socaltech.com TechNews - Friday, May 15, 2015 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). Make next happen now. PricewaterhouseCoopers (http://www.socaltech.com/pwc). 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --Drizly Expands On-Demand Beer, Wine To Orange County --SHIFT Acquired By Brand Networks For $50M --Linksys Rolls Out Wi-Fi Range Extender --OneRoof Energy Ties With Geostellar --NextVR Gets Investment From Mandalay's Gruber --Vizio Eyes IPO --FameBit Buys Refame --Santa Monica Steps Into Airbnb Firestorm --Core Innovation Capital Backs Vouch For Social Lending MARKETPLACE --KeyInfo, Wilcon:Fiber Ring Connectivity For LA and Ventura County --TechCXO - Los Angeles --SoCal IP Law Group LLP - Serving the IP Needs of Technology Innovators --La Visual - A Branding, Product Strategy & Rapid Prototyping Accelerator --Early Stage Commercial Insurance - Pacific Unified Insurance Agency RECENT JOB POSTINGS --Software Development Engineer, Pasadena, Oben --Seeking Technical Program Manager for Oben out of IdeaLab, Pasadena, Oben --Lead Web Applications Engineer, Pasadena, Wallaby Financial --IT Support and Help Desk (Part-Time), Santa Monica, RampRate --Director of Marketing - Master of Online (Multiple States), Santa Monica, RampRate --Senior Sourcing Analyst for IT Infrastructure Services (Multiple States), Santa Monica, Ramprate RECENT FUNDING EVENTS ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Finalists Announced! EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015 Buy your tickets now to see who will take home top honors at this year’s Greater Los Angeles Awards Gala on June 16, 2015 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Recognized globally in 145 cities and 60 countries, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards honors the most outstanding entrepreneurs who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. These business leaders were selected by an independent panel of judges. Collectively, these 24 finalist companies employ close to 17,000 people. On average, they have increased their workforce by more than 63% and have grown their revenues by 81% over the last two years. To see the full list of finalists and purchase tickets for the Awards Gala, please visit our website: http://bit.ly/EOYFINALISTS. Please join us in congratulating these inspiring leaders on social media using #EOYGLA. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drizly Expands On-Demand Beer, Wine To Orange County ---- Drizly, a provider of on-demand delivery of beer, wine and liquor ("Uber for beer"), said Thursday that it has expanded its services to Southern California, starting with Orange County. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/drizly_expands_on_demand_beer_wine_to_orange_county/s-0060238.html SHIFT Acquired By Brand Networks For $50M ---- Los Angeles-based SHIFT, the social advertising startup led by James Borow, has been acquired by Boston-based Brand Networks, in a deal worth $50M. According to Brand Networks, it paid $50M in cash and stock for SHIFT, and will appointo Borow as Chief Product Officer. Shift was venture backed by Baroda Ventures, Crosscut Ventures, DN Capital, Double M Partners, Founder Collective, Lerer Media Ventures, Rincon Venture Partners, and Thrive Capital. The company had raised around $20M in funding. Linksys Rolls Out Wi-Fi Range Extender ---- Irvine-based Linksys has rolled out another Wi-Fi range extender on Thursday, saying its new device will allow users to boost their Wi-Fi signal to coverage by up to 10,000 square feet. Linksys said its new, Linksys AC1200 Amplify Wi-Fi Range Extender includes a built-in power output, and automatically detects and amplifies a router's Wi-Fi signal into such areas as remote areas of a home, basement, or backyard. Linksys said the router retails for $119.99. Belkin--which is the parent firm of Linksys--has said in briefings with media that range extenders are one of the company's major growth areas. OneRoof Energy Ties With Geostellar ---- San Diego-based solar energy provider OneRoof Energy said Thursday that it has tied with online solar marketplace Geostellar, and added Geostellar as a sales affiliate. OneRoof Energy said that Geostellar is known for providing solar power systems to employee benefit groups for companies such as 3M, Cisco Systems, and Kimberly-Clark. Geostellar offers up its marketplace in Arizona, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. NextVR Gets Investment From Mandalay's Gruber ---- Laguna Beach-based virtual reality technology developer NextVR has received a round of funding from Mandalay Entertainment's Peter Gruber, the company said this week. Size of the strategic investment round was not announced. NextVR--which is looking to bring virtual reality to live sports and entertainment broadcasts--said that Gruber has also joined the company's advisory board, along with Scott Teissler and Doug Perlman. Teissler was most recently at Turner Broadcasting, and Perlman is Founder and CEO of Sports Media Advisors. Vizio Eyes IPO ---- Irvine-based consumer electronics maker Vizio is looking to file for an IPO, and has started shopping for investment bankers, according to a report. Bloomberg says that Vizio has more than $1 billion in revenues, and has been invited a number of banks to pitch for its business, and is hoping for an IPO this year. Vizio was founded by William Wang, and was originally bootstrapped by Wang with $600,000 raised from friends and family and by mortgaging his house. http://www.socaltech.com/vizio_eyes_ipo/s-0060229.html FameBit Buys Refame ---- Santa Monica-based Famebit, the Youtube