L.A. Business Journal
APRIL 12, 2021
El Segundo, which sits on the airport’s southern edge, last month sent in comments opposing LAWA’s proposal to add two new terminals as part of the Airfield and Terminal Modernization Project.
TechCrunch LA
APRIL 15, 2021
E-commerce is booming, but among the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs of online businesses are finding a place to store the items they are selling and dealing with the logistics of operating. Tyler Scriven, Maxwell Bonnie and Paul D’Arrigo co-founded Saltbox in an effort to solve that problem. The trio came up with a unique “co-warehousing” model that provides space for small businesses and e-commerce merchants to operate as well as store and ship goods, all under one roof.
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Startup Professionals Musings
APRIL 10, 2021
Entrepreneurs often have formidable technical expertise, key to developing a new product or service, but a great naïveté in management skills. They run into difficulty when their business reaches the $1-2 million annual sales range, or their employee count exceeds 5-10. It’s here that entrepreneurs must shift their thinking from tactical and operational, to strategic and managerial.
socalTECH
APRIL 13, 2021
For today's interview, we spoke to Dave Eastman, the Director of the Viterbi Startup Garage, a startup incubator that is run by the University of Southern California, out of its location in Marina Del Rey. Dave told us a bit more about the Viterbi Startup Garage and several other associated efforts there at USC centered around the startup ecosystem.
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.
L.A. Business Journal
APRIL 12, 2021
Another legal challenge has been launched against a project by downtown-based water infrastructure company Cadiz Inc. to pump and transport water from its desert aquifer.
TechCrunch LA
APRIL 14, 2021
A security lapse at online grocery delivery startup Mercato exposed tens of thousands of customer orders, TechCrunch has learned. A person with knowledge of the incident told TechCrunch that the incident happened in January after one of the company’s cloud storage buckets, hosted on Amazon’s cloud, was left open and unprotected. The company fixed the data spill, but has not yet alerted its customers.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
socalTECH
APRIL 16, 2021
Thousand Oaks-based Amgen said this morning that it has successfully completed its $1.9 billion acquisition of Five Prime Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing immuno-oncology and targeted cancer therapies. Amgen paid $38.00 per share in cash for Five Prime Therapeutics. Five Prime's programs include bemarituzumab, a Phase 3 trial-ready, first-in-class program for gastric cancer.
L.A. Business Journal
APRIL 13, 2021
Tagger Media, the Santa Monica-based developer of a software platform for influencer-based marketing campaigns, has raised $8.5 million in Series A funding.
Berkonomics
APRIL 15, 2021
A story of a CEO attuned to creating great company culture. A CEO friend of mine who managed her one-hundred-person remote workforce as a virtual company told me her story of how she welcomed new employees as she grew her firm. Strike that. She over-welcomed her new employees. Preparing for the new employee. Days before the official start date, she made sure that the new employee’s business cards arrived in the mail, that the employee’s phone and Internet services were up and running, and that
Startup Professionals Musings
APRIL 16, 2021
The ultimate compliment that any entrepreneur can get is that they can “see around corners.” This is a statement that they are willing and able (and successful) at projecting market and technology turns, not just straight-line innovations. They have the courage to make bold decisions, often contrary to conventional market research. Elon Musk with Tesla and SpaceX may be the most current example of this phenomenon, but others often mentioned include Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Joe Costello (C
socalTECH
APRIL 16, 2021
SWARM Engineering, a new startup which is focused on developing supply and demand forecasting software for the food supply chain, has raised $2.7M in its seed funding round. The funding was led by S2G Ventures, and also included Serra Ventures via their new AgTech fund, Harvard Business School Alumni, Wells Street Capital, VTC Seed Fund, and Rinvest, along with angel investor Soren Schroder (Bunge).
L.A. Business Journal
APRIL 12, 2021
Zwift has raised a total of $620 million. The company plans to use this funding to further develop its app as well as Zwift-branded hardware, which it sells online.
