Sat.Oct 06, 2018 - Fri.Oct 12, 2018

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Shopify opens its first brick-and-mortar space in Los Angeles

TechCrunch LA

Shopify , the provider of payment and logistics management software and services for retailers, has opened its first physical storefront in Los Angeles. The first brick and mortar location for the Toronto-based company, is nestled in a warren of downtown Los Angeles boutique shops in a complex known as the Row DTLA. For Shopify, Los Angeles is the ideal place to debut a physical storefront showing off the company’s new line of hardware products and the array of services it provides to busi

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OGN Plans E-sports Arena in Manhattan Beach, Partners With PubG

L.A. Business Journal

South Korean broadcast company OGN is constructing a 3,500-square-foot e-sports arena in Manhattan Beach, and selected game developer PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds Co. Ltd. (better known as PubG Co.) as its first league partner.

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Can we have fun while doing serious work?

Berkonomics

Have you ever noticed how slow time passes when you are in a troubled environment? Conversely, sometimes you look up at the end of a great day and wonder where the time went. It’s driven from the top. Over the years, I have discovered that the difference is not just applicable to the good times, but to the environment, created by the senior executives, that filters throughout the organization.

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A Chat With Kelly Perdew: Moonshots Capital And Its First Dedicated Fund

socalTECH

This morning, Moonshots Capital (www.moonshotscapital.com), led by Kelly Perdew and Craig Cummings , announced its first formal fund, a $19M seed stage fund. We sat down with Kelly ahead of the announcement to chat about the new fund, why they think military veterans are particularly well suited as startup entrepreneurs, why the two went from organizing individual deals for funding to a formal fund, and more.

Capital 164
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Can You Ask for Office Rent Relief? How to Manage Your Lease During COVID-19

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.

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The next big restaurant chain may not own any kitchens

TechCrunch LA

If investors at some of the biggest technology companies are right, the next big restaurant chain could have no kitchens of its own. These venture capitalists think the same forces that have transformed transportation, media, retail and logistics will also work their way through prepared food businesses. The Battle Is For The Customer Interface. Investors are pouring millions into the creation of a network of shared kitchens, storage facilities, and pickup counters that established chains and ne

Startup 279
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Silicon Beach Report Oct. 12: Bird Taps Uber for Executive Hires

L.A. Business Journal

Bird poaches Uber executives; Activision Blizzard debuts new title and shares surge 8.7 percent; political podcasts coming to pay TV.

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Shopify Sets Up Space For Entrepreneurs In LA

socalTECH

Shopify , which develops software for merchants to set up e-commerce, mobile, social media sites, online marketplaces, bricks-and-mortar stores, and more, is setting up a space for entrepreneurs in Los Angeles, the company said this morning. According to Shopify, it has set up a location at the ROW DTLA in downtown Los Angeles, where it will provide in-person help, support, and training for merchants on its software platform.

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Freight trucking startup Shipwell gets a $10 million boost

TechCrunch LA

Shipwell , a startup pitching a marketplace for domestic ground shipping and fleet and cargo management services for freight trucking companies, has raised $10 million in a new round of funding. A booming American economy coupled with failing infrastructure and a low-margin business reluctant to adopt new technologies have put stress on domestic logistics companies in the $900 billion market for U.S. trucking services.

Startup 191
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Former Trump Advisor Gary Cohn Joins Marina del Rey Blockchain Firm

L.A. Business Journal

Former U.S. National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn has joined Marina del Rey-based blockchain startup Spring Labs’ board of advisors.

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7 Tips To Test Your Idea As A Part-Time Entrepreneur

Startup Professionals Musings

Many experts will tell you that you can’t succeed as a part-time entrepreneur, as any good startup will require a 100 percent commitment of your time and energy. But not many of us have enough savings to live for a year or more without a salary, fund the startup, and still feed the family. Thus I often recommend that entrepreneurs keep their day job until the startup is producing revenue.

Ideas 102
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AeroVironment, General Dynamics Land Systems Tie On Combat Vehicle Effort

socalTECH

Monrovia, California-based Aerovironment , a major developer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones for the military, said it has inked a deal with General Dynamic Land Systems (GD), to integrate the company's unmanned aircraft and tactical missle systems with armored combat vehicles. Aerovironment said the deal is part of the upcoming U.S. Army Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) and U.S.

