Sat.Nov 14, 2020 - Fri.Nov 20, 2020

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Have you heard? Eyeballs aren’t everything.

Berkonomics

Remember when? Back when we were all trying to figure out the real value of traffic on the web, investors – and acquiring companies – got a bit crazy with metrics used to value acquisitions and investments. Since in most cases, there was no revenue in many of these companies, all trying to gain market share at any cost, we had to invent the metric to use.

Metrics 296
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LA Companies Play Leading Role in Rising AR, VR Industry

L.A. Business Journal

It may seem redundant to say that a company focused on creating virtual reality experiences is ahead of the curve, but that’s precisely the case for West Adams-based Survios Inc.

Company 299
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Beyond Meat unveils two new versions of its Beyond Burgers

TechCrunch LA

Beyond Meat has launched two new versions of its Beyond Burgers, the company announced today. The two new options will be available on store shelves in 2021, but will be on offer at a two-day pop up event in Los Angeles for folks to try. The new Beyond Burger patties are designed to mirror the options of beef in the market with the presentation of a lower fat patty option and a new version of its higher fat content option that the brand promises will be its “juiciest” patty for the &

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Interview with Joe Bayen, Grow Credit

socalTECH

For today's interview, we spoke with Joe Bayen , the CEO and founder of Los Angeles-based Grow Credit (www.growcredit.com), which runs a fintech startup which allows you to pay your subscriptions through a free Mastercard, as a way to boost your credit score. The company's venture backers include Mucker Capital and Commerce Capital, as well as angel investor Minal Hasan, of K2 Global Ventures.

Netflix 203
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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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6 Observations On Key Challenges Facing Every Startup

Startup Professionals Musings

When entrepreneurs introduce new products to the market, their passion and conviction often leads them to assume that every potential customer will see the immediate need and value, and will quickly adopt the solution. They are devastated when their business growth never starts or stalls, and they have no idea how to get it moving again. As an advisor to many startups, I often spend hours with business owners helping them anticipate every possible obstacle to the adoption of their solution, and

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SpaceX Launches Crewed Mission With NASA

L.A. Business Journal

Space Exploration Technologies Inc. launched one of the most high-profile missions, sending four astronauts to the International Space Station.

SpaceX 238

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Wave Gets Investment From Tencent Holdings

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based virtual reality startup Wave has scoreds an investment from Chinese company Tencent Holdings , as part of a partnership to bring Wave's animated concert technology to companies in China, the two said on Thursday. Financial details of the minority investment were not announced. According to the companies, Tencent Music will gain the right to air Wave's concerts, which allows avatars to interact with those concerts, and which also stream to YouTube, Twice, Facebook, TikTok, and T

Invest 124
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8 Networking Strategies Pay Big Dividends In Business

Startup Professionals Musings

There is no skill more vital to an entrepreneur than effective networking. You can’t build your business alone, and networking is the best way to open doors, professionally and personally. For introverts like me, it’s not easy to step out of your comfort zone and meet new people, but if you approach the challenge correctly, I have found that it can actually be fun as well as productive.

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LA Companies Play Leading Role in Rising AR, VR Industry

L.A. Business Journal

It may seem redundant to say that a company focused on creating virtual reality experiences is ahead of the curve, but that’s precisely the case for West Adams-based Survios Inc.

Company 130
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TechTainment 6.0

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, November 18, 2020 --.

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DTS Adds Lyrics From LyricFind To Connected Car Service

socalTECH

Calabasas-based audio technology developer DTS , which is a subsidiary of Xperi Holding Corporation, said today that it has added song lyrics from LyricFind to its DTS Connect Radio service. Financial details of the deal were not announced. The DTS Connected Radio service provides both over-the-air radio and in-vehicle content, and offers up the ability for lyrics display and search, synchronized lyrics for what it calls "in-cabin sing-along", translation of lyrics, and more; those services are

Services 124
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8 Business Work Principles That Cannot Be Compromised

Startup Professionals Musings

As a business advisor and advocate for entrepreneurs, I find myself almost always talking and writing about change. Yet there are many things about business and work that haven’t changed for a long time, and don’t need to change anytime soon. I’m always surprised when someone doesn’t seem to grasp these basics, or thinks it’s fine to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Startup 153
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Rocket Lab Deploys 30 Satellites, Recovers First Stage

L.A. Business Journal

Rocket Lab USA Inc. launched its 16th mission and successfully recovered the launch vehicle’s first-stage rocket.

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TechTainment 6.0

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, November 19, 2020 --.

