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Relativity Space has a new customer for its 3D-printed rockets: Established satellite maker and operator Iridium, which has picked the company for launches in 2023. To accomplish those, and other launches like them, the company is also setting up a new launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. “It’s obviously pretty huge news for us,” Relativity co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis told TechCrunch. MORE
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., the Hawthorne-based aerospace company, launched 58 Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket on June 13, then successfully landed the rocket on a waiting SpaceX ship at sea MORE
Thursday, June 25, 2020 -- Inclusive Startup Pitch Competition by Startup Coil. Entrepreneurs and Seed Stage Startups pitch live to a panel of investor judges. We all get the future we build together. Entrepreneurs can have outsize impact on how societies and economies develop and evolve. Startup Coil is committed to supporting equity and inclusivity in search of a future that's brighter for all us. MORE
Thursday, June 25, 2020 -- Startup Coil Tech Happy Hour. Welcome to Virtual Tech Happy Hour. After brief announcements and updates from community leaders, we'll break up the community into smaller breakout groups and reshuffle every 10-20 minutes with different discussion topics. See [link] (more MORE
100 
Los Angeles-based Pipe Technologies , which is developing a subscription financing platform to help software companies finance their businesses without debt or dilution, has raised $60M in a funding round, the company said on Wednesday. MORE
Reneo Pharmaceuticals has encouraging results from an early trial of a compound it is advancing for rare diseases characterized by impaired mitochondria—our cells’ energy generators—and the company says it is now designing a large global study of its drug candidate. MORE
In a move to improve connectivity at the Staples Center and L.A. Live , live sports and entertainment venue operator A.E.G. and wireless communications provider Mobilitie said this week that they are in the midst of a partnership to provide next-generation, 5G wireless to the STAPLES Center and L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. Financial details of the deal were not announced. The two said that Mobilitie will bring "next-level connectivity" to STAPLES Center and L.A. MORE
HyreCar Inc., the digital car-sharing marketplace, has set its first partnership with a car manufacturer MORE
The Creative Artists Agency and venture investor New Enterprise Associates (NEA) have launched a new, investment partnership to invest in early-stage, consumer focused businesses, the two said on Thursday. According to the companies, the new venture-- Connect Ventures Spire Animation Studios , which was co-founded by Brad Lewis, the producer of Ratatouille. MORE
San Diego-based ClickUp , a startup which develops "remote work" software aimed at helping organizations collaborate on projects, has raised $35M in a Series A funding round. The funding was led by Craft Ventures, and also included Georgian Partners. As part of the funding, David Sacks has joined the board. According to ClickUp, its customers included Google, Nike, Uber, Airbnb, Netflix, and Ubisoft, where it helps replace or integrate workplace applications for employees. MORE
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 $1 trillion. Twitter showed no focus on revenue in the first five years, but was able to parlay 500M users into a $35B public company, and now growing revenue. MORE
Rocket Lab USA Inc., the Long Beach-based space systems company, is targeting monthly launches for the remainder of 2020 following a successful June 12 mission that deployed satellites for NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and the University of New South Wales Canberra Space MORE
Headspace Inc., the Santa Monica-based meditation app developer, has raised an additional $47.7 million in equity from 10 investors for its Series C funding round MORE
Santa Monica-based aerial data analytics company DroneBase Inc. announced $7.5 million in Series C funding, as well as expansion to the renewable energy market and its first overseas office in Germany MORE
HyreCar Inc., the digital car-sharing marketplace, has set its first partnership with a car manufacturer MORE
Wednesday, June 24, 2020 -- TechFire x DLA Piper: Bessemer Venture Partners' Ethan Kurzweil, Join TechFire, and presenting sponsor DLA Piper to hear from a top Silicon Valley VC, Ethan Kurzweil of Bessemer Venture Partners! See [link] (more MORE
100 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. The only real alternative is to find a co-founder who can build and lead the team, while you focus on the product. MORE
In a move to help make Black professionals easier to connect, Los Angeles-based Valence said on Thursday that it has launched a new, social networking service, with backing from investments from Upfront Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Accel. The amount of funding in Valance was not disclosed by the company, although the firm disclosed that $1M in funding into the company came from Upfront Ventures. MORE
