L.A. Business Journal

JANUARY 3, 2022

A West Hollywood-based fintech announced the launch of a banking program Dec. 20 aimed at building Hispanic wealth through stakes in the crypto sector.

West Hollywood 340

West Hollywood Hollywood 340

Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2022

Dave’s note: This is a reprint of a 2015 insight that seems to have struck a chord with investors and entrepreneurs. None of this advice has changed… Let me tell you a few short hair–raising stories of entrepreneurs who have raised money and regretted it later. Here are some rules that entrepreneurs almost always ignore to their future peril.

Startup 317

Startup Entrepreneur Invest Course 317

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 25, 2022

Starship Technologies , one of the bigger names in the world of autonomous delivery robots — those little caboose-like, boxy delivery vehicles that self-drive around cities — has been on a roll during Covid-19, providing extra (unmanned) horsepower to distribute food and other goods between stores or restaurants and consumers, at a time when consumers were either reluctant or being ordered to stay at home to minimize the spread of the virus.

Invest 233

Invest Technology Startup Los Angeles 233

socalTECH

JANUARY 20, 2022

Camarillo-based ImmPACT Bio, a company developing cancer therapies, said this week that it has raised $111M in a Series B financing round. The funding was led by venBio Partners, along with Foresite Capital and Decheng Capital, plus Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company), OrbiMed, Novartis Venture Fund, RM Global Partners (RMGP), and Bukwang Pharmaceutical.

Capital 203

Capital Funding Develop Development 203

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.

Company

Tech.Co

JANUARY 3, 2022

Well, another year has come and gone, and while we're yet to leave the pandemic behind, it has led to a record number of small businesses starting up. With all these businesses forming, it's possible that some future household names are finding their footing as we speak. Many of these businesses will take a while to gain some momentum, but there are already some fresh faces on the tech scene that are worth keeping your eyes on as the next year progresses.

Startup 186

Startup Invest FAQ Examples 186

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 28, 2022

Is it possible to be successful in business and not fulfilled? The answer is a resounding yes today, and I’m convinced that it will be even more true tomorrow, as young idealistic entrepreneurs try to adapt to the long-standing business culture if success is only measured in the money you make for yourself and your business. That isn’t very fulfilling to the growing number of entrepreneurs whose vision and satisfaction comes from making the world a better place, and enjoying a leisurely lifestyl

Entrepreneur 153

Entrepreneur Coach Satisfaction Mentor 153

Berkonomics

JANUARY 27, 2022

Why is this important advice? Because the first rule for raising money is to do it on good news – right when sales are increasing at an accelerating rate. Or when a major customer signs a significant deal. Or when something happens that makes an investor think this company is about to break out. What if you have no good news to offer? Unfortunately, the longer you wait without significant upward news, the harder it is to get attention.

News 156

News SaaS Platform Sales 156

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 26, 2022

Glossier, the popular beauty brand led by former blogger Emily Weiss, let go of 80 of its corporate employees today, according to an internal email obtained by Modern Retail. The cuts, which amount to around one-third of Glossier’s corporate workforce, will primarily impact the company’s technology team. “[W]e are shifting our technology strategy to leverage external partners for parts of our platform that we’re currently maintaining internally,” Weiss wrote in the email announcing the layoffs t

CTO Hire 197

CTO Hire Layoffs Commerce Email 197

socalTECH

JANUARY 3, 2022

San Diego-based autonomous driving company TuSimple reports that it has sent its first, fully autonomous semi--without even a safety driver in the truck--80 miles, going from Tucson, Arizona to Phoenix. According to TuSimple, its truck made its 80 mile run on December 22nd, traveling from a railyard in Tucson, navigating surface streets and a highway at night, and arrived at a high volume distribution center in Phoenix.

San Diego 203

San Diego Class Report Companies 203

StartUp Beat

JANUARY 21, 2022

One could say that 2021 taught us many things, but it could be argued that one of its most interesting lessons was how valuable the art of going viral is—giving people the capacity to reach millions from their at-home wifi […]. The post LINK Agency: Utilizing TikTok to Skyrocket Brand Awareness appeared first on StartUp Beat.

Startup 104

Startup News 104

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 30, 2022

Everyone in the business world has heard of the classic bestseller by Geoffrey A. Moore titled “ Crossing the Chasm ,” but most entrepreneurs have no idea how it relates to them. In fact, it’s all about the “focus” required to get early stage technology products across the deadly chasm from early adopters to mainstream customers. Most investors and startup professionals expand this concept of focus to apply to key issues of every aspect of strategic and tactical planning in a startup.

