Sat.Jun 29, 2019 - Fri.Jul 05, 2019

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Mercato Finds Funding For Grocery Delivery

socalTECH

San Diego-based Mercato , which provider online ordering and delivery services to independent grocery stores, has raised a round of funding from Greycroft, the company said this week. The funding also included prior investor Loeb Enterprises, an investment fund managed by Michael Loeb, best known for its funding and development of Priceline.com. Size of the investment was not announced.

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Bird investor Upfront Ventures eyes $250M growth fund

TechCrunch LA

Upfront Ventures , a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm, has filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to raise its third growth-stage investment fund. Though the firm typically invests at the seed and Series A, capital from Upfront Growth III will be used for follow-on or late-stage deals. The firm, known for its investments in Bird, Goat, Ring, ThredUP and Parachute, plans to raise $250 million for the effort.

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SpaceX Plans First Commercial Flights Of Starship In 2021

socalTECH

Hawthorne-based SpaceX is hoping to launch the very first, commercial missions for its Starship spacecraft--designed to deliver passengers to Mars--in 2021, according to the company , and is currently in talks with three companies on those missions. All three of those customers would use the new platform to send satellites into orbit. Starship and its Super Heavy launch system are eventually aimed at delivering passengers into space and an eventual mission to Mars.

SpaceX 154
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Social Networking Startup MeWe Raises $4.5 Million

L.A. Business Journal

Culver City-based social networking startup Sgrouples Inc., doing business as MeWe, announced it raised $4.5 million in a venture round, bringing its total funding to $15 million since launching in 2012.

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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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Can you name the two most powerful words for business?

Berkonomics

Here’s a puzzle where the answer come first. “Help me.”. Over the years I have heard many stories from entrepreneurs, students, news reporters, even my children, all telling me that they could not get someone’s attention they wanted or needed until they used the words, “Help me.” The simple request is disarming, enlarging the object of the request to a status of importance in respect to the questioner that is difficult to ignore.

Training 149
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More Than 50 E-Scooters Pulled From Portland River

Tech.Co

The e-scooter vandalism pandemic continues, as Portland authorities have reportedly hauled more than 50 e-scooters out of a Portland river last week. E-scooters have begun taking over US cities in recent months, with Chicago being the latest to implement the technology just last month. While the innovative two-wheeled vehicles have given thousands access to affordable means of transportation, as well as quite a bit of fun, many citizens believe they are dangerous, tedious, and generally just get

News 174

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LA Firms Lead VidCon

L.A. Business Journal

Fullscreen, Snap, UTA highlight conference lineup

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USC Viterbi Data Analytics Boot Camp Demo Day

SoCal Tech Calendar

Tuesday, July 9, 2019 -- USC Viterbi Data Analytics Boot Camp Demo Day. The USC Viterbi Data Analytics Boot Camp is the latest non-degree continuing education offering for the Viterbi School, training working professionals on key skills in the field of data analytics. This program is offered through the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, in affiliation with Trilogy Education Services, a Continuing Education Program Manager (CEPM) whose mission is to prepare students with the technical skills and

USC 100
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6 Ways To Help Others At Work And Still Save Yourself

Startup Professionals Musings

Don’t you wish you were better at saying “no” to all those extraneous requests for a bit of help at work? Every business owner and professional I know is struggling with their own workload, yet they let themselves get signed up for other people’s work, either out of frustration that things aren’t getting done, or guilt, or just plain sympathy. It’s time to stop jeopardizing your own future.

Help 94
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Video Interview: Andy Wilson, Alliance for SoCal Innovation

socalTECH

For our video interview this morning, we have Andy Wilson, the Executive Director of the Alliance for SoCal Innovation (www.alliancesocal.org), a new nonprofit which is trying to bring together Southern California's technology industry, universities, and others in the local ecosystem. READ MORE>>.

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Silicon Beach Report July 3: Riot Games IBC Award Finalist

L.A. Business Journal

EVConnect Backs Australian Charging Network; Riot Games Finalist for IBC Award; Faraday Future Employees Flee to Rivian

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Tracing the ARPANET Roots of the Internet’s Cybersecurity Crisis

Xconomy

[ Editor’s note: This is part of a series examining the internet’s first 50 years and predicting the next half century. Join Xconomy and World Frontiers Forum on July 16 for Net@50 , an event exploring the internet’s past and future. ] The internet nearly came with built-in caller ID. The year was 1972: three years after the first messages were firing across the US military-funded research network ARPANET, the precursor to the internet, but still more than a decade before the i

.Net 97
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10 Keys To A Startup Surviving The First Five Years

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.

