socalTECH
JULY 6, 2018
Santa Barbara-based Sonos , which develops very easy to use, connected whole-home speaker systems, has filed for an IPO, saying in a filing on Friday that it is looking to raise up to $100M in an offering on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The company has applied to list as SONO. The IPO is being underwritten by Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs & Co, Allen & Company, RBC Capital Markets, Jeffries, KKR, Raymond James, and Stifel.
L.A. Business Journal
JULY 2, 2018
BionicLogic Inc., a Santa Monica-based tech company that develops software applications, has raised $1.5 million from investors, according to a July 2 securities filing.
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Berkonomics
JULY 5, 2018
Ever think about growing your business with the plan to sell it someday, cashing in on your hard-earned work over the years? Or if you’re an employee with stock options, are you aware of the increases in value you can make with your efforts? Then again, you may be an architect or doctor or other professional managing your. Dave’s book on exits.
TechCrunch LA
JULY 3, 2018
Postie , a new Los Angeles-based startup, has a vision for the future of advertising and marketing — and it’s direct mail. Founded by some of the men responsible for the biggest hits in online marketing (like the Dollar Shave Club commercial that launched what became a billion dollar acquisition ) think that its time to take technology where it’s never gone before — into targeted, direct mail campaigns using the best ad-targeting that money can buy.
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
JULY 3, 2018
Los Angeles-based Postie , a new startup focused on using machine learning and "quant marketing" to direct mail, said on Tuesday that it has raised $3.5M in a seed funding. The funding was led by Bonfire Ventures and Crosscut Ventures. The startup was started by Dave Fink (CEO and co-founder of Postie) and Jonathan Neddenriep (CTO and co-founder), who both previously were at startup studio and incubator Science Inc., working on such companies as Dollar Shave Club, DogVacay, MeUndies, Famebit and
L.A. Business Journal
JULY 6, 2018
Virgin Galactic and affiliated manufacturing firm Spaceship Co. announced Friday signing an agreement with two Italian companies to bring spaceflights to the European country.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Xconomy
JULY 2, 2018
For most patients—and for many drug developers—healthcare reimbursement policies can present a daunting maze of restrictions and uncertainties. But for some tech companies, those policies can be accelerants that boost the chances that new products will be adopted. That’s the case for Reflexion Health , which benefits from U.S. insurance coverage regulations that create openings for the use of its “virtual physical therapy” system for patients trying to recover a full rang
socalTECH
JULY 6, 2018
Virgin Galactic , the space vehicle developer which is backed by Sir Richard Branson, said on Friday that it has inked a deal with a number of companies to bring Virgin Galactic's spaceflights to Italy. Virgin Galactic said it signed a "framework agreement" between ALTEC, SITAEL, Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Company to construct an Italian spaceport, for future Virgin Galactic suborbital flights.
L.A. Business Journal
JULY 5, 2018
AeroVironment Inc. is developing a helicopter drone that will fly on Mars.
SoCal Tech Calendar
JULY 5, 2018
Wednesday, July 11, 2018 -- "Flying With Unicorns" LAVA Awards Celebration 2018. Celebrate Hall of Fame Honoree Hemi Zucker and J2 Communications Extraordinary MandA Activity. Hemi Zucker is a Managing Principal of OCV Partners. OCV is a Los Angeles-based venture fund that invests in, owns, and operates companies in the information technology, e-commerce, media and telecommunications, life sciences and healthcare, and clean technology sectors with the objective of creating sustainable long-term
Xconomy
JULY 2, 2018
Blood tests for cancer, known as liquid biopsies, have become available in recent years to guide treatments for people already diagnosed. But how useful are they? A paper published last week in the journal JAMA Oncology makes the case that one such test, Oncotype DX AR-V7 Nucleus Detect, might be worth its $3,980 price tag. (Earlier this year, the federal insurance program Medicare sent positive signals about coverage but hasn’t made a final decision.
