socalTECH

MARCH 23, 2017

Los Angeles-based Water Planet , which develops water treatment membrane technology originally developed at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), revealed today that its seed investor is none other than actor Kevin Costner. Water Planet's CEO and founder is Erik Hoek, who was a Professor of Engineering at UCLA.

UCLA 157

UCLA Los Angeles Funding Invest 157

socalTECH

JANUARY 24, 2013

The firm--co-founded and headed by UCLA Visiting Scholar Jon Friedman--has created an online site which lets hardware designers tap into the data sheets, symbols, components, and footprints of electronic components, for free, either by downloading or by connecting a Dropbox account.

UCLA 164

UCLA Design USC Google 164

socalTECH

AUGUST 12, 2010

Gevo--which is now based in Englewood, Colorado--was started in Pasadena, and has licensed technology from both the University of California, Los Angeles, and Caltech. Gevo is using both technology from UCLA to produce next-generation biofuels through genetically modified Escherichia coli (E. and Piper Jaffray.

CalTech 210

CalTech UCLA Technical Review SoCalTech 210

socalTECH

JANUARY 2, 2019

As we close out our contributions for the end of 2018, we have a contribution from investor and investment banker Peter Cowen of Sutton Capital Partners. He has been an angel investor in over 50 tech companies, is an LP in 5 seed funds and has served on over a dozen venture-backed boards. READ MORE>>.

Capital 113

Capital Southern California Technical Review SaaS 113

socalTECH

APRIL 20, 2021

Los Angeles-based XPRIZE says it has named two winners in its $20M, NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition. CarbonCure Technologies has already raised venture funding from Bill Gates' fund Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, BDC Capital and others.

Competition 113

Competition UCLA Los Angeles Startup 113

socalTECH

DECEMBER 28, 2017

This morning, we have a contribution from investor and investment banker Peter Cowen of Sutton Capital Partners. Sutton Capital Partners is a technology investment banking firm and we are, investors in local SaaS/subscription companies and is well known as the host of the annual Recurring Revenue Conference. READ MORE>>.

Capital 124

Capital Southern California SaaS SoCal 124

socalTECH

DECEMBER 31, 2018

This morning's reflections are from Kelly Perdew , managing general partner of at Moonshots Capital (www.moonshotscapital.com). 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.

Capital 113

Capital Venture Capital News Patents 113

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

A number of Southern California angel investors, including Jody Mulkey , the CIO of Shopzilla, have backed Scripted.com , a new online marketplace for freelance writers. Scripted.com also operates Scripped.com, an online marketplace for script writers, and was founded by UCLA and USC graduates in Los Angeles, and later moved to San Francisco.

Angel 173

Angel CIO Southern California USC 173

socalTECH

DECEMBER 1, 2014

Scripted.com , which operates an online marketplace for professionally written content--which was originally backed by LA investors--has raised $9M more in a funding. The new funding came from Crosslink Capital and Redpoint Ventures, and also included angels Gil Penchina, Auren Hoffman (LiveRamp) and Justin Moore (Axcient).

UCLA 124

UCLA Claremont Redpoint USC 124

socalTECH

MAY 11, 2021

Los Angeles-based Appia Bio, a biotech startup focused on developing engineered allogeneic cell therapies from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for cancer patients, has launched from stealth mode, saying it has raised $52M in a Series A funding round.

CalTech 113

CalTech UCLA Los Angeles Funding 113

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

Los Angeles-based Tribogenics , which is developing handheld, X-ray technology, has scored a strategic investment from Nikon , via its subsidiary, Nikon Americas Inc. According to Tribogenics, the funds goes towards commercialization of its handheld XRF analyzer products, which allow X-rays to be taken from a small, handheld device.

PMI 100

PMI Funding UCLA Los Angeles 100

socalTECH

MARCH 9, 2018

Santa Monica-based Bird , which operates a network of "last mile" electric vehicles for connecting users with public transportation like buses and subways, has raised $100M in a Series B funding, the company said on Friday. As part of the funding, Bird said it has named angel and venture investment veteran Paige Craig as its new Head of U.S.

Santa Monica 113

Santa Monica UCLA Venice San Diego 113

socalTECH

OCTOBER 23, 2012

One of the biggest complaints that local entrepreneurs have with Los Angeles has been a dearth of local sources of venture capital. However, the recent surge in startup activity has attracted a lot more capital into the area, including a significant amount of capital from LA's latest fund: Karlin Ventures (www.karlinvc.com).

