Both Sides of the Table
JANUARY 3, 2016
In the VC insider baseball world a discussion has gone on about “VC platforms” over the past 5 or so years. While firms define platforms differently, let’s just say they are the services that a VC offers outside of investment capital and partner time on boards or providing intros. Examples of VC platform services include: recruiting, marketing, design support, inside sales reps, consulting, accounting services and so forth.
socalTECH
JANUARY 4, 2016
Over the last week or so, we've featured the reflections of our readers on 2015 and what it has meant for Southern California's technology industry. Our last contribution comes from Hamet Watt , a venture capitalist at Upfront Ventures (www.upfront.com). What was the biggest news for you or your firm this year? Hamet Watt: Upfront Ventures raised a brand-new $300 million fund, Upfront V.
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Berkonomics
JANUARY 7, 2016
There is so much information being shot at us daily via social media streams that we should monitor and control that which pertains to our business – and do so with some level of expertise. There are tools to inform you when your company name or personal name is mentioned. Google Alerts can be set for any parameter and then be set to deliver your results daily or more often using Google.com/alerts.
InfoChachkie
JANUARY 4, 2016
A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. It was a decade ago that I led the sale of Expertcity (creator of GoToMeeting) to Citrix. During the early 2000’s, my team grew the company to one of the largest SaaS businesses of its day, with sales of $70 million. In November of 2015, Citrix announced that it will spin out the “GoTo” Division, of which GoToMeeting remains the flagship product, as a standalone public company.
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.
Startup Professionals Musings
JANUARY 6, 2016
Everyone recognizes a great leader when they work with one, but most leaders don’t know what to look for in themselves that will drive that perception by others. In my experience, there is no magic gene involved, just simple good habits executed consistently and convincingly until everyone around you wants to follow your example. This leading by example is easy to say, but not so easy to put into action.
socalTECH
JANUARY 4, 2016
Auto maker Toyota , which is headquartered in Torrance, says this morning that it is announcing how it plans to leverage artificial intelligence research in its next generation vehicles. Toyota, which has not yet revealed the details of the announcement, said the effort comes out of the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), a research and development enterprise focused on artificial intelligence for automobiles, robotics, and scientific discovery.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Both Sides of the Table
JANUARY 5, 2016
Spoiler alert: MCNs don’t exist. They are a figure of your imagination. 20 months ago we sold Maker Studios to Disney for $500 million in cash plus a large earn out. From the day after we sold the company until today I felt it was important that I not comment too much publicly about online video even though I continued to work actively in the sector and made five more investments.
Startup Professionals Musings
JANUARY 8, 2016
Most entrepreneurs, and members of any small team, naively assume that the key to their success is hard work, dedication, and long hours in the business. In reality, their effectiveness is usually more related to how well they develop their work relationships with peers and business leaders. First they need to decipher correctly every relationship as a workship, friendship, or foe.
socalTECH
JANUARY 7, 2016
San Diego-based Emotient , a developer of facial expression recognition software, has been acquired by Apple , Apple disclosed on Thursday. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Emotient, which was backed by Handbag and Intel Capital, had developed applications for Google Glass and other platforms to be able to tell what a person was feeling based on their facial expression.
Tech Zulu Event
JANUARY 4, 2016
Staying on top of the newest innovations in the healthcare field can be extremely time-consuming. As a professional in the field, your free time is a valuable commodity in scarce supply. So to help you stay current on trends, we have researched the latest developments in healthcare for the biggest changes you can expect to see in the upcoming year. Here are our five predictions for the most important healthcare trends in 2016.
Both Sides of the Table
JANUARY 2, 2016
What drives economic inequality in the US? Should we be concerned about the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few at the expense of the many? I am not writing about this out of the blue – this seems to be the topic of the day in my social stream based on blogs written, retweets rendered and attaboys handed out. I found the conversation a bit disconcerting.
Startup Professionals Musings
JANUARY 2, 2016
Let’s face reality -- no one can satisfy all the people all the time. In business, this means an entrepreneur who never says no to any customer is doomed to a hard life and some expensive mistakes. Many people will argue that total customer satisfaction is paramount, but I’m a pragmatist who believes that treating everyone the same really means treating all of them poorly.
socalTECH
JANUARY 7, 2016
Venice-based Gem , the blockchain security and technology developer led by Micah Winkelspecht, said Wednesday that it has raised $7.1M in its Series A funding. The funding was led by Pelion Venture Partners, and also included KEC Ventures, Blockchain Capital, Digital Currency Group, RRE Ventures and others. Ben Dahl, who led the investment for Pelion Venture Partners, joins the company's board with the funding round, as does Scott Kriz of Bitium.
