July, 2017

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Tesloop Ride Sharing Service Expands

L.A. Business Journal

Long-haul commuting is better in a Tesla. That’s the theory behind Tesloop of Culver City, a car service which ferries passengers on highway trips between 50 miles and 200 miles around Southern California in Tesla Inc.’s Model X or Model S cars.

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Everything changes from concept to release.

Berkonomics

Close. You can take this headline as a rule, not an exception. You’ll recognize the truism, “No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy” first stated by German Field Marshall von Moltke way back in the 19 th century. Our variant of the “battle plan” truism is important to internalize. A product at the concept stage contains feature-functionality that customers may not want or be willing to pay for, or which just might not work well enough for release to the public.

Customer 256
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YP Holdings Acquired By Dex Media

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based YP.com , the provider online directories and services to help businesses get their companies online which has been remade by a number of technology executives into a provider of local business marketing and automation software, has been acquired by competing directory provider Dex Media. Dex Media said on Friday that it has acquired YP Holdings , which operates both YP.com and the Real Yellow Pages, and will create a new combined company called DexYP.

Media 208
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Meet the 2017 Startups from the Disney Accelerator

Tech.Co

There’s no denying that BB-8 was the star of the most recent installment in the Star Wars universe, Rogue One. What you might not realize is that the adorable droid was the brain child of Sphero, a robotics and digital technology company and an alumni to the Disney Accelerator program. The BB-8 app-enabled Droid had such a global adoption among kids and adults that it was named the number one Star Wars toy of 2015.

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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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Big Data Day LA

SoCal Tech Calendar

Saturday, August 5, 2017 -- Big Data Day LA 2017. Big Data Day LA is the largest of its kind, and completely free, Big Data conference in Southern California. Spearheaded by Subash D’Souza and organized and supported by a community of volunteers, sponsors and speakers, Big Data Day LA features the most vibrant gathering of data and technology enthusiasts in Los Angeles.

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What’s the Business Model for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare?

Xconomy

This story is part of an ongoing Xconomy series on A.I. in healthcare. These are heady times for using artificial intelligence to extract insights from healthcare data—in particular, from the tidal wave of information coming out of fields like genomics and medical imaging. Yet as innovations proliferate, some age-old business questions have come to the fore.

More Trending

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Don’t rest until you test!

Berkonomics

So, you have a great new product or service that you and your associates love. Early adopters should climb all over each other for a look. But what have you done to test the concept against the realities of the marketplace? Have you developed a prototype, alternate pricing schemes, even a PowerPoint mock-up to show to potential buyers? I would be very, very nervous without testing the product in the market as early as possible, ready to make changes and enhancements before committing to prod

Resource 256
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Syneron Candela Goes Private In $400M Deal With Apax

socalTECH

Irvine-based aesthetic medical device developer Syneron Medical announced late Monday evening that it has become a private company, in a $400M go-private deal with Apax Partners. According to Syneron Medical, funds advised by Apax Partners paid $11.00 per share in cash for the company. The deal had originally announced on April 3rd. As part of the go-private deal, Syneron said that Geoffrey Crouse has been appointed CEO of the company, and also has joined its board.

Funding 170
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Lean on Your Networks When Making Early Hires

Tech.Co

Hiring your first few employees can often be as hard as choosing your cofounders. Especially in the early days of your startup, when you’re often only months from running out of money, hiring the wrong person can be disastrous. Yet it’s hard to accurately vet potential candidates. Cold job interviews can be an unreliable litmus test for hiring. Even the traditional green-light for someone who graduated from an Ivy League school has been proven to be more noise than signal.

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Big Data Day LA

SoCal Tech Calendar

Saturday, August 5, 2017 -- Big Data Day LA 2017. Big Data Day LA is the largest of its kind, and completely free, Big Data conference in Southern California. Spearheaded by Subash D’Souza and organized and supported by a community of volunteers, sponsors and speakers, Big Data Day LA features the most vibrant gathering of data and technology enthusiasts in Los Angeles.

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New Frontier: Space Center Crowdfunds for Mission Control Facelift

Xconomy

Houston —Houston, Mission Control has a problem. The storied control room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston—recognizable to many of us from 1960s news clips of the dawn of the Space Age – –is in need of a face-lift. And so, Space Center Houston, the visitor’s center for the JSC, has turned to the latest in financing tools, crowdfunding, for help.

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Elon Musk Claims ‘Verbal Approval’ for Hyperloop Route From NY to DC

L.A. Business Journal

Elon Musk said on Thursday that his Boring Co. received “verbal approval” to build an underground hyperloop system from Washington, D.C., to New York.

