Both Sides of the Table
MARCH 5, 2020
I am due to speak at the SaaStr conference next week: Wednesday, March 11th at 10:45 AM. I had originally signed up to talk about the “VC Market Trends” overall but it seemed inauthentic to speak about VC funding without addressing the virus in the room. So I wrote a brand new deck outlining some Upfront views on what we may see in the funding markets ahead.
TechCrunch LA
MARCH 6, 2020
Chinese gaming giant Beijing Kunlun has agreed to sell popular gay dating app Grindr for about $608 million, ending a tumultuous four years under Chinese ownership. Reuters reports that the Chinese company sold its 98% stake in Grindr to a U.S.-based company, San Vicente Acquisition Partners. The app, originally developed in Los Angeles, raised national security concerns after it was acquired by Beijing Kunlun in 2016 for $93 million.
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L.A. Business Journal
MARCH 2, 2020
Southern California’s demand for electric vehicle industry skilled workers will continue to grow, further pushing up salaries and filling local training classrooms, according to a new report.
Berkonomics
MARCH 5, 2020
Why five risks? In the creation of a young company, there are five principal risks to be addressed by the entrepreneur. Professional investors will probe these five risk areas and make the decision to invest based upon comfort with each. So, it is important for the entrepreneur to identify, address and mitigate each of these in order to increase valuation and decrease the risk of ultimate loss of the business.
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.
socalTECH
MARCH 2, 2020
For today's interview, with talked with David A. Smith , the founder of Croquet (www.croquet.io), a new Los Angeles startup which actually has its roots at the very beginning of the modern computing era. Croquet is developing software for collaborative applications, which has applications in virtual worlds and augmented and virtual reality. Croquet has a fascinating history in that its roots actually came out of the Xerox Altothe very first computer created to support graphical user interfaces,
TechCrunch LA
MARCH 3, 2020
NASA and a clutch of startup and established companies are moving forward with plans to transform mobility in urban environments through the Urban Air Mobility Grand Challenge. If it’s fully implemented, the new Urban Air Mobility system could enable air transit for things like package delivery, taxi services, expanded air medical services, and cargo delivery to underserved or rural communities, the Agency said in a statement.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 4, 2020
Business success is all about having the best team, yet the average entrepreneur has little prior experience with hiring people and building top-notch teams. It’s no wonder that 45 percent of startups fail in the first five years, and an even smaller percentage ever see a return for their years of effort. Most new entrepreneurs assume their passion will attract and motivate the right team members.
socalTECH
MARCH 2, 2020
Fountain Valley-based HyperX , the gaming division of Kingston Technology , says it has released two new gaming keyboards, the HyperX Alloy Origins and Alloy Origins Core keyboards. According to the company, the new mechanical keyboards feature a new switch, the "HyperX Aqua". The keyboards also include RGB exposed backlit keys, which are popular with gamers.
TechCrunch LA
MARCH 5, 2020
The Scoot Moped — an electric moped born out of Bird’s acquisition of Scoot — will launch in Austin five months after unveiling the shared micromobility vehicle. The new moped is the latest effort by Bird to diversify its product offerings to capture more customers. The Scoot Mopeds, which are now available on the Bird app, feature large-volume tires, hydraulic disc brakes, two side mirrors, an LCD display for vehicle speed information, as well as two sizes of helmets, which are stored in
L.A. Business Journal
MARCH 6, 2020
Pasadena-based engineering and consulting firm Tetra Tech Inc. is transforming itself into a technical services firm for federal government agencies.
Tech.Co
MARCH 5, 2020
In June 2019, banking start-up Monzo announced its plans to launch in the US. The UK finance company has garnered a lot of attention, both online and in real life, thanks to its distinctive coral-colored cards, and its intention to make the banking process easier. But what is Monzo, exactly? And what do its plans to grow its offering in the US look like, and potentially mean, for US consumers?
socalTECH
MARCH 5, 2020
In a sign that the technology industry, and Silicon Valley, cannot ignore the ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, a private school--Menlo School--which is mere steps away from Sand Hill Road and Stanford, has been closed , after one of its staff members reportedly had contact with a positive case of the coronavirus, according to local Bay Area reports.