Funding 253

Funding Startup Invest Commerce 253

socalTECH

JANUARY 8, 2016

Los Angeles-based Bruin Biometrics , a developer of a hand-held medical devices for detecting early-stage pressure ulcers, said this morning that it has raised $9M in a funding round. Names of the investors were not announced by the company. BBI is led by Martin Burns. READ MORE>>.

UCLA 100

UCLA Research Los Angeles Funding 100

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 9, 2022

The funding, a Series C, will be used to continue expanding Boulevard’s product and engineering teams and to build out more tools targeting an ever-wider set of users in the bigger wellness and beauty sector (those product additions are typically big — it most recently added a whole new payments feature). Focusing on the U.S.

Help 195

Help Startup UCLA Tool 195

socalTECH

MAY 8, 2017

Falcon Computing Solutions , a developer of software specifically aimed at accelerating big-data applications with hardware--including both GPUs and FPGAs--has raised $8M in a funding round. The company said it recently opened its new headquarters in Santa Clara, growing beyond its existing offices in Los Angeles and Beijing.

Artificial Inteligence 113

Artificial Inteligence UCLA Los Angeles Funding 113

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 22, 2018

We’ve also seen a substantial inflow of venture capital from all over the world.”. Caltech generates more patents than any other university while UCLA boasts more startups founded by its graduate than any other school in the nation. In fact, as is well-reported, the luster of Silicon Valley is fading.

Southern California 224

Southern California Dollar Shave Club SoCal Develop 224

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 5, 2018

Los Angeles has long been in San Francisco’s shadow when it comes to life sciences investment. But a new venture capital firm led by industry veterans is trying to cast the City of Angels in a new light. Westlake Village BioPartners is launching today with $350 million in committed capital.

Westlake Village 73

Westlake Village Los Angeles Angel Venture Capital 73

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

In your opinion, are your angels more or less active this year? The venture capitalists we look at to fund our deals are certainly tightening down, there's no question about that. What is not happening, is those marginal deals that would have gotten funded a number of years ago, when things were better, are not making it.

Tech Coast Angels 231

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 231

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 14, 2018

TechCrunch is heading to UCLA on October 18 and we’ve assembled some of the AR/VR industry’s most prescient founders, investors and executives to chat about the startups and trends driving virtual and augmented reality in 2018. UCLA, Los Angeles // October 18. See full agenda here. Kickstarting an Industry.

UCLA 185

UCLA Startup Snapchat Los Angeles 185

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 15, 2012

Scripted.com , the online marketplace for freelance writers which has a number of Southern California angel investors, said Wednesday that it has raised another $150,000 in funding. Founder Sunil Rajaraman started Scripted.com (formerly known as Scripped.com) in Los Angeles, but the firm later moved operations to San Francisco.

CIO 153

CIO Southern California Redpoint USC 153

socalTECH

DECEMBER 4, 2015

The funding was led by Avalon Ventures and TPG Biotech, and also included Correlation Ventures and Osage University Partners. The company was founded by Dr. Michael Jung and Dr. Richard Pietras, both of whom are professors at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Enlibrium is being led by David Campbell, Ph.D.

UCLA 100

UCLA Avalon San Diego Los Angeles 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 6, 2011

Los Angeles-based Tribogenics , a startup working on technology to bring elements of Star Trek's "tricorder" to life, said this morning that it has raised $2.5M in a venture funding round. The firm, a spinoff of UCLA whose technology has been funded by DARPA, said the funding came from Flywheel Ventures and angel investors.

UCLA 153

UCLA Technology Research Los Angeles 153

socalTECH

MAY 29, 2013

A local, clean energy business plan competition started by the California Insitute of Technology (Caltech), the University of Southern California (USC), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has awarded $160,000 in prizes in its latest competition. READ MORE>>.

Draper 191

Draper CalTech Southern California Education 191

socalTECH

MARCH 27, 2012

Los Angeles-based ImaginAb , a UCLA spinout which is developing antibody fragments for use in the diagnostic imaging market, said late last night that it has raised $12.5M The round was led by Novartis Venture Funds, and also included Merieux Developpement, Nextech Invest, Cycad Group and Momentum Biosciences. READ MORE>>.

