TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 8, 2020

For Watt, the studio model represents the next iteration of startup investing. Rather than invest in companies and management teams that are unknown quantities, Watt thinks the studio will be able to create discrete companies much faster in the same way that companies today iterate on new products and services.

Company 249

Company Companies Idealab Tool 249

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 27, 2016

LeisureLink , the developer of vacation rental booking software which was started in Pasadena, has shut down all of its operations, and laid off all of its staff. The company said it has now entered into an Assignment for Benefit of Creditors to manage an orderly disposition of the company's assets.

Pasadena 100

Pasadena Equity Platform Software 100

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 29, 2020

Kleiner Perkins , one of the most storied franchises in venture capital, has already invested much of the $600 million it raised last year and is now going back out to the market to raise its 19th fund, according to multiple sources. Speaking onstage at the Upfront Summit, an event at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

IBM 164

IBM IBM Venture Capital Invest 164

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 21, 2014

In one of the largest rounds for a Central Coast company in recent years--and the largest venture investment in San Luis Obispo ever--cloud software maker MindBody has raised $50M in a funding round. Mindbody first raised funding back in 2009, when it gained backing from the Tech Coast Angels, Pasadena Angels, and other local angels.

Tech Coast Angels 147

Tech Coast Angels Pasadena Angels Pasadena Venture Capital 147

socalTECH

MAY 16, 2011

Pasadena-based venture capital firm Arcturus Capital has scored an exit out of its portfolio this morning, as Milpitas, California-based Pliant Technology was acquired by SanDisk in a deal worth $327M. SanDisk said it would pay $327M in cash, plus equity-based incentives for Pliant, a developer of enterprise solid state disk drives (SSDs).

Arcturus 150

Arcturus Pasadena Venture Capital Equity 150

socalTECH

DECEMBER 26, 2018

In my new role as the first executive director for the Alliance for Southern California Innovation, I spent a lot of time outside of my home turf of Pasadena -- visiting innovation nodes such as San Diego, Irvine, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Venice, Santa Monica, and others. What was the biggest lesson you learned this year?

Southern California 113

Southern California SoCal Pasadena Startup 113

socalTECH

MARCH 3, 2009

Pasadena-based eSolar , which is developing solar thermal power plants and technology, disclosed this morning that it has scored $30M in an investment from Indian firm ACME Group, in conjunction with a deal to construct 1 gigawatt of solar power plants in India.

Idealab 100

Idealab Pasadena Equity Venture Capital 100

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 23, 2009

Pasadena-based eSolar , which is developing technology for utility-scale, solar thermal energy plants, has scored a deal with power generator NRG Energy, NRG said today. The deal calls for NRG to use eSolar to develop solar plants with a capacity of 500 megawatts, and will invest $10M in equity in three project sites.

Idealab 100

Idealab Outsource Development Pasadena Sites 100

socalTECH

MARCH 4, 2021

I had been seed investing and incubating businesses, and was sitting with a friend of mine, John Miller, who ran Caliburger, which is a 35 location burger chain, which is exporting the California lifestyle, much like In-N-Out does. There are now over 8,000 investors to date who have invested $1000 to $2000 each. What is Miso Robotics?

Startup 113

Startup Venture Capital Capital Customer 113

Steve Reich

MAY 17, 2012

Yesterday, I joined a group of Pasadena and Tech Coast Angels for a discussion of crowdsourcing equity investments for startups. The JOBS Act of 2012 makes it possible to raise equity capital from small investors for the first time. The discussion was lively, to say the least. That’s the good news. The bad news?

Capital 65

Capital Company Companies Tech Coast Angels 65

socalTECH

MARCH 31, 2014

After three years of that, I decided I needed to go back to the entrepreneurial world, and joined up with another young company, which was SupplyFrame in Pasadena. One of the folks was the CTO of an investment bank in New York, who immediately saw what we did, and said he had a problem he wanted us to approach.

Orange County 245

Orange County Startup News IBM 245

socalTECH

MARCH 1, 2012

Last week, Pasadena-based Punchcard (www.punchcard.com) launched its mobile apps, which help local retailers provide rewards to loyal customers. That was a rocket ride as well, and that took us to a top 10 website, and NBC took an equity steak in the company. The firm is backed by Idealab, and is headed by Internet veteran Andy Steuer.

Southern California 245

Southern California Idealab Startup Customer 245

Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

For the life sciences industry, one of the largest landlords, and closest observers, is Alexandria Real Estate Equities. The Pasadena, CA-based urban office real estate investment trust (REIT), founded in 1994, has grown into one of the country’s largest developers of world-class collaborative science and technology campuses.

Venture Capital 40

Venture Capital Startup San Diego Class 40