Startup 150

Startup Technical Review Custom Customer 150

L.A. Business Journal

JANUARY 3, 2022

As the clock was running out on 2021, L.A. County was poised to get another publicly traded company: Pasadena-based solar technology firm Heliogen Inc.

Pasadena 278

Pasadena Companies Company Technology 278

Berkonomics

JANUARY 13, 2022

How might you view your successful exit from the company you have spent so much effort to build? You’ve worked hard for years to reach the payoff, and the money sure looks good as you contemplate the wire transfer to come, and then watch your bank account fill to a level you only dreamed of during those rough cash flow years. You might even allow yourself to admit that you almost lost it all several times during this long run, and that only you knew how close you came to the abyss.

Writing 156

Writing Entrepreneur .Net Sales 156

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 27, 2022

Gaming has been one of the most popular entertainment categories in the last two years of pandemic living. Now, a gaming startup that’s building a new kind of platform that it thinks will be a — wait for it — game changer in the category is announcing some funding as to ride that wave of attention. PortalOne , which is building an immersive gaming platform that describes itself as hybrid in more ways than one — it mixes games with a game show/talk show format, and it̵

Platform 167

Platform Entertainment Netflix Content 167

socalTECH

JANUARY 6, 2022

San Diego- and Galway, Ireland-based ONK Therapeutics announced today that it has raised $21.5M in its Series A funding. The funding was led by Acorn Bioventures and ALSHC, plus Cormorant Asset Management. The startup says it is developing optimally engineered natural killer (NK) cell therapies. ONK said the new funding will go to drive multiple, pre-clinical programs through IND-enabling studies, and also go towards GMP manufacturing capability.

San Diego 200

San Diego Study Funding Startup 200

AllTopStartups

JANUARY 19, 2022

Real estate investments are among some of the riskiest investments, but they’re also one of few investments that yield higher returns. One of the things that makes real estate so… The post Is Real Estate a Good Investment? The Pros & Cons of Real Estate Investing appeared first on AllTopStartups.

Invest 59

Invest 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2022

Potential startup founders are always looking for ideas to implement, when they should be looking for problems to solve. Customers pay for solutions, but there is no market for ideas. I’m often approached by people with a “million dollar idea,” but I haven’t seen anyone pay that for one yet. Equally often, I see startups who are on the road to implementing an idea, but haven’t figured out what problem it solves – the business plan waxes on eloquently for 20 pages about how great this product and

Ideas 145

Ideas Startup Tips Competition 145

L.A. Business Journal

JANUARY 3, 2022

Peter Dohm’s list of top places to build an ice curling facility in 2019 did not include Vernon.

Vernon 264

Vernon 264

Berkonomics

JANUARY 6, 2022

First, the marginal exit event: Sometimes the end game or sale of the company is not a happy event for the early investors, including the entrepreneur or the founders. Especially when outside investors, venture capitalists or angels have put in substantial money, and the sales price is not enough to give them a reasonable return for the time and money invested, these investors can be – in a word – greedy.

Venture Capital 156

Venture Capital Sales Pricing Equity 156

L.A. Business Journal

JANUARY 24, 2022

Construction began earlier this month on a $25 million project to reconstruct a major taxiway at Long Beach Airport, according to an announcement from city of Long Beach, which runs the airport.

Long Beach 246

Long Beach 246

L.A. Business Journal

JANUARY 24, 2022

Westwood-based Concrete-AI Inc., a UCLA spinout with technology to enable more efficient use of concrete, announced January 13th that it has raised $2 million in a seed financing round led by Boston-based Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment.

UCLA 245

UCLA Platform Technology 245

L.A. Business Journal

JANUARY 24, 2022

Last month, Southern California Edison, the electric utility subsidiary of Rosemead-based Edison International, announced two major moves to reduce reliance on greenhouse gases (GHG).

Rosemead 243

Rosemead Southern California 243

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2022

San Diego-based Chronos Tech said this week that it has named Ali Farhang as CEO of the company. Farhang also will join the company's board of directors. Farhang was most recently Corporate Vice President at Micron Technology, and also served 26 years at Intel. Chronos Tech is developing technology for systems-on-a-chip (SoC) in the cloud computing, AI, mobile, automotive, and other areas.