influencer marketplace led by David Kierzzkowski, has acquired short form, video marketing company Refame, the two announced this morning. Financial details of the buy were not disclosed. Famebit said the deal will help it automate short form, video content creation on Vine, Snapchat, and Instagram. Refame has a reach of over 40 million people, according to the companies. Famebit is backed by Science Inc., and says the acquisition helps expand its reach to more than 10,000 creators and 450 million subscribers. Santa Monica Steps Into Airbnb Firestorm ---- The City of Santa Monica, which over the last few years has earned itself the reputation as a technology startup friendly city--has just stepped into a major Internet firestorm, after the City Council cracked down on vacation rentals through Airbnb and other sites, banning renting out residences for less than 30 days, and forccing homeowners who rent out extra rooms--or even their couch--to get business licenses, and pay a 14% tax. The city council approved the move on Tuesday night. The move is an interesting one, given the large number of Airbnb-inspired, peer to peer marketplace startups which either have operations or are headquartered in Santa Monica. http://www.socaltech.com/santa_monica_steps_into_airbnb_firestorm/s-0060223.html Core Innovation Capital Backs Vouch For Social Lending ---- Los Angeles-based venture investor Core Innovation Capital is one of the lead companies in a Series A investment in Vouch, a consumer lending startup which offers up consumer loans based on if a users' social network will "vouch" for that users' credit-worthiness. Vouch said it raised $6M in the Series A, which came from Core Innovation Capital, Data Collective, Stanford StartX Fund and Cooley LLP along with First Round Capital, Greylock, IDG Ventures and AngelList. Core Innovation Capital's investment in San Francisco-based Vouch was led by Arjun Schutte. http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/index.php?action=showdeal&id=64058 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARKETPLACE Reach 10000+ readers for 5 days for $250 Post your marketplace ad at: http://www.socaltech.com/postad.html ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- KeyInfo, Wilcon:Fiber Ring Connectivity For LA and Ventura County Key Information Systems, Inc. (KeyInfo), a leading cloud and infrastructure provider offering integrated solutions to enterprises, has announced the launch of its dedicated fiber ring built in partnership with Wilcon, the premier West Coast provider of private fiber optic networks. The KeyInfo fiber ring brings high-speed, private connectivity to businesses in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. Because of its characteristic high security, fiber is an ideal choice for industries with highly regulated or sensitive data requirements. Organizations in the healthcare, financial, retail and government verticals can depend on Wilcon’s absolute physical layer security to protect the data in transit. For more information about the KeyInfo fiber ring, please visit our website at: http://keyinfo.com/solutions-we-build/Connectivity/fiber/ ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- TechCXO - Los Angeles TechCXO is a professional services firm that provides experienced, C-Suite professionals to deliver strategic and functional consulting services for technology companies. We answer your critical issues around obtaining capital, increasing revenue, entering new markets and improving margins. TechCXO partners combine practical experience, comprehensive resources and best practices to deliver objective, high-value results. For TechCXO Los Angeles, please contact: Tim Noonan Managing Partner, LA Region TechCXO (805)290-3720 [email protected] ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- SoCal IP Law Group LLP - Serving the IP Needs of Technology Innovators IP Litigation . IP Transactions . Patent & Trademark Prosecution . IP Strategy . Westlake Village . Santa Barbara . Irvine. [email protected] 805-230-1350 www.socalip.com ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- La Visual - A Branding, Product Strategy & Rapid Prototyping Accelerator Local branding agency launches a new design-centric accelerator program. We help you streamline the launch of your startup by offering world-class branding, product strategy, user-experience design, rapid-prototyping technology, mentorship, and access to early stage investment all under one roof! Contact us to setup a meet and greet today. Contact: Braven Greenelsh CEO [email protected] [email protected] Direct: 323-924-8847 | Studio: 818-824-6430 | Fax: 888-763-7412 Website: Lavisual.com Linkedin Profile: www.linkedin.com/in/braven ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Early Stage Commercial Insurance - Pacific Unified Insurance Agency We are a commercial insurance broker working with startup and early stage technology and E-Commerce companies to implement cost effective strategies for their insurance and risk management programs. We provide guidance and strategic planning during various phases and also advise regarding employee benefit structures to assist in employee recruiting and retention. Coverage placements include D&O, Property, Liability, Workers Comp, E&O, Cyber/Network Security and Employee Benefit Programs. Contact: John Huttinger, CIC, CRM Vice President Ph#310-370-5000 Ext 3025 w Fx 310-370-5454 [email protected] ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RECENT JOB POSTINGS More jobs at http://www.socaltech.com/Jobs Members post jobs for free Software Development Engineer, Pasadena, Oben