Thursday, July 2, 2020 --. MORE
Los Angeles-based Treehouse Games , a developer of cooperative games aimed at helping friends spend time together, has raised $2.6M in a seed funding round, the company said this week. The funding was led by LVP, and also included Transcend Fund and Kristian Segestrale, the CEO of Super Evil Megacorp. Treehouse Games was founded by former Riot Games employee Michael Chu, and Ryan Sullivan. Chu previously was a product lead at Riot Games. MORE
Pasadena-based QLess , a developer of artificial intelligence software for managing lines, says it has scored a number of wins with local governments, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said that both the City of South Gate City Hall and the City of San Joaquin in California have adopted its customer interaction management (CIM) tool, which it says virtually eliminates the need for lines and waiting rooms. MORE
San Diego-based Artiva Biotherapeutics has raised $78M in a Series A funding round, for its cancer therapies, the company said late Thursday. According to the company, the financing was co-led by 5AM Ventures, venBio Partners, and RA Capital Management, and also included Medivate Partners and seed investors and strategic partners GC LabCell (Green Cross LabCell Corporation) and GC (Green Cross Holdings Corporation). MORE
Virgin Galactic , the commercial spaceflight operator which has done most of its work from Mojave, California, says it has completed its second flight from its new Spaceport America launch location in New Mexico. According to the company, the successful glide flight is a milestone on progress towards launch of its commercial service. MORE
Embodying the tensions that cities across the world face as they wrestle with controlling a pandemic in dense, urban environments, Urban-X , the accelerator for technology startups focused on the problems cities face, has launched its eighth, fully remote, cohort. MORE
Los Angeles-based Cloudbreak Health , which provides telehealth and video medical interpretation service, said this morning that it has integrated with healthcare electronic medical records provider Epic Software. According to Cloudbreak, it first developed the integration of its high definition video medical interpretation platform, Martti, for the UC San Diego Health system. The company said the integration allows its healthcare provider customers to seamlessly access its services. MORE
San Diego-based Sony Electronics says it is making donations for COVID-19 pandemic relief, to a number of creative organizations. MORE
San Diego-based Carlsmed , a developer of medical devices to improve complex spin surgery, has raised $2.5M in a funding round, the company said on Tuesday. The seed funding was led by Cove Fund II, and also included Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health and Device of Tomorrow Capital, as well as un-named angels. According to the company, it will use the financing to accelerate clinial launch of its system for personalized spine surgery. MORE
As a frequent advisor to new entrepreneurs and startups, I often hear your frustration with being treated differently from other startups by investors, on expectations for valuation , traction, and market size. Of course, it could be your level of experience, or the quality of your team, but the difference is often more related to the lifecycle stage of the market you are trying to enter. MORE
A popular myth that most of you probably believe is that startups are only for the younger generations. In fact, I see more and more evidence that new entrepreneurs are coming from the older age groups (age 45-64), and success rates move up with age. Is it possible that age and experience are more of an advantage in this business than young passion and fearlessness? Based on my own years of experience in big businesses, as well as startups, this is no surprise to me. MORE
Holiday sales? Summer vacation sales? In a sign of the times, instead of the more traditional sales, Los Angeles-based online electronics retailer Newegg is aiming its next sale at people who are preparing to spend more time stuck at home this summer due to the pandemic, saying it has launched a new "Big Sale for Those Inside". The company said it will run its four day promotion starting June 22nd, with a variety of gaming products. MORE
As an advisor to new hardware entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that a business plan is no longer required to find an investor, if your idea is good enough. You may have heard that venture capitalists in Silicon Valley no longer read business plans. What you don’t realize is these famous investors only deal with entrepreneurs who sold their last company for a $100M dollars or more. For the rest of us, we need a business plan, as well as a product plan. MORE
San Diego-based biopharmaceuticals developer Poseida Therapeutics has raised $110M more in funding, in its Series D round, the company announced this morning. According to the company, the financing was led by led by funds advised by Fidelity Management Research Company, LLC, with participation by Adage Capital Management and Schonfeld Strategic Advisors, and also included other current investors. MORE