TechCrunch LA
MARCH 3, 2020
It turns out the virtual and augmented reality companies aren’t dead — as long as they focus on the enterprise. That’s what the Los Angeles-based extended reality technology developer Talespin did — and it just raised $15 million to grow its business. . Traditional venture capitalists may have made it rain on expensive Hollywood studios that were promising virtual reality would be the future of entertainment and social networking (given coronavirus fears, it may yet be),
L.A. Business Journal
MARCH 6, 2020
Speculation is mounting that Century City-based engineering and infrastructure giant AECOM may be acquired by rival WSP Global Inc.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 2, 2020
One thing I have learned the hard way in business is that implementing new ideas is usually much more difficult than conceiving the idea in the first place. That’s why I caution my aspiring entrepreneur clients against proclaiming to investors that they are a great “idea” person. The bridge from thinking and talking, to doing, is a long and difficult one for many to get over.
socalTECH
MARCH 5, 2020
Irvine-based Ingram Micro , the technology services and products giant, said on Wednesday that it has postponed its big event, the Cloud Summit , to next year, sometime in early 2021. According to the company, it has been "closely monitoring" the situation around the outbreak of the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), and decided that it would postpone the summit in an "abundance of caution", saying the health and well-being of all of its attendees and exhibitors was its top priority.
Xconomy
MARCH 5, 2020
A 20-patient Phase 1 study of an RNA drug discovered by Ionis Pharmaceuticals that is being tested as a treatment for Huntington’s disease by Roche was suspended after two reports of infections related to a device used to take samples of cerebral spinal fluid during the trial. The suspension doesn’t appear to be related to the drug, tominersen, and no other trials of the investigational treatment were impacted—including an ongoing global Phase 3 study due to read out in 2022.
L.A. Business Journal
MARCH 6, 2020
Welcome Technologies, a Brentwood-based software technology company, raised an additional $8 million in institutional funding.
Startup Professionals Musings
MARCH 6, 2020
In my work with you as an entrepreneur or small business owner, I find that most understand the need try out new business models and product innovations, but trust their intuition rather than running a disciplined business experiment first. The result is that you often take a big financial hit, and lose key customers, before you realize that the change didn’t work.
socalTECH
MARCH 5, 2020
Camarillo-based analog and mixed signal semiconductor developer Semtech says it has linked with peer-to-peer wireless network operator Helium , to develops a nationwide network supporting its LoRaWAN protocol. According to the companies, Helium's network is now fully compatible with the LoRaWAN protocol, which will allow "hundreds of millions" of LoRa-based devices to connect nationwide.
Xconomy
MARCH 3, 2020
The nomination period for the 2020 National Xconomy Awards is now open. The awards are open to individuals, companies, and organizations working across the life sciences in the United States, and feature leaders in the biotech industry, medicine, academia, digital health, and healthcare. The deadline for nominations is Friday, April 3 at 5 p.m. PT. Submit yours today.
Southern California Edison Blog
MARCH 2, 2020
Government agencies send sensitive data via their networks on a daily basis to perform tasks including conducting surveillance, transferring military communications, and providing municipal broadband. The wrong network setup can spell disaster in the event of a malicious attack or data leak. Government organizations require reliable networks to prevent downtimes which can have lasting impacts on jobs, citizens, and the economy.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 29, 2020
In my role as an angel investor to startups, I’m struck by the broad variety of advisor strategies I see in investor presentations and business plans that cross my desk. Some entrepreneurs are “lone rangers,” never mentioning any outside guidance, while others tout dozens of advisors. In my experience, both of these approaches will likely have minimal value for your venture.
socalTECH
MARCH 4, 2020
Orange, California-based Alignment Healthcare , which develops technology used for population health management around Medicare Advantage, has raised $135M in a Series C funding round, the company said on Wednesday. Alignment Healthcare said the funding came from Fidelity Investments, T. Rowe Price and Durable Capital Partners. Alignment Healthcare says it has now raised a total of $375M in total.