http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5641 Seeking Technical Program Manager for Oben out of IdeaLab, Pasadena, Oben http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5640 Lead Web Applications Engineer, Pasadena, Wallaby Financial http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5639 IT Support and Help Desk (Part-Time), Santa Monica, RampRate http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5638 Director of Marketing - Master of Online (Multiple States), Santa Monica, RampRate http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5623 Senior Sourcing Analyst for IT Infrastructure Services (Multiple States), Santa Monica, Ramprate http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5626 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RECENT FUNDING SUMMARY 05/13/15 Silversheet $2.9M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=64056 05/12/15 Wag $2.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63998 05/05/15 Incentive $1.7M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63865 05/04/15 NeuroVigil $0.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63860 05/01/15 BigRentz, Inc. $0.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63858 04/29/15 Seven Lakes Technologies $20.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63853 04/28/15 Nestigator, LLC $3.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63820 04/28/15 Access Integrated Healthcare $8.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63818 04/27/15 Predixion Software, Inc. $0.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63817 04/27/15 Ferris $2.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63816 04/23/15 3D Robotics $15.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63811 04/23/15 PingThings $0.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63810 04/22/15 RadPad $9.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63809 04/21/15 Twigtale $1.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63750 04/20/15 InAuth $20.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63747 04/17/15 Fliptu $1.2M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63746 04/16/15 Acorns Grow Inc $23.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63710 04/16/15 Procore Technologies $30.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=63707 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 May 19, Santa Ana -- Intellectual property has become an increasingly critical element in the new product development, introduction, and commercialization process. PDMA SoCal is pleased to announce an evening with Dr. Anurag Bist, founder and CEO of AshmarIP, a leading intellectual property research and consulting firm. For further details check http://www.pdma.org/p/ca/vi/sid=538.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24485 May 20, Irvine -- The Changing Revenue Reporting Landscape: Are You on Stable Ground?.OC Tech Alliance. As regulators continue to step up scrutiny of financial statements, the clock is ticking toward implementation of the new converged revenue standards. Everyone – businesses, audit firms and consulting advisors – are evaluating what it will take for companies to remain compliant today and when the new standards take effect. This presentation will help financial executives ensure they keep pace with the current level of oversight as well as increase understanding of the new revenue recognition rules and how they might affect company strategy, processes and practices.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24677 May 20, La Jolla -- The Institute of the Americas presents the XXIV La Jolla Energy Conference invites thought leaders from across the hemisphere to present policy updates and outlooks on the key energy trends and issues for the Americas. In-depth analysis of energy trends and unparalleled exposure and networking for attendees and sponsors. via Green Lava. . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24698 May 20, San Pedro -- PortTechLA Presents: Meet the Angels (A LAVA promoted event: Please join us for this PortTech Pitch kickoff eventDiscover what angel investors in the Los Angeles area look for in early stage tech companies and learn how to best present your startup. Participants include active angel investors from the Pasadena Angels and Tech Coast Angels. Stay for a Q&A and meaningful encounters with investors and other entrepreneurs achieving success in the tech space.NEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24719 May 20, Los Angeles -- eXathon. Early X Foundation. Creating 100 New Business Opportunities In One Day.On May 20 the Early X Foundation will present IP Assets for commercialization from three of the Federal Government’s largest and most important national research laboratories. The event’s one-day goal: Create 100 new business opportunities. Email [email protected]. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24700 May 21, Pomona -- H2O TECHCONNECT H2O TECHCONNEC Matchmaking & User Conference. The H2O TECHCONNECT Matchmaking & User Conference is designed to help the Innovation and Technology Community learn how to use the H2O TECHCONNECT Platform to "CONNECT" with innovation and technology community members, FORM virtual teams, FIND research partners, DISCOVER new technologies, DISCUSS ideas, FIND grant and funding partners, PARTICIPATE in pilot programs, CREATE prototypes, DISCOVER experts and resources, and COMMERCIALIZE your technology. H2O TECHCONNECT is accelerating connections in technology for innovators, universities, investors, public agencies, entrepreneurs, advanced manufacturing, etc. all over the world.