socaltech.com TechNews - Friday, December 21, 2012 Edited by Benjamin F. Kuo ISSN: 1524-6736 http://www.socaltech.com/News ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sponsored by:
Clearstone Ventures (www.clearstone.com). Venture capital for innovators. Silicon Valley Bank (http://www.svb.com). Helping entrepreneurs succeed. Stubbs Alderton Markiles, LLP (http://www.stubbsalderton.com). Business. Technology. Law. Vision. Safire Partners (http://www.safirepartners.com). Los Angeles-based executive search for emerging growth companies Binary Pulse Technology Marketing (http://www.binarypulse.com). We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Deloitte LLP (http://www.deloitte.com/us/technology). Fetch Recruiting, Inc. (http://www.fetchrecruiting.com) Technical Recruiting for LA based Startups and High-Growth Companies ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --Why Being Nimble Is The Key To Success In Games, with SGN's Josh Yguado --Hulu Seeking $200M For More Content, Says Report --PathCentral Sells Diagnostics Lab Business --POP Charger Project To Give Out Full Refunds --Silicon Beach LA Boots Up Effort To Showcase Region, Via Bus --MyLife Moves To Westwood --Club Caveman Hits iTunes --GoPro Gets $200M From FoxConn --Amazon Studios Sets Plans For Six Series Pilots --Maker Studios Lands $36M More For YouTube Content --Wallaby Debuts Android App MARKETPLACE --Ventura Ventures Technology Center (V2TC) - Business Incubator --PwC Emerging Company Zone --Binary Pulse Technology Marketing. We Create Demand. --Safire Partners Executive Search --Fetch Recruiting, Inc. RECENT JOB POSTINGS --Director/Co-Founder of Digital Marketing, Calabasas, AppNRG --Sales Manager-Direct Sales, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch --Graphic Designer, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch --UI/UX Developer, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch --Director of Business Development-Franchise Sales, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch --Director of Sales, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch RECENT FUNDING EVENTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Happy holidays to everyone! This will be the last, regularly scheduled email from socalTECH until the New Year (although we'll cover breaking news over the holidays on our website, plus we'll be running our annual thoughts from the movers and shakers of Southern California's tech community over the holidays)--too many of you will be taking time off and our email inbox tends to fill up with thousands of bounce notices! You can keep up with anything that happens at http://www.socaltech.com Have a great holiday break! - Ben --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why Being Nimble Is The Key To Success In Games, with SGN's Josh Yguado ---- What's the key to success in the video game market today? We sat down earlier this month to talk with Josh Yguado, President of SGN (www.sgn.com), to learn more about the importance of being nimble in the game market, the company's platform, and hear more about its recent move into real money gaming. SGN is the social and mobile gaming developer headed by former MySpace founder Chris Dewolfe. For the folks who don't know about SGN, tell us what you're all about? Josh Yguado: We're the leading developer and publisher of cross-platform, social and mobile games. We have some of the biggest and most popular games on iTunes (More...) http://bit.ly/WyD1Ne --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hulu Seeking $200M For More Content, Says Report ---- Online video streaming site Hulu is asking its owners, Walt Disney Co., Comcast Corp., and News Corp., for about $200M to help fund program purchases, according to a report this morning from the Wall Street Journal. According to the report, the move comes as Hulu is looking to keep up with the big investments that competitors NetFlix and Amazon are making to obtain and create content for their own video streaming services. Apparently, Amazon is spending $500M to $1 billion per year on building Amazon Prime Instant Video, including its efforts to create its own studio here in Southern California--at least, based on estimates by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. PathCentral Sells Diagnostics Lab Business ---- Irvine-based PathCentral, the provider of tools and technology to the pathology community, said today that it sold its diagnostic laboratory business to Ascend Clinical, a provider of end-stage renal disease laboratory testing. Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed. As part of the sale, the firm said its CEO, Matt Watson, will move to Ascend, and that it will appoint Jaye Connolly as its new CEO. Connolly is the former CFO of PathCentral. POP Charger Project To Give Out Full Refunds ---- Remember the POP Charger, that mega-recharging device being developed by Edison Junior? Well, apparently, it's not happening. Edison Junior said that it is refunding the full, $139,170 raised in its Kickstarter campaign to develop the device, after the company received word from Apple that it would not be approved to the use the new Apple Lightning charger as part of the device. Edison Junior, which is headed by serial entrepreneur Jamie Siminoff, said (More...) http://bit.ly/Ugj5fJ Silicon Beach LA Boots Up Effort To Showcase Region, Via Bus ---- What's the best way to show off what Silicon Beach has to offer? A new startup Silicon Beach LA, focused on creating a community portal for the Los Angeles and Silicon Beach community, launched Thursday, saying that it has launched a Kickstarter campaign to create a Silicon Beach themed-bus (nicknamed "Monica"), which will help promote the region at events. (More...) http://bit.ly/Zmp0nJ MyLife Moves To Westwood ---- Los Angeles-based MyLife.com, the online, unified social networking service headed by Jeff Tinsley, said Thursday that it has moved to a new, corporate headquarters in Westwood. MyLife said its new headquarters at 1100 Glendon Avenue has 19,000 square feet, and will support its growing staff and business. The new headquarters are among a cluster of technology companies who are just around the corner from UCLA. MyLife's new building is in the same building as incubator Elevator Labs, compliance software and services firm LRN, and is the same building which was the headquarters for PeopleSupport. Club Caveman Hits iTunes ---- Club Caveman, the mobile application being developed by a team of Silicon Beach veterans, has just been released on Apple's iTunes store, six months after the group started a funding effort on Kickstarter for the mobile, interactive caveman app. The app--which currently sells for $0.99 on the iTunes store--lets users interact with a cute, humorous caveman who responds to both touch and voice commands from users. The app runs on both iPhone and iPad. http://bit.ly/ZlU0UG GoPro Gets $200M From FoxConn ---- GoPro, the maker of the very popular line of action sports cameras, has just received $200M from Apple iPod manufacturer FoxConn (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), in a deal that values GoPro at $2.25 billion. GoPro--which has operations in San Diego--announced the deal this morning, saying that the investment gives Hon Hai Precision an 8.88 percent stake in the company. FoxConn's founder and CEO, Terry Gou, will join GoPro's board as part of the deal. GoPro's cameras are among the most popular accessories for amateur athletes, video production companies, professional athletes, and others for their ability to capture--and survive--extreme sports conditions. GoPro was founded UC San Diego grad Nicholas Woodman, who thought up of the company while surfing off the Southern California coast. http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=47354 Amazon Studios Sets Plans For Six Series Pilots ---- Amazon Studios, the Southern California-based effort by e-commerce giant Amazon.com to produce its own, original content for Amazon Instant Video, has just greenlighted six series pilots for production, the company announced this morning. Amazon Studios said the six, original comedy series are the first, pilot productions since it launched, and will be posted to Amazon Instant Video for free viewing; in an interesting twist on the selection process for an original series, Amazon said it will select which series Amazon Studios should ultimately produce based on viewer feedback. (More...) http://bit.ly/VTXcz8 Maker Studios Lands $36M More For YouTube Content ---- Culver City-based Maker Studios, which develops YouTube channels and content, said Thursday that it has raised $36M in a funding round. The investment was led by Time Warner Investments, and also included Greycroft Partners, Downey Ventures (Robert Downey, Jr.) Elisabeth Murdoch, M+C (Jon Miller, Jimmy Yaffe of News Corp.), and Jon Landau (Avatar). Maker Studios is among the top producers of content for YouTube, with over 5,000 channels. The new funding brings the company's total raised to $44M. Wallaby Debuts Android App ---- Wallaby Financial, which develops a cloud-based credit card recommendation service to help users get the most out of their various reward and other credit cards, has debuted a new Android app, the company announced Thursday morning. The Pasadena-based company, which is led by Matthew Goldman, said its free Android app makes a credit card recommendation in real time based on the type of transaction, limited time offers, and other information, so that users can maximize their rewards. The new app comes on the heels of the firm's release of an iOS version in November. Wallaby is one of the companies out of the MuckerLab startup accelerator. The company has received funding from FF Angel, WI Harper Group, Quotidian Ventures and Karlin Ventures. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARKETPLACE Reach 10000+ readers for 5 days for $250 Post your marketplace ad at: http://www.socaltech.com/postad.html ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Ventura Ventures Technology Center (V2TC) - Business Incubator The Ventura Ventures Technology Center (V2TC) is a high-tech business incubator located in downtown Ventura, CA. V2TC offers a creative environment where high-tech start-ups and entrepreneurs can network, brainstorm, and grow their business. Work-spaces are affordable, flexible and scalable in order to allow companies the ability to manage their growth effectively and efficiently. Learn more at http://www.v2tc.com ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- PwC Emerging Company Zone Visit the Emerging Company Zone, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, for