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Green Dot To Power New Google Pay Bank Accounts

socalTECH

Pasadena-based Green Dot is powering a new banking offering from Google Pay , called Plex Accounts , which will allow Google Pay customers to open up and manage a FDIC-insured digital bank account through the app, the company said today. Financial details of the deal were not announced. According to Green Dot, the new Google Pay offering will roll out sometime in 2021.

Google 124
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5 Rules For Every Business In The New Sharing Economy

Startup Professionals Musings

Now that you can find anything on a moment’s notice via the Internet, people have found that a temporarily unused expensive asset, such as a room in your house, or your car sitting idle, is a new business opportunity. Thus the rise of the “ sharing economy ,” with collaborative and peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms , including Lyft (rides), Airbnb (lodging), and WeWork (workspace).

Platform 145
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Los Angeles Sets Up Transportation Technology Zone

socalTECH

The City of Los Angeles and Mayor Eric Garcetti said this week that it is launching a new Transportation Technology Innovation Zone , which Garcetti said will allow innovators to test their transportation technology solutions. The new zone--located in the San Fernando Valley, around Warner Center--will initially launch with a project to test a zero-emissions, last mile delivery service that connects individuals homebound by the pandemic to food from local businesses.

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Relativity Space Raising $500M, Says Report

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based printed rocket technology developer Relativity Space is in the midst of raising $500M, in a funding round which values the company at $2.3 billion, according to a report today from CNBC. The report--citing "people familiar with the financing"--says that so far, investors such as Tiger Global, Social Capital, Playground Global, Y Combinator, Bond Capital, Tribe Capital, Jared Leto and Mark Cuban are expected to participate in the funding.

Report 124
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Report: Bird Considers Going Public Via SPAC

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based on-demand, last mile transportation company Bird is considering going public via a Special Purpose Acquisiton Company (SPAC), according to a report from Bloomberg. It's unclear how far along the SPAC might be, however, Bloomberg said the discussions "are in an early stage". Entering public markets by bypassing an initial public offering (IPO), and instead using a SPAC has been very popular with technology companies, both here and elsewhere, with such companies as green technol

Report 124
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Nuuve Goes Public Via SPAC

socalTECH

San Diego-based green technology developer Nuuve , which is developing technology which allows electric vehicles to be used to help store power for the electrical grid, has gone public via a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC). Nuuve said last week that it became public through a $102M merger with a company called Newborn Acquisition Corp., which is listed on the NASDAQ as NBAC.

San Diego 124
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Sonos, Google In Court Over Patents

socalTECH

Santa Barbara-based Sonos and Internet giant Google were in court this week , accusing each of patent infringement, with Sonos hoping to move a Google patent suit out of California and into Texas, in the Western District of Texas court, which has a reputation as being friendlier to patent lawsuits. Sonos is being represented by Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, with Google represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.

Patents 113
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Rocket Lab Sees Successful Launch, Recovery

socalTECH

Long Beach-based rocket developer Rocket Lab successfully launched 30 satellites into space, and recovered the first stage of a rocket on Thursday, the first time the company has successfully made a recovery of its hardware. The "Return to Sender" mission was launched in New Zealand. Rocket Lab used a parachute to recover its first stage, which landed in water and was recovered using a recovery vessel.

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Ashton Kutcher's Sound Ventures Seeks $150M Third Fund

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Sound Ventures , the venture capital fund run by Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary, is looking to raise a third fund, worth $150M, according to a regulatory filing by the company. According to the filing, the fund's managing directors are Effie Epstein, Ashton Kutcher, and Guy Oseary, and so far has no limited partners signed up for the new fund.

Funding 113
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Rocket Lab Mission Planned For Thursday Evening, Hopes For Rocket Recovery

socalTECH

Long Beach-based Rocket Lab is attempting another launch today, at 5:44pm PST, from its launch site in New Zealand. The mission, "Return to Sender", will include the first attempt to recover the first stage booster of the company's rocket, which would enable it to lower the costs of launching payloads. The company is webcasting the launch online. Only SpaceX has the capability to re-use its rockets today, allowing SpaceX to significantly undercut the traditional costs of getting a payload to orb

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Newegg Teams For Charity Donations

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based online electronics retailer Newegg is teaming up with a group to make it easier for people to donate their gently used items to charity. According to Newegg, it has launched a partnership with Give Back Box , so that its customers can repack their Newegg shipping boxes with household products they no longer need, and ship them to a local charity free of charge.

