socalTECH

JANUARY 14, 2021

Zurich-based Mictic, a Zurich, Switzerland-based startup which is providing wearable, musical wristbands for the "XR" market, says it has opened up a new office in Southern California. According to the company, the startup is opening up a Los Angeles office in order to maximize its relations with the entertainment and tech industry. The company makes a Extended Reality (XR) wristband which allows gestures to translate into musical tones, textures, and sound effects, and connects into a user's sm

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DECEMBER 4, 2020

Los Angeles-based The Skills , a startup which operates an online education site where professional sports players teach different skills, said on Friday that it has raised $5M in a seed funding round. The funding was led by Will Ventures, and also included Global Founders Capital, 8VC, Maveron, Hack VC, and Correlation VC. The Skills' features online courses from such sports celebrities as Michael Phelps, Megan Rapinoe, Maria Sharapova, Larry Fitzgerald, Kerri Walsh Jennings, and Shaun White.

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OCTOBER 26, 2020

San Diego-based Cubic Corporation has named a new Chief Scientist, saying this morning that it has appointed David A. Whelan, Ph.D., NAE as senior vice president and chief scientist. The company said Whelan will be responsible for establishing product line technical strategies and engineering excellence to drive the company's overall growth strategy.

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OCTOBER 26, 2020

Los Angeles-based electric vehicle manufacturer Fisker Inc. --the latest incarnation of a company developing vehicles designed by auto designer Henrik Fisker--says it plans on establishing a European headquarters in Munich, Germany. According to the company, the move is part of its efforts to advance sales, distribution, and marketing of its Fisker Ocean SUV in Europe, projected for Q4 2022.

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OCTOBER 26, 2020

Los Angeles-based Linktree , a software developer which helps brands, celebrities, and others to create "microsites", has raised $10.7M in a Series A funding round, the company said this morning. The funding was led by Insight Partners and AirTree Ventures. Linktree said it will use the funding for expansion in international markets, global team growth, and towards evolution of its product.

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OCTOBER 26, 2020

Los Angeles-based companies MRC , the owner of a independent TV studios and a number of other entertainment companies and holdings--including measurement firm Nielsen Music--and Penske Media Corporation (PMC), announced late last week that they are in a new, joint venture, which will join their ata businesses. According to the two, they will create a new company which combines MRC Data (formerly Nielsen Music), Alpha Data and Variety Business Intelligence, with MRC and PMC sharing equal ownershi

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OCTOBER 6, 2020

Los Angeles-based Draper Goren Holm , a new venture capital fund founded by Tim Draper, Alon Goren, and Josef Holm, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $25M in its very first fund. According to the firm, its Fund 1 will make seed and Series A investments in the fintech and blockchain startup world. The fund was announced at the LA Blockchain Summit, which is virtual this year.

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JULY 20, 2020

Oxnard-based Mission Produce , a major avocado distributor, says it is deploying a new, high tech system from Hazel Technologies Inc. , to help extend the lifetime of its avocados. According to Mission, it has launched AvoLast by Hazel, using technology which it says keeps avocados at an optimal level of ripeness for three extra days, on average, across its supply chain.

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JULY 20, 2020

San Diego-based precision oncology developer Viracta Therapeutics said this morning that it has appointed Mark A. McCamish, MD, Ph.D. as a strategic advisor to the company. McCamish was most recently President and Chief Executive Officer of Forty Seven Inc., where Viracta said he led through IPO and multiple financings until the acquisition by Gilead for approximately $4.9 Billion.

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JULY 20, 2020

Southern California Gas Co. , the natural gas provider for much of Southern California, said last week that it has deployed two, Bloom Energy microgrids in the Los Angeles area. According to the company, it has begun powering two of its largest Los Angeles area facilities with Bloom Energy solid oxide fuel cells. Those Bloom Energy fuel cells reduce greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants, and can produce energy independent of the power grid.

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JULY 20, 2020

El Segundo-based Carbonated Games , a developer of mobile games, has raised $8.5M in a seed funding round, the company said late last week. The funding came from Andreessen Horowitz, Golden Ventures, and Bitkraft Esports Ventures. The company is led by founder and CEO Travis Boatman. Carbonated focuses on developing "highly competitive" games for mobile devices, which are more in line with the hard core games found on consoles and PCs, rather than the more usual casual gaming market.

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JULY 20, 2020

Hawthorne-based SpaceX is planning yet another launch today, a Falcon 9 launching a payload for South Korea--using the same Crew Dragon that launched NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley into space just a couple of months ago. According to SpaceX, it is targeting launching its ANASIS-II mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida for 5:00p.m.

