Sat.Jan 23, 2021 - Fri.Jan 29, 2021

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USC, Amazon Plan Center for Machine Learning Research

L.A. Business Journal

USC is partnering with Amazon.com Inc. to create a research center focused on privacy and security issues related to machine learning and artificial intelligence.

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Interview with Jamey Edwards, Cloudbreak Health

socalTECH

Our interview today is with Jamey Edwards, the CEO of Cloudbreak Health, a Los Angeles-based telemedicine company, which provides telehealth services, including interpretation and access to specialists, within healthcare facilities. We caught up with Jamey to learn more about the company, and also its recent move to merge with another company, Uphealth, via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).

Platform 203
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Don’t get hung up on early stage valuation.

Berkonomics

Here’s the “what.”. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked away from deals where the entrepreneur insists on a start-up pre-money valuation that is so high, no angel could expect to make a return upon the investment, even with a reasonable sales price for the company down the road. And here’s the “why.”. There is always another attractive deal at the ready, and most have reasonable expectations of valuation.

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6 Ways To Transform Startup Constraints Into Benefits

Startup Professionals Musings

Most entrepreneur that fail are quick to offer a litany of constraints that caused their demise – not enough money, time, customers, or support from the right players. Ironically, as a startup investor and mentor, I have seen too many failures caused by just the opposite – too much money spent too soon, taking time to get product perfection, and assuming customers will wait.

Startup 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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Hello Genius App Courts Parents and Kids

L.A. Business Journal

At a time when both parents and children are spending more time using mobile devices, Malibu-based startup G3NIU7 Inc. is betting its newly released app.

Malibu 246
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Silvus Gets $1M DARPA Award For RF Spectrum Scanning

socalTECH

Los angeles-based Silvus Technologies, a startup developing radio frequency (RF) spectrum scanning technology, has scored $1M from a Phase Three DARPA contract, the company said today. The company said it received the funding from the DARPA Scalable Wideband Autonomous RF Mapping MANET (SWARMM), which is aimed at intercepting arbitrary RF activity. Silvus said its technology provides "extremely fast" spectrum scanning in a form factor the size of an iPhone.

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10 Tips For Managing Work Expectations On Your Time

Startup Professionals Musings

Every entrepreneur I know can’t find enough hours in a day to do the good things they want, and yet they often find themselves saying yes to new requests. Perhaps because they are optimists by nature, or they just hate to disappoint others, they end up hurting their health, credibility, and effectiveness by not being able to deliver on everything they promise.

Tips 159
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SpaceX Sets Record With Latest Launch

L.A. Business Journal

SpaceX set a record on Jan. 24, carrying 143 small satellites into space — the most ever deployed in a single launch.

SpaceX 246
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HyreCar Partners With Auto Fleet Manager AmeriDrive

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based HyreCar, which operates a carsharing marketplace aimed at the ridesharing, and food and package delivery services market, says it has partnered with automotive mobility fleet manager AmeriDrive, to create a national network to provide vehicle supply and fleet operations. The companies also said the deal includes a debt arrangement with Cogent Bank's Specialty Lending Unit to provide working capital and certain vehicle acquisition support.

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Top Advantages of Optical Wavelength Services

Southern California Edison Blog

Optical wavelength networks provide organizations with several capabilities that enable them to promote workplace productivity and stay competitive. In an ever-changing world, the flexibility of optical networks empower businesses to quickly adjust their setup to address speed, capacity, and uptime needs. Optical wavelength networks use light signals to transmit communications of any type of traffic, usually across optical fiber cables.

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7 Reasons A Good Team Merits Priority Over Procedure

Startup Professionals Musings

Every one of you business leaders I know struggles with the competing demands of finding and keeping employees motivated and satisfied, versus building and enforcing a set of repeatable processes that work. Obviously, both are required for a company to stay healthy and growing. In my experience, providing people leadership is the tougher challenge, but the more critical one.

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Dave Lands $100 Million Credit Facility to Grow Banking App

L.A. Business Journal

Personal finance app developer Dave Inc. has secured a $100 million credit facility to expand its product offerings.

Product 246
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Romeo Power In Strategic Alliance With Trash Hauler Republic Services

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based electric vehicle and power technology developer Romeo Power and recycling and solid waste hauler Republic Services said earlier this week that the two are in a strategic alliance. According to the two, they have agreed to collaborate on the development of Romeo Power's battery technology for use in Republic's electric garbage trucks.

