Wed.Jul 19, 2017

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UBTECH Robotics Rolls Out Interactive Robot Kit

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based educational robot developer UBTECH Robotics said today that it has rolled out a new, interactive robot kit, the Jimu Robot BuilderBots Kit. According to UBTECH, the new robot kit lets kids build two different robots, the GrabberBot and DigBot, or a robot of your own design. The new product is aimed at the STEM education market. UBTECH said the new kit is a "perfect entry point" to learn the basics of building and coding your own personal robot.

Education 138
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Pasadena Avatar-Generating Startup Oben Inc. Raises $5 Million

L.A. Business Journal

Artificial intelligence startup Oben Inc. said it has raised a $5 million round led by Chinese investment firm Tencent Holdings.

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Brain Corp Collects $114M Funding Round For AI Software

socalTECH

San Diego-based Brain Corp. , a startup developing artificial intelligence software that powers self-driving robots, has raised $114M in a Series C funding round. The funding was led by SoftBank Vision Fund, and also included Qualcomm Ventures. Brain Corp. said it is developing AI and self-driving technology to enable "smart robots", which it says will allow robots to perceive their environment, learn to control their motion, and navigate using visual cues and landmarks while avoiding people and

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Silicon Beach Report July 19: Pasadena Avatar-Generating Startup Oben Inc. Raises $5 Million

L.A. Business Journal

Pasadena avatar-generating startup Oben Inc. raises $5 million, NBC adds Snapchat news show, and SpaceX not going to land Dragon capsule on Mars with rocket thrusters.

Pasadena 100
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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

Office leases are one of companies’ largest expenses, and if your whole team is working from home with no clear end in sight, you may be wondering what to do about your lease.

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TetraVue Names New CEO, Chairman

socalTECH

Vista, California-baed TetraVue , a venture backed startup developing 4D LIDAR technology aimed at the autonomous vehicle market, has named Dr. Hal Zarem as Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Bruce McWilliams as Chairman of its board. Zarem was most recently President and CEO of Seeo (acquired by Robert Bosch), and also had been CEO of Silicon Light Machines (acquired by Daignippon Screen).

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Digital Activists: WelkerMedia Is Launching a Free Global Accelerator

Tech.Co

Independent media network WelkerMedia is launching the world’s first no-equity and not-for-profit acceleration program with a focus on digital activism, social impact and creative projects. How It Works. Alumni of the program, which is called WM Labs , will gain access to the media network’s resources, which include co-producers and focused media coverage, as well as the chance to win prizes of up to $15,000 through the Lab.

Mentor 71

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SoftBank-led $114M Round Puts Qualcomm’s Brain Corp. on New Path

Xconomy

San Diego’s Brain Corp., founded in 2009 as a Qualcomm-incubated startup to develop software and computer systems that emulate the human brain, seems to have found a new path forward. SoftBank’s new Vision Fund has led a $114 million investment to advance the company’s artificial intelligence technology. Qualcomm Ventures, which previously invested about $11 million in Brain Corp., was the only other investor in the Series C funding round.

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Shift Gets $37M More To Ramp Online Used Auto Sales

socalTECH

Online used car marketplace Shift , which has two offices‌ in Southern California--its biggest market--has raised $37M more in funding, the company said today. The funding came from BMW iVentures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Highland Capital, DCM, G2VP, and Goldman Sachs. The company, which has two locations here, one serving Los Angeles and Orange County, and the other in San Diego, is based in San Francisco.

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5 Stages of Technology Adoption Compared To Grieving

Startup Professionals Musings

How many times have investors heard startups start their pitch by touting that their technology is “disruptive?” What entrepreneurs forget or don’t realize is that most customers are wary of all technology, educating the market on new technology is expensive, takes a long time, and people buy problem solutions rather than technology. Investors will likely wait for more traction.

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Venmo Scammer Makes Off With Thousands Of Dollars In LA Photo Gear

socalTECH

A scammer in Los Angeles and Ventura County, targeting sellers of photo equipment, has made off with $25,000--and maybe as much as $100,000--by taking advantage of the peer-to-peer payment system Venmo , according to a report this morning. The Verge reports that the scammer has been taking advantage of sellers in Los Angeles and Venura County, scamming at least 20 people, who most likely were paid using stolen funds through Venmo.

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Xconomy Voices, Episode 2: Christopher Ahlberg of Recorded Future

Xconomy

On our new Xconomy Voices podcast , we find the smartest, most successful entrepreneurs and innovators in Xconomy’s network of cities and regions, and we ask them to open up about what they’re working on, what they’re excited about, and why they think their company, product, or idea is going to take the world by storm. Today, we’re very pleased to roll out Episode 2: Our guest is Christopher Ahlberg, the CEO of Recorded Future , a cybersecurity startup based in Somerville, MA.

Ideas 61
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AdGreetz Powers New Personalized Smurf's Ad

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based AdGreetz , the developer of personalized advertising technology which incorporates a viewer's name and other personal information into video and interactive ads, is powering a new campaign for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on the upcoming Smurfs: The Lost Village release. According to AdGreetz, the ad campaign is the second collaboration it has with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

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Hulu Inks Deal For *M*A*S*H, Other Series

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Hulu has made a deal which will give it streaming rights to all 11 seasons of *M*A*S*H , as well as such series as NYPD Blue, How I Met Your Mother, Burn Notice, Hills Street Blues, Bones and Glee, with 20th Century Fox Television Distribution , Hulu announced Wednesday. According to the two, the deal adds nearly 3,000 episodes of comedies, popular dramas, and other series to Hulu's service.

Hulu 100
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Qualcomm Backs IoT Technology Developer Particle

socalTECH

San Diego-based Qualcomm has backed Particle , the developer of hardware- and software- toolkits for helping connect their products into the world of the Internet-of-Things (IoT), as part of a $20M funding round today. Particle, based in San Francisco, said it raised $20M in its Series B funding from Spark Capital and Qualcomm Ventures. The company's platform offers up tools that help product makers connect to IoT networking using Wi-Fi, 2G/3G, and other protocols, and also handles managing thos

Develop 100