L.A. Business Journal

JULY 13, 2018

Spotify moves to L.A.

Dollar Shave Club 113

Dollar Shave Club Report 113

L.A. Business Journal

JULY 7, 2018

Sgrouples Inc.’s MeWe, a Culver City social network startup that calls itself an alternative to Facebook Inc., announced July 5 it had raised $5.2 million in Series A fundraising.

Culver City 189

Culver City Social Network Networking Startup 189

socalTECH

JULY 10, 2018

Irvine-based Illuminate Education , a brand new startup backed by Insight Venture Partners, said today that it has merged five different companies-- Illuminate Education , IO Education , SchoolCity , Alpine Achievement , and Key Data Systems --to create a new company focused on data platforms, data, analytics, and formative assessments of K-12 students.

Education 124

Education Companies Company Platform 124

socalTECH

JULY 19, 2018

Los Angeles-based j2 Global , which has made an art out of buying small companies and incorporating them into a large portfolio of acquired companies, has acquired two more companies, saying this morning that it completed two more acquisitions in Q2. j2 Global said it acquired certain assets of Line2, which will join its cloud services arm, and Mosaik Solutions, which will become part of its digital media operations.

Companies 127

Companies Company Acquisition Mobile 127

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

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 17, 2018

One thing that comes with being a venture capitalist is you see hundreds and hundreds of businesses. You get to have interesting conversations with founders and review business plans and then see how these businesses evolve over the years. A firm like ours has almost 100 different investments across all the various partners so we get to see some businesses very intimately.

Software Review 242

Software Review Technical Review Pricing Metrics 242

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.

Dollar Shave Club 232

Dollar Shave Club Chief Technology Officer Advertising Los Angeles 232

L.A. Business Journal

JULY 27, 2018

Cheviot Hills-headquartered anti-hacking startup Cesppa Inc. closed a $1.5 million seed round July 26, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Startup 244

Startup 244

SoCal Tech Calendar

JULY 26, 2018

Wednesday, August 1, 2018 -- ACG 101's Women in Corporate Growth Social. Join ACG 101's Women in Corporate Growth committee for a private, champagne meet-and-greet with Lauren B founder and beauty industry expert, Lauren Berkovitz. Come to learn what Lauren is seeing in the world of high-end beauty products, and toast the new Women in Corporate Growth members!

ACG 100

ACG Product 100

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

Artificial Inteligence 183

Artificial Inteligence Dollar Shave Club Seed Funding Incubator 183

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

Marketing 82

Marketing Product Develop Development 82

TechCrunch LA

JULY 17, 2018

Google, like all major internet companies, often participates in building new subsea cables because it wants to own the connectivity between its data centers around the world. Those cables are typically built and owned by a consortium of companies (and sometimes shared by competitors ). Now, however, Google is building its own cable that will span from Virginia Beach in the U.S. to the Atlantic coast of France.

Google 74

Google Los Angeles Course Invest 74

Berkonomics

JULY 19, 2018

And d oing both well usually wins the day. This is one of those arguable insights, where both sides win. Dell is a great example of emphasis upon fast, creating a customized computer in 48 hours or less, bringing in assemblies and components just-in-time to make the assembly line. However, if Dell quality were poor and returns high, the company surely would not have survived on speed of response alone.

Competition 226

Competition Examples Custom Customer 226

L.A. Business Journal

JULY 5, 2018

AeroVironment Inc. is developing a helicopter drone that will fly on Mars.

Develop 157

Develop Development 157

SoCal Tech Calendar

JULY 26, 2018

Wednesday, August 1, 2018 -- ACG 101 Summer Social at the Stonehaus. Join ACG 101 and ACG 101's Women in Corporate Growth the evening of August 1st at the beautiful Westlake Village Inn Stonehaus for our annual Summer Social. This always-popular gathering brings together ACG Members, Sponsors, friends - new and old - past program presenters and other special guests for an evening aimed at nothing but the enjoyment of one another's company!

ACG 100

ACG Westlake Village Companies Company 100

socalTECH

JULY 18, 2018

How do you apply virtual reality (VR) technology, and turn it from just a nifty technology trick, to something which is truly a lifelike journey you can experience with friends? Santa Monica-based SPACES (www.spaces.com), led by CEO Shiraz Akmal and a team of entertainment veterans from Dreamworks Animation, is hoping to do that with a series of physical attractions, powered by VR technology.

Entertainment 180

Entertainment Santa Monica IP Startup 180

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.

Guide 81

Guide Study San Diego Journal 81

TechCrunch LA

JULY 16, 2018

Google Cloud’s new region in Los Angeles is now online, the company announced today. This isn’t exactly a surprise, given that Google had previously announced a July launch for the region, but it’s a big step for Google, which now boasts five cloud regions in the United States. It was only three years ago that Google opened its second U.S. region and, while it was slow to expand its physical cloud footprint, the company now features 17 regions around the world.

Google 123

Google Cloud Computing Southern California Los Angeles 123

Berkonomics

JULY 12, 2018

Close. At many board meetings, I can be counted upon to ask, “Where’s the bottleneck this month?” Senior management is usually prepared with an answer, and a good discussion of resource availability and application follows. Sometimes, the bottleneck is not so visible to the CEO. In those instances, I follow with: “Do you notice people waiting at your door, telling you that they were waiting for your response or decision, even if you were unaware of this?”.

Organization 226

Organization Resource Statistics Email 226

L.A. Business Journal

JULY 31, 2018

Glendale online legal technology company LegalZoom.com Inc. announced June 30 it completed a $500 million financing round from four total investors, its second since the firm’s founding in 2001. With this investment, LegalZoom’s estimated value totals roughly $2 billion.