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j2 Global Aims At Heathcare Documentation

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based j2 Global , and its subsidiary, j2 Cloud Services , is taking aim at the healthcare documentation and medical data market, with a new service called MyHealth Inbox. According to j2 Cloud Services, the new, free service lets patients securely receive their medical information into a cloud-based account, using its cloud faxing technology.

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Aging Cars May Rev Up Local Firm

L.A. Business Journal

AUTOS: Aftermarket parts seller projects solid growth

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The Next Internet: Usability Guru Don Norman Calls for Starting Over

Xconomy

[ Editor’s note: This is part of a series examining the internet’s first 50 years and predicting the next half century. Join Xconomy and World Frontiers Forum on July 16 for Net@50 , an event exploring the internet’s past and future. ] No one has done more than Donald Norman to teach us that every piece of hardware and software—in fact, every human-made object, including the internet—embodies design decisions that aren’t always made with the best interests of users

.Net 97
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6 Elements of Customer Psychology Drive Buy Decisions

Startup Professionals Musings

Many entrepreneurs think that adapting to the new technologies, like smart phones and Internet commerce, are the key to attracting new customers. In fact, businesses need to adapt even more completely to the changes in the buying and social behavior of consumers. High-technology product startups, without customers, don’t make a business. Today’s customer buying dynamics are all about “user experience,” according to Brian Solis, in his classic book “ What’s the Future of Business?

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Upfront Ventures Plans New $250M Fund, Upfront Growth III

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based Upfront Ventures has launched an effort to raise a new fund, worth $250M, according to a regulatory filing by the firm. According to that filing, Upfront's new fund, Upfront Growth III, L.P. , does not yet have any committed investors, and is led by Mark Suster and Yves Sisteron. Upfront has not detailed any information about the fund, as is usual for venture investors in the midst of fundraising.

Funding 124
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Social Network Adds Funding

L.A. Business Journal

TECH: Startup MeWe sees 30 million users by year end

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Peter Gabriel Joins Net@50 Lineup; Tix Going Fast for July 16 Event

Xconomy

Legendary rock musician and longtime internet evangelist Peter Gabriel has joined the all-star cast of speakers for Net@50 , a historic event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first net message—while also looking ahead to the internet’s next 50 years. The event, put on by the non-profit World Frontiers Forum in association with Xconomy, takes place the afternoon of July 16 at the MIT Media Lab and will be followed by a gala dinner at Café ArtScience in Kendall Square.

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7 Tips For Entrepreneurs Seeking A Balanced Lifestyle

Startup Professionals Musings

I know some entrepreneurs with successful businesses, and others who seem to have a great relationship with their family, but I can’t think of many who have both. Some people would argue that these two successes are mutually exclusive, but I’m not convinced. Individually, they both take focus, commitment, and a variety of skills, all the strengths of a good entrepreneur.

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EV Connect To Power EV Charging Network In Australia

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based electric vehicle (EV) charging network operator EV Connnect has put its backing behind a new, Australian startup, Evie Networks , which is looking to create its own network of ultra-fast EV chargers down under. According to EV Connect, it is joining the St Baker Energy Innovation Fund to back Evie Networks, to create an ultra-fast highway charging network in Australia.

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Cedars Program Attracts Innovators

L.A. Business Journal

Health care accelerator includes local startups

Startup 100
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Special Report 2069: Predicting the Internet’s Next 50 Years

Xconomy

[ Editor’s note: This is part of a series examining the internet’s first 50 years and predicting the next half century. Join Xconomy and World Frontiers Forum on July 16 for Net@50 , an event exploring the internet’s past and future. ] It’s a good thing journalists, pundits, and consultants can’t be held liable for the predictions we get wrong and the outcomes we fail to anticipate.

.Net 87
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10 Ways To Make Your Business Memorable With A Story

Startup Professionals Musings

The entrepreneur’s challenge is to effectively communicate their value proposition, not only to customers, but also to vendors, partners, investors, and their own team. Especially for technical founders, this is normally all about presenting impressive facts. But in reality facts only go so far. Stories often work better, because humans don’t always make rational decisions.