Los Angeles-based game publisher Rogue Games announced on Wednesday that it has added former Sony President and CEO Jack Tretton as a Strategic Advisor to the company. Tretton was former President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, and according to Rogue led the PlatStation business at Sony for two decades. Rogue said that Tretton will advise its board of directors, which includes Matt Casamassina, Chris Carvalho, Dmitry Grishin, and Andre Bliznyuk. MORE
Irvine-based Digital Motors , which develops online vehicle sales and retailing software for the automotive dealership market, says it has been certified by Jaguar Land Rover North America for use by its retailers. The company said it is now a "certified vendor" for the Jaguar Land Rover Digital Certified Program, which the company says makes it "a top recommended choice" for Jaguar Land Rover retailers upgrading their digital presence to include online stores and in-store desking solutions. MORE
There are several key performance indicators that help new generation company management see more clearly their progress and corporate health. The old measures, including return on investment, percentage of profit against revenue or employee count, and more, obviously are still relevant. But businesses that expose their story to tens of millions of potential customers through the Internet need additional tools. Some of these are also applicable to non-Internet businesses. MORE
TechCrunch LA
JUNE 22, 2020
Embodying the tensions that cities across the world face as they wrestle with controlling a pandemic in dense, urban environments, Urban-X , the accelerator for technology startups focused on the problems cities face, has launched its eighth, fully remote, cohort.
Berkonomics
JUNE 25, 2020
There are several key performance indicators that help new generation company management see more clearly their progress and corporate health. The old measures, including return on investment, percentage of profit against revenue or employee count, and more, obviously are still relevant. But businesses that expose their story to tens of millions of potential customers through the Internet need additional tools. Some of these are also applicable to non-Internet businesses.
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socalTECH
JUNE 25, 2020
San Diego-based ClickUp , a startup which develops "remote work" software aimed at helping organizations collaborate on projects, has raised $35M in a Series A funding round. The funding was led by Craft Ventures, and also included Georgian Partners. As part of the funding, David Sacks has joined the board. According to ClickUp, its customers included Google, Nike, Uber, Airbnb, Netflix, and Ubisoft, where it helps replace or integrate workplace applications for employees.
L.A. Business Journal
JUNE 22, 2020
Diners might soon find QR codes popping up on tables as local restaurants reopen under new health and safety guidelines designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19
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.
TechCrunch LA
JUNE 24, 2020
Relativity Space has a new customer for its 3D-printed rockets: Established satellite maker and operator Iridium, which has picked the company for launches in 2023. To accomplish those, and other launches like them, the company is also setting up a new launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. “It’s obviously pretty huge news for us,” Relativity co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis told TechCrunch.
Startup Professionals Musings
JUNE 22, 2020
A popular myth that most of you probably believe is that startups are only for the younger generations. In fact, I see more and more evidence that new entrepreneurs are coming from the older age groups (age 45-64), and success rates move up with age. Is it possible that age and experience are more of an advantage in this business than young passion and fearlessness? Based on my own years of experience in big businesses, as well as startups, this is no surprise to me.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
L.A. Business Journal
JUNE 22, 2020
Headspace Inc., the Santa Monica-based meditation app developer, has raised an additional $47.7 million in equity from 10 investors for its Series C funding round
SoCal Tech Calendar
JUNE 26, 2020
Thursday, July 2, 2020 --.
Startup Professionals Musings
JUNE 24, 2020
As a frequent advisor to new entrepreneurs and startups, I often hear your frustration with being treated differently from other startups by investors, on expectations for valuation , traction, and market size. Of course, it could be your level of experience, or the quality of your team, but the difference is often more related to the lifecycle stage of the market you are trying to enter.
socalTECH
JUNE 26, 2020
Virgin Galactic , the commercial spaceflight operator which has done most of its work from Mojave, California, says it has completed its second flight from its new Spaceport America launch location in New Mexico. According to the company, the successful glide flight is a milestone on progress towards launch of its commercial service.
