Sat.Oct 04, 2014 - Fri.Oct 10, 2014

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What is the Definition of a Seed Round or an A Round?

Both Sides of the Table

'Marc Andreessen kicked off another great debate on Twitter last night , one that I’ve been talking about incessantly in private circles for the past 2-3 years – what actually IS the definition of a seed vs. A-round. This is something I think entrepreneurs don’t totally understand and it’s worthwhile they do. My view: “Spending any time or energy trying to game the ‘definition’ of your round of fund raising is a total waste.

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Chick Launcher Names Finalists

socalTECH

'Chick Launcher , the local effort to help bolster women led startups, has named the five finalists for its Fast Pitch Competition, the group said this week. Chick Launcher--which is awarding $10,000 in cash, and $48,000 in professional services as part of its competition--said that Double Helix LLC , led by Leslie Kimerling; HopSkipDrive , led by Joanna McFarland; I Heart Savvy , led by Bridie Lee; PodShare , led by Elvina Beck; and Repurpose , led by Lauren Gropper, are the five finalists up f

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Two very powerful words: Great job!

Berkonomics

'The best managers we all know are the ones who take the time to praise good work in public, before an employee’s peers. Most of us have a monthly award for the top person in a group of employees. And if we are big enough to formalize the process in a regular meeting, we make it a regular part of that meeting. If you haven’t already discovered this fact, such a process quickly becomes routine and predicable.

Email 166
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How To Build A Business Where Everyone Thrives

Startup Professionals Musings

'As an entrepreneur, it’s never too early to set the culture you need for a thriving business, as well as thriving employees, customers, partners, and vendors. In fact, in my experience, cultures are very hard to change, so if you don’t get it right the first time, the road ahead will forever be difficult. “The Art of War” culture as an analogy for business just doesn’t work anymore.

Training 108
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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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Why Has LA Suddenly Gotten So Much Attention from VCs and Entrepreneurs?

Both Sides of the Table

'An abbreviated version of this post appeared yesterday on TechCrunch. If you want the full SlideShare deck with many slides not in either post it’s in this link –> The LA Tech Market. “There’s something going on in LA.” It’s the most common refrain I hear from investors and even entrepreneurs these days. I hear it right after people have decided to come by for a few days to “check out what all the fuss is about.” I hear it when I visit LPs (th

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President Obama To Visit Cross Campus Today

socalTECH

'In a sign of how far and wide the growth of Southern California''s high tech industry has traveled, it appears that President Barack Obama will be speaking at Santa Monica''s Cross Campus on Thursday--in the heart of Silicon Beach. According to the White House, President Obama will be visiting Los Angeles starting on Thursday afternoon, with plans to visit the coworking space sometime before attending a political fundraiser at the home of Gwyneth Paltrow.

More Trending

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Investors Measure Entrepreneurs By Cashflow Mileage

Startup Professionals Musings

'Cashflow is a basic survival metric for every startup. Investors check your burn rate to assess your efficiency, and project your remaining runway before you run out of money and into a brick wall. Don’t wait until you are almost out of cash before managing every dollar spent, or looking for the next refueling from investors. Desperate entrepreneurs lose their leverage and die young.

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Three Words Entrepreneurs (and VC’s) Should Take to Heart

Both Sides of the Table

'Note: this is a non-religious post. This weekend was Yom Kippur, holiest of the Jewish holidays and the day of atonement. It’s also the day when most Jewish minds are least focused since one needs to fast for 24 hours. I sat in schul listening to the rabbi’s sermon and given my mind is prone to ADD anyways I must admit that my consciousness often floats around the room but even more so on Yom Kippur.

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Bluebeam Software Acquired For $100M

socalTECH

'Pasadena-based software developer Bluebeam Software has been acquired by German software company Nemetschek AG , the two said late Friday. According to the two, Nemetschek will pay $100M for BlueBeam, which is a developer of PDF software used for architecture, engineering, and construction. Bluebeam Software was led by Richard Lee. Nemetschek said the deal will help it reinforce its market presence in North America, and will expand Bluebeam''s access to European and Asian markets.

