Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2016

Amongst the most often asked questions I get from founders is, “How much money should I raise?” Reflexively founders want to raise as much money as they can because they figure it will give them more resources, better chances of competing and a longer runways before they have to do the often painful job of asking, yet again, for money. Every time you ask for money you’re faced with the possible of feeling literally and figuratively like a failure.

Startup 292

Startup Software Review Pricing Entrepreneur 292

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2016

Woodland Hills-based ReachLocal is being acquired by publishing giant Gannett Co. , in a deal worth approximately $156M, the two companies said on Monday afternoon. ReachLocal said Gannett would pay $4.60 per share in cash for the company. VantagePoint Venture Partners and Rho Ventures--who own approximately 40% of ReachLocal--said it had agreed to tender their shares to Gannett as part of the acquisition deal.

ReachLocal 189

ReachLocal Woodland Hills Advertising Acquisition 189

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 27, 2016

Buy organic groceries online, at an affordable price. That’s the mantra of Los Angeles-based Thrive Market, which has raised a significant $111 million Series B funding round, led by Invus. Thrive, which competes with similar online grocery services like Vitacost, believes there is a significant market opportunity to make natural foods more accessible to consumers and they’ve… Read More.

Organization 173

Organization Marketing Los Angeles Pricing 173

InfoChachkie

JUNE 30, 2016

A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. In 1987, when Rick Astley filmed the video for his hit song Never Gonna Give You Up , he had no idea it would eventually become one of the most viewed videos of all time. By 2016, the video had been watched over 218 million times. Never Gonna Give You Up ’s resurgence began in 2007, when a user on an obscure gaming site posted a link to Rick’s video under the heading for a trailer of the not-yet-released Grand Theft Auto IV video game.

Custom 162

Custom Customer Marketing Product 162

Advertiser: Aggregage

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.

Company

Berkonomics

JUNE 30, 2016

Here is a variation of the “tree falls in the forest” question. In past insights, we’ve looked at leadership skills, ways to enhance effectiveness, and how to develop creative ideas that motivate and propel your organization to greatness. Here is the ultimate question for a leader…. You’ve heard the old saying that you can lead by fear or lead because people want to follow.

Examples 136

Examples Email Organization Ideas 136

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2016

Phil Hui-Bon-Hoa , the CEO of El Segundo-based Kaleo (www.kaleo.com), is a serial entrepreneur who has previously built and sold four companies, including one acquired by IFILM, and another by Sun Microsystems. He's now hard at work at a new company, Kaleo, which is tackling the enterprise, knowledge sharing market�and already has an impressive list of Fortune 500 customers.

El Segundo 169

El Segundo Southern California Startup CTO Hire 169

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 27, 2016

Thursday, June 30, 2016 -- Hub 101 Demo Day. The Hub101 Incubator Program is a 13-week incubator for early-stage, high-potential startups from the Conejo Valley and across the globe. The Program brings these startups to sunny Westlake Village and helps them build a repeatable, scalable business model in a mentor-driven format. In 13 weeks, more than 25 mentors have given their time to coach and advise our teams.

Westlake Village 100

Westlake Village Incubator Mentor Coach 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 27, 2016

The startup lifestyle is known to be stressful and challenging, but it’s also meant to be satisfying and fulfilling, with you as the entrepreneur in control of your own destiny. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way, based on my many years of experience with entrepreneurs and advising startups. The business can be successful, while the entrepreneur feels like a failure.

Satisfaction 71

Satisfaction Startup Entrepreneur Writing 71

socalTECH

JUNE 29, 2016

A new effort, led by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and headed up by startup evangelist Krisztina 'Z' Holly, is looking to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and manufacturers in LA. The new MAKE IT IN LA effort recently published a study , which found that manufacturing has more employment in LA than the creative industry; and that there is excess capacity in Los Angeles for manufacturing, with lots of potential to tie that manufacturing expertise with LA's new startup culture.

Entrepreneur 145

Entrepreneur USC Los Angeles Study 145

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 28, 2016

Atom Tickets Launches Across Southern California, Green Dot gets scrutiny from U.S. Senate, Hillary Clinton fundraises at Sean Parker’s house, and more.

Southern California 113

Southern California Report 113

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 30, 2016

Wednesday, July 6, 2016 -- Cross Campus LA Launches.

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100

Xconomy

JUNE 29, 2016

Reflexion Health, a San Diego startup founded in 2012 at the nonprofit West Health Institute, is moving to commercialize Vera, its physical rehabilitation system based on Microsoft Kinect’s motion tracking technology. After recently raising $18 million in Series B funding, the healthtech company also plans to add new products as it expands nationally among U.S. healthcare systems, CEO Joe Smith said late Monday.

