Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 16, 2014

'Whew! We’ve been dying to tell you all for a while that we had raised a new venture capital fund and of course given SEC filing requirements the story was somewhat already scooped by the always-in-the-know Dan Primack a few weeks ago. We raised $280 million. Our last fund was $200 million but as you may already know since we raised that fund we added new partners Greg Bettinelli and Kara Nortman and Venture Partner Hamet Watt – all of whom are busy looking at new deals for the firm

Venture Capital 396

Venture Capital Funding Technical Review Startup 396

socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'Sure, it has been quite a wet week in Southern California this weekhowever, we''re not out of California''s long running drought yet. Can a smart sprinkler controller be the answer to the drought? Startup Blossom (www.myblossom.com) thinks it is part of the solution to the dry conditions across the Westand can help save lots of money for homeowners nationwide, by tapping into the cloud with a connected, smart sprinkler controller.

Demand 258

Demand Startup Southern California Marketing 258

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 4, 2014

'By Dave Berkus. There are lots of ways to measure a great leader. Here are three that should resonate with you as leader and with those who follow you. These qualities are applicable whether you are leading your company or a board, and certainly are aspiration targets for you if you are measuring yourself against the best. The first quality in a great leader is to have laser focus.

Resource 228

Resource Organization Education Course 228

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 8, 2014

'A version of this article previously appeared in Forbes. It is common sense that entrepreneurs should cultivate friends outside of work. However, too often, entrepreneurs allow their non-work friendships to wither, as they struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with their family while nurturing their startups. Although difficult, cultivating friendships beyond your office can actually make it easier to deal with the stress of your startup because such friends offer a degree of objectivity

Mentor 220

Mentor Study Entrepreneur Startup 220

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

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2014

'As the economy recovers from some tough economic times, more and more people seem to be turning to entrepreneurship as an alternative to traditional employment. I applaud this trend, but caution all of you thinking this direction to approach entrepreneurship with your eyes wide open. It is not for everyone, as the entrepreneur’s path is fraught with challenges.

Startup 117

Startup Entrepreneur Ideas Resource 117

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 16, 2014

'Continuing on the path of consumer focused audio gear we’d like to introduce you to the Cynaps Mint. It’s a revolutionary device that we’ve watch grow from its early stages of prototype into a product that we think everyone should own. The Cynaps mint is the world’s first 3D printed Bone Conduction Headset. It works like Lego and looks like a mint, just please try not to eat it.

News 105

News Startup Mobile Resource 105

socalTECH

DECEMBER 18, 2014

'Santa Monica-based DogVacay , the online marketplace which helps dog owners find someone to watch their pet when they are away, has added a brand new feature to its iPhone app. According to DogVacay, it has added the ability to send and receive 15-second videos of pets via its free app, which hosts using the service use to give owners updates on their pets.

Mobile 207

Mobile Santa Monica Help Services 207

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 11, 2014

'While we are on the subject of great leadership, let’s list the five principal tactical skills of a great leader. These are not the strategic visionary skills, like leading companies through risky product launches, or steering the course through economic storms where leaders become oversized personalities for their superhuman efforts. These are the skills of daily operation, the ones that make or break a company – from the top.

Organization 220

Organization Metrics Training Course 220

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 15, 2014

'A version of this article previously appeared on Forbes. Standing on the courthouse steps, moments after receiving his permanent residency Green Card, John Lennon was asked if he harbored a grudge against the Nixon Administration for tapping his phone, putting him under surveillance and mounting a multi-year attempt to deport him. Without missing a beat, John smiled and said, “Time wounds all heels.”.