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JANUARY 20, 2020

Los Angeles-based data center operator ServerFarm reported on Monday that the company has signed a partnership to provide its data center management services to a global car manufacturer. Financial details, and name of that customer, were not announced. ServerFarm said "one of the world's most recognizable automotive brands" is now using its data center services.

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NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Wish there was some way you could always be the most fashionable person in your office or in your social circle? Los Angeles-based The Stylist LA says it has exactly what you're looking for--a subscription, rental service for fashion items. The Stylist LA says it has re-launched its rental subscription service, The Box by The Stylist LA , which it says lets members rent up to three pieces of fashion at once with unlimited swapping and complimentary laundering, all for $79 per month.

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NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Newport Beach-based fast food chain Chipotle is making it easier for you to order its burritos and other items, through a new link into Amazon Alexa , the company said on Thursday. Chipotle said that it has launched a Chpotle skill for Alexa, which allows its members to reoder their favorite meals for either delivery or pickup. According to Chipotle, users can download Amazon Alexa and enable the Chipotle skill, and link their Chipotle profile and reorder at any time.

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NOVEMBER 8, 2019

Los Angeles-based expense and invoice management software developer Chrome River has signed on a big new customer, enterprise software developer TIBCO Software. According to Chrome River, TIBCO will deploy its Chrome River EXPENSE software across its organization, replace an existing expense management solution. Financial impact of the customer win was not announced.

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NOVEMBER 8, 2019

San Diego-based Teradata , a provider of cloud-based data analytics software for the business market, has swapped its CEO, saying Thursday afternoon that its former CEO, Oliver Ratzesberger, is no longer its President and CEO, and also has resigned from Teradata's board. The reasons for the abrupt departure of Ratzesberger were not given. According to Teradata, it has named Victor Lund, currently executive Chairman of Teradata's board of diretors as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer.

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NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Thousand Oaks-based Amgen said on Thursday afternoon that it has taken a 20.5 percent stake in BeiGene , a research-based, oncology-focused biotechnology company in China. According to Amgen, it paid approximately $2.7 billion in cash for the stake in BeiGene, which it says it will use to expand its oncology presence in China. BeiGene has a 700-person commercial organization and 600-person clinical development organization, according to Amgen.

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AUGUST 15, 2019

Oxnard-based SimpliPhi Power , a developer of lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) battery technology, said this morning that it is offering up steep discounts on its 3.8 KWh, 48V batteries, as part of its effort to cater to both Californians preparing for Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), as well as globally for other climate change-related events, including wildfires, extreme heat, and hurricanes.

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JULY 29, 2019

Los Angeles-based Ordermark (www.ordermark.com)announced this morning that it has raised $18M in a Series B funding round from Foundry Group, TenOneTen Ventures, Vertical Venture Partners, Mucker Capital, Act One Ventures, and Nosara Capital. We recently spoke with Alex Canter , the founder of the company, for a video interview. Alex--the grandson of the founder of Canter's Deli--talks about his startup, the hassle for restaurants of handling online ordering, and startup life.

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JULY 10, 2019

Camarillo-based analog and mixed signal semiconductor developer has scored another design win with its LoRa wireless connectivity technology. According to Semtech, Laird Connectivity, a developer of wireless products, is using its technology in a smart temperature monitoring solution. Semtech said that Laird's products are being deployed for restaurants such as Shake Shack, Five Guys, and Hard Rock Cafe.

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JULY 10, 2019

San Diego-based Chatmeter , a provider of local search marketing and reputation management services for multi-location businesses, has raised a round of investment from private equity investor Providence Strategic Growth (PSG). Financial details of the investment were not announced. Providence Strategic Growth is the growth equity fund of Providence Equity Partners.

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JULY 10, 2019

For this morning's interview, we spoke with Los Angeles-based Halla , a venture backed startup, focused on personalized recommendations for the food ordering industry. The company has raised $1.9M in seed funding, from E&A Venture Capital and SOSV. We spoke with CEO and co-founder Spencer Price to learn more about the company. What is Halla? Spencer Price: Halla is the only software company to dynamically profile human tastes so we can help people make better choices.

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JUNE 4, 2019

It's a bird, it's a plane. no, it's an electric bike. Santa Monica-based Bird said on Tuesday that it is introducing a new product, the Bird Cruiser , an electric bicycle with a "cushioned seat for two". According to Bird, the new electric vehicle has 20-inch wheels and a full suspension, and will join the company's fleet of shared vehicles this summer.

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JUNE 4, 2019

Carbon Lighthouse , a provider of energy efficiency services and developer of energy efficiency technology which recently opened up a Los Angeles office, has raised $20M in a funding, the company said on Tuesday. According to Carbon Lighthouse, it received the round of funding from Cox Enterprises. Carbon Lighthouse says that it helps commercial building owners significantly reduce their energy costs and environmental footprint with no upfront cost.