Technology 74

Technology San Diego Funding Coach 74

socalTECH

JUNE 28, 2016

Universal Robotics , a Danish maker of robots for the industrial and medical markets, says it has set up a new West Coast headquarters in Irvine. According to the company, the new, 3,000 square foot plus base will help it expand local technology and sales support. The new office will be led by Craig Tomita. According to Universal Robotics, the new location is also very close to the University of California, Irvine, which it says is a potential source of engineering talent for the company.

Sales 145

Sales Help Marketing Technology 145

L.A. Business Journal

JULY 1, 2016

Hyperloop One co-founder replaced, Faraday Future signs electric racecar partnership, virtual reality startup Within picks up Disney and Zynga vets, and more.

Report 100

Report Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2016

Have you noticed that the really big startup wins in the last couple of decades have come from creating and dominating new market categories, more than just new solutions? Steve Jobs was a master new category king, by preaching the need for new thinking as he introduced the iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. Uber and Airbnb did the same for transportation and hospitality.

Entrepreneur 61

Entrepreneur Marketing Design SpaceX 61

Xconomy

JUNE 30, 2016

Healthtech entrepreneur Parker Hinshaw and his wife Jean Balgrosky said they intended to take a step back when they founded Bootstrap Incubation near San Diego in the fall of 2012. They wanted to combine Hinshaw’s experience in starting and growing health IT startups with Balgrosky’s expertise in strategic IT planning and overhauling healthcare IT networks—but without getting too deeply involved.

San Diego 67

San Diego Incubator CIO Startup 67

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2016

Culver City-based All Def Digital , an urban youth programming media brand co-founded by Sanjay Sharma and Russell Simmons, has raised $10M in a Series B financing. The funding was led by Third Wave Digital partners, and also included WPP Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, along with Nu Horizons, Greycroft Partners, eVentures and Advancit Capital. All Def Digital said the funding will go towards original programming, distribution, and brand marketing services.

Culver City 133

Culver City Media Funding Capital 133

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 27, 2016

Thrive Market raises $111 million, Snapchat explores paying users, Greendot names new Chairman, and more.

Marketing 124

Marketing Snapchat Report 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 1, 2016

I was shocked to read an old Gallup study that indicates only 13 percent of employees worldwide are actively engaged at work, and more recent data shows only a small change in the right direction. In my own experience as a startup advisor and mentor, I find that entrepreneurs who can’t attract and maintain a highly motivated team rarely even get off the ground.

Startup 58

Startup Examples Mentor Activity 58

Xconomy

JUNE 30, 2016

As part of a national cancer “moonshot” initiative led by Vice President Joe Biden, the FDA said Wednesday it would retool the way it evaluates cancer treatments and tests. But to what end? The goals of the FDA’s new Oncology Center of Excellence remain vague, as does its structure. In a speech Wednesday morning at the initiative’s national summit at Howard University in Washington, DC, Biden (pictured), whose son Beau died last year of brain cancer, stressed the urgency

San Diego 65

San Diego Blogging Research Product 65

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2016

Redlands-based geographical information systems (GIS) developer Esri has rolled out a new tool, to process and handle imagery from drones. According to Esri, its new Drone2Map software was released into beta, and allows its users to process images from drones for mapping, analysis, and sharing within the company's ArcGIS platform. Esri said the tool is aimed at use in land analysis and infrastructure inspection, plus monitoring events such as natural disasters or environmental changes.

Tool 133

Tool Platform Software Develop 133

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 29, 2016

Avatar to become massive multiplayer game, All Def Digital raises $10 million, Snapchat opens Paris office, and more.

Snapchat 100

Snapchat Report 100

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2016

Some analysts argue that revenue drives growth, while others say user growth drives revenue. Both have worked. Google reached $1B in revenue within five years of incorporation, and now has a market capitalization of over $400B. Twitter showed no focus on revenue in the first five years, but was able to parlay 500M users into a $22B public company, now growing revenue.

Startup 58

Startup Organization Invest Customer 58

Xconomy

JULY 1, 2016

U.S. federal and financial regulators recently advised banks nationwide to assess the strength of their safeguards against cyber fraud. The warning comes after a string of cyber heists and attempted heists against banks around the world, including the $81 million theft from the Bangladesh central bank. These crimes have opened the financial industry’s eyes to a new kind of attack.

Activity 59

Activity Networking High Tech Platform 59

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2016

Los Angeles-based Woven Digital , which develops original video content aimed at the pop culture and millennial male market, has raised $18.5M in a Series B funding. The funding was led by WPP Ventures, along with Institutional Venture Partners and Advancit Capital. The company said the funding will go to scale its coverage of news, sports, and entertainment.

