Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 29, 2017

I am so proud and humbled to be able to formally announce that Upfront Ventures has raised its 6th venture capital fund in the past 21 years. Upfront VI is our latest core fund and is $400 million to invest in early stage entrepreneurs. This brings our combined funds under management to nearly $2 billion. A huge thank you to all of the Limited Partners who have entrusted us with your capital, time and reputations.

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Funding Venture Capital Santa Monica Invest 287

Berkonomics

JUNE 22, 2017

Close. Stop me if you’ve heard this story before. “My job as a (newspaper publisher telephone installer, stockbroker, travel agent, retail store manager) is safe as this economy continues to grow.” Yup. Thought so. We are in a decade of creative destruction that will affect most everybody. And the prime motivators of this massive destruction are the same class of entrepreneurs and innovators that have done it before.

Artificial Inteligence 295

Artificial Inteligence Class Coach Education 295

socalTECH

JUNE 23, 2017

The insurance industry today is one of the last industries to fully jump into adopting technology for offering up their products, says Wayne Slavin , CEO and founder of SURE (www.sureapp.com), and just needs some help in getting there. We chatted with Wayne about how SURE--backed by IA Capital, Menlo Ventures, FF Venture Capital, Nationwide Ventures, Assurant and AmTrust--is applying technology and working with, not against, insurance companies to make buying insurance something you can easily d

Southern California 244

Southern California Technical Review Startup Commerce 244

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 29, 2017

As the firm looks ahead to its own future, Suster and the firm he's helped grow remain committed to the future of Los Angeles. The two are paired, and these days if an investor is #LongLA (to use the hashtag the firm coined), it looks like limited partners are saying that it pays to be long on Upfront, as well. .

Los Angeles 243

Los Angeles Marketing Funding Angel 243

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

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 19, 2017

Snap Inc. and Time Warner Inc. announced a global partnership to develop made-for-Snap shows over the next two years. The deal, reportedly valued at $100 million, will include both entertainment and advertising content.

Content 210

Content Entertainment Advertising Report 210

Tech.Co

JUNE 15, 2017

Before Pokémon Go hit smartphones around the world like a ton of bricks, the augmented reality discussion was cemented in a futuristic image of the tech. Think Ironman’s heads up display without the cumbersome helmet and the English voice assistant. People have had high expectations for augmented reality and consumers are waiting for the technology to catch up.

Mobile 152

Mobile Technology 152

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

The subject of raising money is critical to many businesses and a passing option to others, depending upon the capital efficiency of the enterprise. Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). For you who fit that description, nice work.

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Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2017

UCLA , a limited partner in venture capital investment fund Binary Capital , has pulled its committment to the venture fund over the weekend, after Managing Director Justin Caldbeck was accused of unwanted advances towards women. UCLA had been one of the venture capital fund's first investors. Caldbeck is accused of unwanted sexual advances on women pitching the fund for investments.

UCLA 186

UCLA Capital Venture Capital Invest 186

TechCrunch LA

JUNE 29, 2017

As the firm looks ahead to its own future, Suster and the firm he’s helped grow remain committed to the future of Los Angeles. The two are paired and these days if an investor is #LongLA (to use the hashtag the firm coined), it looks like limited partners are saying that it pays to be long on Upfront as well. Read More.

Los Angeles 243

Los Angeles Marketing Funding Angel 243

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 27, 2017

Shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk shut down its operations at the Port of Los Angeles’ largest terminal Tuesday morning after a cyberattack hobbled its computer systems worldwide.

Los Angeles 203

Los Angeles Angel 203

Tech.Co

JUNE 7, 2017

Moving to a physical venue signals exciting times for a technology startup. You, the leader, think of the possibilities for greater collaboration and productivity once the team is all together. Chances are you’ve considered the open-office concept. With no need for walls and cubicles, it seems the ideal space for communication and ideas to flow with ease.

Startup 109

Startup Study Research Design 109

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

There are certain topics that even some of the smartest people I talk with who aren’t startup oriented can’t fully grok. One of them is whether profitability matters. It’s common cocktail party chatter to hear people confidently pronounce that some well known startup is sure to blow up because, “How could they succeed when they’re not even profitable!

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

Berkonomics

JUNE 29, 2017

If you have been following our recent insights, you’ll be up to speed knowing that professional investors negotiate tough terms, from provisions of control over asset acquisition, eventual sale of the company, future investments, forced co-sale when others attempt to sell their shares and more. And yet, in an earlier post, we spoke of the problems that come when taking unstructured investments from friends and family.