access to the latest MoneyTree venture capital report; thought leadership articles, information on IPOs and more. http://www.socaltech.com/pwc ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Binary Pulse Technology Marketing. We Create Demand. Binary Pulse Technology Marketing We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies For more than ten years, dozens of Southern California's industry-leading tech firms have turned to Binary Pulse for their demand-generating strategies and programs. Our services include: -- Demand Generation Planning and Execution -- Channel Program Development -- Lead Capture and Management -- Web Site Development & Search Engine Marketing -- Corporate and Product Branding -- Online Integration Strategies -- Reseller Recruitment -- Multimedia Presentations -- Social Media Marketing Please visit us at http://www.binarypulse.com to learn more or give us a call at 949-336-7400. ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Safire Partners Executive Search Safire Partners has completed 150+ retained executive searches since 2006 working with emerging businesses in digital media, Internet, eCommerce, software and clean technology across Southern California. Please visit our website to see an updated list of our clients and searches completed at http://www.safirepartners.com/. We are always interested in meeting new candidates and potential clients, so feel free to email our Managing Partner, Todd Gitlin at t...@safire.la. We can also always be a friendly source for investor introductions and general market / compensation intelligence. ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Fetch Recruiting, Inc. Fetch Recruiting, Inc. (http://www.fetchrecruiting.com) Technical Recruiting for LA based Startups and High-Growth Companies ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RECENT JOB POSTINGS More jobs at http://www.socaltech.com/Jobs Members post jobs for free Director/Co-Founder of Digital Marketing, Calabasas, AppNRG http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5462 Sales Manager-Direct Sales, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5459 Graphic Designer, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5461 UI/UX Developer, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5460 Director of Business Development-Franchise Sales, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5458 Director of Sales, Santa Barbara, Local Market Launch http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5457 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RECENT FUNDING SUMMARY 12/20/12 Maker Studios, Inc. $36.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=47353 12/20/12 MEI Pharma $27.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=47352 12/14/12 Helinet $0.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=47218 12/12/12 Enevate $24.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=47202 12/12/12 Mitu Network $0.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=47206 12/12/12 Koupon Kitty $0.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=47213 12/06/12 Biomatrica $5.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=47059 12/06/12 Avelas Biosciences $7.7M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=47060 11/29/12 CARDIAQ VALVE TECHNOLOGIES INC $37.3M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=46449 11/29/12 ArmaGen Technologies Inc $17.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=46984 11/29/12 TranscribeMe $0.9M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=46916 11/29/12 CapLinked $1.6M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=46913 11/27/12 Fresh Dish $0.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=46902 11/27/12 At The Pool $0.8M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=46906 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Upcoming Events This Month http://www.socaltech.com/Calendar socaltech.com Calendar of Southern California High Tech Events Submit your events at least two weeks in advance to: http://www.socaltech.com/submitevent.html December 21, Los Angeles -- AngelLaunch Holiday Party. Angel Launch produces events connecting entrepeneurs and investors in Los Angeles and San Francisco area. WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Investors, startups, Internet and web enable ventures, games, web services, mobile, apps, Internet enabled services, platforms, consumer electronics, software, hardware, entertainment and media, digital media, broadband and web services, entertainment,, finance, life science, enterprise, clean tech.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23034 December 31, Los Angeles -- LA Ruby / Ruby on Rails Monthly Meetup. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/22992 December 31, Santa Monica -- SM New Tech Meetup November 2012 #SMNT5. 