Legalzoom 133

Legalzoom Invest Glendale Technology 133

SoCal Tech Calendar

JULY 25, 2018

Thursday, July 26, 2018 -- Should You Use a Finder to Help You Raise Capital? Tech Coast Venture Network. You've been banging your head against the wall for months - perhaps years - looking for capital, but you can't seem to be getting any traction. And whenever anyone expresses any interest in talking to you, you stumble your way through a very awkward discussion of terms for which you haven't the slightest idea about.

TCVN 100

TCVN Help Capital Outsource 100

socalTECH

JULY 16, 2018

Commerce, California-based Joybird , an online retailer and manufacturer of furniture, has been acquired by La-Z-Boy Incorporated , La-Z-Boy said on Monday. Financial terms of the deal were not announced. Joybird (Stitch Industries) was founded in 2014 by Alex Del Toro, Andres Hinostroza, Joshua Stellin and Christopher Stormer, and manufactures mid-century modern upholstered furniture, which it sells online through its own brand.

Commerce 174

Commerce Sales Custom Customer 174

Xconomy

JULY 26, 2018

In June, Jennifer Petter, the founder and chief scientific officer of biotech startup Arrakis Therapeutics, got an e-mail from a stranger. His name was Ramsey Johnson, a biotech veteran who works in clinical operations at Boston startup Phoenix Tissue Repair. Johnson was writing about OUTBio, a networking organization for LGBTQ members of the biopharma community.

Blogging 75

Blogging Writing Organization Networking 75

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 20, 2018

As a business advisor, I have long been surprised by the large number of industry stalwarts, including Blockbuster, Kodak, and General Motors, that have been dealt major setbacks, or even total failure, by upstart young companies, with a fraction of the resources or industry experience. The stalwarts should be making the big leaps to be competitive, rather than the other way around.

Startup 59

Startup Competition IBM IBM 59

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.

Class 226

Class Email Competition Entrepreneur 226

L.A. Business Journal

JULY 30, 2018

Two-Bit Circus comes to town to open Arts District game space; Pepperdine teams up with 2U; SRAXmd sold

Pepperdine 133

Pepperdine Report 133

SoCal Tech Calendar

JULY 25, 2018

Tuesday, July 31, 2018 -- CTO Mixers: Cruise w/ Anita Sengupta of Virgin Hyperloop. CTO Mixers is a curated, invite-only event. Geared at C-Level, SVPs in the Enterprise and high quality entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneur 100

Entrepreneur 100

socalTECH

JULY 10, 2018

Santa Monica-based air travel provider Surf Air --which got its start offering up low cost "all you can fly" travel between Silicon Beach and Silicon Valley--has lauched a new offering which hopes to attract its members for weekend getaways. According to Surf Air, its new Surf Air Experiences, which it is running in conjunction with partner All Roads North, will offer up special, three-day weekend trips to its Surf Air Members only.

Santa Barbara 147

Santa Barbara Santa Monica Startup Technology 147

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.

Customer 75

Customer Custom Services Technical Review 75

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2018

Too many entrepreneurs I know still believe that that their great idea will carry the startup, and they may even minimize their own value, especially if they have introvert tendencies. Yet most investors agree that the “idea” is worth nothing alone, and it’s the entrepreneur execution that counts. That means that selling yourself is more important than selling your idea.

Ideas 59

Ideas Marketing Startup Entrepreneur 59

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.

Santa Barbara 140

Santa Barbara Redpoint .Net Marketing 140

socalTECH

JULY 10, 2018

San Diego-based Crinetics Pharmaceuticals , a pharmaceuticals firm focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for rare endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors, has set its estimated IPO range, saying in a filing that it is looking to sell 5,000,000 shares of its stock at between $15.00 and $17.00 per share.

San Diego 133

San Diego Capital Marketing Develop 133

socalTECH

JULY 24, 2018

San Diego-based Applied Data Finance , which is developing technology used for credit modeling, loan origination, and asset management, said on Tuesday afternoon that it has raised $145M in a combination of equity and debt. The funding came from MAI Capital Management, LLC (MAI), Victory Park Capital Advisors, LLC (VPC) and Park Cities Asset Management, LLC (PCAM), along with family office investors.

San Diego 124

San Diego Equity Capital Funding 124

socalTECH

JULY 19, 2018

Rancho Palos Verdes-based Kumbaya , which is developing a device to bring solar- and battery- powered Internet connectivity and content to third world communities, said today that it has added a United Airlines IT executive to its board. According to Kumbaya, Silvia Prickel has joined its Board of Directors. Prickel is currently Managing Director of Application Development for United Airlines, where Kumbaya said she has spent the past 12-years in the IT department.

Rancho Palos Verdes 124

Rancho Palos Verdes AITP Content Technology 124

L.A. Business Journal

JULY 18, 2018

Downtown-based car-sharing platform HyreCar Inc. announced July 17 that it will partner with DriveItAway.com Inc., a used vehicle auction platform based in Cambridge, Mass. The collaboration is designed to allow independent car dealerships in 34 states and Washington, D.C. to list their vehicles on the HyreCar platform.

Platform 124

Platform Design 124

L.A. Business Journal

JULY 16, 2018

Netflix subscribers up, stock prices down; Google gets is cloud online in L.A.

Netflix 124

Netflix Report Google Pricing 124

socalTECH

JULY 11, 2018

The Irvine Company , which operates a huge list of shopping centers in Orange County and elsewhere, including Fashion Island and the Irvine Spectrum, is in the midst of a flap over license plate data sharing. The real estate development firm was accused of sharing license plate scanning data with ICE , according to a report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Orange County 124

Orange County Companies Company Report 124