TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 1, 2019

With $140 million in new financing, Relativity Space is now one step closer to fulfilling its founders’ vision of making the first rockets on Mars. Tagging along for the ride are a motley assortment of millionaires and billionaires, movie stars and media moguls that are providing the money the rocket launch services provider and manufacturer of large-scale, 3-D printers needs to achieve its goals.

Chief Technology Officer 168

Chief Technology Officer SpaceX Los Angeles Venture Capital 168

socalTECH

OCTOBER 3, 2019

For years, Los Angeles-based Soylent (www.soylent.com)--which makes all-in-one meal replacement drinks, bars, and other productsdanced around the origins of the name, which is tied to a dystopian 1973 science fiction film, Soylent Green , featuring Charlton Heston. Last week, the company finally embraced the dystopian origins of the name with a brilliant, tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign introducing its new Soylent Green Mint Chocolate line complete with a spoof animation of the famous last

Marketing 100

Marketing Startup Social Media Product 100

L.A. Business Journal

OCTOBER 2, 2019

SpaceX is one of 14 companies awarded grants from NASA to boost the agency's mission to return to the Moon and to eventually land on Mars.

SpaceX 240

SpaceX Funding Company Companies 240

Xconomy

OCTOBER 1, 2019

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the first “public cloud” offering third-party data storage and compute services, launched in March 2006, and by 2012, there were multiple credible competitors. The hype was strong. Back then, cloud evangelists were predicting that essentially everything in the enterprise data center would migrate to one of just a few public clouds.

Web 101

Web Services Networking Cloud Computing 101

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

OCTOBER 3, 2019

Electric scooter operator Bird secured $275 million in Series D funding led by CDPQ and Sequoia Capital.

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Capital Funding 113

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Two years after the Los Angeles-based fintech startup Dave launched with a suite of money management tools to save consumers from overdraft fees , the company is now worth $1 billion thanks to a nascent banking practice that had investors lining up. The company used its overdraft protection service and money management display to shift customers’ focus away from the total balance that their account would show by giving them a sense of how much was actually left in their accounts once debit

Company 262

Company Companies Startup Tips 262

Berkonomics

OCTOBER 3, 2019

Here’s one for the ages. How many times have you projected income and profits only to fall short, and make excuses to those depending upon you to perform? We know the answer of course. Lots of people do or will depend upon your leadership in driving growth, stability, and profitability. There will always be times when salespersons or associates provide you with projections for future sales that reflect their inherent optimism.

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Sales Course Resource Email 120

L.A. Business Journal

OCTOBER 1, 2019

Financial management app developer Dave Inc. raised $50 million from Palo Alto-based growth equity investors Norwest Venture Partners.

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Equity Develop Development 127

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Outside of dreams, there is no real business opportunity without risk. Serious entrepreneurs know that, but too many “wannabes” still fall for that elusive get-rich-quick scheme with no risk. As an active angel investor, I still hear entrepreneurs asserting large opportunities with minimal risk and no competition. My conclusion either way is that they have no market, or haven’t looked.

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Entrepreneur Marketing Customer Custom 107

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Jaunt , a developer of virtual reality technology, software, and apps--which previously had its virtual reality content development efforts based here in Los Angeles--has been acquired by Verizon , the companies said today. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. According to Jaunt, Verizon has acquired Jaunt's software and technology, among other assets.

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Redpoint Content Acquisition Los Angeles 133

Xconomy

OCTOBER 1, 2019

The European Society for Medical Oncology meeting has wrapped up in Barcelona, the last major clinical cancer conference until December’s annual ASH meeting for blood diseases. We’ve highlighted a few top stories for you. Amid all the fuss over cell, gene, and immunotherapies these days, an old-fashioned small-molecule class of drug called PARP inhibitors have steadily made progress in tough-to-treat cancers.

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Class Conference News San Diego 88

L.A. Business Journal

OCTOBER 4, 2019

Relativity Space raises $140 million, will use it to advance 3D-printing technology.

Technology 147

Technology 147

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 4, 2019

By most definitions of the term, an entrepreneur is someone who starts a new business, incorporating innovative changes to existing products, services, business models, and creating new markets. Yet very few achieve that great aspiration of really driving economic, social, and environmental changes on a global scale. What does it take to get to that level?

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Resource Entrepreneur Social Network SpaceX 97

socalTECH

OCTOBER 3, 2019

Fountain Valley-based HyperX , the gaming accessory maker which is a division of Kingston Technology, has launched its very own athletic clothing line, in a partnership with Champion Altheticwear. According to HyperX, the new "gaming inspired" clothing collection will include t-shirts, hoodies, and crewneck sweatshirts. The company said the "limited edition capsule collection" will provide gamers with "a stylish way to display their passion".

