TechCrunch LA
FEBRUARY 6, 2022
Hello friends, and welcome back to Week in Review ! Last week, we talked about about the “de-stonkifying” of the market. This week, we’re looking at a wounded Facebook/Meta that finds itself backed into a corner. If someone forwarded you this message, you can get this in your inbox from the newsletter page , and follow my tweets @lucasmtny.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 3, 2022
Goleta-based property management and real estate software developer Yardi said this week that it has been selected by investor services provider IQ-EQ as its international real estate fund management platform. Financial terms of the win were not announced. Yardi said it will be used across IQ-EQ's global operations.
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Berkonomics
FEBRUARY 24, 2022
This story has turned out to be one of the most enduring posts ever for me, well worth repeating. And what a lesson for us all. I confess that our research cannot find its source. So, with thanks to whomever originally created this great little parable, here it is: “Every day, a small Ant arrived at work early and started work immediately, she produced a lot and she was happy.
Tech.Co
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
Do you run a small business that ships products locally? You're in luck. The US Postal Service has just launched a delivery service for you. USPS Connect Local offers affordable next-day deliveries in all locations, while select locations will go further and include same-day and Sunday delivery as well as pickups. The new service officially launched on Tuesday, with over 800 Texas locations already in operation and a deadline to be active in all 50 states by the end of September — right in
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.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 5, 2022
It’s a whole new world out there in the workplace. Millennials want work that matters, and don’t care for hierarchies. Boomers are coming back to work, but because of their experience, they may be insulted by constant feedback. All prefer more flexible hours, the chance to work from home, and the traditions of lifetime loyalty to one company no longer apply.
SoCal Tech Calendar
FEBRUARY 1, 2022
Thursday, February 3, 2022 --.
Southern California Tech Central brings together the best content for technical professionals in Southern California from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Berkonomics
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Here’s the problem: Investors sometimes join into investment rounds that have been pre–negotiated by others, receiving the paperwork already created by attorneys from that negotiation. It is not uncommon for a sharp investor to discover a “stinky” clause or two in such agreements when reading them in preparation for signing. Bill Payne came across just such a stinky clause in a deal we both were joining as investors late in the process.
Berkonomics
FEBRUARY 3, 2022
First, the implied promise: Taking money from professional investors such as angels or VCs usually requires that you agree to seek an exit for those investors in your plan, often targeting five to seven years as the ideal period for growth before a liquidity event. Of course, even though that is your contract with the investors, way over half of those implied contracts never work out that way.
Tech.Co
FEBRUARY 25, 2022
Ecommerce company Etsy is hiking its transaction fees for sellers for the first time since 2018. Starting on April 11th, fees will rise from 5% to 6.5% for each sale. The decision comes after a record fourth quarter in which Etsy gained $717.1 million in revenue and added 10 million active buyers for a total of 90 million. But small businesses may need to find a way to raise their conversion rates in order to make up for the new fee they'll be paying.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 20, 2022
Your marketing launch is the most important element of startup success these days, to get customer attention in this world of information overload. Yet it is the one element that too many entrepreneurs focus on only as an afterthought. Every entrepreneur assumes their product or service is so great that “word-of-mouth” will carry the day for them. Even great products need great marketing “content” to fuel the ascent of their online message.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 14, 2022
I see more and more entrepreneurs who seem to have everything going for them – vision, motivation, passion, even a good business plan, product, and money, and yet they can’t close customers. Maybe it’s time to look harder at the mantra of a new breed of gurus and successful entrepreneurs, including Steve Blank and Eric Ries , called “nail it then scale it” (NISI).