Funding 124

Funding News Entertainment Content 124

Jason Nazar

JULY 1, 2016

Entrepreneurs often lament big companies, but most of us hope we’ll create just that. It’s hard to fully appreciate the complexity of keeping an organization with thousands of employees moving forward. Add in public company demands, lawsuit targets, & millions of customers to continually satisfy, and you have to have great respect for those doing it well.

Entrepreneur 55

Entrepreneur Company Companies Outsource Development 55

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2016

Entrepreneurs need to be effective team leaders, since no one can transform an idea into a product and a business without some help. Unfortunately many founders I work with as a mentor are experts on the technical side, but have no insight into leading a team. But fortunately, team building is a skill that can be learned and practiced, for those willing to put in some effort.

Technical Review 54

Technical Review Development Team Review Startup Activity 54

Xconomy

JULY 1, 2016

The word of the week was “moonshot,” as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s cancer initiative convened a summit in Washington, DC. At the gathering, Biden took verbal shots at scofflaw cancer researchers and at drug prices, while the FDA said it would take a shot at restructuring the way it evaluates oncology products. Gilead Sciences has been a target of drug-price criticism for its hepatitis C treatments, but it dialed back the price of its new one.

Buzzfeed 59

Buzzfeed News Pricing Report 59

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2016

Lake Forest-based implantable, corneal inlay maker ReVision Optics has received FDA approval on the company's Raindrop Near Vision Inlay, the company reported late Wednesday. ReVision Optics' implantable, presbyopia-correcting corneal inlay helps improve the visio of patients, by reshaping the anterior curvature of the cornea. The company said its technology can handle patients with refraction of +1.00 D to -0.50 D.

Report 124

Report Product Help Marketing 124

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 1, 2016

Do you have a great tech company idea but you’re a bit new to entrepreneurship? Working at your company but want to break off to start your own? I’ve been there and I can tell you right now that while it’s great, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. Please don’t get discouraged by these difficulties, starting a business is always hard, but it can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do. 1.

Startup 49

Startup Course Study Research 49

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2016

Santa Monica-based Callfire is teaming up with another company to help power political campaigns and non-profits, the firm said this week. CallFire, which offers up a cloud-based platform for text and voice messaging and APIs, said it has linked up with CFB Strategies , which provides data management services to political campaigns and nonprofits. Financial details of the link were not disclosed.

Santa Monica 124

Santa Monica Platform Help Services 124

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2016

Inphi , the semiconductor developer which has a major part of its operation in Westlake Village, has sold off its Memory Interconnect Business unit to Rambus , the companies said this morning. According to the two, Rambus will pay $90M in cash for the business, acquiring product inventory, customer contracts, supply chain agreements and intellectual property.

Westlake Village 124

Westlake Village Southern California Outsource Development Sales 124

socalTECH

JUNE 28, 2016

Los Angeles-based marketing software developer Bridg , led by Amit Jain, said today that it has scored a win with pizza chain brand Papa Murphy's. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. Bridg said it is helping the pizza chain with its precision marketing efforts. Bridg uses data from point-of-sale systems, loyalty programs, and online ordering systems to help companies better market to and segment their customers, to help increase business from those customers.

Software Development 124

Software Development Custom Customer Los Angeles 124

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2016

San Diego-based Qualcomm said late Sunday that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, has now secure more than 60 manufacturers and 100 design wins, for its solutions for 4G LTE modems in the Internet-of-Things space. Qualcomm said that 60 OEMs are using its Qualcomm Snapdragon X5 LTE model and MDMD9207-1 modems, specificdally for Internet-of-Things (IoT) products.

San Diego 124

San Diego Design Sales Product 124

socalTECH

JULY 1, 2016

Brogan BamBrogan , co-founder and CTO of high flying, Los Angeles transportation startup Hyperloop One , has apparently left the company, in what looks to be a major shakeout at the company. Josh Giegel, the senior Vice President of Engineering at Hyperloop One, is taking over the CTO role. A report from Recode says the move is related the the departure and removal of Chief Legal Officer Afshin Pishevar, who is the brother of co-founder and chairman Shervin Pishevar.

Company 113

Company Companies Los Angeles Report 113

socalTECH

JULY 1, 2016

Carlsbad-based MaxLinear announced late Friday that it has completed its acquisition of Irvine-based Broadcom's wireless infrastructure backhaul business. The deal was worth $80M in cash, and had been announced earlier in the year. The company said the acquisition will help it expand into the wireless infrastructure market. MaxLinear is a provider of radio frequency and mixed signal integrated circuits, used across a wide range of communications markets.

Acquisition 113

Acquisition Marketing Help Company 113