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HelpJess Combines Video Chat With Retail Shopping

socalTECH

Newport Beach-based startup HelpJess announced on Monday that it has launched a new service, which combines video chat with retail shopping. The company said its tool allows shoppers to live, video chat with brick-and-mortar retail stores through an app, connecting shoppers to in-store staff at retailers. According to the new service--owned by open4sale USA--it is initially offering up its service to designer stores in Los Angeles, New York, Milan, Paris, and Hong Kong, as well as Singapore.

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Silicon Beach Report July 1: MeWe raises $4.5 million

L.A. Business Journal

MeWe raises $4.

Netflix 100
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Bio Roundup: Duchenne Race, Warren v. Gottlieb, A $599 Genome & More

Xconomy

As we pause to celebrate the 4th of July, another birthday is top of mind: A third baby whose embryonic DNA was edited by Chinese scientist He Jiankui. As Xconomy reported in November, He hinted about a second pregnancy after his infamous revelation of twins altered with CRISPR gene editing tools. That second pregnancy—a third CRISPR’d child—might already have arrived, MIT Technology Review reports.

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Elon Musk's Boring Company Ramps Efforts, Hiring In Las Vegas

socalTECH

The Boring Company , the Los Angeles company working on advanced transportation systems, which is led by technology mogul Elon Musk, says it is ramping up efforts in Las Vegas, and is actively hiring for a significiant number of positions in Las Vegas, as well as Hawthorne. According to The Boring Company, the jobs include positions in everything from Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering to Security Guards and more.

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Inside Secure Becomes Verimatrix

socalTECH

Inside Secure , the French company which acquired San Diego-based Verimatrix in March, has renamed itself as Verimatrix , the company announced this morning. The combined company trades on the Euronext Paris as VMX. Inside Secure paid $147M, mostly in cash, for Verimatrix as part of the acquisition deal in March. The two rolled out a new logo and tagline as part of the renaming of Inside Secure to Verimatrix.

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Cedars-Sinai Accelerator Names New Class

socalTECH

The Cedars-Sinai Accelerator , the startup accelerator associated with Cedars-Sinai, has announced its next class, saying it has added 11 new health-tech companies into its newest accelerator class. According to the accelerator, whichi s managed by Anne Wellington, the teams will spend three months in the Cedars-Sinai Innovation Space, which is immediately across the street from the Cedars-Sinai medical center; all of the startups will received $100,000 in an investment, and present at the accel

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LA Gets New Call of Duty Team, From Immortals

socalTECH

Los Angeles is boosting its ever growing presence in the e-sports industry, with a brand new competitive team for Call of Duty , Activision announced on Monday. According to Activision, it has added two new teams to its Call of Duty league, including one in Los Angeles from the Immortals Gaming Club , and one in Minnesota, operated by WISE Ventures.

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Qualcomm Backs Startup's Head Mounted, Wearable Computers

socalTECH

RealWear , a developer of helmet-mounted, wearable Android computers, has scored backing from San Diego-based Qualcomm Ventures , in a $80M funding, the company said this morning. RealWear--which is based in Vancouver, Washington--said it raised $80M in a Series B financing round, which included both equity and debt, and came from JPMorgan Chase & Co., Teradyne, Bose Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures LLC (QCOM), Kopin Corporation (KOPN), and investors from JPMorgan's (JPM) Private Bank.

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Gemelli Biotech Picks Up $1.85M In Ongoing Funding

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Gemelli Biotech , a startup focused on discovery of novel diagnostics and therapeutics for the human microbiome, has raised $1.85M, as part of an ongoing $3.0M fundraising effort for the startup, according to a regulatory filing from the firm. Details on the funding have not yet been announced by the company. It's unclear who is backing the company, however, James Laur, Vice President of Intellectual Property at Cedars-Sinai, is listed as a member of the company's board of dire

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Illumina Sues Complete Genomics, Others Over Patent Infringement

socalTECH

San Diego-based Illumina said it has filed three more, patent infringement suits, related to its fight against BGI , this time in Switzerland, Turkey, and the US. According to Illumina, it filed suit against Complete Genomics, Inc. and other BGI entities in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California alleging infringement of U.S.

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Verifi Acquired By Visa

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Verifi , a developer of financial software tools used to reduce chargebacks for merchants, has been acquired by Visa , in order to boost Visa's tools for reducing chargebacks. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. Verifi develops dispute resolution tools used to help buyers and sellers resolve disputes. Visa said it will integrate Verifi's chargeback tools with its own risk management services, including its service delivered by CardinalCommerce and CyberSour

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