Services 113
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Albert Raises $100 Million In Series C Funding

L.A. Business Journal

Personal finance technology company Albert Corp. has raised $100 million in a Series C round.

Funding 246
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PlayVS Acquires Canadian Esports Company

L.A. Business Journal

Play Versus Inc., the Sawtelle-based organizer of high school and college esports programs reached a deal to acquire Vancouver-based GameSeta Esports Inc.

Company 147
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Rocket Lab Launches First Mission of 2021

L.A. Business Journal

Long Beach-based aerospace company Rocket Lab successfully completed its first mission of 2021 on Jan. 20, deploying a microsatellite into orbit on behalf of German space technology company OHB.

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Tech: There’s No Slowing Silicon Beach, Even for Covid

L.A. Business Journal

Even as a global pandemic wreaked havoc on wide swaths of the global economy, Los Angeles tech companies continued to draw huge sums from investors in 2020.

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How To Prepare Your New Venture For Investor Scrutiny

Startup Professionals Musings

For the elite startups and entrepreneurs who manage to attract the investor they dream of, and survive the term sheet negotiation, there is still one more hurdle before the money is in the bank. This is the mysterious and dreaded due diligence process, which can kill the whole deal. In reality, it is nothing more than a final integrity check on all aspects of the business and the team.

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HG Insights Names New Sales Head

socalTECH

Santa Barbara-based HG Insights, which offers up information on technology and IT adoption to technology vendors, said this week that it has named Mark Richards as its new Chief Revenue Officer. Richards was most recently CRO at Nintex, a provider of process management and workflow automation tools. He also previously served as Vice President of Mid-Market, Inside Sales & Renewals at Symantec.

Sales 113
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SimpliPhi Launches Effort To Promote Clean Energy Access

socalTECH

Oxnard-based energy storage equipment developer SimpliPhi Power announced this week that it is extending something that it ihas been doing for the last ten years--committing 1% of its annual revenue every year to help provide energy access to communities. The company said the new effort, which it is calling IDEA, challenges its partners and other companies to work with nonprofit partners to provide electrification worldwide.

Ideas 113
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Encodia Gets $75M In Series C

socalTECH

San Diego-based Encodia, a biotech company which is focused on proteomics research, has raised $75M in a Series C funding round, the company said this week. The funding was led by Northpond Ventures and Deerfield Management, and also included GV, Alexandria Venture Investments, plus ARCH Venture Partners, Biomatics Capital, Decheng Capital, Tao Capital Partners, and Nan Fung Life Sciences.

San Diego 113
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AuditBoard Snags Two Executives From Cisco

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based cloud-based software developer AuditBoard--which develops software for managing audit, risk, and compliance programs--says it has named two executives this morning. The company said it has named Tom Schmit as Chief Revenue Officer and Chris Doell as Chief Customer Officer. Schmit was previously Chief Revenue Officer at AppDynamics, a division of Cisco, where the company said he led a team of more than one thousand people, having taken that division from less than $50M in annual

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Halo Technology Group Buys Skylane Optics

socalTECH

Irvine-based Halo Technology Group, a manufacturer of fiber optic transceivers and high speed cabling, said today that it has acquired Skylane Optics, a manufacturer of optical networking products. Financial terms of the buy were not announced. Skylane Optics has offices in Europe, Brazil, and the United States. Halo Technology said the acquisition will add new products, including CFP-DCO coherent products.

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Faraday Future Set To Go Public Through SPAC

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based electric vehicle developer Faraday Future is joining the rush to public markets through a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), saying this morning that it plans to list on the NASDAQ through a merger with Property Solutions Acquisition Corp. The company said the planned merger with PSAC (which currently trades on the NASDAQ as PSAC) would provide it with an estimated $1 billion in gross proceeds.

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Virgin Hyperloop Releases Experience Video

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Virgin Hyerloop, which is developing high tech, high-speed transportation technology, has released a fancy video simulating what it might be like to take a system based on its technology. The video walks viewers through boarding and riding what might be a system built on the "hyperloop" concept--when (or if) the firm manages to actually build one of its systems between cities.