Monrovia 147
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Four reasons why you should attend TC Sessions AR/VR 2018

TechCrunch LA

On October 18 — just one week away — some of the most brilliant and innovative minds in reality creation will gather at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles to attend TC Sessions AR/VR 2018. Whether you’re an early startup founder, an investor, a developer or a student, if you’re focused on AR/VR, you don’t want to miss this day-long intensive event that goes deep into the current and future state of augmented and virtual realities.

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Net Gain?

L.A. Business Journal

Recent real estate deals by Netflix highlight hot market, constrained outlook on studio space.

.Net 124
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Tech + Homelessness: A Conversation

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, October 18, 2018 -- TECH+HOMELESSNESS: A Conversation. Is homelessness just too complex to solve? How can we harness technology to impact homelessness? Should the SoCal tech community engage in conversations around innovation and disruption of the deepening homeless crisis? Sutton Capital Partners is proud to sponsor an evening focused on solutions.

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Activision Launches Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Worldwide

socalTECH

Santa Monica-based videogame publisher Activision said this morning that the latest sequel in its Call of Duty series of games, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 , is now available worldwide. The company said the title is now avaliable both digitally and at global retailers worldwide. The new game includes multi-player options, "more Zombies available on day one than any other game", a new mode called "Blackout", among other features.

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6 Powerful Drivers Shared By Successful Entrepreneurs

Startup Professionals Musings

In my experience mentoring new entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders, I see far too many who seem to be driven by all the wrong reasons. Everyone seems to espouse extrinsic motivations, such as getting rich, having power, and fulfilling parent dreams, when in fact a focus on satisfying internal interests and desires will likely lead to more success, as well as satisfaction.

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Podcast Hub: Mixed Bag in Flux

L.A. Business Journal

Los Angeles is growing as a hub for podcast.

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TechCrunch Sessions: AR/VR

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, October 18, 2018 -- TC Sessions: AR/VR is a single-day event designed to facilitate in-depth conversations, hands-on demos and networking opportunities with the industry leaders, content creators and game changers bringing innovation to the masses.

Design 100
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Mission Debuts Managed Services, Cloud Consulting After Merger

socalTECH

A newly launched company, Mission --created from the merger of Los Angeles-based Reliam , Los Angeles-based Stratalux ,and Boston-based G2 Tech Group -- has launched under a new, consolidated brand, Mission said this week. The company--led by longtime cloud and hosting services veteran Simon Anderson--offers up managed services and consulting for cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.

Services 133
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10 Ways Entrepreneurs Find Money To Start A Business

Startup Professionals Musings

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” I always answer that there isn’t any magic, and contrary to the popular myth, nobody is waiting in the wings to throw money at you, just because you have a new and exciting business idea. On the other hand, there are many additional creative options available for starting a business that you might not find for buying a car, home, or other major consumer item.

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Game Developer Fiending for Growth

L.A. Business Journal

Big jump in revenue for Venice-based Seriously.

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eGames, eLeagues and the Economics of Mass Spectator esports: This is NOT your Father’s NFL - MIT Enterprise Forum of the Central Coast

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, October 17, 2018 -- eGames, eLeagues, and the Economics of Mass Spectator esports: This is Not Your Father's NFL. MIT Enterprise Central Coast. The esport industry growth had been a bottoms-up, viral phenomenon. But now, the emergence of finely-tuned league structures centered around specific games, has helped solidify a growing business ecosystem that has attracted significant investment.

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Moonshots Capital Announced First Seed Stage Fund

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based Moonshots Capital , the venture capital investment firm led by Kelly Perdew and Craig Cummings, has raised its first official fund, a $19M seed stage venture fund. The firm--which has been making investments even before raising the official fund, announced today--has already made four investments out of the new fund. According to Moonshots Capital, the first investments are in companies in the corporate security, business travel, social-threat identification technology, and dig

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10 Keys To Reducing The Risk The Second Time Around

Startup Professionals Musings

Entrepreneurs who experience success with their first startup are often amazed to realize that the risks and fears of doing it right the second time go up, rather than down. Encores are tough, especially in the high-risk world of startups, yet every entrepreneur I know can’t wait to start over and do it again. Sometimes their haste or ego causes them to ignore basics, and they fall hard.