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Find your “teacher customer.”

Berkonomics

Your customers know what they want more than you do. Find one to teach you. Close. This week’s insight came from personal experience and from a good friend who advanced the notion of the “teacher-customer” years ago. I internalized this phrase, recalling the many times I had partnered with customers to design new feature-functionality into my hotel computer system back when such systems were brand new to the industry.

Customer 243
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How Phyn Is Bringing The World Of High Tech To Water Conservation, With Ryan Kim

socalTECH

The world of plumbing is not known for its high tech products. However, that makes it an area ripe for technology innovation. We spoke this morning with a Los Angeles startup, Phyn (www.phyn.com)--which recently spun out of Belkin in a joint venture with Uponor--to talk about the company's water monitoring devices, which apply some remarkably sophisticated research and computer technology to monitor the usage of all of a home's water--all through monitoring a single water pipe.

High Tech 176
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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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Startup Game Changers Panel - Los Angeles 2017

SoCal Tech Calendar

Friday, August 4, 2017 -- Startup Game Changers Panel - Los Angeles 2017. Startup fundraising can be an arduous journey. Wouldn’t it be easier if you had your own team of guides to help you along your way? Team startup to the rescue! Our team of VCs, financial consultants, bankers, and lawyers has collectively helped walk thousands of companies down the fundraising path — from identifying the best funding source to negotiating the best terms.

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With Helix’s Help, Lose It Adds Genetic Insights to Weight Loss App

Xconomy

Does your genetic code contain information that can help you lose weight? It’s a serious question in science, and in business. Now, the makers of Lose It aim to find out. The nine-year-old mobile app —from Boston-based parent company FitNow—was early in the field of using smartphones to log workouts and meals , and track progress toward health goals.

Help 82
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Asian Goods E-Tailer Yamibuy Raises $10 Million

L.A. Business Journal

Asian goods e-tailer Yamibuy has raised a $10 million Series A round led by GGV Capital of Beijing, according to a Monday press release.

Press 177
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10 Entrepreneur Shortcuts To Be Avoided At All Costs

Startup Professionals Musings

Starting a new business is a long, hard process, and I can’t blame any founder for looking for shortcuts. I’ve taken a few myself, and I know how much work they can save, as well as how painful some can be in retrospect. When you are trying new things, there are plenty of new problems to go around, so why would you want to re-experience the pain of others?

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Soylent Now Available In LA 7-11 Stores

socalTECH

Stopping by your local, Los Angeles 7-11 convenience store for a free Slurpee today? While you are there, you might notice that you can now buy Soylent , the meal replacement product created by Los Angeles-based Rosa Foods. According to Soylent, it started offering up its "nutritionally complete, ready-to-drink meals" at 18 of 7-Eleven's stores in the Greater Los Angeles area on Monday, including a number of locations across Los Angeles, plus Santa Monica, Culver City, Venice, and elsewhere.

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EFunds For Millennial Homebuyer Investors

AllTopStartups

As more millennials enter the workforce, many contemplate how to pay off student loans and buy a home. For many would-be homeowners, the answer about how to manage financial affairs… The post EFunds For Millennial Homebuyer Investors appeared first on AllTopStartups.

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SIGGRAPH 2017

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, August 3, 2017 -- SIGGRAPH 2017. The annual SIGGRAPH conference is a five-day interdisciplinary educational experience in the latest computer graphics and interactive techniques, including a three-day commercial exhibition that attracts hundreds of companies from around the world. The conference also hosts the international SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival, showcasing works from the world's most innovative and accomplished digital film and video creators.

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Illumina Accelerator Sees ‘Huge Impact in Genomics’ in New Startups

Xconomy

Genomics startups are increasing in number and quality, so much so that three-year-old Illumina Accelerator has expanded with its latest class to accommodate five of them. Xconomy got an early look at the specialty accelerator’s sixth cohort, which includes a company named for a butterfly and the accelerator’s first digital health startup. Illumina (NASDAQ: ILMN ), a San Diego-based company that was a pioneer in gene sequencing technology, founded the accelerator in 2014, along with Russian bill

Startup 79
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E-Sports Company aXiomatic Joins Disney Accelerator.

L.A. Business Journal

Walt Disney Co. announced Tuesday that e-sports company aXiomatic was one of 11 companies chosen to participate in the 2017 Disney Accelerator program.