Invest 243

Invest Entrepreneur Sales Startup 243

socalTECH

JUNE 29, 2017

To the newly initiated, it might seem that Southern California is not particularly well known for its venture capital funds--however, for those insiders keeping track, Southern California is actually seeing an unprecedented upsurge in local venture capital firms seeking to make funding available to entrepreneurs, particularly at the seed and Series A stage.

Southern California 178

Southern California Venture Capital Artificial Inteligence Capital 178

Xconomy

JUNE 19, 2017

[ Updated 6/19/17 1:17 pm. See below. ] The San Diego biotech company Synthetic Genomics and supermajor ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM ) said today they have successfully inserted a gene in a particular strain of algae that more than doubled its oil content without slowing down the algae’s rate of growth. The two companies described the work in a statement as a “breakthrough in algae biofuel research.

San Diego 103

San Diego Press Research Conference 103

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 30, 2017

Actress Jessica Alba’s Honest Co. has reached a $7.35 million settlement in a marketing fraud lawsuit that alleged the company fraudulently labeled home and personal care products as natural, plant-based or chemical-free.

Marketing 203

Marketing Product Company Companies 203

Tech.Co

JUNE 9, 2017

Electric Vehicles (EV) are becoming more prevalent around the world. By the first quarter of 2017, there were close to 10,000 electric battery car sales in the U.S., with Tesla leading the charge. With more car manufacturer and tech companies making eco-friendly solutions more affordable and car charging infrastructure more accessible, the ability for consumers to join in the electric vehicle movement is more prevalent than ever.

Los Angeles 99

Los Angeles Startup Sales Product 99

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 19, 2017

One of the hardest decisions entrepreneurs make when they start a company and raise outside capital is figuring out what an acceptable “burn rate” is. That is, how much should your company be willing to lose in cash every month as you make investments in staff and equipment that funds technology, sales, marketing and management. Of course there is no right answer but it’s a function of how much capital you have raised, your prospects for raising more capital in the future, your growth rate and y

Startup 212

Startup Venture Capital .Net Capital 212

Berkonomics

JUNE 15, 2017

Taking in angel or venture money requires a setting of an entrepreneur’s expectations that may come as a shock at least at first. From the moment such an investor looks seriously at your company, the investor or VC partner is thinking of the end game, the ultimate sale of the company or even of an eventual initial public offering. There is no middle ground.

Venture Capital 243

Venture Capital Sales Invest Class 243

socalTECH

JUNE 2, 2017

The world of mobile apps has added serious challenges for software developers, who don't just have to deal with crashes�they have to deal with slow performance, strange hangs, multiple carrier networks, and more. To try to make it easier for developers to better understand what is happening in those environments, LA-based Embrace.io (www.embrace.io) has created a software toolkit which integrates with those apps to provide much better visibility into how those apps are performing, what's going w

Mobile 178

Mobile Develop Development Tool 178

Xconomy

JUNE 25, 2017

A Silicon Valley entrepreneur has set out to boost the startup ecosystem in San Diego and the rest of Southern California—and he already has scored a coup by partnering with Bill Maris, the founder and former CEO of Google Ventures, now known as GV. Steve Poizner, who sold two of his startups to Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM ) and served as California Insurance Commissioner a decade ago, has signed a collaboration agreement with a venture fund that Maris founded in suburban San Diego.

Southern California 96

Southern California San Diego Startup Google 96

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 20, 2017

A Chinese tech company announced Tuesday that it would invest more than $179 million to increase its stake in online electronics retailer Newegg Inc. to almost 94 percent from 55.7 percent, according to Bloomberg.

NewEgg 194

NewEgg Invest Technology Company 194

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 23, 2017

As an angel investor, I get approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who can talk endlessly about their latest great idea, and little else. While I recognize that every new venture starts with an idea, a successful business of lasting value is all about people and execution. Every investor is looking for someone who can turn an idea into a solution, and turn that solution into a business.

Ideas 83

Ideas Customer Custom Entrepreneur 83

AllTopStartups

JUNE 15, 2017

Fix and flip home investments are hot on the market right now. The biggest appeal to fix and flip ventures seem to be its high rate of profitability. With a… The post 4 Things You Must Know Before You Fix and Flip a Home appeared first on AllTopStartups.

