Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 17, 2010

And we’re left with a city with idyllic weather, major commerce, the media center of the world, and a great emerging technology scene. But we have a great city for building technology companies. You can find very talented technology executives. But we do have great technology developers. You don’t.

Company 290

Company Companies Technology Startup 290

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 5, 2009

Los Angeles-based Zag , the online car buying software firm headed by former CarsDirect CEO Scott Painter, has scored an investment from financial services firm USAA , USAA disclosed Thursday. Zag develops technology which allows members of groups like USAA to fully configure and purchase cars, through car buying programs.

Zag 100

Zag Invest CarsDirect Venture Capital 100

socalTECH

OCTOBER 6, 2008

Santa Monica-based Zag, which is developing software for auto buying programs, has signed on another AAA group as a customer. Zag has developed a software product which allows users to fully configure and price cars for car buying programs and affinity groups; the firm's software is already being used by a number of other AAA clubs.

Zag 100

Zag CarsDirect Arcturus GRP Partners 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 1, 2009

In association with some of the regions top trade associations/social networking groups and industry hosts, DFR '09 promises to be the largest holiday party of the season and help weave our various communities of interest into the larger collective family of professionals working in and around the technology industry.

Fandango 124

Fandango CarsDirect Case Study Santa Monica 124

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 1, 2010

Scott’s first big foray into industry-changing companies came with CarsDirect, an IdeaLab company where he was the initial founder & CEO. A social analytics platform for Facebook app developers and publishers that provides detailed demographic and engagement data. Competitors: Gowalla. Total Raised: $21.4mm. Kontagent. -A

Zag 248

Zag Truecar Venture Capital CarsDirect 248

socalTECH

JANUARY 28, 2009

The underpinning of the technology is much more complex than that, of course, and we've been building this for awhile. Jose daVeiga: In 2006, we started developing the concept, consisting of a PA announcement and a Jumbotrom image. I started as a tester, but in six months, I had risen to assistant project manager at CarsDirect.

Patents 179

Patents CarsDirect Sites Pomona 179

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 15, 2011

I’m just not sure you can build a great technology firm outside of Bay Area.&#. In Silicon Valley you have mega venture capital funds who have a history of giving $20 million to early-stage technology companies hoping to swing for the fences and become the next Google, Facebook or Twitter. Now let’s think about retention.

Venture Capital 313

Venture Capital Southern California Google Startup 313