NewEgg 113
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KB Home Tops 11,000 Solar Powered Homes

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based new home builder KB Home says it has now topped over 11,000 solar-powered homes, since it started offering up solar power options toits customerss. The company says it built its first "all-solar community" in 2011. KB Home did not say how many of those homes were built in 2020, the first year that California has required all new homes to be installed with rooftop solar power.

Startup 113
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LiveXLive Names New CFO

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based livestreaming and podcasting company LiveXLive Media announced this morning that it has named Michael Quartieri as its new CFO. Quartieri was most recently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Offier at Scientific Games. He also served at Las Vegas Sans Corp., serving in such roles as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer and Global Controller.

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AFYX Therapeutics Sets Chief Medical Officer

socalTECH

San Diego-based biopharmaceuticals firm AFYX Therapeutics has named a new Chief Medical Officer, the company said this morning. The company appointed Dennis D. Kim, M.D., MBA to the position. Kim was most recently chief medical officer of Emerald Health Sciences (EHS) and later of its subsidiary Emerald Bioscience (EMBI), and also served at Zafgen, Inc., Orexigen Therapeutics, and EnteroMedics, Inc.

San Diego 113
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Everytable Takes $16M For Healthy Meals

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based healthy meal service Everytable , which offers up grab-and-go, healthy meals as an alternative to fast food, has raised $16M in a Series B funding round, the company said on Tuesday. The funding was led by Creadev, and also included Kaiser Permanente Ventures, Candide Groupe, Gratitude Railroad Ventures, Desert Bloom Food Ventures and Kimball Musk.

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Trust & Will Takes $15M More In Series B

socalTECH

San Diego-based Trust & Will , which operates an online estate planning service, has raised $15M in a Series B funding round, the company said on Tuesday. The round was led by Jackson Square Ventures, and also included Fifth Third Capital Holdings, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, AARP, Rosecliff Ventures, Hack VC, Actium Partners, and Noah Kerner (CEO at Acorns) & Jeff Cruttenden (Cofounder at Say, Acorns, and Treasury), as well as Link Ventures, Revolution's Rise of the Rest Seed F

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A-Frame Picks Up $2M For Personal Care Brands

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based startup A-Frame , which says it is launching a number of personal care brands tied to celebrities, has raised $2M in a funding round, the company disclosed Tuesday. The funding was led by Initialized Capital, and also included clothing entrepreneur Moise Emquies. The company's first brand is Keeper Soap, which offers up a hand soap.

Incubator 113
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Kinnate Biopharma Files For $100M IPO

socalTECH

San Diego-based Kinnate Biopharma has filed for an IPO, saying in a filing that it is looking to raise up to $100M. The company has filed to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol KNTE. The IPO is being underwritten by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, SVB Leerink, and Piper Sandler. The firm is backed by Foresite Capital, OrbiMed, RA Capital Management, Nextech, and Vida Ventures.

San Diego 113
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Procore Sets Chief People Officer

socalTECH

Carpinteria-based Procore , which develops construction management software, has named Pat Wadors as the company's new Chief People Officer. Wadors was most recently Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) at ServiceNow, and also was SVP, Global Talent Organization at LinkedIn, in addition to serving at Plantronics and Yahoo! Wadors also sits on the board of Zenefits, Accolade, and El Camino Hospital.

Yahoo 113
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Two Bit Circus Rolls Out New, Remote Game Show Platform

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Two Bit Circus , the developer of micro amusement parks and STEM-inspired experiences, says it has launched a new, online entertainment platform that allows brands to engage their fans remotely. The company--which says that, during the pandemic, it has been intensified its focus on entertaining audiences at home--said it has created a live-hosted game show over streaming video, which can be customaized by brands.

Platform 113
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XPRIZE Launches New Pandemic Response Challenge

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based XPRIZE , the group which operates competitions that spur groups and companies to solve major societal challenges, says it has rolled out a new challenge--this one about figuring out how to safely reopen society in the midst of a pandemic. According to XPRIZE, its new challenge, which is being launched in partnership with Cognizant , is called the Pandemic Response Challenge the four month competition.

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BioAtla Files For IPO

socalTECH

San Diego-based biotech BioAtla has filed for an IPO, saying that it is looking to raise up to $100M in an IPO on the Nasdaq Global Market as BCAB. The IPO is being underwritten by J.P. Morgan, Jefferies, Credit Suisse, and BTIG. BioAtla is venture backed by Himalaya Parent LLC, Pfizer Ventures, Soleus Private Equity, HBM Healthcare Investments, Baker Bros.

San Diego 113