6 new tech startup companies will present their products and technology (5 min demo+5 min Q&A). See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/22934 January 5, Studio City -- Tech Startups Helping Each Other Breakfast. A monthly breakfast for founders of tech startups who want to connect and help each otherNEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23043 January 7, Encino -- Sales/Marketing Study Group. Study group for tech startup founders who want to get better at sales and marketingNEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23044 January 9, Westlake Vilage -- Being Green Saves You Green: Why Sustainability is a Conservative Fiscal Issue. Panelists: Wally Geer,Founder and President of Greymar Associates, a pioneer in energy efficient housing; Brent Locke, Co-Founder and General Manager of EnerGtech Experts advanced energy management systems; Fernando Tapia, Sr. Finance Analyst at SolarWorld, the largest Solar Panel Manufacturer in the U.S; Neil Popowitz, Partner at Freilich & Popowitz LLP, developing sustainability, growth management and green land development codes. One on one sessions and networking with national expertsNEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23036 January 10, Santa Monica -- LA CEOs. LA CEOs, an education and support group for CEOs only, presents: Leading A Growing Company. Ambrose Co-CEO Greg Slamowitz will share techniques for leading a growing company. He speaks about aligning your people, developing a strong culture, embracing change, among other managerial and leadership techniques ideal for startups and small businesses. This event is restricted to CEOs only. No service providersNEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23040 January 14, Santa Clarita -- Use 90 Sec Videos to Explain Your Product - Create Awesome. Explainer videos (those 60-90 sec videos on home pages around the Internet) are all the rage. It's considered an art. How do you quickly and succinctly explain your product or service to your target customer so that you can engage them right away. A good video will not only engage your target customer but avoid also lots of "how does your site work" emails. This is a hot topic right now in tech. I've asked Nick, an expert in this space, to come in to teach us tips on how to make effective Explainer Videos. Companies like FourSquare have created such effective Explainer Videos resulting in a growth explosion. Can a good Explainer Video help you reach your goal of a $100M valuation? *The presentation will cover How To Create an effective "How To"/Animated Video. The Essential elements of a Video (Script/storyboard, Audio Recording, Animation) and how to do each one effectively. How to use *Video Animation effectively in your Startup. *How to make an effective video *The essential elements of a video (Script, VO, Animation) and how to do each one most effectively *Provide additional tips/stories on funny video ideas I have seen, maybe even a bit of info on viral videoNEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23039 January 18, Woodland Hills -- San Fernando Valley Startup Weekend. Startup Weekend is a global network of passionate leaders and entrepreneurs on a mission to inspire, educate, and empower individuals, teams and communities. Share ideas, form teams, and launch startups. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23027 January 19, Woodland Hills -- San Fernando Valley Startup Weekend. Startup Weekend is a global network of passionate leaders and entrepreneurs on a mission to inspire, educate, and empower individuals, teams and communities. Share ideas, form teams, and launch startups. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23028 January 20, Woodland Hills -- San Fernando Valley Startup Weekend. Startup Weekend is a global network of passionate leaders and entrepreneurs on a mission to inspire, educate, and empower individuals, teams and communities. Share ideas, form teams, and launch startups. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23029 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsored by: Clearstone Ventures (www.clearstone.com). Venture capital for innovators. Silicon Valley Bank (http://www.svb.com). Helping entrepreneurs succeed. Stubbs Alderton Markiles, LLP (http://www.stubbsalderton.com). Business. Technology. Law. Vision. Safire Partners (http://www.safirepartners.com). Los Angeles-based executive search for emerging growth companies Binary Pulse Technology Marketing (http://www.binarypulse.com). We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Deloitte LLP (http://www.deloitte.com/us/technology). Fetch Recruiting, Inc. (www.fetchrecruiting.com) Technical Recruiting for LA based Startups and High-Growth Companies Email sa...@socaltech.com for more information about sponsoring this newsletter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the socalTECH.com TechNews from our web site, or otherwise requested a subscription. If you do not want to receive this newsletter go to: http://www.socaltech.com/unsubscribe.php or email us at customerserv...@socaltech.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Legal Notices ---- While SOCALTECH LLC has used its best efforts in collecting and preparing the information published herein, SOCALTECH LLC does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions resulted from negligence, accident or other causes. All contents Copyright (c) 2012 SOCALTECH LLC. All rights reserved. socalTECH.com - Dedicated to High Tech in Southern California http://www.socaltech.com/ SOCALTECH LLC 4607 Lakeview Canyon Road, Suite 290, Westlake Village, CA 91361 _______________________________________________ Socaltech mailing list Socaltech@listserv.socaltech.com http://listserv.socaltech.com/mailman/listinfo/socaltech