Software 228
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TinTag | A Simple Tracking Device

Tech Zulu Event

'I’m normally an organized person, but sometimes I can be a bit forgetful. For example, my keys become invisible when I most need it and my phone tends to hide in crevices I never knew existed in my home. I can’t always keep track of all the little things, but a simple solution may help my memory now. Tintag created a simple Bluetooth device to help me (and others) to keep track of our valuables.

Press 97
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Check Your Motivation For The Entrepreneur Lifestyle

Startup Professionals Musings

'As a startup advisor, I see many aspiring entrepreneurs whose primary motivation seems to be to work part time, or get rich quick, or avoid anyone else telling them what to do. Let me assure you, from personal experience, and from helping many successful as well as struggling entrepreneurs, that starting a business is hard work, and doesn’t come with any of the benefits mentioned.

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Startups Must Embrace Their Unfair Rookie Advantage

InfoChachkie

'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Note: This is the second installment in the Startup Advantage series. Other installments include: Startups Should Avoid Dropping Trou. There are a number of disadvantages to being a rookie, irrespective of the profession. Rookies must learn on the job, having few relevant experiences they can draw upon to resolve the daily workplace challenges.

Startup 233
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Raw Science Takes On Science, Tech Video

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Raw Science , a new startup in the content area, said that it has launched a new online network aimed at content in the areas of science and technology. The startup said it is offering up on-demand videos, pay-per-view films, news, and original programming specifically focused on scientific discoveries and technological achievements.

Hollywood 210
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Clinton Global Initiative | Announcing Commitments of World Leaders

Tech Zulu Event

'This year marked the 10th anniversary of the annual Clinton Global Initiative founded by former president, Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. The event, held in New York City, gathered in a plethora of world leaders, corporate executives and philanthropists. This year’s theme is “Re-imagining Impact,” which Hillary Clinton suggests, “requires leaders who will re-imagine and who will be unafraid to do so and ask themselves, beginning with themsel

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Founders Finding Funding From Friends May Be Fools

Startup Professionals Musings

'In their passion to succeed, too many entrepreneurs treat friends and family investments as “low-hanging” fruit, only to find out later, after a stumble, that the pain of lost relationships is greater than the loss of their beloved startup. Other entrepreneurs never start their adventure, because they can’t face the prospect of even approaching friends and family for an investment kick-start.

Funding 101
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Obama Set To Take Stage At Cross Campus

socalTECH

'In his first official visit to Southern California''s "Silicon Beach", President Obama is set to speak soon from Santa Monica-based Cross Campus coworking space. The White House is live streaming Obama''s visit at Cross Campus this afternoon. According to the White House, Obama will deliver remarks and answer questions about the important economic progress the country has made and how one generation in particular - Millennials - who will shape our economy for decades to come.

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BeLinked: How Professional Networking Can Improve Your Dating Life

socalTECH

'What do you get when you cross Tinder with LinkedIn? You get something like BeLinked (www.belinkedapp.com), a dating app which uses--you guessed it--the business centric profiles of LinkedIn to match you with potential dates. We spoke with Max Fischer , CEO of the company, to learn more about how he came up with crossing the business worlds of LinkedIn with the popular world of swipe right, swipe left dating apps.

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Insights: Attracting Tech Talent to SoCal: It's Not as Hard as You Think

socalTECH

'Think it''s tough to attract talent from the Bay Area to Southern California? For our Insights and Opinions section, executive recruiter Eric Larsen gives some hints on tips on how he attracts candidates to relocate here to Southern California. The greater Los Angeles area is on a phenomenal roll in terms of movement in the tech space. We''re seeing more and more public offerings; exciting activity in the music, media and entertainment space; an expanding pool of tech talent; and, more recently

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BloomNation.com Gets $5.55M For Local Flower Delivery

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based BloomNation.com , the online floral arrangement marketplace headed by Farbod Shoraka, has raised $5.5M in a funding round, the company said this morning. The funding came from Ron Conway, Andreessen Horowitz, Spark Capital, and Chicago Ventures. BloomNation lets floral designers post their designs online, and then connects customers with those designers, avoiding the cookie-cutter designs currently found on floral broker sites like FTD, 1-800-Flowers, and Teleflora.