Entrepreneur 189

Entrepreneur Sales Writing Custom 189

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 22, 2014

'Successful entrepreneurs are the ones who think the most creatively, not only in their initial product or service, but more importantly all through the stages of growth from startup to maturity. But even the best of them can easily slip into some bad decision habits that limit or hurt their business, due to natural human tendencies and the pressures of business challenges.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Metrics Demand Statistics 113

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 2, 2014

'Image courtesy of Refinery29 via Pinterest. The rise of startups is becoming one of the strongest engines of job growth and economic growth all around the world. As the capital needed to start a small business continues to fall, the number of software companies being started is exploding. These companies are also no longer limited in areas near venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, Boston, and New York City, and practically anyone can join startups in their local cities — or even across the g

Startup 102

Startup Social Media Writing Google 102

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

'Accelerators have had quite a good run the past 5+ years. Not just Y Combinator and TechStars but a host of other accelerators across the country. I have been involved with a high profile one in Los Angeles – Launchpad LA – and we’ve decided to make a shift so I thought this was a good time for reflection. My good friend Adam Lilling and I started Launchpad more than 5 years ago .

Venture Capital 290

Venture Capital Startup Idealab Funding 290

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2014

'If you''re a brand or retailer, needing to get online, there are a lot of things to deal with to run your e-commerce business smoothly--everything from your e-commerce site itself, to taking photos of your products, packing and shipping, to digital marketing. If e-commerce isn''t your main line of business, how do you get a handle on all of that? One Los Angeles company-- OneStop Internet (www.onestop.com) has created a growing business handling exactly that.

Commerce 203

Commerce Venture Capital Internet Brands Startup 203

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 18, 2014

'There is a simple way to define the responsibilities of the chief financial officer. And it extends beyond the usual interpretation of the CFO position in many companies. If it can be counted, the CFO owns the responsibility for controlling it. The CFO should question and control the number of anything , including the number of chairs to be ordered.

Email 179

Email Metrics Venture Capital Startup 179

Steve Reich

DECEMBER 31, 2014

'2014 Pasadena Angels Performance. • 4 Exits, including Bluebeam for $100mm. • $4.7mm in new funding for portfolio companies. • 17 Deals closed, 10 new and 7 follow-on rounds. • 20 New Angels joined. I have never seen such energy at the Pasadena Angels in my decade+ as a member. Deals are getting done, and the PA are more involved in the tech community than ever before.

Pasadena Angels 45

Pasadena Angels Pasadena Angel IP 45

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 21, 2014

'When entrepreneurs come to me with that “million dollar idea,” I have to tell them that an idea alone is really worth nothing. It’s all about the execution, and investors invest in the people who can execute, or even better, have a history of successful execution. Execution is making things happen, and for startups it usually means making change happen, which is even more difficult.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Ideas Startup Custom 113

Tech Zulu Event

DECEMBER 24, 2014

'Buddytruk is the latest peer-to-peer vehicle service to hit the streets of LA. Like Lyft and Uber , the service is utilized through the use of a smartphone app to request a driver to aid you in your quests. Unlike the two ride-sharing services, Buddytruk isn’t a ride-sharing service. While Lift and Uber allow people to request a pickup and ride from screen tested drivers to transport them and their friends safely to and from their destinations, Buddytruck fills a void that the ride-sharin

FAQ 98

FAQ Startup Technical Review Santa Monica 98

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 4, 2014

'“It stops today.” I spent the entire day yesterday in a deposition so I was offline from the world around me – a rare day of no email, no social media and even no news. I had been awake since 5am, returned home from work at 9:15pm and was exhausted with my only goal of decompressing and tuning out from the world. I could not. I barely slept last night.

Social Media 402

Social Media Entrepreneur Study Education 402

socalTECH

DECEMBER 26, 2014

'It''s usually pretty slow from the news front around the holidays, so every year, we feature a few "end of the year" posts from movers and shakers here in Southern California''s tech industry. We''ll be featuring a few of these every day through the New Year. Our first post over the holidays is from Howard Marks --who co-founded Activision--and recently founded startup accelerator StartEngine, and who has been very active in encouraging the technology industry in Los Angeles.

Activision 191

Activision Southern California Los Angeles Capital 191

Berkonomics

DECEMBER 31, 2014

'The title of this insight happens to be the name of a CEO roundtable organization I belong to, and have been a member since 1989 (Adaptive Business Leader Organization – or ABL). The organization, like Vistage, manages roundtables of CEOs meeting monthly in small groups, where they discuss their mutual challenges and help solve each other’s complex problems, acting as an informal board of advisors.