Mobile 127

Mobile Technology Company Companies 127

Xconomy

OCTOBER 3, 2019

Following the late-stage failure of its lead program, an experimental gene therapy treatment for the most aggressive form of brain cancer, Tocagen will reduce its workforce by 65 percent, the company said Thursday. The layoffs will result in a staff of about 30 people by year’s end, Tocagen (NASDAQ: TOCA ) said in the press release. CEO Marty Duvall said the company, with its remaining cash, will prioritize the completion of an analysis of the results from the trial, called Toca 5, and a present

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Layoffs Press San Diego Company 77

L.A. Business Journal

OCTOBER 3, 2019

Rick Fox, owner of Beverly Hills-based esports organization Echo Fox, sued several of his business partners for fraud and mismanagement of company funds.

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Beverly Hills Organization Funding Company 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

Isn’t it frustrating to think you finally understand something in business, like marketing with social media, only to realize that the landscape changed while you were looking at other priorities? For example, it used to be that marketing via social media meant banner ads on Facebook, buying search engine results, and sponsoring blog entries, but these don’t suffice anymore.

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Social Media Media Snapchat Platform 95

socalTECH

OCTOBER 3, 2019

El Segundo-based GoGuardian , which develops software for the education market, has expanded into new offices in El Segundo, at the former Raytheon site. According to GoGuardian, the new office is in Raytheon's building R23, an industrial warehouse that previously had held engineering design and prototyping for Raytheon. GoGuardian said the new, 30,000 square foot office space includes such features as open seating, white noise speakers, and a community art wall.

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El Segundo Education Equity Design 124

Xconomy

OCTOBER 2, 2019

Organovo, a company developing technology to 3D print human tissue, announced two months ago that its dwindling cash is leading it to explore options that include merging with another firm. The San Diego biotech now has an offer from a familiar face close to home. Viscient Biosciences, a seven-person biotech startup also based in San Diego, announced Wednesday that it has submitted a merger proposal to the Organovo (NASDAQ: ONVO ) board of directors.

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San Diego Startup Technology Develop 61

L.A. Business Journal

OCTOBER 4, 2019

Startup Tokr teams up with dispensary The Pottery to offer sales and delivery services.

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Sales Services Startup 100

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 2, 2019

Since most small business owners are justifiably proud of the service they deliver, they don’t even anticipate a negative online review or threat to their reputation, until it happens. Unfortunately, trying to recover after the fact is tough. The best way to protect your reputation online is to solicit good reviews proactively, so an occasional negative one will be discounted as an exception.

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Customer Custom Examples Sites 86

socalTECH

OCTOBER 3, 2019

Pasadena-based e-discovery software developer X1 has raised $5.1M more in a Series B funding round, the company said Wednesday, in a round led by Palisades Growth Capital. The round also included angel investor George Kadifa, the former head of HP Software. According to X1, the new funding will go to hire aggressively in development and sales. X1 is led by CEO Craig Carpenter and CTO Brent Botta.

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CTO Hire Idealab Pasadena Software Development 124

Xconomy

OCTOBER 2, 2019

A new mobility company, Cerence , is making its public-market debut Wednesday, and its first CEO, Sanjay Dhawan, says he’s been meeting with more than 50 investors in recent weeks to talk up its prospects. Cerence is a spinout from pioneering speech recognition company Nuance Communications (NASDAQ: NUAN ), and it will carry on the work of Nuance’s former automotive division —a longtime player in the hotly competitive drive to equip vehicles to take full advantage of voice interactivity, a

Artificial Inteligence 52

Artificial Inteligence Mobile Competition Activity 52

socalTECH

OCTOBER 2, 2019

San Diego-based MemComputing , a startup developing high performance computing (HPC) technology, has been selected by Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV), for CTV's Catalyst Program, which supports early stage companies focused on the oil and gas industry. MemComputing did not say if the selection for participation included an investment from CTV. According to MemComputing, its technology has shown the ability to reduce compute times from hours to seconds for challenging computational problems.

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UCSD Technology San Diego Entrepreneur 124

socalTECH

OCTOBER 1, 2019

Los Angeles-based Dave , a fintech startup which offers up tools that helps users track their spending and avoid overdraft fees, has raised $50M more in a funding round, according to the company. The funding apparently values Dave at $1 billion. The new funding came from Norwest Venture Partners. Dave--which is led by co-founder and CEO Jason Wilk--offers up a range of financial tools which run on the company's platform to help consumers with saving money.