Startup 93
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Silicon Beach Report Oct. 11: EagleTree Capital Acquires FuseFX

L.A. Business Journal

EagleTree Capital picked up a majority stake in visual effects company FuseFX; Northrop Grumman landed $792 million Air Force contract; Catalog raised $1.5 million in a seed round.

Capital 113
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TCVN Convertible Notes Workshop

SoCal Tech Calendar

Thursday, October 11, 2018 -- TCVN Convertible Notes Workshop. Come learn about convertible notes and SAFEs, when, if and how to use them, the terms you may want to consider offering (or not offering!) to your investors, and how they will affect your startup going forward!

TCVN 100
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Semtech, SK Telecom Launches Cattle Monitoring Product

socalTECH

Camarillo-based analog and mixed-signal semiconducto developer Semtech and South Korean telecom giant SK Telecom have announced this morning that the two have launched an Internet-of-Things (IoT) network--based on Semtech's LoRa technology--for monitoring the health of cattle in South Korea. According to the two, they have rolled out a new product called LiveCare, which uses LoRa-equipped "bio-capsules" implanted in a cow's gastrointestinal tract, to monitor cattle health.

Product 133
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7 Strategies To Avoid the Curse of Business-As-Usual

Startup Professionals Musings

As a long-time advisor to entrepreneurs and business owners, I rarely find someone who doesn’t proclaim that the business world is changing rapidly, with new technology, new customer expectations, and new cultures. Yet, I’m still frustrated by the number of business owners that haven’t updated their business-as-usual practices. In my mind, these are killing their businesses.

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Silicon Beach Report Oct. 10: Katzenberg TV Company Gets a Name

L.A. Business Journal

Quibi to produce short-form video; Snap pushes for original content amid funding crisis; Insomniac launches new virtual reality game

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Disruptive Trends In Aerospance and Defense. ACG LA

SoCal Tech Calendar

Wednesday, October 10, 2018 -- Disruptive Trends In Aerospance and Defense. ACG LA.

ACG 100
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LA's Q3 2018 Seed Deals Steady, Says Report

socalTECH

A new report, from Los Angeles startup investor Amplify LA , says that Los Angeles seed investment deals in Q3 were for the most part steady, with a total of $59.4M raised across 27 Los Angeles startups. The group says its tracking found that the average seed round size was $2.2M for the quarter. Amplify LA said it found that software-as-a-service (SaaS) was the most funded sector, with a decline in investments in such areas as e-commerce and mobile technology.

Report 133
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With a $10.2M Boost, YourMechanic Aims At Mobility Fleet Market

Xconomy

Every month, there’s news of another partnership among carmakers like GM and tech companies such as Uber, as they vie for dominant roles in a transportation future where individual car ownership may largely give way to rides-on-demand from fleets of autonomous and tech-enabled vehicles. But whether Uber, Toyota, GM, Honda, or Google end up at the very top of this mobility industry, it’ll be good news for the companies that are developing services to support future high-tech car fleets, says Anth

Mobile 83
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Cash-Strapped Snap Sees Stock Price Slide Following Analyst Report

L.A. Business Journal

The stock price for Snap Inc. hit a new low — falling 6.4 percent to $7 a share – after a report described the Santa Monica social media company as “quickly running out of money.

Slides 113
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13th Annual City of Santa Monica AltCar Expo

SoCal Tech Calendar

Saturday, October 13, 2018 --.

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XPRIZE Selects Test Site For Shell Ocean Discovery Prize

socalTECH

Los Angeles-based XPRIZE , a nonprofit which runs a series of prizes to encourage the development of technology to solve difficult world problems, says that it has selected a field testing location for its $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE. According to the nonprofit, the deep sea off Kalamat, Greece, has been selected as the location for finalists teams to map, as part of the "Grand Prize" of the competition.

Sites 133
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U.S. Venture Capital Deals on Pace to Exceed $100B in 2018

Xconomy

Once considered a passing phase, the concentration of capital into fewer, larger venture capital deals appears to be the new normal. Fueled by so-called mega-funds, investment in U.S.-based venture-backed companies as of the end of the third quarter hit a decade high, and is on pace to pass the $100 billion mark by year’s end. In the third quarter VC investments totaled nearly $28 billion, bringing the year’s total as of Sept. 30 to more than $84 billion, according to the latest quarterly Ventur