TechCrunch LA

MARCH 3, 2020

Traditional venture capitalists may have made it rain on expensive Hollywood studios that were promising virtual reality would be the future of entertainment and social networking (given coronavirus fears, it may yet be), but Talespin and others like it are focused on much more mundane goals.

Training 220

Training Los Angeles Tool Cornerstone OnDemand 220

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 19, 2014

Rachel Payne: FEM is a video discovery platform that provides quality, relevant video recommendations for any website, app, or content network that is seeking to drive more engagement around video. I was running the largest deals in the media and entertainment video area across many different Google products. What is FEM?

Google 233

Google Content Startup Venice 233

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2014

As part of that, I started working for entertainment studios and networks, and saw the shift in consumer behavior to online entertainment. That was my first, deep dive into entertainment. I had also built desktop analytics software for customers, such as banks. Why get some funding and make this into a separate company?

Downey 215

Downey Content Help Startup 215

socalTECH

JUNE 8, 2020

Our interview today is with Scott Grimes , the CEO of Los Angeles-based Stackin' , which operates a text-based, financial messaging platform. Scott Grimes: Ultimately, we are a text messaging platform build on top of Twilio. Moving forward, this recent funding is going towards creating more personalization around that text experience.

Content 124

Content Social Media Startup Artificial Inteligence 124

socalTECH

AUGUST 20, 2010

When I joined the company, I found an amazing technology platform and analytics capability. He's gone through this a couple of times now, so we have a robust platform which can predict the content users will like, and do so in an elegant and efficient manner. By using our analytics platform, they learn about what consumers want.

Content 189

Content Screening Mobile Customer 189

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 5, 2015

Appetize is backed by the Guggenheim, the 49ers Family Office, WME SVP of Music Marc Geiger, Roar Entertainment and others; the company recently announced deals with Live Nation and the Sacramento Kings, and is part of the Dodgers Accelerator. We listened to our customers and what they needed, and observed their operations.

Entertainment 100

Entertainment Sales Mobile Startup 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 3, 2008

The firm's technology--which creates a 3D, virtual avatar from digital photos--was originally developed at the University of Southern California for the CIA, and was spun out into a venture funded company targeting the consumer market. For those not familiar with BigStage, tell us what the company is doing with your avatar technology?

Entertainment 100

Entertainment Clearstone Venture Capital Media 100

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. It provides consumer rewards, and on the merchant side, it allows them to identify local customers and reacquire them by pushing them offers and incentives to come back. What is Punchcard?

Southern California 245

Southern California Idealab Startup Customer 245

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

It is the most viable way to not only get project funding but more importantly to get customer validation. Statistics show that 60% of projects on crowdfunding sites fail to reach their funding goals. Cause related campaigns (only for certain crowd-funding platforms). Web Series. Music Project. Art Project.

Statistics 90

Statistics Entertainment Google Web 90

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 18, 2013

He is currently a Managing Director of the Clearstone Global Gaming Fund and sits on the boards of IMI Exchange, Xfire, Playsino, ExpressCoin, GoCoin, FGL, Spicy Horse Games, KnCMiner.cn, Robocoin China and the Mastercoin Foundation. Mr. Csathy’s career spans Internet, music, motion pictures/video, live entertainment, and technology.

Startup 111

Startup Entertainment Media Santa Barbara 111

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 10, 2012

Some of the visual effects make for highly entertaining videos such as my recording from the beach. Viddy’s accelerated growth can be greatly attributed to its celebrity users, who utilize Viddy as a communication platform for engaging and entertain their fans. Bring the total capital raised to $8.2 million dollars.

Mobile 69

Mobile Entertainment Technical Review Platform 69

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 1, 2013

Aspiring creators learn by connecting with top web filmmakers and YouTubers on a topics specific to the web: developing a web series, producing web series, writing for genres like comedy & sci-fi, directing, editing, camera, Kickstarter funding, show hosting, distribution, and marketing.

Web 93

Web USC Course Guide 93

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2011

The fund is organized into sectors and each VC forms forward looking themes within sub sectors. ESPN, Forbes, AOL were customers. Highland has been around for 22 years currently investing the 8 th fund which is $400 million. They also have a separate $300 million fund focused on bricks-n-mortar consumer retail.