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Snapchat Planning First Ads

socalTECH

'Venice, California-based messaging app developer Snapchat is planning to roll out its first advertising effort soon, according to CEO Evan Spiegel, who said this week at the Vanity Fair New Establishment summit. Spiegel disclosed the company''s plans in a conversation on stage with Michael Bloomberg and Katie Couric. The new ads apparently will first appear around the companies "Stories" product.

Snapchat 174
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Slacker Launches Ringtone Service For Verizon Wireless

socalTECH

'San Diego-based music streaming service Slacker said Thursday that it has rolled out a new ringtone service for customers of Verizon Wireless, with a service called Slacker Radio Tones. According to Slacker, the new service lets users customize their phone with music from an "immense" library of songs and its radio stations, at a cost of $2.00 per month.

Services 166
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Alteryx Raises $60M

socalTECH

'Irvine-based Alteryx , a developer of data analytics software, said this morning that it has raised $60M in a new investment round. THe funding said the round was led by Insight Venture Partners, and also included SAP Ventures and Toba Capital. Alteryx is led by Dean Stoecker, and provides its software to the enterprise and mid market. Alteryx said it will use the funding to expand its go to market efforts.

Software 166
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Snapchat Sees Massive Image Leak, Blames Third Party Apps

socalTECH

'Venice-based Snapchat is facing another big crisis Friday, as word spread that at least 100,000 compromising, Snapchat photos and videos have been leaked to online hacking sites. Snapchat--in a message to its Twitter followers--blamed the use of third party apps for sending and receiving snaps, which it said violate its terms of use policy. The company said that Snapchat''s servers "were never breached and were not the source of these leaks.

Snapchat 164
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Myspace Ties With Vevo, Enhances Mobile Support

socalTECH

'Irvine-based Myspace , now an online site focused on music and musicians, said Wednesday that it has linked up with Vevo in a new music distribution partnership, and also enhanced its mobile support. According to Myspace and Vevo, the deal brings Vevo''s music videos, live concert events, and original shows to Myspace''s website and apps. Financial details of that new partnership were not announced.

Mobile 164
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Crowdfunder Raises $3.5M

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based crowdfunding site Crowdfunder.com , the equity crowdfunding site led by Chance Barnett, has raised $3.5M in a Series A funding, the company said late Tuesday evening. The funding came from Tim Draper (DFJ), Bill Quigley (Clearstone, Crypto Currency Partners), Bridge 37 Ventures, Ideas & Capital Venture Capital, Maura O''Neill, Capital Nuts, Marcus Segal (Zynga), Mark Rampolla (ZICO Coconut Water), David Wilner (Windriver Systems), and others.

Draper 159
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Breakout Gaming Antes Up To Cryptocurrency Game

socalTECH

'Breakout Gaming , which has operations in Los Angeles but has its headquarters in Costa Rica, said Tuesday that it plans to launch a new cryptocurrency it calls Breakout Coin (BRO). The company said it is aiming the new currency specifically at the gaming space. The company said it will begin trading its own currency for Bitcoin beginning later this month, and also has been focused on sponsoring its own World Series of Poker team.

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socalTECH: Nominations Close For The socalTECH 50 Tomorrow!

socalTECH

'Reminder: Tomorrow is the last day for nominations for the socalTECH 50, our annual list of the top 50, up-and-coming individuals in Southern California''s technology! We''re looking to identify the individuals here in the technology industry, across all sectors, who are most likely to create the next big thing, produce the next big exit or to influence the industry in a significant way.