L.A. Business Journal
JUNE 22, 2020
HyreCar Inc., the digital car-sharing marketplace, has set its first partnership with a car manufacturer
SoCal Tech Calendar
JUNE 24, 2020
Tuesday, June 30, 2020 --.
Startup Professionals Musings
JUNE 26, 2020
As an advisor to new hardware entrepreneurs, I often hear the myth that a business plan is no longer required to find an investor, if your idea is good enough. You may have heard that venture capitalists in Silicon Valley no longer read business plans. What you don’t realize is these famous investors only deal with entrepreneurs who sold their last company for a $100M dollars or more. For the rest of us, we need a business plan, as well as a product plan.
socalTECH
JUNE 26, 2020
San Diego-based Artiva Biotherapeutics has raised $78M in a Series A funding round, for its cancer therapies, the company said late Thursday. According to the company, the financing was co-led by 5AM Ventures, venBio Partners, and RA Capital Management, and also included Medivate Partners and seed investors and strategic partners GC LabCell (Green Cross LabCell Corporation) and GC (Green Cross Holdings Corporation).
L.A. Business Journal
JUNE 22, 2020
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., the Hawthorne-based aerospace company, launched 58 Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket on June 13, then successfully landed the rocket on a waiting SpaceX ship at sea
SoCal Tech Calendar
JUNE 22, 2020
Thursday, June 25, 2020 -- Startup Coil Tech Happy Hour. Welcome to Virtual Tech Happy Hour. After brief announcements and updates from community leaders, we'll break up the community into smaller breakout groups and reshuffle every 10-20 minutes with different discussion topics. See [link] (more
Startup Professionals Musings
JUNE 20, 2020
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. The only real alternative is to find a co-founder who can build and lead the team, while you focus on the product.
socalTECH
JUNE 26, 2020
Pasadena-based QLess , a developer of artificial intelligence software for managing lines, says it has scored a number of wins with local governments, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said that both the City of South Gate City Hall and the City of San Joaquin in California have adopted its customer interaction management (CIM) tool, which it says virtually eliminates the need for lines and waiting rooms.
L.A. Business Journal
JUNE 22, 2020
Santa Monica-based aerial data analytics company DroneBase Inc. announced $7.5 million in Series C funding, as well as expansion to the renewable energy market and its first overseas office in Germany
SoCal Tech Calendar
JUNE 22, 2020
Thursday, June 25, 2020 -- Inclusive Startup Pitch Competition by Startup Coil. Entrepreneurs and Seed Stage Startups pitch live to a panel of investor judges. We all get the future we build together. Entrepreneurs can have outsize impact on how societies and economies develop and evolve. Startup Coil is committed to supporting equity and inclusivity in search of a future that's brighter for all us.
Startup Professionals Musings
JUNE 21, 2020
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 $1 trillion. Twitter showed no focus on revenue in the first five years, but was able to parlay 500M users into a $35B public company, and now growing revenue.
socalTECH
JUNE 25, 2020
In a move to help make Black professionals easier to connect, Los Angeles-based Valence said on Thursday that it has launched a new, social networking service, with backing from investments from Upfront Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Accel. The amount of funding in Valance was not disclosed by the company, although the firm disclosed that $1M in funding into the company came from Upfront Ventures.
