by private equity investor WindSail Capital Group, said yesterday that it has named Rich Rozycki as its new CEO and member of its board. Rozycki was previously Senior Vice President at Z Modular, and also served at Champion Commercial Structures, in addition to serving as an attorney representing general contractors and real eastate investors.

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MARCH 17, 2021

Los Angeles-based videogame developer Activision-Blizzard has reportedly laid off around 190 employees, or 2 percent of its workforce, according to a report from Bloomberg. The cuts also include a large cut, of 50 employees, from Activision's esports division, according to that report. Those 50 employees apparently had been part of live esports events, which have been on hold as a result of the pandemic.

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MARCH 17, 2021

San Diego-based biotech Prometheus Biosciences has raised $218.5M in its IPO, and is now trading on the Nasdaq as RXDX. The company--which is focused on discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapeutic and companion diagnostic products for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)--had its IPO underwritten by SVB Leerink, Credit Suisse, Stifel and Guggenheim Securities.

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MARCH 17, 2021

Los Angeles-based videogame developer Riot Games said on Tuesday that a special committee has cleared its CEO, Nicolo Laurent, of alleged misconduct. Riot Games said that it hired an outside law firm, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, to investigation the allegations. The firms said a special committee of the board reviewed results from the outside investigation and concluded that "there was no evidence that Laurent harassed, discriminated, or retaliated against the plaintiff.

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JANUARY 5, 2021

Los Angeles-based Cameo, which allows anyone to pay their favorite celebrities, athletes, actors, and many others to record personalized messages to them, had roughly $100M in transactions in 2020, according to a report, and has reached 200 employees. The app maker's offering has become very popular, allowing people to pay all kinds of celebrities for video messages of all kinds, ranging from birthdays, personal messages to friends, and much more.

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OCTOBER 7, 2020

Los Angeles- and New York-based Greycroft Ventures , which has invested in such local companies as Scopely, Thrive Market, and Maker Studios, has raised two new venture capital funds, for a total of $678M total. The firm disclosed that it closed its early stage fund, Greycroft Partners VI , at $310M, and raised $368M in its growth stage fund, Greycroft Growth III , at $368M.

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JUNE 3, 2020

Hawthorne-based SpaceX is aiming at another launch of a number of Starlink satellites, part of a constellations of thousands that the spaceflight company is hoping to send into low earth orbit. According to the company, it hopes for a launch on Wednesday, June 3rd at 9:25 p.m. EDT, from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

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MAY 13, 2020

Have you ever wanted to dock a spacecraft with the International Space Station ? Hawthorne-based SpaceX has just released an online simulator, where you can try your hand at docking one of the SpaceX Dragon capsules with the ISS--using the exact controls that NASA astronauts will be using. The ISS docking simulator allows anyone to attempt to maneuver a simulated Dragon capsule, using a complete set of pitch, yaw, roll, and thrust controls, to successfully dock the Dragon with the ISS.

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OCTOBER 10, 2019

Huntington Beach-based Rocket Lab said on Thursday that it has been issued a Launch Operator License from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which will allow it to launch multiple Electronic missions--without having to re-apply for every mission. According to Rocket Lab, the license covers launches from its launches from its Launch Complex-1, which is in New Zealand.

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OCTOBER 10, 2019

PG&E , California's largest utility, has turned to Redlands-based Esri , the help the utility cope with what has been a massive website failure on its part after it decided to shut down power in 34 Northern California counties after high winds and low humidity were forecast on Wednesday. PG&E shut down over 550,000 customer accounts on Wednesday, affecting what some have estimated to be as many as 2.5 million Californians, in an unprecedented, planned blackout for much of Northern Califo

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SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

Los Angeles-based Future State Brands , a holding company focused on cannabis-related consumer goods brands, has raised $25M in a funding round, the company said last week. The company--formerly known as PROHBTD Global--said the funding came from Cresco Capital. Future State Brands says it currently owns hemp beauty line Hempathy; functional beverage platform Ceeby Dee's; art-centric infused wearables The Patch Co.; and music-driven flower brand Heavy Grass.

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AUGUST 7, 2019

Los Angeles-based Sidecar Health , a startup offering up health insurance plans, which lets users customize the types of coverage, deductibles, and other details of that insurance coverage, has raised $18M in a funding round, and also launched into the state of Texas. The funding round was led by GreatPoint Ventures, and also included LA's Morpheus Ventures.

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MAY 17, 2019

Santa Monica-based Swell Investing , a startup which lets consumers invest in companies which meet socially responsibility, and "impact goals", has rolled out a new iOS app, which lets consumers invest in companies from their smartphone. According to Swell Investing, the new app lets users invest in companies solving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in seven portfolios, covering green technology, renewable energy, disease eradication, zero waste, healthy living, clean w

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APRIL 30, 2019

Lynwood, California-based NEXT , the developer of trucking and shipping logistics technology led by CEO Lidia Yan, has hired a trio of new executives--and says it is planning to add over 200 employees this year in a major expansion. The company, which helps match truckers with freight loads, said it has named. Jim Patterson has joined the company as Chief Product Officer, Bobby Napiltonia joined as Chief Revenue Officer, and Lyndal Larkin joined as Head of People.

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APRIL 30, 2019

Irvine-based Specright , a developer of specification data management software, has raised $8.8M in a Series A funding, according to the company. The startup said the funding was led by Pritzker Group Venture Capital (PGVC), and also included Okapi Venture Capital, Fika Ventures, and Mucker Capital. Gabe Greenbaum of Pritzker Group Venture Capital will join the company's board alongside the funding.