Organization 176

Organization Email Startup Training 176

socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'Southern California looks to be the top location for Instagram tags, based on a ranking of tags on the app released this week. According to Instagram, the top two spots in Instagram''s list of the top tagged locations in 2014 were Disneyland , in Anaheim, and Dodger Stadium , in Los Angeles. The two were number one and two in the top ten locations where users shared photos; others included Times Square (3), Siam Paragon Mall in Bankok (4), Gorky Park in Moscow (5), the Louvre (6), Red Square, M

Southern California 187

Southern California SoCal Los Angeles Mobile 187

socalTECH

DECEMBER 5, 2014

'Monrovia-based unmanned aerial vehicle maker Aerovironment reported Thursday that it has received a number of awards and options on its contract with the United States Army, for its Switchblade tactical missile systems, which increase the total contract ceiling for its existing contract by $38.3M, to a total of $102.1M. The company said it received a $4.3 million cost plus fixed fee award and $7.1 million option for the program, increasing the funded part of the contract to $63.8M.

Monrovia 187

Monrovia Report Funding Companies 187

socalTECH

DECEMBER 15, 2014

'Miss our big technology and media industry holiday party last week, the Digital Family Reunion ? Here are some photos from the event, which brought together over 800 people from the industry to rub elbows, meet old friends, network with others, and honor the socalTECH 50 for 2014. Highlights included a panel discussion led by our own Ben Kuo and featuring Abhi Nemani, Oded Noy, Erik Rannala, Matt Kozlov and Chet Pipkin, which inspired our audience with insights into where LA tech is headed in 2

SoCalTech 185

SoCalTech Conference Media Networking 185

socalTECH

DECEMBER 11, 2014

'San Diego-based RapidEngage , a developer of online survey software and tools used to collect customer feedback and to engage users, has been acquired by fellow online survey company QuestionPro. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. RapidEngage was founded by Daniel Marashlian, Sean Callahan, and Rodney Rumford, who also founded photo sharing app Plixi (TweetPhoto), which had been acquired by Lockerz in 2011.

SoCalTech 185

SoCalTech San Diego Incubator Acquisition 185

socalTECH

DECEMBER 31, 2014

'Santa Barbara-based Yardi reported a customer win this week, with multifamily property development company Pennrose Management. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. Yardi said Pennrose is using its software to handle HUD compliance, online leasing, and check scanning, among other functions. Pennrose develops and operates housing communities in the eastern half of the United States.

Development 178

Development Develop Santa Barbara Companies 178

socalTECH

DECEMBER 15, 2014

'One of the highest profile startup accelerators in Los Angeles, LaunchpadLA , is officially shifting its model and getting out of the startup accelerator market--handing over its space to General Assembly, with its various partners embarking on different activities. According to a blog post from Mark Suster, one of the founders of LaunchpadLA, the decision to shift away from being an accelerator came after the startup accelerator either had to decide to "triple down and raise another fund" to p

Venture Capital 178

Venture Capital Blogging Los Angeles Activity 178

socalTECH

DECEMBER 8, 2014

'Culver City-based NantHealth , the health information technology venture founded by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, has tied with BlackBerry Limited to provide smartphone access to NantHealth''s resources According to the two, they have created a secure, clinical genome browser which gives doctors access to patients genetic data on BlackBerry''s PassPort smartphone.