Xconomy
MARCH 2, 2020
With one investigational cancer drug in Phase 1 testing and a second one approaching the clinic, ORIC Pharmaceuticals is looking to tap the public markets for funds to finance that research. The company, which has set a preliminary target of about $86 million for its initial public offering, is looking to list on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker symbol “ORIC,” according to documents filed with securities regulators late Friday.
Startup San Diego
FEBRUARY 29, 2020
We sat down with Chef Angela, owner of Amore Kitchen. Learn more about the challenges she's faced as she went from school teacher to business owner. The post Amore Kitchen appeared first on Startup San Diego.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 29, 2020
One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. They don’t realize that according to many experts , more than 90 percent of satisfied entrepreneurs use bootstrapping, since other people’s money always comes with strings, most of them negative.
socalTECH
MARCH 4, 2020
The Walt Disney Company has opened up applications for its startup accelerator, the 2020 Disney Accelerator , saying that applications are due by April 3rd to apply for its three month mentorship program. According to Disney, it will select ten "growth-stage" startups to participate in its program, connecting them with Disney's leadership team and other mentorship.
Xconomy
MARCH 6, 2020
Last month, Gilead Sciences CEO Daniel O’Day announced plans to introduce 10 “transformative medicines” over the next 10 years. Acquisitions would help meet that ambitious goal, and this week Gilead announced one of them: a nearly $5 billion deal for cancer immunotherapy developer Forty Seven. Forty Seven’s lead CD47-blocking drug—the company is named after the signaling molecule— is being tested in combination with chemotherapy as a treatment for blood cancers, although O̵
AllTopStartups
MARCH 5, 2020
If you have an idea for a business, you should work on it and see how far it takes you. However, the number one reason why so many entrepreneurs give… The post Four Types of Loans Available For Your Small Business appeared first on AllTopStartups.
socalTECH
MARCH 3, 2020
Three Los Angeles area companies have been selected to participate in the NASA Urban Mobility Challenge , an effort to help promote the development of the use of multiple, unmanned aircraft all flying in dense urban environments. According to NASA, Santa Monica-based AirMap , Santa Monica-based Avision , and Los Angeles-based Ellis & Associates are among the many companies who have been accepted into participating in the effort.
socalTECH
MARCH 3, 2020
San Diego-based Citidal Defense , a developer of systems for detecting and defending against unauthorized drones, says it has received a $9.2M order for its systems, the company said this morning. Citadel Defense did not provide details on the customers for its system, which it says provides force protection against unmanned aerial drones and swarms.
socalTECH
MARCH 3, 2020
Culver City-based Talespin , a developer of virtual reality technology, has raised $15M in a Series B funding round, the company said this morning. The funding was led by Cornerstone OnDemand, and also included Farmers Insurance Exchange and HTC. Talespin develops virtual reality software used for employee training and other efforts. The company said it will use the funding to expand its solution into other fields, including insurance, telecommunications, technology, and healthcare.
socalTECH
MARCH 6, 2020
San Diego-based Cubic Corporation said this week that it has named Min Wei as the company's Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. Cubic, which provides services to the transportation, defense, and training markets, said that Wei will lead a new customer experience function, handling global quality, configuration management, logistics support and customer experience.
socalTECH
MARCH 6, 2020
Hawthorne-based SpaceX has inked a deal with Houston-based Axiom Space , to deliver private crews to the International Space Station, Axiom said on Thursday. According to Axiom Space, it has signed a contract with SpaceX to transport a professional commander and three private astronauts to and from the International Space Station, as soon as the second half of 2021.
socalTECH
MARCH 5, 2020
Santa Barbara-based whole home music device maker Sonos is backing away from its "Recycle Mode" feature, which it had introduced last year, which had required customers to "brick" their old devices to take advantage of a trade up deal from the company. The effort--which has been part of a Sonos effort to encourage owners of its older hardware to upgrade--had been introduced at the end of 2019.
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