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 14, 2021
Just 21 months ago I couldn’t have jogged 2 miles in under 20 minutes and now I can run 3 miles in 21 minutes or more to the point I can pretty easily run 7.5 miles in an hour. I’m not super human and while I’m a decent athlete I wasn’t born with super genetics, extra doses of motivation or an unusual ability to tolerate suffering. I was in pretty good athletic shape until 35 but after kids, starting my own companies, travel and age I slowly lost the habit of working out enough to consider mysel
Startup Professionals Musings
APRIL 11, 2021
Although every startup is unique, there are certain common avoidable mistakes that can lead to legal complications which jeopardize the long-term success of the business. I’m not suggesting that every startup needs a lawyer, but you should definitely pay attention, and not be afraid to consult legal counsel if any of these raise qualms for you. Like other environments, most legal issues don’t result from fraud, but from ignorance on specific requirements, or simply never getting around to doing
socalTECH
APRIL 16, 2021
Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX has gotten approval to launch another crew into space for NASA, with a launch targeted for April 22nd. According to NASA, it has given the "go" for an April 22 launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The launch time is set for 6:11 a.m., with NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
L.A. Business Journal
APRIL 12, 2021
Most Los Angeles residents are well-acquainted with local teams like the Dodgers, Lakers and Rams — as well as the massive venues where they play their home games.
L.A. Business Journal
APRIL 14, 2021
Pasadena-based data analytics software company Virtualitics Inc. has raised $18 million in a Series B funding round led by North Sound Ventures.
L.A. Business Journal
APRIL 16, 2021
The next astronauts to land on the Moon will likely do so in a spacecraft designed by SpaceX.
L.A. Business Journal
APRIL 12, 2021
Westwood-based startup CarbonBuilt Inc. has a concrete plan for reducing carbon emissions.
L.A. Business Journal
APRIL 15, 2021
Health and fitness technology company Theragun Inc., doing business as Therabody, has acquired PowerDot Inc. for $34 million.
socalTECH
APRIL 15, 2021
Los Angeles-based FloQast, which develops workflow automation software for the accounting industry, says it has named a new Chief Marketing Officer. According to the company, it has named Edward (Ed) Brice to the position, reporting to CEO mike Whitmire. Birce was most recently Chief Marketing Officer at Vendavo, and prior to that was at Lumension Security.
socalTECH
APRIL 15, 2021
San Diego-based Molecular Assemblies said this morning that it has raised $24M in a Series A funding round, which came from Agilent Technologies, iSelect Fund, Codexis, Alexandria Venture Investments, and Argonautic Ventures, as well as LYFE Capital. According to the company, it will use the funding to advance the company's proprietary enzymatic DNA synthesis technology toward early commercialization efforts.
socalTECH
APRIL 15, 2021
Los Angeles-based talent and entertainment giant UTA said this week that Clinton Foy will join the company's venture capital arm, UTA Ventures, as General Partner. Foy is a longtime fixture in the Los Angeles startup world, having most recently served as General Partner and Managing Director at Crosscut Ventures. At Crosscut, he was lead investors in such companies Streamlabs, PlayVS, FitOn, plus esports franchises Immortals and IGC.gg.
socalTECH
APRIL 15, 2021
San Diego-based TuSimple priced its IPO last night, saying that it will sell 33,783,783 shares of its Class A common stock at the price of $40.00 per share, raising just over $1 billion for the company. The company--which develops self driving truck technology--said its underwriters also have a 30-day option to purchase an additional 5,067,567 shares of its Class A common stock at the IPO price.
socalTECH
APRIL 15, 2021
Los Angeles-based TrillerNet, the parent company of social video app developer Triller, has acquired two companies, including a live event and pay-per-view (PPV) company, and a conversational artificial intelligence (AI) company. According to TrillerNet, it acquired FITE, a global live-event and Pay-Per-View, SVOD and AVOD and streaming platform for sports and entertainment, and separately, also acquired Amplify.ai, a developer of conversational AI tools for brands and others.
