Sat.Mar 14, 2015 - Fri.Mar 20, 2015

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Some Perspective on Twitter vs. Meerkat

Both Sides of the Table

'*. I love Twitter. I’m loving Meerkat so far. It’s brand new but the enthusiasm we’ve seen for such an early product is truly awesome. I ran a VC AMA (ask me anything) last Monday on Meerkat and had > 1,000 simultaneous people asking me questions. The energy was election so I’m going to do it again this coming week. You may have read that Twitter has now made it harder for Meerkat to operate.

AMA 266
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Trade Show Magic – How Invoca Owned Dreamforce, Without Breaking The Bank

InfoChachkie

'A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. Trade show veterans know that the louder you scream at an industry event, the less your voice is heard. Instead, you have to push the envelope of propriety to cut through the noise. Even at a show the size of Dreamforce, you can cut through the noise, but you have to push the envelope to do it. .

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Protect your outlier innovators.

Berkonomics

'Here’s one for executives of technology companies, or any company with next generation products in mind. As your business grows more complex and there are more employees to manage and more customers to care for, slowly you will notice that more and more time of your chief innovation officer or system architect or R&D department is spent focused upon enhancements in response to needs of the user base.

Resource 171
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Rexter Named Part Of Microsoft Accelerator Class

socalTECH

'Altadena-based Rexter , the developer of real time contact and relationship management software led by technology veteran Andy Wilson, has been named one of the fourteen companies in the upcoming Microsoft Digital Work Accelerator. Rexter''s software--which runs across mobile platforms, tablets, and PCs--helps consolidate and manage their contacts from across social networking sites and email, and helps users manage those contacts and activities.

Class 164
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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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8 Signs Of Change That Good Entrepreneurs See First

Startup Professionals Musings

'When the economy tanks as it did in the last recession, that’s a strong signal that things have to change, and it’s hard to miss. But most of us in business have to deal most of the time with weak signals, or change that is happening in a far more subtle way. These changes can be cultural, like the increasing need to be social, spawning Facebook and a hundred others, or technological, like the explosion of mobile devices around the world.

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How Entrepreneurs Can Win With Big Data

Tech Zulu Event

'Entrepreneurs and startups operate within a David versus Goliath environment. With small budgets, limited staff and inexperience, they somehow have to find a way to make a name for themselves, and compete against much bigger organizations. Big data offers many promises in a number of different industries, but does it have the ability to help small businesses?

More Trending

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B Spot, Founded By Former YouBet Founders, Gets $17M

socalTECH

'The two, Los Angeles entrepreneurs behind online horse racing site YouBet.com -- David Marshall and Russell Fine --have launched a new startup, called b Spot , which is looking to bring legal, online wagering to a wider audience--and have so far raised $17M in funding to bring the startup to life. According to the company, it has so far raised $17M in funding from such backers as Roth Capital.

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ParkMe Expands In Brazil

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based ParkMe , the provider of real time parking data and related apps led by Sam Friedman, said Wednesday that it has opened up an office in Brazil, and hired a South American GM. ParkMe said it has hired Mario COutinho as General Manager of South American Operations, and will lauch parking reservation services in Brazil. The new office is in Sao Paulo.

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2pointb Takes On Uber, Lyft With On-Demand Ride App

socalTECH

'San Diego-based 2pointb , a new startup aiming at the on-demand transportation market, said over the weekend that it has launched a new, mobile on-dnd ride and transportation app. The company said its first market will be Dallas, Texas, where it says it is looking to provide a "safer, more trustworthy" ride service for users. 2pointb is tapping existing, local, licensed transportation apps for its drivers, unlike Uber and Lyft.

Demand 143
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Tastemade: Our Content Better Than Ads

socalTECH

'Santa Monica-based food show producer Tastemade , the venture-backed Youtube show developer, said that it has conducted a brand research study, which finds that brands that integrate into content do far better with viewers than those who use typical advertising. Tastemade said it commissioned Nielsen to evaluate the effectiveness of its sponsored original content for two advertisers on key advertising metrics (brand recall, brand affinity, purchase intent, and brand perception), comparing its c

Content 139
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Voxox Sees Growth In Wholesale SMS Businesss

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Voxox , the provider of cloud-based, communications services, reports that it has seen a tripling of its wholesale, SMS delivery within the past year. The company said the growth comes due to new customer contracts and expansion of usage by existing customers. Voxox offers up an API which allows businesses to add SMS capabilities to their products.

San Diego 138
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Iteris Settles Patent Lawsuit

socalTECH

'Santa Ana-based Iteris , which develops traffic management and monitoring equipment, reported late Monday that it has settled a patent infringement lawsuit that had been filed against the company by Wavetronix. Iteris said it has agreed to remove a feature from one of its products as part of the settlement. Financial details of the settlement were not announce by the companies involved.