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Mobile Tool Los Angeles Platform 124

socalTECH

OCTOBER 1, 2019

Los Angeles-based medical implant maker Second Sight Medical said today that it has been chosen for a $2.4M, four-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to Second Sight Medical, the four year grant will go to help develop spatial localization and mapping technology, and for integration of that technology into its implantable visual prosthetics.

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Los Angeles Technology Product Funding 124

socalTECH

OCTOBER 1, 2019

San Diego-based Molecular Assemblies , a developer of enzymatic DNA synthesis technology, has raised $12.2M in its Series A funding round, the company said this morning. According to the company, the financing was led by iSelect Fund, and also included Agilent Technologies, Alexandria Venture Investments, and Keshif Ventures, all existing investors in the company.

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Funding San Diego Tool Technology 124

socalTECH

OCTOBER 1, 2019

San Diego-based Immunicom , a developer of immunotherapy products for treating cancer, has raised $1.85M in its Series B funding, bringing the total raised in its Series B to $12.85M, the company said today. According to Immunicom, it has now raised $21.85M in total. Immunicom says it is developing a non-pharmaceutical solution for treating stage IV metastatic cancer.

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Funding San Diego Technology Develop 124

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

BlackBerry said on Monday that it is launching a brand new, advanced lab called the BlackBerry Advanced Technology Development Labs , which will leverage technology created by Irvine-based Cylance. BlackBerry acquired in February of 2019 in a deal worth $1.4 billion. According to BlackBerry, the new business unit will focus on research and development in the cybersecurity space.

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Artificial Inteligence Research Software Development Software 124

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 30, 2019

Data center hosting provider CoreSite Realty Corporation said late last week that it has upgraded its energy efficiency at its data center in downtown Los Angeles, in an effort with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). According to CoreSite, it received an award from the LADWP for its efforts, which it says included implementing an "extensive cooling system retrofit" which is expected to save more than 9.8 million kWh of energy annually.

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Los Angeles Angel Marketing Technology 124

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2019

Virgin Orbit , the space launch startup led by Sir Richard Branson, which has been running its development program in Mojave, has selected a pilot from the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) to be a part of its small satellite launch program. The Royal Air Force and Virgin Orbit had announced an earlier partnership in July of this year. According to the RAF and Virgin Orbit, Flight Lieutenant Mathew 'Stanny' Stannard--currently, a Typhoon pilot with one of the RAF's test and evaluation squadrons--had be

Hollywood 113

Hollywood Customer Custom Startup 113

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2019

Los Angeles-based Moonshots Capital , the venture capital investment firm led by Kelly Perdew, has seen its first exit out of its portfolio, with the acquisition this week of Threatcare , a developer of cybersecurity software. Security management software developer ReliaQuest announced its acquisition of Threatcare this week, saying that Threatcare's team members and founder will join the company.

Capital 113

Capital Acquisition Venture Capital Software Development 113

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2019

Santa Monica-based Vertical Networks , a "mobile-first" content studio which was backed by Snap , has been acquired by New York-based entertainment and sports media company Whistle. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. Vertical Networks was founded by Elisabeth Murdoch. According to Whistle, the acquisition will help its expand its lifestyle video content efforts.

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Networking Santa Monica Content Entertainment 113

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2019

The Riot Scholastic Association of America , the group run by Riot Games to govern college e-sports based on its League of Legends title, is planning a big expansion of its college league, saying on Thursday that it will be expanding its League of Legends College Championship to a 32 school tournament. The Riot Scholastic Association of America said that last year, it had 354 schools participating in some way in the league, ranging from offering up practic facilities, to coaches, to offering sch

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Riot Games Coach 113

socalTECH

OCTOBER 4, 2019

For our video interview this Friday, we have a chat with Cynthia Vincent , serial entrepreneur, fashion designer, and founder of fashion company BAACAL (www.baacal.com), who was at the TuesdayNights IMPACT Conference last week. READ MORE>>.

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Conference Design Entrepreneur Company 113

socalTECH

OCTOBER 3, 2019

Los Angeles-based legal filings and services site LegalZoom has settled a trademark and antitrust suit filed against the company by competitor LegalForce RAPC Worldwide , the operator of a trademark and patent filing service, Trademarkia.com , according to a legal filing from the two companies this week, according to reports. Financial details of the settlement were not announced.

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Legalzoom Patents Los Angeles Report 113