Capital 265

Capital Venture Capital Veoh Startup 265

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 18, 2013

The 3-6 month program had several hundred applications from all over the country and abroad vying for the chance of $21,000 in initial funding, office space, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities with other startups. Last year’s class has raised $15 million and is going strong. They focus on quality and experience.

Class 100

Class Startup Tech Coast Angels CTO Coach 100

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2011

Wondering how, as a small business, you can reach customers in the YouTube age? Well, Los Angeles based Near Networks (www.nearnetworks.com) is looking to both reach customers online, and avoid the tacky, lousy production of typical small business ads, with a new service. How is the company funded?

Networking 150

Networking Search Engine Optimization Product Startup 150

Tech Zulu Event

MAY 5, 2014

The light tunes, conversational tone, and laidback feel created a great environment for our tech innovators and hustlers to come together for great interviews, discussions, and showcasing of some of Indiegogo’s latest and greatest in crowd funded products.

Startup 101

Startup Product Conference News 101

socalTECH

MAY 21, 2009

Vicon became the largest motion capture hardware and software company and our primary markets there were entertainment, computer games, film, and also life sciences and engineering. The problem in developing a character rig--which is a model character in a computer environment--is a complex, custom process.

Tool 113

Tool Platform Venture Capital Startup 113

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 28, 2010

Rustic Canyon is an LA-based, but geography-agnostic VC that is currently investing from a $200 million fund. They were originally founded inside of Times Mirror and had a huge string of major investment success before spinning out as a fully independent fund. It is a platform to help brands building viral marketing campaigns.

Venture Capital 270

Venture Capital Capital Rustic Canyon Mobile 270

socalTECH

DECEMBER 1, 2008

In what looks to be a challenging funding climate for entrepreneurs, we thought it would be interesting to talk to one fund which is still making investments--Saban Ventures (www.saban.com)--a new, digital media focused venture capital fund located in Los Angeles. How big of a fund is this? where he is Chairman.

Southern California 100

Southern California Media Venture Capital Invest 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 1, 2008

In what looks to be a challenging funding climate for entrepreneurs, we thought it would be interesting to talk to one fund which is still making investments--Saban Ventures (www.saban.com)--a new, digital media focused venture capital fund located in Los Angeles. How big of a fund is this? where he is Chairman.

Capital 100

Capital Southern California Media Venture Capital 100

socalTECH

JULY 22, 2016

Gabe Grifoni: At Rufus Labs, we are focused heavily on building wearables and technology in a wearable platform for the enterprise. When we talk to customers, we hear about these pain points. After college, I didn't go into engineer, I went into the marketing and entertainment side. We're really growing our customer relations.

Technical Review 100

Technical Review Startup Software Review CTO Hire 100

socalTECH

AUGUST 20, 2009

Last Week, Calabasas-based Masher Media announced it had received a round of angel funding from the Tech Coast Angels to fund its development of MyMiniPeeps (www.myminipeeps.com), a virtual world for children. How did you get into this - looks like you came from the entertainment world?

Media 150

Media Tech Coast Angels Social Network Content 150

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2010

We built that to 50 people with funding from a VC in Ireland closely connected with the European company. The category of customers we're targeting are building consumer networking equipment, such as routers, gateways, and set-top boxes. What's the stage of the firm now, and how are you funded? There's lots of flexibility.

Startup 140

Startup OCTANE Outsource Development Google 140

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 16, 2012

CallFire simplifies telephony, making sophisticated, expensive carrier-class telecom capabilities available through an easy-to-use GUI and API platform, which the company pioneered in 2007. In particular, CallFire has answered unusually strong demand coming from political campaigns, the insurance sector and emergency notification.

Venture Capital 89

Venture Capital Cloud Computing Class Education 89

Tech Zulu Event

APRIL 14, 2014

Matt Weghorst: Cojoin is a data integration platform. We find that there’s all this really specialized software, software as a service, certain platforms, and different places you can do marketing; all of those have their own sets of data. Is it only a web-platform or will there be a mobile-version? That’s the first thing.