SoCalTech 153
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Avidity NanoMedicines Raises $6M

socalTECH

'La Jolla-based Avidity NanoMedicines , which is developing nanoparticle technology aimed at the drug development area, has raised $6M in a convertible note financing. The company said the round was co-led by Fidelity Biosciences and TPG Biotech, and also included Brace Pharmaceuticals, Partner Fund Management LP and Alethea Capital Management. TPG''s Ben Auspitz and Eran Nadav both join the company''s board as observors.

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Yahoo Planning Big Investment In Snapchat, Says Report

socalTECH

'Yahoo is planning a big investment in Venice-based Snapchat , in a deal that values Snapchat at $10 billion, according to a report over the weekend. The WSJ reports that Yahoo is investing around $20M in Snapchat at the lofty valuation, using money it cashed out of the IPO of Alibaba. Neither company has confirmed any details of the deal. READ MORE>>.

Yahoo 153
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UCSB Professor Wins Nobel Prize In Physics

socalTECH

'UC Santa Barbara professor Shuji Nakamura --the inventor of the blue LED--is one of the joint winners of this year''s Nobel Prize in Physics , the Nobel Foundation Rights Association announced Tuesday evening. Shuji Nakamura, Isamu Akasaki, and Hiroshi Amano--who co-invented the blue light emitting diode--were jointly awarded the prize for having invented a new energy-efficient and environment-friendly light source.

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Mandalay Digital Group Buys App Discovery Engine Developer Xyo

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Mandalay Digital said today that it has acquired the mobile app discovery engine from Xyo. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Xyo develops an app search engine and contextual advertising technology used by mobile operators, including Verizon, Voadafone Australia, Deutsche Telekom Europe, and T-Mobile USA. Mandalay Digital said that Xyo co-founders Zoe Adamovicz and Marcin Rudolf will join its Digital Turbine team.

Develop 147
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HireRight Aims At Uber, Airbnb, Others With New Product

socalTECH

'Are you a new startup looking to tap into the "sharing economy", ala Uber or Airbnb? Irvine-based background check services provider HireRight is hoping to smooth the way for peer-to-peer marketplaces with a brand new product, aimed specifically at helping those companies to screen people in their marketplaces. According to HireRight, its new "Sharing Economy Pratice" will provide technology-enabled, background screening services to sharing economy marketplaces, specifically to help those compa

Screening 147
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Cornerstone OnDemand Buys Evolv

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based Cornerstone OnDemand said Tuesday afternoon that it has agreed to acquire Evolv , a machine learning and data science company based in San Francisco. Cornerstone will pay approximately $42.5M in cash, plus assume up to 2.0M in debt and issue Evolv''s employees up to 200,000 shares of its common stock. According to Cornerstone OnDemand, it will use the buy to bolster its big data analytics and machine learning efforts.

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DogVacay Tops 1 Million Nights, Snags New CFO

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based online dog sitting marketplace DogVacay said this morning that it has just topped 1,000,000 nights booked through the service, since its launch in 2012. The startup--which is led by Aaron Hirschorn--also disclosed this morning that it has hired former Bonobos CFO Bryan Wolff to run its financial operations. Wolff also has been at McKinsey, AllianceBernstein and Luxor Capital.

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Teledyne Wins $9.9M Contract

socalTECH

'Thousand Oaks-based Teledyne Technologies , which develops electronics instrumentation, digital imaging products, aerospace, defense, systems, and a wide range of other products and services, reported Thursday that it has scored a $9.9M contract from the U.S. Navy. According to the company, the contract comes from the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) for measurement devices used to monitor temperature and salinity at different depths of the ocean.

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Donuts Names New Marketing Chief

socalTECH

'Donuts Inc. , the generic, top-level domain registrar which has offices and operations in Los Angeles, said this week that it has named Jeffrey Davidoff--the former CMO of Orbitz Worldwide--as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Davidoff was most recently CMO at ONE, the group which campaigns against extreme poverty and preventable disease. He also served at Whirpool Corporation and marketing firm UPSHOT.

Marketing 138