High Tech 113
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Science Launches Its Own SPAC

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based Science, the startup studio led by Mike Jones and Peter Pham, has launched its own Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), called Science Strategic Acquisition Corp. Alpha (SSAA). According to Science Strategic Acquisition Corp. Alpha this week, it priced a $270,000,000 initial public offering (IPO), which will trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbols SSAA and warrants as SSAAW.

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Wave Broadband Buys Digital West

socalTECH

San Luis Obispo-based Digital West, a provider of fiber optic connectivity for California's Central Coast region, has been acquired by cable operator Wave Broadband, Wave said yesterday. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. According to Wave Broadband--which itself is part of Astound Broadband--the acquisition will help expand its West Coast fiber network.

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Design Therapeutics Picks Up $125M For Small Molecules

socalTECH

San Diego-based Design Therapeutics, a biotech company which is developing small molecules for the treatment of serious degenerative disorders caused by inherited nucleotide repeat expansions, said it has raised $125M in its Series B funding round. The funding was led by Logos Cpaital, and also included Cormorant Asset Management, SR One, Quan Capital and WestRiver Group, plus funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Janus Henderson Investors, RA Capital Management, Surveyor Capital (a Citadel c

Design 113
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HONK Wins Fleet Management Firm

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based HONK Technologies, the startup led by Corey Brundage which provides roadside assistance services, has signed on a Texas fleet management company, Sewell Fleet Management, as a customer. According to HONK Technologies, it will provide its services for Sewell as its new roadside assistance partner. Financial details of the deal were not announced.

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Miso Robotics Eyes $30M Through Crowdfunding Effort

socalTECH

Pasadena-based food services robot developer Miso Robotics says it is expanding its crowdfunding efforts, with a goal of reaching $30M in funding in its Series C crowdfunding effort this year. The company--which says it raised $17M in that Series C round in November of 2020--said the extension of the funding effort follows "high demand" okn the SeedInvest crowdfunding platform.

Pasadena 113
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Clash Acquires Byte App, Finds New Funding

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Clash, a startup that focuses on helping creators with monetization tools, said this morning that it has received a new funding round, and acquired the short-form video app Byte. Size of the funding was not announced. According to the company, the funding round was led by Seven Seven Six, the new fund created by Alexis Ohanian, who is best known for founding Reddit.

Funding 113
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ServiceNow Eyes San Diego Investments As Part Of $100M Fund

socalTECH

ServiceNow, the digital workflow and service management software developer which has operations in San Diego, said today that it has launched a new $100M investment fund, part of which will look at investments in San Diego. The company said the new ServiceNow Racial Equity Fund is worth $100M, and is designed to drive more sustainable wealth creation by funding homeownership, entrepreneurship, and neighborhood revitalization within Black communities in 10 regions across the United States.

San Diego 113
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NRGene Raises $30M On Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange

socalTECH

San Diego-based biotech investor NRGene, which says it is using artificial intelligence for genomics in the agricultural and livestock industry, says it has completed an initial public offering (IPO) on the Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange, and raised approximately $30M. The company says it is now trading as NRGN on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. The company's CEO and co-founder is Dr.

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Traliant Gets Majority Funding From Private Equity Investor

socalTECH

Manhattan Beach-based Traliant, which provides online workplace compliance training solutions, said it has received a majority investment from private equity investor PSG. Financial terms of the investment were not announced. Traliant was founded in 2016, and says it has over 5,000 customers. As part of the majority investment, PSG's Tom Reardon and Chris Andrews have both joined Traliant's board of directors.

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Airspace Connects With $38M

socalTECH

Carlsbad-based logistics start Airspace, a startup that helps provide time-critical shipping technology, annoucned this morning that it has raised $38M in its Series C funding. The funding was led by Telstra Ventures, and also included co-lead HarbourVest Partners, as well as Scale Ventures, Defy Partners, Qualcomm Ventures, and Prologis Venture. The company says it has now raised a total of $70M.

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Leonardo247 Offers Up Free COVID-19 Vaccination Tracker

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Leonardo247, a developer of software used for remote monitoring of onsite, multifamily operations, says it has rolled out a new, vaccination tracking platform for COVID-19 vaccination distribution and reporting. The company said the software--which is free--is available for no charge to both its commercial real estate building clients, as well as any other regional or national organizations seeking a more efficient way to coordinate, centralize and log vaccinations.

Resource 113