Cloud Computing 200

Cloud Computing San Diego Mobile Technology 200

socalTECH

JANUARY 6, 2022

San Diego-based nonprofit fundraising software developer Classy says that more than $1.1 billion was raised by its nonprofit customers on its platform in 2021. The company--which helps nonprofits reach out to donors--said about $30.8 million of that was in recurring donations on its platform. The company has been developing tools to help nonprofits move donors to give on a recurring basis--more like a subscription--rather than just provide on-time donations.

San Diego 189

San Diego Platform Software Development Tool 189

socalTECH

JANUARY 11, 2022

Los Angeles-based AmazeVR has raised $15M more in a new funding, from Partners Investment and Murex Partners, plus Smilegate Investment, Quantum Ventures Korea, ABC Partners, Everrich Group, GS Futures, We Ventures, Base Investment, Duname&Partners, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Mirae Asset Capital, Partners Investment and Timewise Investment. The company offers up a way for artists to hold concerts in augmented reality.

Los Angeles 182

Los Angeles Invest Capital Funding 182

L.A. Business Journal

JANUARY 31, 2022

Millions of kids around the world participate in youth sports, but few have access to personalized instruction from professional coaches.

Coach 147

Coach Help 147

L.A. Business Journal

JANUARY 3, 2022

Westlake-based RBB Bancorp announced its entry into the San Francisco Bay Area Dec. 28 with the purchase of Gateway Bank F.S.B. in Oakland, a deal valued at approximately $22.9 million.

147

147

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2022

Beverly Hills-based Launch House, which hosts month-long, live-in startup programs in Los Angeles and elsewhere, is looking to raised $10M in a new venture capital fund, according to a regulatory filing from the company. The filing said the company is raising $10M to invests in startups. The company started originally during the pandemic, when its founders rented a home in Mexico to work on startup projects and fight off social isolation.

Beverly Hills 145

Beverly Hills Invest Startup Venture Capital 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 26, 2022

As an advisor to business executives and owners, I often hear discussions about employee accountability , almost always focusing on the negative. Phrases like “holding people accountable” imply negative consequences or punishment, rather than rewards or providing the freedom and coaching to team members to choose their own actions, and pursue what matters most to them.

Coach 145

Coach Slides Social Network Metrics 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 8, 2022

With the cost of entry at an all-time low, and the odds of success equally low, more and more entrepreneurs are starting multiple companies concurrently. This “parallel entrepreneur” idea has been around since at least the days of Thomas Edison, and for the new generation of entrepreneurs, who have been multi-tasking since birth, it’s probably not even a stretch.

Entrepreneur 145

Entrepreneur Startup Resource Course 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 17, 2022

Many new business owners I know have learned the hard way that you can never be everything for everyone. As a startup, you need to use your limited resources to excel at a few core things for your best customers, in order to stand out and get the momentum going. Focus on a few key principles is the key to success, and it takes discipline and determination to make this happen.

Startup 144

Startup Social Media Metrics Custom 144

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 14, 2022

Most entrepreneurs who start a company alone soon come to the conclusion that two heads are better than one – someone to share the workload, the hard decisions, costs, and tasks you don’t like. In a moment of crisis, you may be tempted to take on the first person expressing interest as a co-founder. This would be a mistake, and could easily cost you your startup.

Startup 140

Startup Satisfaction Writing Entrepreneur 140

socalTECH

JANUARY 14, 2022

Los Angeles-based cloud storage provider IDrive said this week that it has added cloud backup support for Linux machines on its IDrive 360 product. The company said the support allows IT admins to schedule and automate backups for all of their organizational Linux data into a single account through a unified web console. The product is aimed at businesses, and starts at $29.50 per year per computer.

Web 140

Web Los Angeles Product Angel 140

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 9, 2022

Most startups, and many big businesses, still don’t have a clue on how to use social media productively for marketing their business. They randomly churn for hours a day on a couple of their favorite social media platforms, with little thought given to goals, objectives, or metrics; and ultimately give up and fall back to traditional marketing approaches.

Social Media 135

Social Media Framework Media Metrics 135

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 3, 2022

Startup investors tell me they invest in a new venture with a higher caliber of people, rather than the product or service, and I agree. In my role as a business advisor, I see successful businesses most often emerging from great teams rather than great products. Yet I find the people building teams are usually product experts, often with no experience in team building.

Training 135

Training Case Study Resource Statistics 135

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 7, 2022

It’s easy to say to people on your team that they must be accountable for their actions, but it’s not so easy to tell them how to do it. It’s even harder to give them the mindset of wanting to be accountable. In fact, many business leaders forget that they are the role model for accountability, and don’t audit their own actions to make sure that they always practice what they preach.

Examples 134

Examples Organization Custom Customer 134