socalTECH
JULY 5, 2018
San Diego-based technology incubator EvoNexus , which has locations in both San Diego and Irvine, has named six new members of its board of directors, the group said this week. According to the group, it has added Lauren Kelly, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, The Irvine Company; Bridget Kimball, Chief Architect & Fellow, Intuit; Eddy Ortiz, Vice President of Innovation & Solution Acceleration, Royal Bank of Canada; Go Maruyama, Vice President of Strategic Planning, Mur
L.A. Business Journal
JULY 3, 2018
Citymapper adds Bird scooters, Snapchat opens commerce to creators, Harper Wilde raises $2 million
SoCal Tech Calendar
JULY 4, 2018
Tuesday, July 10, 2018 -- General Assembly+ The Riveter: Women in Tech and Entrepreneurship. We invite you to join us for this interactive evening celebrating women in technology and entrepreneurship. Our panelists will share their genuine stories of success and pitfalls along their journey, how they've reached their level of success, advice on navigating the workplace, and how we can support the next generation.
Xconomy
JULY 5, 2018
The “empathy economy” will help define the new reality of human and machine interactions in the customer service industry. A takeoff on the sharing economy, the empathy economy will grow due to brand mania and increased automation in the workplace. Consumers are inundated by brands in their day-to-day lives, and these brands sometimes create personal meaning in our consumer-based society.
socalTECH
JULY 5, 2018
San Diego-based MabVax Therapeutics said this week that it has granted a sublicense for its technology, to Y-mAbs Therapeutics , a clinical stage biopharmaceuticals company. According to MabVax, it has granted an exclusive sublicense to a bi-valent ganglioside based vaccine intended to treat neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer. MabVax said the deal is worth $1.3M, plus additional amounts possible if the FDA approves the vaccine from Y-mAbs.
L.A. Business Journal
JULY 5, 2018
Tinder adds videos, Snap seeks active users, AeroVironment works with NASA
Xconomy
JULY 2, 2018
Automation Anywhere , which supplies customers with armies of software robots to take over manual tasks such as insurance claims processing, announced today it raised $250 million in a first funding round that set its post-money valuation at $1.8 billion. The San Jose, CA-based company, begun in 2003 by four co-founders who bootstrapped its funding, has built a customer base of 1,100 firms including Google, GM, Siemens, Cisco Systems, LinkedIn, Comcast, and Juniper Networks.
socalTECH
JULY 3, 2018
Los Angeles-based Funraise , the Los Angeles startup which develops customer relationship management (CRM) and other technology for nonprofits, says it has created a new, $600,000 fund to provide grants to nonprofits. Funraise said its new "Future Fund" --registered as a 501(c)3--will support nonprofit organizations and activists, and is supported by grants from Apple, WeWork, Funraise, and others.
L.A. Business Journal
JULY 2, 2018
Yang joins Lucidity; BionicLogic gets $1.
Xconomy
JULY 6, 2018
Xconomy was dumbstruck this week, and not by the fireworks overhead. Our friend and one of our earliest employees, San Diego editor Bruce Bigelow, died suddenly last weekend. Bruce covered everything—and everyone—in San Diego’s innovation scene, including the life sciences. Some of our favorite stories of his sprang from that breadth of knowledge, like his feature on the use of blockchain to help people share genomic data for public benefit, or his profile of the Iraqi immigran
socalTECH
JULY 3, 2018
San Diego-based Tour Engine , a startup developing a new, more efficient engine that it says delivers a 20 percent gain in efficiency ove the internal combustion engine, has raised $4.84M in funding, the company said on Tuesday. Tour Engine said it raised $2.59M in a Phase II grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and an additional $2.25 million in private funding led by Joan and Dr.
socalTECH
JULY 2, 2018
Los Angeles-based Lucidity , a developer of blockchain advertising technology, said this morning that it has named AdColony co-founder Nikao Yang as its Chief Operating Officer. AdColony develops mobile video advertising technology, and was acquired in 2014 for $350M by Operat Software. Yang also has served at Toyota Motor Sales, Del Monte Foods and the Walt Disney Company.
socalTECH
JULY 2, 2018
Pasadena-based ObEN , the artificial intelligence startup developing personal avatars, says it has linked with Tencent and the Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance (PBCSF), on a "blockchain research center" in China. According to ObEN, it is donating $1M for research and implementation of blockchain technology at Tsinghau, and effort that is also being supported by Tencent, Gao Rong Venture Capital and others.
