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Want to Start a Technology Company in LA?

Both Sides of the Table

We were also an investor in the early local listing company, CitySearch – an LA company. Douglas Merrill, the former CIO of Google, is building his next company in LA. (my firm, GRP Partners, was an investor). LA produced Applied Semantics that created AdSense and was bought by Google.

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Some Thoughts on Branding Startups and Communities

Both Sides of the Table

ZestCash, founded by Douglas Merrill, former CIO of Google [Hollywood]. Idealab, led by Bill Gross, who founded Overture, CitySearch and MANY other business [Pasadena]. Here’s a short list that are decidedly East of the 405 freeway (i.e. not near the beach): Factual, founded by Gil Elbaz who built AdSense [Century City].

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Can You Really Build a Great Tech Firm Outside Silicon Valley?

Both Sides of the Table

Douglas Merrill, the former CIO of Google, is building his next company, ZestCash in LA. Each of these companies exited for more than $500 million and several north of $1 billion. It’s true that MySpace didn’t become Facebook, but it did spawn 7 or 8 great LA companies run by founders with experience.