L.A. Business Journal
JUNE 22, 2020
HyreCar Inc., the digital car-sharing marketplace, has set its first partnership with a car manufacturer
SoCal Tech Calendar
JUNE 22, 2020
Wednesday, June 24, 2020 -- TechFire x DLA Piper: Bessemer Venture Partners' Ethan Kurzweil, Join TechFire, and presenting sponsor DLA Piper to hear from a top Silicon Valley VC, Ethan Kurzweil of Bessemer Venture Partners! See [link] (more
Xconomy
JUNE 23, 2020
Reneo Pharmaceuticals has encouraging results from an early trial of a compound it is advancing for rare diseases characterized by impaired mitochondria—our cells’ energy generators—and the company says it is now designing a large global study of its drug candidate.
socalTECH
JUNE 25, 2020
Los Angeles-based Treehouse Games , a developer of cooperative games aimed at helping friends spend time together, has raised $2.6M in a seed funding round, the company said this week. The funding was led by LVP, and also included Transcend Fund and Kristian Segestrale, the CEO of Super Evil Megacorp. Treehouse Games was founded by former Riot Games employee Michael Chu, and Ryan Sullivan. Chu previously was a product lead at Riot Games.
L.A. Business Journal
JUNE 22, 2020
Rocket Lab USA Inc., the Long Beach-based space systems company, is targeting monthly launches for the remainder of 2020 following a successful June 12 mission that deployed satellites for NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and the University of New South Wales Canberra Space
socalTECH
JUNE 25, 2020
Irvine-based Digital Motors , which develops online vehicle sales and retailing software for the automotive dealership market, says it has been certified by Jaguar Land Rover North America for use by its retailers. The company said it is now a "certified vendor" for the Jaguar Land Rover Digital Certified Program, which the company says makes it "a top recommended choice" for Jaguar Land Rover retailers upgrading their digital presence to include online stores and in-store desking solutions.
socalTECH
JUNE 25, 2020
The Creative Artists Agency and venture investor New Enterprise Associates (NEA) have launched a new, investment partnership to invest in early-stage, consumer focused businesses, the two said on Thursday. According to the companies, the new venture-- Connect Ventures Spire Animation Studios , which was co-founded by Brad Lewis, the producer of Ratatouille.
socalTECH
JUNE 25, 2020
In a move to improve connectivity at the Staples Center and L.A. Live , live sports and entertainment venue operator A.E.G. and wireless communications provider Mobilitie said this week that they are in the midst of a partnership to provide next-generation, 5G wireless to the STAPLES Center and L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles. Financial details of the deal were not announced. The two said that Mobilitie will bring "next-level connectivity" to STAPLES Center and L.A.
socalTECH
JUNE 25, 2020
Los Angeles-based game publisher Rogue Games announced on Wednesday that it has added former Sony President and CEO Jack Tretton as a Strategic Advisor to the company. Tretton was former President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, and according to Rogue led the PlatStation business at Sony for two decades. Rogue said that Tretton will advise its board of directors, which includes Matt Casamassina, Chris Carvalho, Dmitry Grishin, and Andre Bliznyuk.
socalTECH
JUNE 25, 2020
San Diego-based biopharmaceuticals developer Poseida Therapeutics has raised $110M more in funding, in its Series D round, the company announced this morning. According to the company, the financing was led by led by funds advised by Fidelity Management Research Company, LLC, with participation by Adage Capital Management and Schonfeld Strategic Advisors, and also included other current investors.
socalTECH
JUNE 24, 2020
Los Angeles-based Pipe Technologies , which is developing a subscription financing platform to help software companies finance their businesses without debt or dilution, has raised $60M in a funding round, the company said on Wednesday.
socalTECH
JUNE 24, 2020
San Diego-based Sony Electronics says it is making donations for COVID-19 pandemic relief, to a number of creative organizations.
socalTECH
JUNE 24, 2020
Los Angeles-based Cloudbreak Health , which provides telehealth and video medical interpretation service, said this morning that it has integrated with healthcare electronic medical records provider Epic Software. According to Cloudbreak, it first developed the integration of its high definition video medical interpretation platform, Martti, for the UC San Diego Health system. The company said the integration allows its healthcare provider customers to seamlessly access its services.
socalTECH
JUNE 24, 2020
San Diego-based Carlsmed , a developer of medical devices to improve complex spin surgery, has raised $2.5M in a funding round, the company said on Tuesday. The seed funding was led by Cove Fund II, and also included Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health and Device of Tomorrow Capital, as well as un-named angels. According to the company, it will use the financing to accelerate clinial launch of its system for personalized spine surgery.
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