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MARCH 26, 2019

Long Beach-based Envy Medical , a developer of medical aesthetics products, has been acquired by pharmaceuticals giant Allergan , the companies said on Tuesday. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. According to Allergan, the deal will help it enhance its medical aesthetics portfolio. Envy's flagship line is Dermalinfusion, a non-surgical, non-invasive skin resurfacing system for the face and body.

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MARCH 26, 2019

Sean Rad , the co-founder of dating app developer Tinder , is seeking to have a $250M lawsuit filed against him by Tinder owner Match Group dismissed in court. Match Group had counter-sued Rad in January , saying that Rad had copied proprietary information and internal files before leaving the company, violating his employment contract. The lawsuit came after Sean Rad and other former Tinder employees sued Match Group over undervaluing Tinder in order to deprive the employees of equity.

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MARCH 11, 2019

Port Hueneme-based Stellar Biotechnologies , a manufacturer of proteins used in immunotherapy and immuno-oncology development, said last week it has completed a share exchange agreement with Edesa Biotech , a Canadian company which is developing therapeutics for dermatological and gastrointestinal indications. According to the two Edesa shareholders have agreed to exchange their shares of Edesa for newly-issued common shares of Stellar, making Edesa a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stellar.

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MARCH 11, 2019

Los Angeles-based DrinkTV says it has launched a new, streaming channel focused solely on cocktails, beer, spirits, and travel, which it will offer only through its own website, as well as Roku, AppleTV, iOS and Android. According to the new channel, it will offer up its content for $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year. The new streaming-only channel is led by Jared Cotton, and says it will feature comedian Zane Lamprey, known for his work on such shows as Three Sheets, Drinking Made Easy, and Chug.

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MARCH 11, 2019

Anaheim-based Willdan , which provides professional technical and consulting services across the electricity, energy efficiency, and other areas, says it has completed its acquisition of The Weidt Group. Financial details of the acquisition, which was originally announced last week , were not announced. The Weidt Group provides energy analysis and consulting services, and was owned by EYP.

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MARCH 11, 2019

Hawthorne-based SpaceX successfully completed its first test of its Crew Dragon spacecraft on Friday, marking the first successful NASA Commercial Crew Flight Test, and moving the company towards delivering astronauts into space--a move which may return the capability of launching astronauts into space back to U.S. soil. The Crew Dragon splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean at 8:45 a.m.

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FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Santa Monica-based TigerConnect , the developer of healthcare communications software, has rolled out a new set of products and product enhancements, all aimed at communications between healthcare providers, patients, and health systems. According to the company, it has rolled out a new product called TigerTouch, which it says allows health systems to communicate directly with patients through video, voice, and text.

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FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Startup accelerator operator Techstars is setting up yet another accelerator program in the Los Angeles area, with a new startup accelerator focused on space ventures. The new Techstars Starburst Space Accelerator is being funded by aerospace investment firm Starburst Aerospace , and will be led by Matt Kozlov, who previously headed the Cedars Sinai Accelerator powered by Techstars.

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NOVEMBER 6, 2018

Los Angeles-based Stanson Health , a developer of clinical decision support software, has been acquired by Premier Inc. , Premier announced this morning. Premier said it will pay $51.5M in cash, plus up to $15M in earnout, for Stanson Health. Stanson Health was founded in 2013, by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Dr. Scott Weingarten, the former CEO of Zynx Health.

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NOVEMBER 6, 2018

Santa Monica-based on-demand scooter rental service Bird has launched its service--in a limited way--in London, with a limited pilot that makes the company's scooters available in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The new service skirts a strict U.K. law which makes operating electronic scooters illegal to operate on streets, by solely operating on private property.

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NOVEMBER 6, 2018

Los Angeles-based j2 Global , the Internet services and publishing giant behind such brands as IGN, Mashable, PCMag, eFax, eVoice, KeepItSafe, and dozens of others, saw its third quarter revenues rise to $292.7 million, up 7 percent compared with Q3 of 2017. The company says its expects revenues of between $1.2 billion and $1.25 billion for its fiscal 2018, and an Adjusted EBITDA between $480 million and $505 million.

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SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

Santa Monica-based H Code , which provides digital advertising services around reaching the U.S. Hispanic market, says it has rolled out a new product it calls Tastemakers. According to H Code, the new product offers up a "fully integrated" digital marekting and media solution to connect brands and agencies with U.S. Hispanic consumers. The company said Tastemakers is a "multi-platform" offering which includes digital advertising, social media, and branded content, including content creation, pr

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SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

If you're a bricks-and-mortar retailer, looking for information on your customers, it's often very tough to figure out who's coming in the door. Those retailers look over at the online world, and wish they had the same kinds of tools that e-commerce retailers had to help them improve their business. How do they solve that problem? Los Angeles-based Bridg (www.bridg.com), led by CEO and founder Amit Jain , has created a solution which it's been offering to those offline retailers for several year

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Los Angeles-based Factual , the provider of location data led by Gil Elbaz, has raised $42M more in a funding round, the company said on Wednesday morning, bringing its total raised to $104M. According to Factual, the funding included Upfront Ventures, Felicis Ventures, as well as aothers. The company said the funding will go to enhance its product offerings and to grow its business, and in particular help it expand to the Asia Pacific region.

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AUGUST 13, 2018

Costa Mesa-based Veritone One , a subsidiary of Veritone, said today that it has agreed to acquire Performance Bridge Media , a podcast advertising company. Veritone said it would pay $6.0M for Performance Bridge Media, plus up to another $5.0M in earnout. Performance Bridge Media had $3.7M in revenues of 2017, according to Veritone, and provided ad tracking and podcast targeting for brands.

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