Tech Zulu Event
JANUARY 5, 2016
It’s time to make your house work for you. The phrase “home automation” can seem daunting, but you can embrace these new technologies to create a home that heats, cools, lights and secures its residents more efficiently. Don’t let jargon and misconceptions about smart homes scare you off! Today, the products that power a smart home are light years away from the myths that surrounded them when they debuted.
socalTECH
JANUARY 7, 2016
Thousand Oaks-based biotech giant Amgen is the a new investor in a round for Alector , a developer of immuno-modulatory therapies for Alzheimer's disease and other neurogenerative disorders, which announced a $29.5M funding today. Alector said that its Series D funding was led by Dementia Discovery Fund, and also included new investor Amgen Ventures and AbbVie, along with prior investors Merck Research Lab Ventures, OrbiMed, Polaris Partners, GV (formerly Google Ventures), Topspin Partners and M
socalTECH
JANUARY 8, 2016
Los Angeles-based Bruin Biometrics , a developer of a hand-held medical devices for detecting early-stage pressure ulcers, said this morning that it has raised $9M in a funding round. Names of the investors were not announced by the company. Bruin Biometrics said it will use the funding to accelerate commercialization of its product, which is currently available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
socalTECH
JANUARY 7, 2016
Carlsbad-based Source Intelligence , a provider of supply chain compliance services and data, has raised $17.5M in an investment round, according to the company. The funding came from Kayne Partners. Source Intelligence said the funding goes to growing its network and advancing its platform. Source Intelligence helps its users, including many Fortune 500 companies, track supply chain compliance, particularly in the areas of conflict minerals, restricted chemicals, and similar areas.
socalTECH
JANUARY 6, 2016
Los Angeles-based audio advertising provider Triton Digital has rolled out a new product specifically aimed at podcasting proviers, the company said Tuesday. According to Triton, its new Tap Podcast product is a version of its advertising platform, which specifically helps podcast publishers insert ads into their audio stream. Triton said the new tool allows podcast publishers to add pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll audio ads into their podast episodes or audio files.
socalTECH
JANUARY 4, 2016
Gil Elbaz , the founder of Los Angeles-based data startup Factual , is one of the backers of a developer of lab management software for the research, biotech, and pharma industry today. Palo Alto-based Quartzy said this morning that it raised $17M in a Series B funding, which Elbaz and other angels including Jeremy Stoppelman, Justin Caldbeck, and Tikhon Bernstram, in a round which was led by Emergence Capital and included Khosla Ventures and YC Continuity Fund.
socalTECH
JANUARY 8, 2016
Irvine-based heart valve developer JenaValve said Thursday that it has named a new executive, appointing Janet M. Fauls as the company's new Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. Fauls was most recently Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs for Endologix. JenaValve is venture backed by Atlas Venture, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners, Gimv, Legend Capital, NeoMed Management, Omega Funds, RMM, Sunstone Capital, Valiance and VI Partners.
socalTECH
JANUARY 8, 2016
San Diego-based Illumina has filed two patent infringement suits in Europe, against five different companies, asserting patent infringement of it patents covering the use of cell-free fetal DNA for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). The companies in the two suits include The Doctors Laboratory Ltd , TDL Genetics Ltd , and Ariosa Diagnostics, Inc. in a suit filed in the United Kingdom; and Centrum Badań Sp z o.o. and Medgenetix Sp z o.o. in a patent infringement suit filed in Poland.
socalTECH
JANUARY 8, 2016
San Diego-based renewable energy developer EDF Renewable Energy says one of its wind energy projects, the Slate Creek Wind Project in Kansas, has reached commercial operation. According to EDF, the 150 megawatt project, 50 miles south of Wichita, reached commercial operation on December 29th. The power from the project is being sold to Great Plains Energy.
socalTECH
JANUARY 8, 2016
Santa Ana-based Irvine Scientific , a manufacturer of cell culture media, reagents, and medical devices, said Thursday that it acquired BioCare Europe S.r.l. BioCare is a distributor of in vitro fertilization media, medical devices, and related equipment. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced by the companies. READ MORE>>.
socalTECH
JANUARY 7, 2016
The Techstars Health Accelerator recently set up shop in Los Angeles with Cedars- Sinai�the second, Techstars powered startup accelerator in the city--in a move to help healthcare startups get to market quicker. We caught up with Omkar Kulkarni , Director of the new accelerator, to hear more about what the accelerator is looking for, and how it hopes to help promising startups.
socalTECH
JANUARY 7, 2016
RASRx , a biopharmaceuticals startup developing an oral therapy to treat muscle degeneration, has scored funding from venture philanthropy company CureDuchenne Ventures , CureDuchenne Ventures announced Tuesday. Size of the funding was not announced. CureDuchenne funds research into finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disease that causes muscles to degenerate.