Patents 138
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Xencor Names New Board Member

socalTECH

'Monrovia-based biopharmaceuticals firm Xencor announced this morning that it has added A. Bruce Montgomery, M.D., to its board of directors. Montgomery is currently the CEO of Cardeas Pharma, and was a SVP at Gilead Sciences; he also was CEO of Corus Pharma, and served at PathoGenesis Corporation. Xencor is developing engineered monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, asthma and allergic diseases, and cancer.

Monrovia 135
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Illumina Files Patent Suit Again UK Firm

socalTECH

'San Diego-based lifesciences equipment developer Illumina has filed patent infringement suite against UK-based Premaitha Health plc , via its subsidiary, Verinata Health. The lawsuit was filed in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, Patents Court in the United Kingdom. Illumina claims that Premaitha is violating its European patents covering the use of cell-free fetal DNA for non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).

Patents 135
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Ceres Signs Ethanol Deal In Brazil

socalTECH

'Thousand Oaks-based agricultural biotechnology developer Ceres said this morning that it has inked a deal with Brazilian energy company Raizen S.A. , where the two will develop and produce sweet sorghum on an industrial scale. The sorghum will be used to complement existing feedstock at Raizen''s sugarcane-to-ethanol mills. Financial impact of the deal was not announced, however, the two said that each of the companies will provide in-kind services and resources, and share revenue from the etha

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Vroozi Debuts Mobile Procurement Software

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Vroozi , a developer of cloud-based, procurement software for the enterprise, said this morning that it has launched a responsive platform which helps employees search, request, approve and order goods and services via smartphone, tablet, or any website. Vroozi is led by Steve Olds. Vroozi said its platform is aimed at small and medium sized businesses, who want to keep track of office spend, leverage discount pricing and interact with their suppliers electronically.

Mobile 131
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Unitas Global Launches Cloud Monitoring Product

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Unitas Global said Monday that it has launched a new, hybrid cloud monitoring and management product called UnitasAtlas. According to the company, the new product is aimed at helping enterprise businesses fully monitor and manage their hybrid cloud environments. Pricing on the new product was not announced. Unitas Global is led by Patrick Shutt.

Product 131
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Cidara Therapeutics Files For IPO

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Cidara Therapeutics , a biotechnology company developing anti-fungal medicines, said Monday that it has filed for an IPO. Cidara said it is looking to raise up to $69M in an IPO on the NASDAQ Global Market as CDTX. The IPO is being underwritten by Jefferies, Leerink Partners, Wedbush PacGrow Life Sciences, Needham & Company, and BTIG.

San Diego 131
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XPRIZE Targets Crowd With New Spinoff, HeroX

socalTECH

'XPRIZE , the foundation which has been running multi-million dollar prizes aimed at spurring innovation to addresss some of the world''s biggest issues, said Tuesday that it has spun out a new company, HeroX , aimed at crowdsourcing solutions to smaller and local challenges. According to XPRIZE, the new, for-profit venture--backed by City Light Capital--is aimed at bringing about "radical business, technological and social innovation".

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Sidecar Expands Deliveries To LA

socalTECH

'Wonder why you are sharing your Sidecar ride with a bouquet of flowers? It might be because on demand ride service Sidecar has expanded its new Deliveries service to Los Angeles, where it combines both rides and delivery of packages. Sidecar said Tuesday that is expanding its new service, which ties together both package delivery and on-demand rides for people, into the Los Angeles market, part of a move to boost the earnings of its drivers.

Demand 131
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Rubicon Project Wins DigitasLBi

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Rubicon Project , which provides advertising automation software, reported last week that marketing and technology company DigitaLBi has selected the company''s technology. Financial impact of the win was not announced. Rubicon Project said its technology will be used to automate guaranteed media buys across the agency. READ MORE>>.

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XCOR Names New CEO

socalTECH

'Mojave-based space vehicle developer XCOR Aerospace announced this morning that it has named John H. (Jay) Gibson II as its new CEO and President. Gibson takes over the position from Jeff Greason, who has become Chief Technology Officer of the company. Gibson was most recently at aircraft maker Beechcraft Corporation, and was also Assistant Secretary of the United States Air Force and Deputy Under Secretary of Defense in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

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Tinder Sued Over New Subscription Fees

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Tinder has been sued over its move to charge users fees by a Florida man, who claims that Tinder offered up its service for free, then "deceptively and forcibly migrating" its user base to a paid subscription model. The lawsuit was filed by user Billy Warner, represented by the Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman, and is seeking Class Action status; the lawsuit seeks statutory penalties and restitution of funds obtained by Tinder.

Class 131
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Kutcher, Oseary Launch New Venture Fund, Sound Ventures

socalTECH

'Celebrity investor Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary , who have been making personal investments in technology companies via A-Grade Investments, said over the weekend as SXSW that they have launched a new, venture capital fund called Sound Ventures. The new fund--unliked A-Grade Investments--will be backed in institutional backers and limited partners.