UCLA 145

UCLA Los Angeles Funding Invest 145

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 10, 2011

The Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA) held its annual awards event last night, honoring former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, as well as local, venture backed companies in a banquet last night at the Luxe hotel in Los Angeles. Other finalists were Clicker.com , Truecar , and Zumbox.

LAVA 166

LAVA Zumbox Technology ReachLocal 166

socalTECH

APRIL 11, 2011

Los Angeles-based NanoH2O , the clean technology startup developing reverse osmosis membranes for water desalination, announced this morning that it has hired Randy Truber as Director of Global Sales Strategies. Truby joins the firm from Toray Membranes USA, and also has served at Fluid Systems and Hydranautics. READ MORE>>.

UCLA 140

UCLA Sales Research Los Angeles 140

socalTECH

MARCH 29, 2016

Los Angeles-based Memorang , the developer of a flash-card based, study tool to help people study for such things as the MCAT, GRE, NBME, and a host of other tests, has raised $500,000 in a funding round, the company is announcing this morning. Both of the two joined startup accelerator MuckerLab in 2014, where they launched Memorang.

Study 100

Study Tool UCLA Los Angeles 100

socalTECH

JANUARY 19, 2011

Gevo , the biofuels startup spawned out of technology from the University of California, Los Angeles and Caltech, has set an offering range for its IPO. Gevo is venture backed by Khosla Ventures, Virgin Green Fund, Total Energy Ventures, Burrill Life Sciences Capital Fund, Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund, and LANXESS, among others.

Westlake Village 145

Westlake Village CalTech UCLA Southern California 145

Tech Zulu Event

OCTOBER 20, 2011

This Spotlight takes place Thursday, October 27, at UCLA. InVenture is next stage microfinance – focusing on providing expansion capital. Where: UCLA Anderson School of Management, 110 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Tech Coast Angels is actively seeking great startups to fund. Event Details.

UCLA 102

UCLA Company Companies Idealab 102

socalTECH

OCTOBER 1, 2010

The firm also has licensed technology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is venture backed by Khosla Ventures, Virgin Green Fund, Total Energy Ventures, Burrill Life Sciences Capital Fund, and the Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund. READ MORE>>.

CalTech 133

CalTech UCLA SoCal Southern California 133

socalTECH

AUGUST 5, 2009

Los Angeles-based NanoH2O , a UCLA spinout commercializing water filtering and desalination technology, has raised $5M in a equity funding, according to a regulatory filing from the firm Wednesday. Details on the funding have not yet been released by the company. READ MORE>>.

UCLA 100

UCLA Venture Capital Equity Los Angeles 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 14, 2010

Los Angeles-based TekTrak , a developer of an iPhone application to help users locate lost a lost iPhone, said Tuesday that it has received a round of seed funding. Amount of the funding was not announced. TekTrak said it will use the funding to launch additional features, and expand its support to Android platforms.

Seed Funding 174

Seed Funding UCLA Los Angeles Platform 174

socalTECH

OCTOBER 5, 2011

To understand how one local company is making that transition, we talked with Los Angeles-based All About Addiction (www.allaboutaddiction.com), a company that grew out of Adi Jaffe's work at UCLA as a trained psychologist. Adi Jaffe: I'm a UCLA addiction trained psychologist, specializing in addiction. Adi Jaffe: It is tough.

UCLA 204

UCLA Research Tech Coast Angels Offshore 204

socalTECH

APRIL 22, 2009

Capital Factory , a business incubation program based in Austin, Texas, has lured away a Los Angeles startup, Homstie , which operates an online marketplace which helps people find places to store their stuff. The person-to-person marketplace was started by a number of UCLA undergraduates.

Incubator 100

Incubator Startup UCLA Los Angeles 100

socalTECH

JANUARY 24, 2011

Auditude is venture backed by Granite Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, Greylock Partners, and Redpoint Ventures; the appointment of Helfand came in conjunction with a new, $11M Series B funding round for Auditude. In addition to its Palo Alto headquarters, Auditude has Los Angeles and New York offices.

Woodland Hills 177

Woodland Hills Redpoint UCLA Advertising 177

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 10, 2018

On October 18 — just one week away — some of the most brilliant and innovative minds in reality creation will gather at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles to attend TC Sessions AR/VR 2018. Stephanie Zhan , a partner at Sequoia Capital , discusses how to build an inclusive — if virtual — future. Build community.

Los Angeles 142

Los Angeles Capital Networking Invest 142