socalTECH
JULY 6, 2018
Engineers from SpaceX and Boring Co. are headed to Thailand, in an attempt to lend a hand in the rescue of the boys' soccer team trapped in a flooded cave. Elon Musk--who had been chiming in on possible technical solutions to the predicament--said in a late night tweet Thursday evening that the engineers will see if they can be helpful to the government there. 12 boys, all on the same soccer team, and their coach, were trapped on June 23rd; a Thai diver, a former Thai Navy SEAL, died yesterday a
socalTECH
JULY 6, 2018
San Diego-based antibody developer MabVax Therapeutics said on Thursday that the Nasdaq Stock Market has notified the company that it will delist the company's securities from the Nasdaq. According to MabVax, its stock will be suspended from the Nasdaq on Wednesday, July 11th. The delisting comes as the company has failed to meet the minimum requirement of $2.5 million in stockholders equity.
socalTECH
JULY 5, 2018
Rancho Palos Verdes-based Kumbaya , a startup which is working on a device which combines connectivity, power, and content to "off-grid" communities--particularly in third world nations--said it has named Ms. Kay Ellen Consolver to its Board of Directors. Consolver has worked as an executive at ExxonMobil for more than 20 years. Kumbaya is developing a solar-powered platform which allows for charging and powering of devices, a single board computer, an information library, TV, radio, and other f
socalTECH
JULY 5, 2018
Los Angeles-based ENTITY , a new media company focused on women, has raised a seed funding round, the company said this week. The funding was led by Susan Rockefeller. According to ENTITY, it is creating a new "experiential media" company focused on "empowering and educating NextGen women". The company says its media brand focuses on highly curated, one-of-a-kind mentorship events, including a series call the ENTITY Academy, a seven week mentorship program focused on Gen Z and millennial women.
socalTECH
JULY 5, 2018
Monrovia, California-based unmanned aerial vehicle maker Aerovironment said this week that it is collaborating with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory , to develop a drone which can fly on Mars. According to Aerovironment, the Mars Helicopter is now in production at JPL, with plans to fly the drone on Mars in less than three years. AeroVironment said that flying on Mars is very similar to flying at nearly 100,000 feet on Earth, with the same air density.
socalTECH
JULY 3, 2018
Los Angeles-based Harper Wilde , an online bra startup, has raised $2M in a seed funding round, the company said this week. The funding was led by Charles River Ventures (CRV). Harper Wilde was founded by Jenna Kerner and Jane Fisher, and has its offices in Culver City. Harper Wilde develops "no frill" everyday bras, offering up free in-home try-ons and free returns.
socalTECH
JULY 3, 2018
Bruce Bigelow , the San Diego editor for Xconomy , has died, according to the publication, which has provided coverage of San Diego's biotech industry. Bigelow was 63. According to Xconomy, Bigelow checked into a hospital with difficulty breathing and other symptoms last weekend, and was put on life support early last week; Bigelow died on June 29th.
socalTECH
JULY 3, 2018
Los Angeles-based financial automation software developer BlackLine has boosted its leadership in the Asia Pacific region, saying on Monday that it has named Terry Smagh as Senior Vice President overseeing its Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Smagh will be based in Singapore. According to BlackLine, Smagh has more than 20 years of experience serving for such companies as Hyperion, IBM, Informatica, and Qlik.
socalTECH
JULY 3, 2018
Santa Monica-based "last mile" electric scooter provider Bird 's scooters--at least, in San Francisco--have just been added to popular travel app CityMapper , as part of an expansion by Citymapper of its integration with different travel options. The integration allows users of the CityMapper app to see where nearby scooters are located. It's unclear when Bird's scooters in Los Angeles and its other cities will show up in Citymapper.
socalTECH
JULY 2, 2018
Santa Monica-based Bird --already in a frenetic fundraising and expansion race with competitor Lime, Uber, and a host of other competitors--can add Lyft to its list of competitors, after Lyft said it would buy bike sharing company Motivate on Monday. Motivate is the biggest bike sharing company in the US, and is known for operating such services as Citi Bike.
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