Funding 131
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Will.i.am, Gucci Tie On New Smartwatches

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based i.am+ , the smartwatch startup founded by will.i.am , said Thursday that it has tied with Gucci to develop a co-branded smartwatch. According to a report from Vogue, the two have tied together to create a new "smartband", which will let you make and receive calls, send text messages, provide you with a personal assistant, and more.

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Yardi Signs Retirement Living Operator

socalTECH

'Santa Barbara-based Yardi , developer of property management software, reported a win ysterday with Vantage Point Retirement Living. According to Yardi, the senior living provider is using its Yardi Senior Living Suite for its operations. Financial impact and size of the win was not announced. Yardi''s software is being used by the operator for marketing, finance, community operations, and resident care management.

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GoDaddy IPO Set For End Of March

socalTECH

'GoDaddy , the parent firm of LA''s Media Temple , is aiming at pricing its IPO on March 31st, according to documents circulating to investors as part of its IPO process. GoDaddy recently set the pricing range for its IPO at between $17.00 and $19.00 per share, and looks to list on the NYSE as GDDY. Media Temple has been a part of GoDaddy''s push into the small business market, since its acquisition in 2013.

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OSI Systems Gets $11M Order

socalTECH

'Hawthorne-based OSI Systems , which develops explosives detection systems, said it has received an $11M order from an un-named, international customer. The order came through its security division, Rapiscan Systems. OSI''s products are used for inspection of baggage and air cargo. READ MORE>>.

Hawthorne 125
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Guidance Software Names Product VP

socalTECH

'Pasadena-based digital forensics software maker Guidance Software announced this morning that it has named Linda Souza as Vice President, Product Marketing and Operations. Souza comes from Central Desktop, where she was Vice President, Marketing. She also served at Everbridge, Ariba, and UBICS. Guidance said Souza will lead the company''s product marketing, program marketing, marketing operations, and content development teams.

Product 125
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Media Temple Parent GoDaddy Sets IPO Range

socalTECH

'GoDaddy , the domain name and web services firm which is a parent of LA''s Media Temple , has moved one step closer to an IPO, saying this morning that it now expects to sell 22,000,000 shares of its common stock at between $17.00 and $19.00 per share. Arizona-based GoDaddy purchased Media Temple in October of 2013. GoDaddy has been approved to list on the New York Stock Exchange as GDDY.

Media 125
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Ignyta Raises $42M From Teva, Buys Oncology Assets

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Ignyta , a bio pharmaecuicals firm developing products for treating cancer, said late Tuesday that it has received a $42M equity investment from Teva Pharmaceutical , and acquired four oncology R&D assets from the company. The deal is comprised of the purchase of 1.5 million shares of Ignyta common stock by Teva. The four development programs being purchased by Ignyta include a small molecule inhibitor of BRAF, EGFR and RET; a pseudo-irreversible inhibitor of AXL and cMET; a

San Diego 125
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Adtile Launches Mobile VR Software

socalTECH

'San Diego-based Adtile Technologies has launched a new software product, which the company says allows smartphone users to experience virtual reality without special goggles or hardware. According to Adtile, its new product allows native and web-based app users to "walk" through a digital space. Adtile is led by Nils Forsblom. The company said the new product is aimed at the publishing, fashion, real estate, retail, entertainment, automotive, science and other industries.

Mobile 125
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Microsemi Buys Vitesse Semiconductor For $389M

socalTECH

'Aliso Viejo-based Microsemi and Camarillo-based Vitesse Semiconductor said this morning that Microsemi has agreed to buy Vitesse, in a deal worth $389M. The two said that Miicrosemi will pay $5.28 per share for Vitesse--a 32 percent premium to Vitesse''s average closing price during the last 30 trading days--and will allow the companies to offer up a broader solution to the market.

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WD Completes Amplidata Buy

socalTECH

'Irvine-based Western Digital said Monday that it has completed its acquisition of Amplidata , the developer of object-based storage software for the cloud market. The acquisition was made by WD''s HGST subsidiary. WD said Amplidata becomes part of HGST''s Elastic Storage Platforms group. The companies had originally announced the acquisition on March 3rd.

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Triton Digital Acquired By Vector Capital

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based Triton Digital , the provider of software for the digital audio streaming market, has been acquired by private equity firm Vector Capital , the companies said today. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Triton Digital was advised by Macquarie Capital in the deal. Triton Digital is led by Neil Schore, and was backed by Sean Moriarty, the current CEO of Demand Media.

Capital 125
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Core Innovation Capital Backs Honest Dollar

socalTECH

'Los Angeles-based venture capital investor Core Innovation Capital is backing a new finance startup, Honest Dollar , which is looking to help small and medium sized businesses start and run retirement plans for their company. Honest Dollar--which is based in Austin, Texas--said it raised $3M in a seed financing round today, which came from Expansive Ventures, Formation 8 and Core Innovation Capital.

Capital 125