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
Los Angeles-based Triller, the social video sharing service, and online job recruiting site Job.com said on Friday that the two have partnered to allow Triller users to discover and apply for open positions with a video resume, rather than the traditional resume. According to the companies, they will use video transcription and AI matching to match Triller users to relevant jobs based on interests, skills, and desired roles.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 1, 2022
Pasadena-based robot developer Miso Robotics, which develops kitchen assistance robots, says it is looking to raise another $40M more via crowdfunding, after just completing $50M in an equity crowdfunding push. The company said it is undergoing a "SEC review process" ahead of the new crowdfunding effort. Miso said it plans to use the new funding to grow its workforce and to "satisfy the product demand" it is seeing in the marketplace.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 18, 2022
You can’t win as an entrepreneur or business owner without full confidence in your own ability, as well as in your solution and business model. As an angel investor in startups, I always look for this self-confidence, no matter how innovative the solution. Of course, you can be overly confident or unrealistic in your expectations, without the skills or plans to run a business.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 19, 2022
To be successful starting a business, you don’t have to be a fabulous person, but it helps. Some people, and some entrepreneurs, have that something extra that you can’t quite put your finger on, like the judges are searching for on American Idol. But the entrepreneurs that have it, including Elon Musk and Richard Branson, seem to be able to effortlessly get team members, investors, and customers to follow them anywhere.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 6, 2022
Many entrepreneurs I know are confused by the definition and need for an Advisory Board versus a Board of Directors. Some view both of these as a waste of time and burden on the CEO, while other founders surround themselves with insiders and cronies in an attempt to expedite and add credibility to their own interests. I suggest a few simple considerations will clarify the alternatives.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
What sparks paradigm-shifting and disruptive innovation in any business? It’s a special mix of entrepreneur and company, regular in every respect except for having the courage and foresight to make an idea happen that was supposed to be impossible. As an entrepreneur in a startup, how do you know if you have this potential, and what are the steps to get from an innovation to a revolution?
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 27, 2022
Based on my years of experience as a new business advisor, I always find leadership to be more important to business success than any new technology or innovative solution. The challenge is to adequately define leadership in terms of everyday activities. Most entrepreneurs believe they are leaders, even though the feedback I get from their team and partners may indicate otherwise.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
It’s time for more entrepreneurs to reset their focus, and shift their thinking to completely different ways of doing things. Everyone talks about innovation, but the majority of business plans I see still reflect linear thinking – one more social network with improved usability, one more wind-farm energy generator with a few more blades, or one more dating site with a new dimension of compatibility.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 21, 2022
In my consulting work, when I ask team members in startups and small businesses how they know whether they are doing a good job, the typical response I get is “Nobody has yelled at me today,” or “No news is good news.” This means you are missing the positive impact of catching people doing things right and reinforcing that performance with timely praise and support.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 11, 2022
It’s time to take the drudgery and dread out of work at your business. You don’t like it, millennials won’t put up with it, and current productivity levels at work continue to decline. Only 34 percent of American workers are even engaged at work today. Most workers are still rushing to retirement, where they hope to escape to more stimulating activities with a real sense of accomplishment.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
Colton, California-based ECOTEC, a manufacturer of methane emissions equipment, has received a strategic investment from Intrepid Investment Management LLC. Size of the investment was not announced. ECOTEC says that it helps companies manage and remediate their environmental footprint by accurately identifying and quantifying their greenhouse gas emissions.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
San Diego-based Platform Science, which develops connected vehicle products, has raised $115M in a Series C funding. According to the company, the funding was led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and also included Chimera, plus existing investors 8VC, Daimler, Prologis, NextPlay, and Four More Capital. Platform Science is led by co-founder and Ceo Jack Kennedy; the company is developing a product which is aimed at commercial vehicle fleets, which ties together telematics, real-time vehicle data, third
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 3, 2022
San Diego-based biopharmaceuticals company Halozyme Therapeutics said on Wednesday afternoon that it has named Nicole LaBrosse as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Office. LaBrosse has been at Halozyme since 2015, and was most recently Vice President, Finance and Accounting. She replaces Elaine Sun, who the company said is stepping down to "pursue another opportunity.".
