socalTECH

JUNE 15, 2010

Santa Monica-based Zag , the online auto buying software firm headed by Scott Painter, has raised $11.1M in a new equity funding round, according to a regulatory filing by the firm Tuesday afternoon. The firm has previously raised funding from USAA, Capricorn Investment Group, LLC, GRP Partners and Anthem Venture Partners.

Zag 154

Zag GRP Partners Anthem Santa Monica 154

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 10, 2009

Santa Monica-based SharesPost.com , which recently launched a marketplace for private company shares, said Wednesday that the firm has inked a deal with Advanced Equities. SharesPost is the most visible startup so far out of BrightHouse, the business incubator founded by Greg Brogger and Scott Painter, who are also behind Zag Automotive.

Equity 133

Equity Zag Santa Monica Incubator 133

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 5, 2009

Los Angeles-based Zag , the online car buying software firm headed by former CarsDirect CEO Scott Painter, has scored an investment from financial services firm USAA , USAA disclosed Thursday. According to USAA, it is taking an equity position in Zag, which is also providing the firm with its car buying services. READ MORE>>.

Zag 100

Zag Invest CarsDirect Venture Capital 100

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 8, 2011

in an equity funding round. Scott Painter is the CEO of TrueCar/Zag, and was also previously CEO of CarsDirect, and has been incubating a number of companies out of his Santa Monica-based BrightHouse incubator. No details on that funding have been announced by the company. SharesPost had originally been based in Santa Monica.

CarsDirect 140

CarsDirect Zag Santa Monica Incubator 140

socalTECH

APRIL 2, 2009

Southern California Venture capital totals were up slightly in Q1 of this year from last quarter, to around $718M in deals, according to an analysis of socalTECH.com's proprietary venture database. However, venture funding totals were still well off the first quarter of 2008's nearly $1.2 billion in funding.

Southern California 113

Southern California SoCal Invest SoCalTech 113

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 17, 2010

Funding is different – In Silicon Valley you have mega venture capital funds and many of them. Side note: LA seems to have had some success in mega deals led by private equity firms as evidenced by DemandMedia and Chris DeWolf’s latest company backed by more than $20 million in private equity.

Company 290

Company Companies Technology Startup 290

socalTECH

JUNE 17, 2009

Yesterday, Santa Monica-based SharesPost (www.sharespost.com) launched a new service of particular interest to the venture capital and high tech startup market, a new, online service which facilitates the buying and selling of private company stock. We co-founded Zag together, and I was the COO of CarsDirect.

Startup 124

Startup Zag Venture Capital Equity 124