socalTECH
APRIL 14, 2021
Los Angeles-based Bridg, a venture backed company which develops software to help e-commerce retailers improve their sales, has been sold for $350M in cash to Cardlytics. Bridg, led by Amit Jain, was venture backed by Morpheus Ventures, March Capital, Wavemaker Partners, Karlin Ventures, Mucker Capital, Richard Wolpert, as well as other local investors and angels.
socalTECH
APRIL 14, 2021
Los Angeles-based Bridg, a venture backed company which develops software to help e-commerce retailers improve their sales, has been sold for $350M in cash to Cardlytics. Bridg, led by Amit Jain, was venture backed by Morpheus Ventures, March Capital, as well as other local investors. The company's software uses artificial intelligence and big data to help retailers with their e-commerce efforts.
socalTECH
APRIL 14, 2021
Los Angeles-based consumer electronics giant Belkin International says it is now aiming to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2025. The company said it made the commitment to align its corporate goals with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals -- climate action, responsible consumption and production, and peace, justice and strong institutions.
socalTECH
APRIL 14, 2021
San Diego-based driver safety and monitoring equipment maker Lytx says it has set its all time record revenue in 2020, as a result of a 63% increase in new customers. According to the company, it secured more than 100,000 new and upgraded subscriptions. The company did not say what drove the increased adoption of its service in 2020, but the company received a big investment from private equity investor Permira earlier in the year.
socalTECH
APRIL 14, 2021
Los Angeles-based BLAZE, a developer of enterprise resource planning and point-of-sale software for the legal cannabis market, recently raised $8M in a funding round, according to the company. The funding was led by Delta Emerald Ventures with participation from returning investor Act One Ventures and new investor SOJE Capital. According to the company, the new funding will go to expand, scale and build out its product, sales and marketing efforts.
socalTECH
APRIL 14, 2021
El Segundo, California- and Austin, Texas-based Slingshot Aerospace said on Tuesday that it has scored a contract from the U.S. Air Force, to develop a "next generation" tool for the military to streamline visualization of enemy missiles. According to Slingshot Aerospace, the $1.2M contract came in partnership with Culver City, CA-based Zoic Labs, a software and advanced visualization company, which is related to visual effects company Zoic Studios.
socalTECH
APRIL 13, 2021
Los Angeles-based solar installer PermaCity--the company which installed the solar panels on the L.A. Convention Center--has been acquired by Colorado-based Catalyze, the companies said on Monday. Financial details of the deal were not announced. Catalyze is backed by EnCap Investments, L.P. and Yorktown Partners LLC, and develops, constructs, and operates renewable power and storage projects for the commercial and industrial market.
socalTECH
APRIL 13, 2021
Los Angeles-based Material, a marketing services company that focuses on B2C and B2B brands, said this morning that it has acquired Aruliden, a global design agency also focused on brands. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. Material said that Aruliden was founded in 2006 by Rinat Aruh and Johan Liden, and serves both startups and Fortune 100 companies, with clients like Google, Bulgari, Marc Jacobs and Compass.
socalTECH
APRIL 13, 2021
Los Angeles-based Tagger, a startup focused on influencer marketing and social listening, says it has raised $8.5M in its Series A funding round. The funding came from Five Elms Capital. The startup, led by CEO Dave Dickman, said it will use the capital to grow and scale its platform, features, and resources. Tagger said it provides tools to brands and agencies to connect with and hire influencers, and plan campaigns.
socalTECH
APRIL 12, 2021
Irvine-based Creative Solutions, which develops software for broadcasters, film and video production companies, independent content creators and others, has acquired cloud-native live video broadcasting platform and software developer Lightstream. Financial terms of the buy were not annoucned. Creative Solutions also owns the Teradek, SmallHD, Wooden Camera and Amimon brands.
socalTECH
APRIL 12, 2021
Rivian, the electric vehicle manufacturer that has operations in Southern California, has partnered with Samsung SDI for its battery cells, the companies said on Monday. Financial details of the partnership were not announced. Samsung SDI already has a deal to supply its battery modules with BMW Group and others.
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