Culver City 178

Culver City Resource Technology Product 178

socalTECH

DECEMBER 26, 2014

'Los Angeles-based j2 Global has launched a hostile bid for online storage company Carbonite , and has offered $15.00 per share--or approximately $415M--to buy the company. j2 Global released a letter to Carbonite shareholders earlier this week, offering to pay all cash for the company, which offers up cloud-based data protection for both businesses and individual users. j2 Global had attempted to acquire Carbonite before, in 2012. j2 Global--despite a low profile in the overall high tech sector

High Tech 174

High Tech Email Acquisition Los Angeles 174

socalTECH

DECEMBER 10, 2014

'Santa Monica-based Ring , the smart doorbell startup led by Jamie Siminoff, has raised $4.5M in equity and another $2.5M in debt financing, the company disclosed Wednesday. The company--formerly known as Doorbot--said the Series A financing comes from True Ventures, and also included First Round Cpaital, Queensbridge Venture Partners, Upfront Ventures, and angels.

Santa Monica 173

Santa Monica Venture Capital Equity Ideas 173

socalTECH

DECEMBER 4, 2014

'Los Angeles-based Vantage Media said Thursday that it is selling its Education Services Business--which sells leads to education advertisers--to Campus Explorer , as it looks to sharpen its focus on the technology behind its real time bidding (RTB) advertising platform. Financial terms of the sale were not announced. Vantage Media said the business was officially sold last week.

Media 173

Media Education Advertising Sales 173

socalTECH

DECEMBER 2, 2014

'SendGrid , the developer of email delivery platform used heavily by app developers, has raised $20M more in a Series C, venture funding round, the company said this morning. The company--which has significant operations in Orange County--said the Bain Capital Ventures, along with Bessemer Venture Partners and Foundry Group. SendGrid has a big operation in Orange, with a focus on engineering and software.

Orange County 173

Orange County Email Venture Capital Platform 173

socalTECH

DECEMBER 15, 2014

'Los Angeles-based streaming television site Hulu has rolled out a fun new tool to help you channel your holiday spirit (or lack of holiday spirit) into an animated GIF, with a new service called the Hulu Perfect GIF Generator. The new tool lets users share animated GIFs--all clips from Hulu''s extensive video library--to help express their holiday feelings, whether a user really loves the holidays, or even if the user really doesn''t like holidays at all.

Hulu 171

Hulu Hollywood Social Network Tool 171

socalTECH

DECEMBER 2, 2014

'Carpinteria-based Procore Technologies , which develops cloud-based software for the construction industry, has named Matthew Reid as its new Chief Marketing Officer. Reid previously served at Impact Radius, and also served at Citrix Onlne, Gehry Technologies, Eucalyptus Systems, and Shunra Software. Procore said Reid will head up all corporate and product marketing for the company.

Marketing 171

Marketing SaaS Software Technology 171

socalTECH

DECEMBER 26, 2014

'Did you get all of the high tech gifts you wanted under your Christmas tree, Hanukkah, or your other favorite holiday? Here are five of the gifts--all from Southern California high tech companies--we wish we could have gotten wrapped in a present this year. 1. 3D Robotics X8+ Drone. The X8+ Drone from 3D Robotics is an octo-copter which can haul up to 800 grams--i.e. your GoPro Hero--anywhere you want, for the ultimate aerial photography and video platform, with up to 15 minute flight time and

High Tech 170

High Tech Playa Del Rey Belkin Santa Barbara 170

socalTECH

DECEMBER 4, 2014

'Los Angeles has been one of the hottest markets for ridesharing companies, with Uber , Sidecar , Lyft , Flywheel , TaxiMagic , and Opoli -- and probably others--all trying to take a piece of the transportation market. However, it looks like ridesharing company Uber might have just changed the equation, after announcing a $1.2 billion funding round -- with more on tap -- valuing the company at $40 billion, and adding a very, very significant warchest to the company''s fight to come out as the to

Demand 166

Demand Venture Capital Mobile Los Angeles 166

socalTECH

DECEMBER 16, 2014

'Los Angeles-based ChowNow , which develops tablet-driven, online and smartphone ordering apps for restaurants, has tied its product into Apple Py. According to the company, it is the first online ordering platform to integrate with Apple''s new payment system. ChowNow is led by Chris Webb. According to ChowNow, the move allows thousands of local restaurants to accept Apple Pay for purchases.

Mobile 164

Mobile Los Angeles Platform Capital 164