Company 165
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10 Controversial Lessons From Serious Entrepreneurs

Startup Professionals Musings

Most people agree that entrepreneurs have to think differently and take risks to have much chance of building a successful business. Yet I have found that serious entrepreneurs usually go way beyond these platitudes in their actions and thinking, and often won’t volunteer their real views, for fear of alienating “regular” people, and being branded a fanatic.

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Blackbird Links Santa Monica, Palm Springs

socalTECH

A new, air travel startup, Blackbird , said today that has launched new service between Santa Monica and Palm Springs, part of a expansion of the startup beyond its Bay Area roots. According to Blackbird, the startup, regional air service offers up flights starting at $124, and hopes to serve such destination which aren't well served by commercial airlines, such as Santa Monica and Palm Springs.

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Millions of Americans Still Don’t Have Access to Broadband Internet: BroadbandNow

StartUp Beat

Broadband access in the US has come under both scrutiny and criticism recently with a lack of competition being blamed for sub-par services. Rural US has been at the heart of the discussion, but cities aren’t doing much better with nearly two thirds of the population of Los Angeles living in an area with only one provider. BroadbandNow, a free-to-use website shines a light on possible alternatives for customers.

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ACG 101 Annual Summer Social

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, August 3, 2017 -- ACG 101 Annual Summer Social. Join ACG 101and ACG 101's Women in Corporate Growth on the evening of August 3rd at the beautiful Westlake Village Inn Stonehaus for our annual Summer Social. This always-popular annual gathering brings together ACG members, friends, past program presenters and other special guests.

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After Mobile App Success, Rock My World Introduces Fitness Chatbot

Xconomy

Adam Riggs-Zeigen has come a long way since 2013, when he co-founded San Diego’s Rock My World and introduced the mobile app RockMyRun to provide upbeat music playlists to motivate smartphone-equipped runners. “We found that it expanded into other avenues, like fitness studios,” Riggs-Zeigen recalled in a recent interview. The following year, the startup created an algorithm that automatically adjusts the rhythm and tempo of songs to match the user’s pace and heart rate.

Mobile 79
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Professional Certifications for Independent Contractors

L.A. Business Journal

Professional certifications can increase credibility, boost confidence, and help differentiate your services. Here are 9 professional certifications to consider.

Help 145
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10 Strategies To Cover New Product Development Costs

Startup Professionals Musings

The “valley of death” is a common term in the startup world, referring to the difficulty of covering the negative cash flow in the early stages of a startup, before their new product or service is bringing in revenue from real customers. I often get asked about the real alternatives to bridge this valley, and there are some good ones I will outline here.

Develop 70
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Astro-Tek Industries Acquired By White Wolf Capital

socalTECH

Anaheim-based Astro-Tek , an aerospace manufacturer, has been acquired by private equity investor White Wolf Capital , the two said Wednesday morning. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. White Wolf Capital said it acquired the majority stake in Astro-Tek through a newly formed company, Consolidated Machine Tool Holdings, LLC. Astro-Tek develops equipment used by aerospace and defense companies to manufacture, test, maintain, and service aircraft, satellites, rockets, and missiles.

Capital 157
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I Only Have 7 Trips Left. On Managing Work / Life Balance, Love & Family

Both Sides of the Table

Like many people these days, I spent much of my 20’s and early 30’s thinking about work & fun and not too much about “the future.” Like characters from one of my favorite novels “ The Unbearable Lightness of Being ” life seemed very light. My first son was born the day before my 35th birthday so the decade that followed was very heavy and consequential.

Carson 286
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TEDxUCLA Salon: From Struggle to Success

SoCal Tech Calendar

Monday, July 31, 2017 -- TEDxUCLA Salon: From Struggle to Success. How do you turn struggles into success in the field of technology? How do you succeed as a female in a male-driven industry? How can government catch up with the rapid growth in technology? Join us as we explore these hot topics and learn from experts in the field.

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Unanimous Advice To FDA: Approve Landmark CAR-T Cancer Therapy

Xconomy

The first ever approval of a new kind of cancer immunotherapy called CAR-T is one step closer. A 10-member panel of doctors and researchers who advise the Food and Drug Administration recommended with a rare unanimous vote that the agency approve a treatment for kids and young adults with a severe form of leukemia who have run out of other options. The therapy would involve genetically modifying a patient’s T cells to kill cancer and then infusing them back into the body.

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Global Eagle to Cancel $416 Million Deal With Chinese Firm Over National Security Concerns

L.A. Business Journal

National security concerns have forced Global Eagle Entertainment, an in-flight Wi-Fi service, to cancel a $416 million investment agreement with China’s Beijing Shareco Technologies to create a new joint venture for the Chinese market.