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24662 May 21, La Jolla -- The Institute of the Americas presents the XXIV La Jolla Energy Conference invites thought leaders from across the hemisphere to present policy updates and outlooks on the key energy trends and issues for the Americas. In-depth analysis of energy trends and unparalleled exposure and networking for attendees and sponsors. via Green Lava. . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24699 May 27, Irvine -- Tech Demos & Drinks (Tech in Motion). Join Tech in Motion Orange County – OC’s largest tech meetup, for another free event featuring live demos! How does tech get you moving? GitMoving: Demos & Drinks will feature companies that have tech products, software, apps that get us moving. Think robots, drones, apps, and athletic equipment. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24711 May 28, Irvine -- SMART Worker A leader in the Internet of Things movement, Calit2, from the start, has developed and integrated technology into devices and applications for improving our daily lives. When President Obama launched the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, Calit2 saw an opportunity to apply its IoT and people-centric approach, and launched a Sustainable Manufacturing Alliance for Research and Training (SMART). SMART’s vision: to employ technology to empower skilled workers with greater autonomy and decisionmaking responsibilities, resulting in more energy-efficient, productive and safer factories.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24693 May 28, Los Angeles -- K.C. Choi, the VP of Hewlett Packard, will discuss The New Style of IT: The “perfect storm” implications of cloud, big data, mobility and security on next generation computing technologies and software defined data centers. HP’s rethinking and reinvention of the computer, aka "The Machine". And an update on HP’s separation into two firms, and “what’s in it for customers”. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24686 June 3, Santa Monica -- Women in LAVA: Building your Team / HRNEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24720 June 3, Los Angeles -- Tech and the California Economy: Is the Future in the Code? UCLA Forecast. The information age is upon us and will continue to disrupt old ways of doing things and replace them with new digitally driven processes. Will this transformation be like the Industrial Revolution, painful but ultimately democratizing by increasing incomes and leisure time for the vast majority of Americans, or will it further inequality and continue to hollow out the middle class? These key questions will be discussed as part of the June quarterly update of the Anderson Forecast Conference. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24717 June 4, Los Angeles -- Information Security Summit. The premier Information Systems Security Event in Los Angeles. The Summit is known for its groundbreaking keynotes and speakers, and this year will be no exception, with Internationally Renowned Security Technologist and Author Bruce Schneier, David Kennedy, Ira Winkler, Matthew Prince, Aaron Turner, John Dickson, Jerry Hoff, Jim Manico, and Marcus Ranum amongst the line-up of featured keynotes and speakers.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24707 June 4, Century City -- Global LAVA: CUBA AS A NEW MARKETPLACE Global LAVA is celebrating its fifth anniversary with an exciting event exploring one of the hottest topics in the entrepreneurial and investment communities: 'CUBA AS A NEW MARKETPLACE.' Learn from truly remarkable speakers and mingle with globally-minded peers at this not to be missed gathering!NEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24721 June 6, El Segundo -- Canadarm2 and Beyond. Meeting hosted by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (www.theiet.org)featuring a talk and interactive discussion on the Canadarm2 and the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), a self-relocatable robotic system that can move end-over-end to reach many parts of the Space Station in an inchworm-like movement. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24718 June 6, Santa Monica -- First Time Entrepreneur Workshop: LAVA is extremely pleased to announce its next First Time Entrepreneur training program. The program is open to entrepreneurs that are starting companies in areas that are likely to draw venture capital investment. The program is not open to service providers. You are encouraged to apply today for one of the 25 slots open in our workshop. LAVA members will receive first preference, but membership is not necessary to be accepted. Members are free; non-members $50.NEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24722 June 10, Santa Monica -- LAVA eCommerce: Architecting the Payments Platform A new Strategic Interest Group will focus on issues relating to Startups in the eCommerce and AdTech spaces. The event is focused on marketplaces, saas, and ecommerce companies. The topic is architecting the payments platform; managing compliance, what to consider, pitfalls to avoid, high growth scenarios, planning for scalability etc...NEW . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/24723 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sponsored by: TVC Capital LLC (www.tvccapital.com) Investments in and Acquisitions of Growing Software Companies Silicon Valley Bank (http://www.svb.com). Make next happen now. 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. 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 [email protected] http://listserv.socaltech.com/mailman/listinfo/socaltech