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 3, 2022
Irvine-based semiconductor developer Skyworks Solutions said late Wednesday that it has named Suzanne McBride to its board of directors. McBride is the current Chief Operations Officer for satellite communications provider Iridium Communications. She also has served at Motorola, General Dynamics, and OneWeb. Skyworks says McBride has 25 years of experience in the wireless technologies area.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 3, 2022
Los Angeles-based micromobility provider Bird said on Wednesday that it is expanding access to its scooters in a private-public partnership with Nashville's local transportation agency. According to Bird Global and WeGo Public Transit, Nashville's public transit agency, the two will enable access to Bird's e-scooters in locations such as Nolensville Pike, Gallatin Pike and Murfreesboro Pike, which will allow individuals to use Bird scooters rather than cars to reach their final destination.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 2, 2022
Los Angeles-based private equity investor Levine Leichtman announced this morning that one of its portfolio companies, BigHand Ltd, has acquired legal software developer Iridium Technology from private equity investor Polaris Growth Fund. Financial details of the deal were not announced. Iridum Technology was founded in 2009, and develops legal business intelligence and analytics software for law firms.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 2, 2022
Los Angeles-based Plug In South LA, a startup accelerator operator, says it is launching a third, tech accelerator program for the Black and Latinx communities. According to the accelerator, based in South LA, says it is looking for start-up founders focused on healthcare technology, climate and sustainability, digital media, and edtech. The program, led by founder Derek Smith, said the accelerator benefits include potential grants of up to $40K, possible seed investments, and pilot partnerships
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 1, 2022
San Diego-based permission-based advertising technology developer Permission.io announced this morning that it has named Lauren Griewski as the company's Chief Revenue Officer. The company said Griewski was most recently founder and CEO of Soul Expressed, LLC, and also previously led the development of Facebook's B2B advertising business, in addition to serving at Roblox, VEVO, and Viacom.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 1, 2022
Los Angeles- and Seattle-based Unlock Venture Partners, a seed-stage venture capital investor, says it has raised $60M in a second fund, the company said on Monday. The company is primarily focused on Seattle, but says it is now looking at investing in Los Angeles. The fund previously had raised $25M in its first fund in 2018. The company's existing investments include such startups as U-Nest, Bamboo, Continuum Space Systems, Gen.G, and others.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 2, 2022
In my many years of consulting with business leaders and entrepreneurs, I have found that all of them realize the value of communication , in spreading the outbound message of mission and goals to their team and constituents. Yet, in their urgency to get things done, many forget to focus on really listening to input as an equally important part of their leadership role and image.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 13, 2022
Don’t charge the hill until you are “ready.” This probably seems obvious to military types, but I see entrepreneurs violating this rule all the time. They approach key potential investors way too early, trying to talk their way up the hill, with no supporting business plan, and before they have a support team around them. Needless to say, they usually get shot down, and get no second chance.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 25, 2022
I’m sure you have all noticed how today’s customers have changed the way they shop, but I still find, as an advisor and consultant, that many of you aren’t sure how to deal with the new mode, or are still waiting for things to get back to the old normal. I’m convinced you need to face reality – success with customers now requires developing a whole new relationship with your customers.
Startup Professionals Musings
FEBRUARY 9, 2022
I hear too often from business owners and entrepreneurs that they are bombarded by so many requests and problems, that they have trouble sorting out the daily crises from opportunities with a major payback for the business. In other words, how do you recognize the challenges that really need your leadership , versus the less critical demands that seem to always bubble to the top?
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
San Diego-based autonomous freight shipping technology developer TuSimple says it has inked a deal with Union Paciic Railroad, where the company will move freight on a fully-automated trucking route between the Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona. Financial details of the deal were not announced, but TuSimple said it will carry freight for Union Pacific via its wholly owned subsidiary, Loup Logistics.
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 3, 2022
ICEYE, the remote sensing satellite startup which has major operations in Irvine, has raised $136M in a Series D funding round, the company announced this morning. The company said it has now raised $304M in total. ICEYE is deploying a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, which can see through clouds, and are particularly good and detecting things like ships, planes, and buildings.
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