socaltech.com TechNews - Wednesday, December 31, 2014 Edited by Benjamin F. Kuo ISSN: 1524-6736 http://www.socaltech.com/News ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sponsored by:
TVC Capital LLC (www.tvccapital.com) Investments and acquisitions of growing software companies. Silicon Valley Bank (http://www.svb.com). Helping entrepreneurs succeed. Stubbs Alderton Markiles, LLP (http://www.stubbsalderton.com). Business. Technology. Law. Vision. PricewaterhouseCoopers (http://www.socaltech.com/pwc). 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. Fetch Recruiting, Inc. (http://www.fetchrecruiting.com) Technical Recruiting for LA based Startups and High-Growth Companies Key info (http://www.keyinfo.com) infrastructure ~ connectivity ~ co-location ~ cloud Shimokaji IP (http://www.shimokaji.com) Bettering Life Through Creative Ideas ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --CLU's Gerhard Apfelthaler: What I Learned In 2014 --DTS Claims Broad Adoption Of New Technology --Yardi Wins Property Development Company --AMPL Labs Rolls Out Backpack For The Gadget Geek --CheckAlt Powers Payments For CardCash.com --The Interview Racks Up $15M In Online Sales, Now Also On iTunes --John Greathouse: What I Learned In 2014 --MaxLinear Ships Satellite TV Chips --Five High Tech Gifts We Wish We Had Gotten This Holiday --j2 Global Launches $415M Hostile Bid for Carbonite --Howard Marks: What I Learned In 2014 --Sony Releases The Interview Online On YouTube, Xbox, Google Play --AltheaDx Files For IPO --Yuneec Launches New Video Drone --Minecraft Founder's New Beverly Hills Mansion, In Minecraft --Snapchat Scores Win As Microsoft Nixes Third Party Apps --NoteVault Raises New Funding --Minecraft Creator Buys $70M Mansion in Beverly Hills --UC San Diego Spinout Gets $15M From Bill Gates --TaxBuzz.com Launches Marketplace for Tax Experts RECENT JOB POSTINGS --Head of Product (VF iQ), Venice, Vision Fleet --User Experience (UX) Design Manager - Mobile, San Luis Obispo,, MINDBODY Inc. --Senior Front End Engineer, San Luis Obispo,, MINDBODY Inc. RECENT FUNDING EVENTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- *** Happy New Year! As a reminder, we've been holding off on this email due to the very (VERY) high bounce rate we normally get at this time of year (hope those of you on vacation are enjoying your time off--and those in the office, enjoying the quiet!). Our regular daily emails will return on January 5th, although we have been continuing to post what little news there is over the holidays on our website. Happy New Year to everyone! - Ben Kuo, Editor/Founder, socalTECH.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CLU's Gerhard Apfelthaler: What I Learned In 2014 ---- We're continuing to feature reflections on the last year from movers and shakers in the local high tech community, and today have thoughts from Gerhard Apfelthaler, who is Dean of California Lutheran University's School of Management, which has been very active in Ventura County helping to promote startup and entrepreneurial activity. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/clu_s_gerhard_apfelthaler_what_i_learned_in___4/s-0058361.html DTS Claims Broad Adoption Of New Technology ---- Calabasas-based audio encoding and decoding technology developer DTS says that it now has manufacturers representing 90 percent of the home AV receiver and surround processor market adopting its new, DTS:X codec technology. DTS--which is planning to officially launch its new surround sound technology in March--said those manufacturers include Anthem, Denon, Integra, Krell, Marantz, McIntosh, Onkyo, Outlaw Audio, Pioneer, Steinway Lyngdorf, Theta Digital, Trinnov Audio, and Yamaha, including others. DTS is led by Jon Kirchner. Yardi Wins Property Development Company ---- 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. Yardi develops software for the real estate investment and property management market. AMPL Labs Rolls Out Backpack For The Gadget Geek ---- Are you the ultimate gadget geek, wondering how you are going to haul that giant pile of electronics you got for the holidays around? A San Diego-based startup, AMPL Labs, has the gear for you--a smartphone-connected, mobile charging backpack which lets you plug in all of your electronic devices directly into an on-board charger. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/ampl_labs_rolls_out_backpack_for_the_gadget_geek/s-0058356.html CheckAlt Powers Payments For CardCash.com ---- Los Angeles-based electronic payment technology provider CheckAlt is powering e-check payments for secondary gift card marketplace CardCash.com, the two said Monday. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The two said that the deal will enable customers to purchase gift cards on CardCash.com using CheckAlt's e-check technology. The companies said the use of e-checks saves a significant amount of money in transaction fees; as a result, CardCash.com is offering up a 2 percent discount on its gift cards to users who use the e-check process for their payments. CheckAlt is led by serial entrepreneur Shai Stern. The Interview Racks Up $15M In Online Sales, Now Also On iTunes ---- Sony Pictures said Sunday that "The Interview" earned more than $15M in online sales as of Saturday, after its release via Google Play, YouTube, Microsoft's Xbox Video, as well as through its own website, with over 2 million rentals or purchases of the Seth Rogen film. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/the_interview_racks_up___m_in_online_sales_now_also_on_itunes/s-0058351.html John Greathouse: What I Learned In 2014 ---- Over the holidays, we're featuring a few reflections on 2014 from some of the movers and shakers in Southern California's technology industry. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/john_greathouse_what_i_learned_in___4/s-0058350.html MaxLinear Ships Satellite TV Chips ---- Carlsbad-based MaxLinear said this morning that it has begun volume production shipments of a family of devices for the satellite market. MaxLinear said it has started shipping volume on its MxL86x Full-Spectrum Capture systems-on-a-chip (SoC), which are used by satellite outdoor unit (ODUs). Those devices are used to send multiple, satellite television signals over a single coax cable to a home or apartment. Five High Tech Gifts We Wish We Had Gotten This Holiday ---- 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. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/five_high_tech_gifts_we_wish_we_had_gotten_this_holiday/s-0058347.html j2 Global Launches $415M Hostile Bid for Carbonite ---- 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--has been a ravenous acquirer, and has accumulated a huge line of cloud-based services (fax, email, backup, cloud apps, and much more) from across the world, and is also the owner of Ziff Davis. Howard Marks: What I Learned In 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. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/howard_marks_what_i_learned_in___4/s-0058349.html Sony Releases The Interview Online On YouTube, Xbox, Google Play ---- Sony Pictures released The Interview online, available for streaming, on YouTube, Google Play, Google Play, Xbox Video, and on its own website, seetheinterview. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/sony_releases_the_interview_online_on_youtube_xbox_google_play/s-0058346.html AltheaDx Files For IPO ---- San Diego-based biotech developer AltheaDx has filed for an IPO, saying that it is looking to raised up to $69.0M in an IPO on the NASDAQ Global Market. The company said it has applied to trade under the symbol IDGX. The IPO is being underwritten by Citigroup, Jeffries, William Blair, and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. AlteaDx is developing molecular diagnostics technology for personalized medicine. AltheaDx is venture backed by Telegraph Hill Partners and Alma Life Sciences. http://www.socaltech.com/altheadx_files_for_ipo/s-0058344.html Yuneec Launches New Video Drone ---- Ontario, California-based Yuneec said last week that it has launched a new product into the aerial drone market, with a new drone called the Q500 Typhoon. The company's drone--which retails for $1299--offers up a 3 axis, remotely controlled camera, which can take both full 1080p video and 12 megapixel still photos. Yuneec said it is aiming at the consumer market with the drone, which it says is ready to fly out of the box. The new drone includes a 3 axis gimbal to eliminate shaking in the video recording. Yuneec was founded in Hong Kong in 1999, where its international headquarters are, and also develops electric powered airplanes; the company's US operations are in Ontario. http://www.socaltech.com/yuneec_launches_new_video_drone/s-0058338.html Minecraft Founder's New Beverly Hills Mansion, In Minecraft ---- The latest, high tech mogul to set up in Los Angeles is Markus "Notch" Persson, the creator of Minecraft, after he paid $70M for a huge mansion in Beverly Hills. Fans of Minecraft might enjoy this video of that mansion -- built in none other than Minecraft itself. http://www.socaltech.com/minecraft_founder_s_new_beverly_hills_mansion_in_minecraft/s-0058337.html Snapchat Scores Win As Microsoft Nixes Third Party Apps ---- Venice, California-based Snapchat scored a big win for its security efforts last week, as Microsoft removed most third party Snapchat apps from its Windows Phone store. Microsoft and Snapchat did not announce any details on the move, which helps patch a sore point over at Snapchat--the unauthorized use of its internal APIs to write third party, Snapchat apps. The use of those third party apps were the cause of the massive image leak of compromising photos at Snapchat back in October. NoteVault Raises New Funding ---- San Diego-based NoteVault, which develops a cloud-based subscription product which lets engineering and construction companies takes notes by texting, typing, or speaking into their mobile devices, has raised a new round of funding, the companys said last week. Size of the funding round was not announced. The funding came from West Partners. NoteVault is led by Peter Lasensky. West Partners is also based in San Diego, and is the investment arm of the Gary & Mary West Family Office. http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61436 Minecraft Creator Buys $70M Mansion in Beverly Hills ---- In the latest, technology-driven real estate deal in Los Angeles, the creator of Minecraft--Markus "Notch" Persson--has spent $70M for a giant mansion in Beverly Hills. Persson recently sold Mojang, the company behind Minecraft, for $2.5 billion dollars. LA appears to continue to be the hot location for real estate for technology moguls, with such recent sales of homes to Google's Eric Schmmidt, Larry Ellison, Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, among others. Persson new mansion is 23,000 square feet. UC San Diego Spinout Gets $15M From Bill Gates ---- A startup which is based on research conducted at the University of California, San Diego has scored $15M in a Series A funding. Echodyne Corp., which was co-founded by Tom Driscoll, a former University of California at San Diego researcher. Echodyne said it is developing radar products developed on metamaterials technology invented through a collaboration with Intellectual Ventures, Duke University and the University of California at San Diego. The funding round was led by Bill Gates and Madrona Venture Group, and also included Vulcan Capital, Lux Capital, The Kresge Foundation, and others. The company is based in the Seattle, Washington area. http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/index.php?action=showdeal&id=61435 TaxBuzz.com Launches Marketplace for Tax Experts ---- Looking for a tax accountant or CPA? Newport Beach-based TaxBuzz.com has launched a new website which it says is aimed at helping people find tax professionals, and featuring client reviews, ability to make online appointments, and more. The site says it offers up appointment scheduling tools, appointment reminders, secure document sharing, marketing tools, and much more to tax accountants and CPAs, and is looking to emulate ZocDoc and Avvo, similar marketplaces for other professionals. TaxBuzz.com says it was created by technology firm ClientWhys. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARKETPLACE Reach 10000+ readers for 5 days for $250 Post your marketplace ad at: http://www.socaltech.com/postad.html ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RECENT JOB POSTINGS More jobs at http://www.socaltech.com/Jobs Members post jobs for free Head of Product (VF iQ), Venice, Vision Fleet http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5605 User Experience (UX) Design Manager - Mobile, San Luis Obispo,, MINDBODY Inc. http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5604 User Experience (UX) Design Manager - Mobile, San Luis Obispo,, MINDBODY Inc. http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5603 Senior User Experience (UX) Designer, San Luis Obispo,, MINDBODY Inc. http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5602 Mid + Sr. Software Engineer, San Luis Obispo,, MINDBODY Inc. http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5601 Senior Front End Engineer, San Luis Obispo,, MINDBODY Inc. http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5600 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RECENT FUNDING SUMMARY 12/22/14 Notevault $0.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61436 12/18/14 Edgewave FKA St. Bernard Software $2.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61425 12/16/14 Serviz, Inc. $12.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61418 12/16/14 Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. $20.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61357 12/11/14 VideoAmp $2.2M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61333 12/11/14 Woven Digital $18.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61331 12/10/14 Ring FKA Doorbot $4.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61328 12/09/14 DB Networks $17.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61224 12/04/14 WhipClip $20.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61166 12/04/14 Serviz, Inc. $3.2M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61165 12/03/14 Cognitive Networks $14.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=61164 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 31, -- Heart to Heart: Building Emotional Connections with Consumers in the Automotive Industry. Wharton University. Presenters: Professor Patti Williams, John Mendel, and Vicki Poponi (WG’98). Increasingly marketers want to capture consumer hearts, build loyalty and brand love. Join us for a discussion about how emotions influence consumer decision making and specifically how Honda builds bonds with consumers. Vicki Poponi, Assistant Vice President of Product Planning, Honda, will discuss how Honda learns about consumers and strives to build emotions into the product design process. John Mendel, Executive Vice President, Honda will discuss how Honda uses marketing communications to spark consumer emotions. Wharton's Professor Patti Williams will discuss research on emotions and consumer decision making . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/23907 December 31, Santa Monica -- 409a Valuation. LA CFOs is a sponsor supported forum where CFO's of technology companies can come together to freely collaborate, learn and innovate, share expertise, ideas, and experiences in confidential, informal, non-threatening environment in order increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their role and enhance our value to our respective organizations. This month's topic is 409a Valuations, led by Eric Briggs, Silicon Valley Bank. This event is restricted to CFOs only. A confirmed reservation is required, others will not be admitted. Please contact [email protected] for an invitation.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24007 January 8, Santa Monica -- LA CEOs presents: CEO secrets to running a successful tech company in Los Angeles. Join Mark Landay, Dynamic Synergy Executive Recruitment, for a fireside chat with John Tomich, CEO of Onestop Internet. This sponsor supported (free) event is restricted to qualified CEOs & CFOs only. A confirmed reservation is required, others will not be admitted. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24413 January 8, Irvine -- Firsty is an OCTANe Program that focuses on networking and relationship building. It brings together the Orange County technology ecosystem, consisting of executive leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, academicians, and strategic advisors. Firsties are free to attend and open to everyone, so bring a friend or coworker. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24451 January 8, Santa Monica -- Join Women 2.0 this January for our monthly City Meetup in Los Angeles. City Meetup is a Women 2.0 networking event to promote new networks amongst the entire technology ecosystem in innovative cities around the world. This event is open to those who work, start, and fund tech companies. Both women and men are invited to attend. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24461 January 12, Santa Monica -- Meet the Angels and VCs at the biggest networking event in Santa Monica. Our funding experts are from the incubators, the accelerators, the angels and the VCs all over the country. On the 12th you will get to see the biggest funding names in Santa Monica and all you have to do is walk up to our Expert DOJO upstairs in the Victorian. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24460 January 12, Irvine -- On-Line Optical Engineering & Instrument Design courses now open for enrollment through UC Irvine Extension: Advanced Lens Design, Optomechanical Systems Engineering, Introduction to Fiber Optics & Introduction to Radiometry: The Propagation and Measurement of Optical Radiant Energy. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24455 January 13, Los Angeles -- The 7th Annual Mobile Excellence Awards season will begin, so don't miss the one and only awards program that honors Mobile Entertainment, Lifestyle and Technology. Hosted at the new YouTube Space, come meet industry influences and leaders from studios, networks, lifestyle brands, technology, content providers and many others. For further details see http://mobilexawards.com/event/.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24459 January 14, San Diego -- Distributed and Virtual Work Teams are a worldwide, unstoppable trend; as many as 1.3 billion business professionals will participate in a virtual team over the next few years. Properly managed virtual teams can improve job satisfaction, employee morale, retention, and organizational efficiency.Join us at the January 14th MIT Enterprise Forum as we discuss not only different technologies that support virtual work teams, but also begin a conversation on the competent virtual manager and what that means for your business moving forward. For further details, see http://sdmitforum.org/ai1ec_event/test/?instance_id=237.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24434 January 14, Thousand Oaks -- Climate Change and Technology Forum. Tackling drought and climate change issues • Strategies that work Keynote Speaker: Krista Kline, Managing Director of LARC, the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability. Krista is a leading authority and advocate for environmental sustainability. Prior to directing LARC, Krista headed up sustainability issues at the City of Los Angeles Housing Department. She administered the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (EECBG ARRA) Multifamily Retrofit Financing Program grant for the Department. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24427 January 19, San Diego -- SME Mixer. Network with regional SME companies, meet prospective clients and partners, and plug into San Diego’s largest innovation network. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24435 January 20, San Diego -- Capital and Growth in High Tech SMBs organized on Tuesday, 20 January 2015 at 7:30am at San Diego State University - Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center Ballroom. For further details see http://app.greenrope.com/c1.pl?ed84c436f1b5fcc093082c0db69d0fe94c13b38762d864d1 . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24437 January 21, Santa Monica -- Santa Monica New Tech Reunion. We are having our epic REUNION party! In addition to 5 new tech startup presentations (5 min demo+5 min Q&A) we invite all former presenters to give us 1 min updates.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24462 January 22, Santa Barbara -- A Conversation with Mike Sheldon CEO of Curvature. Mentorship Works.Mike Sheldon is President and CEO of Curvature, an I.T. hardware and service provider based in Santa Barbara.NEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24464 January 22, Irvine -- Networking & Tech Talk w/CrowdStrike's Dave Cole. Join the largest tech Meetup in Orange County - Tech in Motion OC, for another exciting and enlightening Tech Talk featuring Dave Cole, Chief Product Officer at CrowdStrike. CrowdStrike is a leading provider of next-generation endpoint protection, threat intelligence, and services. We will be hosting a Networking Hour before the Tech Talk begins. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24428 January 29, Los Angeles -- Growth Capital Conference. Network with capital sources, advisors, deal makers and 100 entrepreneurs seeking capital & counsel. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24394 January 29, Burbank -- 3D Printer World Burbank 2015 brings together the largest range of 3D printers, technology and professionals ever assembled under one roof. The three-day 3D printing event, which includes exhibits, demonstrations, education tracks, contests and networking opportunities. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24456 January 30, Burbank -- 3D Printer World Burbank 2015 brings together the largest range of 3D printers, technology and professionals ever assembled under one roof. The three-day 3D printing event, which includes exhibits, demonstrations, education tracks, contests and networking opportunities. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24457 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsored by: TVC Capital LLC (www.tvccapital.com) Investments in and Acquisitions of Growing Software Companies 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). SoCal-based executive search for emerging growth companies Binary Pulse Technology Marketing (http://www.binarypulse.com). We Create Demand for California's Technology Companies. Fetch Recruiting, Inc. (www.fetchrecruiting.com) Technical Recruiting for LA based Startups and High-Growth Companies Key info (http://www.keyinfo.com) infrastructure ~ connectivity ~ co-location ~ cloud PricewaterhouseCoopers (http://www.socaltech.com/pwc). Shimokaji IP (http://www.shimokaji.com) Bettering Life Through Creative Ideas Email [email protected] 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 [email protected] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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) 2014 SOCALTECH LLC. 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