Startup 85

Startup Southern California Mobile Software 85

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 21, 2011

This included stabilizing a historically negative traffic and user trend, reducing the operational cost of the business by nearly 90 percent and pivoting the product from its legacy as a social network to a social entertainment destination. As of May 2010, CallFire has over 20,000 customers! Custom ad deals and partnerships.

Tsavo 76

Tsavo Idealab Tech Coast Angels Userplane 76

Tech Zulu Event

JANUARY 27, 2016

Upon the platform of the new Machine Shop, they have brought both their Creative Team and Management in-house to effectively drive innovation. More recently in 2015, Kiel helped launch Machine Shop Ventures, a venture capital fund that invests in early-to-growth stage companies with a global scope. Custom ad deals and partnerships.

Startup 40

Startup Santa Monica Venture Capital SaaS 40

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

A serial Internet entrepreneur, Mike has founded and sold numerous businesses, including agency PBJ Digital, application platform Userplane, which he led from startup to its acquisition by AOL, Tsavo Media and Myspace. As of May 2010, CallFire has over 20,000 customers! Tech Coast Angels is actively seeking great startups to fund.

Tech Coast Angels 96

Tech Coast Angels Idealab Angel Startup 96

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 25, 2014

Well, thanks to a fantastic partnership with the good people at crowd fun ding platform, Indiegogo , we were able to do just that! Addison McCaleb – Mediahound , making it easier for you to discover entertainment. Savannah Peterson – Shapeaways , the social platform for 3D printing.

Entertainment 99

Entertainment Google Entrepreneur Course 99

socalTECH

JANUARY 28, 2009

We've set out to enable that across any platform, live, during games. When we got funded, we worked harder to put together a product which was longer lasting, and not just a beta attempt like what we had done before. We understand you've gotten some angel funding? In 2007, we did five bowl team venues the same way. READ MORE>>.

Patents 179

Patents CarsDirect Sites Pomona 179

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

Topic discussion: Impact of social media on startups and on funding leads for investors. They make it easy to collect investment funds, track ownership, and provide targeted updates to investors. Social Rewards helps leverage your existing loyalty program and turn it into a distribution platform via social media. The Startups.

Social Media 71

Social Media Technical Review Mixergy Tech Coast Angels 71

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

Dear Friends, We have no income and no venture capital funding. If we had a blogging platform then, we would have been blogging. from university professors, to VCs, to entertainers, the bankers, to other entrepreneurs, and that''s what the media picked up on.". We started sending out the newsletter. in September of 1999.

Newsletter 233

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 233

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

Topic discussion: Impact of social media on startups and on funding leads for investors. They make it easy to collect investment funds, track ownership, and provide targeted updates to investors. Social Rewards helps leverage your existing loyalty program and turn it into a distribution platform via social media. The Startups.

Social Media 60

Social Media Technical Review Tech Coast Angels Venture Capital 60

Tech Zulu Event

JUNE 3, 2014

One secret payment insight most people aren’t aware of is with other crowdfunding platforms is that money pledged is not immediately drawn from the buyers account so purchasers get pissed when they are charged a month later, or their credit card may be maxed out, or reached it’s expiration date. Accepting Money via Credit Card.

Startup 109

Startup Examples Social Media Media 109

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

That's where I learned I enjoyed interacting with customers and working with development teams to build and launch products. to work on an entertainment-related technology project and have stayed ever since. We are creating a platform that enables users to play instant games and apps directly on the computer desktop.

Product 150

Product Entrepreneur Social Media Google 150

InfoChachkie

JUNE 3, 2013

Dear Friends, We have no income and no venture capital funding. If we had a blogging platform then, we would have been blogging. from university professors, to VCs, to entertainers, the bankers, to other entrepreneurs, and that''s what the media picked up on.". We started sending out the newsletter. in September of 1999.

Newsletter 133

Newsletter Startup Entrepreneur Writing 133

socalTECH

MARCH 29, 2012

For a number of high profile brands, it's by using the software and services of Los Angeles-based PromoJam (www.promojam.com), which just announced a round of funding to accelerate it efforts last week from Golden Seeds and the Band of Angels. Amanda MacNaughton: PromoJam is an enterprise, social marketing technology platform.

Social Media 217

Social Media Startup Platform Media 217