Invest 45

Invest Marketing 45

Berkonomics

JUNE 1, 2017

Hold it! These are confusing terms. When does a budget become obsolete? Do we rely upon constant changes and call it a forecast? So, let’s spend a few moments defining this sometimes-confusing set of terms. A budget should be created each year after a series of negotiations between departmental managers and their superiors all he way yup to the CEO, all in support of the next year’s tactics previously agreed upon (which in turn support the longer-term strategies leading to the next goal beyond)

Course 243

Course Resource Email Competition 243

socalTECH

JUNE 6, 2017

A new, startup accelerator, aimed at startups and small-and-medium-sized businesses looking to go global, says it is launching this summer in Los Angeles. The International Business Accelerator said it is running its first program in Los Angeles from June 26th to July 7th, with workshops aimed at aspects of exporting, one-on-one coaching, and a demo day in October.

Long Beach 173

Long Beach Startup Coach Commerce 173

Xconomy

JUNE 14, 2017

A new program intended to teach engineering and business students how to drive innovations from concept to commercialization reflects a new imperative at UC San Diego. The business of tech transfer, which generates revenue by licensing technologies invented at UC San Diego, is giving way to a broader mission for the university as an engine of innovation and as a training ground for entrepreneurs and startup leaders.

San Diego 92

San Diego Training Entrepreneur Examples 92

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 22, 2017

Glassell Park-based boutique studio VR Playhouse has launched an educational program meant to attract students, artists, developers and directors to the virtual reality industry, according to a company statement.

Training 193

Training Education Develop Development 193

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2017

Parents, it’s never too early to start nurturing entrepreneurial talents in your kids! As an active business advisor and angel investor, I’m convinced that we are rapidly entering a new age of the entrepreneur, and those who are best prepared will be the first to reap some big rewards. You may think you need more entrepreneurial courses in school, or more advanced degrees, but in my experience it’s more of a mindset, some good coaching, and learning by doing that separates the winners from the l

Coach 80

Coach Entrepreneur Ideas Class 80

socalTECH

JUNE 13, 2017

Laguna Hills-based See Jane Go , a startup which operates a ridesharing service driven by, and which serves just women, has raised $2.47M in an angel funding, the company said Tuesday. Name of the investors in the company were not announced. See Jane Go currently offers it service in Orange County and Long Beach, with plans to expand to the rest of Southern California using the funding.

Southern California 172

Southern California Orange County Long Beach SoCal 172

socalTECH

JUNE 30, 2017

Los Angeles-based Headspace , which develops meditation applications for your smartphone or tablet, has raised $36.7M in funding, the company disclosed on Friday. The funding came from Spectrum Equity. The company has now raised $73.7M in total. Headspace is now led by co-founder Rob Pierson, after a widely publicized management shakeup and ousting of the company's CEO.

Equity 170

Equity Los Angeles Funding Capital 170

socalTECH

JUNE 21, 2017

Santa Monica-based BlockFraud , a developer of machine learning and artificial intelligence software used for detecting mobile fraud, has reportedly raised $5M in a Series A funding, the company disclosed on Wednesday. The funding was led by Palisades Venture Capital. BlockFraud is led by CEO Massimo Cristini. READ MORE>>.

Artificial Inteligence 168

Artificial Inteligence Software Santa Monica Venture Capital 168

socalTECH

JUNE 26, 2017

San Diego-based life sciences equipment maker Illumina announced a win in the United Kingdom today, saying that Genomics England has been selected as the primary variant interpretation and reporting software vendor for tumor and matched normal samples characterized as part of the 100,000 Genomes Project. Financial impact of the selection was not announced.

Sample 164

Sample San Diego Report Software 164

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 8, 2017

Boring Co. founder Elon Musk acknowledged that his company would likely struggle to gain government approval for a tunnel extending from Los Angeles International Airport to Sherman Oaks, but said the endeavor was still worth a shot.

Sherman Oaks 162

Sherman Oaks Los Angeles Angel Company 162

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2017

Two drivers on ridesharing service Uber have been accused of two, separate sexual assault incidents in Los Angeles over the last week. One of the two women victims has filed a lawsuit alleging that Uber has a "toxic culture for women inside the company and for women riders on the road." The first incident involved a groping incident on June 9th. The second incident, reported on Monday , said that an Uber driver with a felony record took a passenger to a motel and sexually assaulted her, rather t

Report 160

Report Los Angeles Services Angel 160

L.A. Business Journal

JUNE 20, 2017

E-sports is finding a home in downtown. Anschutz Entertainment Group announced an investment in e-sports franchise Immortals that makes it a team owner and home-venue operator for the team.

Invest 149

Invest Entertainment 149