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MAY 8, 2019

Los Angeles--based sports and live entertainment company AEG --which is behind the LA Kings , LA Galaxy , as well as Eisbaren Berlin and the Ontario Reign, said it has stepped up to support the United Nation's Sports for Climate Action Framework. The framework outlines a set of principles for the global sports community, to help combat climate change and to use sports as a "unifying tool" to drive climate awareness.

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MAY 8, 2019

The antibody assets and infrastructure of San Diego-based MabVax Therapeutics has been acquired by a German company, BioNTech SE , according to BioNTech SE. Financial details of the acquisition were not annoucned. BioNTech SE is acquiring those assets out of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings for MabVax. According to BioNTech SE, it itends to establish a new, research facility in San Diego as a result of the agreement.

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MAY 8, 2019

Los Angeles-based J2 Global , the owner of such Internet publishing brands as IGN, Mashable, PCMag, Everyday Health, and also cloud services such as eFax, eVoice, KeepItSafe, and Livedrive, reported its quarterly results on Tuesday evening, saying that its quarterly revenues rose to a record of $299.9M. Those quarterly results were up from Q1 of 2018, when the company had revenues of $280.6M.

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MARCH 26, 2019

Anaheim-based networking and connected home products maker Zyxel has launched a new, mesh Wi-Fi product this morning, aimed at used in small, single story homes. According to Zyxel, its new Multy U AC2100 Tri-Band WiFI systems provides a mesh wireless product which extends high speed connectivity and roaming into all corners of a home. The product costs $199.99 for a two-pack of nodes, or $269.99 for a three pack of nodes.

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MARCH 26, 2019

San Diego-based life sciences equipment maker Illumina and a Danish research institution, the Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre , said this morning that the two are in a collaboration that seeks to uncover the genetic origins of mental health issues. According to the two, they will be using Illumina's DNA sequencing systems to map the interaction between human DNA and mental disease, saying the "mysteries hidden within hidden DNA" may provide answers to today's mental health issues.

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MARCH 26, 2019

Los Angeles-based ServiceTitan , which develops software for residential home services businesses, says it has launched a new, premium produt called Pricebook Pro --and also announced plans to move into a swank new headquarters in Glendale. According to ServiceTitan, its new software, which is used to generate estimates, includes "vivid images" and easy to understand service descriptions, to help businesses enhance estimates and generate higher sales.

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FEBRUARY 20, 2019

A new report issued today by Silicon Valley Bank, says that startups are generally optimistic about their business opportunities, and they plan to raise capital and expand their workforces this year, despite "economic and political" uncertainty across the globe. The Startup Outlook Report--which was issued on Wednesday--polled 1,400 startup founders and executives for its conclusions.

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FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Carpinteria-based cloud software developer Procore Technologies announced this morning that it has named Jim Sinai as its new Senior Vice President of Marketing. Sinai previously had been at Salesforce, where he had been for eight years. The new appointment comes as Procore has reached over 1,400 employees worldwide. Procore said Sinai will oversee global marketing for the company.

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NOVEMBER 16, 2018

Rancho Cordova-based Teledyne Microwave Solutions , one of the business units of Teledyne Defense Electronics Group and Teledyne Technologies, has received a $7.5M contract from the U.S. Navy, the company said Thursday. Teledyne Microwave Solutions said the $7,509,891 sole source contract came from the Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP) in Philadelphia, PA.

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NOVEMBER 16, 2018

Fountain Valley-based computer gaming products maker HyperX , which is a division of Kingston Technology, said it has partnered with global e-sports entertainment firm Allied Esports , to obtain the naming rights for a new, e-sports areana based in Las Vegas at the Luxur Hotel & Casino. According to HyperX, the new arena will be called the HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas , in an exclusive, multiyear naming rights partnership.

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NOVEMBER 16, 2018

San Diego-based VoxOx , a provider of cloud-based communications services, has been caught at the center of a massive breach of SMS messaging security , after security researchers discovered VoxOx had left open one of its servers--allowing the security researchers to see--in real time--millions of SMS messages between VoxOx customers and others. Those SMS messages included password reset links, two factor authentication codes, and other data, including one-time codes from Los Angeles companies l

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NOVEMBER 16, 2018

Hawthorne-based space launch provider SpaceX , led by technology mogul Elon Musk, has just been given permission to launch a massive, 7,518 satellites into space, designed to provide saturated broadband communications across the globe. The FCC said on Thursday that it would allow the new, SpaceX satellite constellation, on top of another 4,425 satellites it already had been given permission to deploy into space.

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