socalTECH
JANUARY 7, 2016
A new company, J5 Infrastructure Partners , has launched in Orange County, after the acquisition of two companies by private equity investor Ridgemont Equity Partners. Ridgemont said it purchase two, telecommunications infrastructure companies-- Coretel Inc. and TowerCom Technologies LLC , to form Irvine-based J5 Infrastructure Partners. The new company, led by Jerrry Elliott, will provide acquisition, leasing, permitting, zoning, structural engineering, utility coordination and equipment instal
socalTECH
JANUARY 6, 2016
San Diego-based medical device maker NuVasive said late Monday that it is acquiring Aliso Viejo-based skeletal deformity treatment provider Ellipse Technologies , in a deal worth $380M in cash plus up to $30M in earn out. Ellipse provides it products for the pediatric deformity and orthopedic markets. NuVasive said the acquisition is a complement to its existing line for treating adult degenerative and deformity spinal conditions.
socalTECH
JANUARY 6, 2016
Huntington Beach-based olloclip , which designs add-on lenses and photography accessories for the iPhone, has launched a new protective case which features a whole series of accessories for photography. olloclip's new Studio --which works for the iPhone 6/6s or 6/6s Plus--includes a protective case which connects into a finger grip, mounts for attaching to tripods, cold-shoe adapters, a stand attachment, and more. olloclip is led and was founded by Patrick O'Neill.
socalTECH
JANUARY 6, 2016
Ontario, California-based drone maker Yuneec said at CES Monday that it has launched a new drone, the Typhoon H , a $1799 drone with six rotors and 4K, gimbal-mounted video camera. Yuneec said the new drone is aimed at consumers, offering up high end-professional features but at a consumer price. The Typhoon H also includes a retractable landing gear for better video shots.
socalTECH
JANUARY 5, 2016
San Diego-based Halozyme Therapeutics , the publicly held cancer therapeutics developer, has entered into a $150M credit agreement, the company said this morning. The debt funding comes from Pharmakon Advisors and Athyrium Capital Management. Halozyme said the credit line is secured by future royalties of its ENHANZE products, which are coming from deals with Roche and Baxalta.
socalTECH
JANUARY 5, 2016
San Diego-based Glysens , a developer of continuous glucose monitoring systems, has picked up $20M in a Series D financing round. According to GlySens, the new round ccame from its prior investors from its Series C funding, plus additional new investors. Names of those investors were not announced by the company. GlySens develops a wireless, glucose monitoring system for individuals with diabetes, which includes a batter that lasts for a year.
socalTECH
JANUARY 5, 2016
Irvine-based Greenwave Systems , a developer of a platform used for managing Internet--Things systems, router, video, and wireless products, said today that it has raised $60M in funding. The funding included $45M in a Series C equity funding, and $15M in mezzanine debt. The $45M equity funding was led by EDBI and Singapore Technologies Telemedia, along with The Westly Group and E.ON.
socalTECH
JANUARY 5, 2016
Los Angeles-based NantWorks , and its subsidiary, NantHealth , said this morning that they have acquired NaviNet , a healthcare technology company providing payer-provider collaboration software. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. NantWorks called the acquisition its "most significant acquisition to date", and said that the deal was backed by NantVentures, its private equity arm.
socalTECH
JANUARY 5, 2016
Stealthy, Los Angeles-based electric vehicle startup Faraday Future has unveiled its first "concept car" to the public this morning, showing off what it calls the FFZERO1 CONCEPT at CES. The vehicle--think "Batmobile"--is a race car that Faraday Future said it will use to use as a test bed for its future vehicles. The FFZERO1 has more than 1,000 horsepower and a top speed of 200 MPH, and goes from 0-60 in less than 3 seconds, acccording to Faraday Future.
socalTECH
JANUARY 5, 2016
The Techstars Healthcare Accelerator , the new startup accelerator in Los Angeles which is being run by Cedars-Sinai and Techstars, said its deadline for applications closes this Friday, January 8th. The accelerator--the second for Techstars in Los Angeles--is aimed at healthcare-based startups looking to "transsform healthcare delivery". The accelerator said companies in the program will be announced in early March, and the three month program will kick off in April.
socalTECH
JANUARY 5, 2016
Westlake Village-based Qualstar , the manufacturer of tape drives and high efficiency power supplies, has received a warning from the NASDAQ over its bid price. According to Qualstar, it received the latter on December 29th from the NASDAQ, a Notice of Bid Price Deficiency--a result of the company's stock trading below $1.00 per share. The company says it has 180 calendar days to regain compliance with the minimum price requirement before facing further action.
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