socaltech.com TechNews - Monday, August 8, 2016 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. Technical Connections, Inc. (http://www.technicalconnections.com) Successfully connecting Tech Talent with Premier Clients in SoCal for over 30 years. 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. Shimokaji IP (http://www.shimokaji.com) Bettering Life Through Creative Ideas ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --Interview With Mike Mothner, Wpromote On Growth, Acquisitions --TrueCar Updates Dealer Outreach Initiative --Incipio Acquires Griffin Technology --Express Logic Expands In France --Qualcomm Adds Another Chinese License, With Vivo --Santa Barbara Gets Another $100M Plus Exit, At Aurrion --Core Innovation Capital Backs Mosaic's $220M Funding --GrubMarket, With Big Operations In LA, Finds $20M For Food Marketplace MARKETPLACE -- Fastener.io - Connecting Publishers and Solutions --Project X – New Design Focused Accelerator in Los Angeles --Binary Pulse Technology Marketing --Stradling --Early Stage Commercial Insurance - Pacific Unified Insurance Agency RECENT JOB POSTINGS --Senior Development Engineer with C#, Mission Viejo, EASE, Inc. --Sales Development Representative, Mission Viejo, EASE, Inc. --Senior Product Development Manager, Irvine, Belkin --Director of Communication Systems Engineering, Hawthorne, SpaceX --Marketing Manager, Los Angeles, Belkin --Software Engineer, Los Angeles, Factual RECENT FUNDING EVENTS ------------------------------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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interview With Mike Mothner, Wpromote On Growth, Acquisitions ---- Last week El Segundo-based Wpromote acquired fellow marketing agency Standing Dog, in a deal which brings the company to 260 employees, and continues to grow the company. We caught up with founder and CEO Mike Mothner--who we first interviewed back in 2007--to catch up with the company, gets some hints and tips on growing a company, the challenges of bootstrapping, and why Wpromote hopes to be buying more companies in the future. Tell our readers who haven't heard of Wpromote, what your business is all about? Mike Mothner: The business today, is we are a digital agency focused on customer acquisition and growth for businesses of all types. Our clients are everyone from fast growing, (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/interview_with_mike_mothner_wpromote_on_growth_acquisitions/s-0066583.html --------------------------------------------------------------------------- TrueCar Updates Dealer Outreach Initiative ---- Santa Monica-based TrueCar--which has been in the midst of extending the olive leaf out to car dealers put off by its pricing pressure--said it has updated its "Dealer Pledge" initiative, improving its efforts to address concerns of its dealers. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/truecar_updates_dealer_outreach_initiative/s-0066588.html Incipio Acquires Griffin Technology ---- Irvine-based Incipio, which manufactures and sells consumer electronic accessories, has acquired fellow mobile accessory maker Griffin Technology, according to the company. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Griffin Technology is based in Nashville. Incipio said the acquisition will help strengthen its product development and manufacturing, and help complement its existing product lines. Incipio Group is led by Andy Fathollahi. The acquisition of Griffin Technology is the second, big acquisition for Incipio this year; the company is in the midst of acquiring another, big mobile accessory brand, Skullcandy. Express Logic Expands In France ---- San Diego-based operating system developer Express Logic said today that it has opened up a new office in France, to help it support its European customers. The company said the office is 35 kilometers southwest of Paris, and will be lead by Jean-Paul Medina. Express Logic also has offices in the UK and Germany. The company develops real time operating system (RTOS) software, which is used in developing embedded and what are now referred to as "Internet of Things" devices--although the company has been a popular OS in the embedded space well before the IoT buzzword existed. The company is known for its ThreadX RTOS operating system. Qualcomm Adds Another Chinese License, With Vivo ---- San Diego-based Qualcomm announced yet another license deal in China over the weekend, this time with vivo Communication Technology Co., Ltd.. Qualcomm said the new patent license deal--which is consistent with the terms of the plan it has filed with China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)--covers the development, manufacturing, and sales of 3G WCDMA and CDMA2000 and 4G LTE equipment in China. Santa Barbara Gets Another $100M Plus Exit, At Aurrion ---- Add another, high dollar exit for a young startup in Santa Barbara, adding to the region's growing list of successful technology exits: Aurrion. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/santa_barbara_gets_another____m_plus_exit_at_aurrion/s-0066582.html Core Innovation Capital Backs Mosaic's $220M Funding ---- Los Angeles-based fintech investor Core Innovation Capital is one of the backers in a big, $220M equity funding for solar power financing provider Mosaic. Mosaic, which works with both owners and installers to help provide the upfront capital for residential solar installs, said the $220M equity round was led by Warburg Pincus, and also included Core Innovation Capital and Obvious Ventures. The company is based in Oakland. Core Innovation Capital is very active nationally in fintech investments, and raised a big fund in 2015. The firm recently saw a quick exit at portfolio company Honest Dollar, which was recently acquired by Goldman Sachs. http://www.socaltech.com/core_innovation_capital_backs_mosaic_s____m_funding/s-0066578.html GrubMarket, With Big Operations In LA, Finds $20M For Food Marketplace ---- GrubMarket, a foood marketplace startup which has nearly half of its employees in Los Angeles, has raised $20M in funding, the company said last week. (More...) http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/index.php?action=showdeal&id=76362 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MARKETPLACE Reach 10000+ readers for 5 days for $250 Post your marketplace ad at: http://www.socaltech.com/postad.html ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Fastener.io - Connecting Publishers and Solutions Fastener.io is a digital content publishing consultancy founded in 2013 and based in Santa Monica serving both publishers and publisher solutions. http://www.fastener.io ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Project X – New Design Focused Accelerator in Los Angeles Launch your next MVP. Be Victorious. Conquer the perils of poorly branded products, semi-good stories, and underwhelming UX/UI front-end design and dev. Project X is a business unit of the Los Angeles based digital agency La Visual. UX/UI strategy, rapid-prototyping and design, world-class branding, product strategy & design, testing, rollout strategies, mentorship, and access to exclusive funding. Don't be shy. Hit us up and we will talk about your next startup. Drop us a line // See how we can help you: [email protected] Check it out here // http://lavisual.com/projectx ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Binary Pulse Technology Marketing We produce and manage content-centric campaigns that enable our clients to connect with their prospects. For nearly twenty years, 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 -- Content Strategies & Editorial Calendar Management -- Marketing Automation Systems and Administration -- Channel Program Development -- Web Site Design & Development -- Corporate and Product Branding -- Video Production and Marketing -- Whitepaper Authoring and Syndication -- Social Media Marketing Please visit us at http://www.binarypulse.com to learn more or give us a call at 949-336-7400. ------------------------------ADVERTISEMENT------------------------------- Stradling Stradling, Attorneys At Law (http://www.sycr.com) Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth (“Stradling”) is a premier business law firm with over 125 attorneys and 10 offices in the western US. The offices are: Newport Beach, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, San Diego, San Francisco - SOMA, San Francisco - Financial District, Sacramento, Reno, Denver, Seattle. The Firm’s corporate, litigation and public law practices are well known for their expertise and depth. Stradling's clients include emerging and high growth public and private companies as well as private equity funds, venture capital groups and their respective portfolio companies. Widely recognized for its expertise, responsiveness and outstanding client service, the Firm's size, structure, and culture allow it to provide the highest quality representation while maintaining the responsiveness and relationships commonly associated with smaller firms. ------------------------------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 Senior Development Engineer with C#, Mission Viejo, EASE, Inc. http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5682 Sales Development Representative, Mission Viejo, EASE, Inc. http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5681 Senior Product Development Manager, Irvine, Belkin http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5680 Director of Communication Systems Engineering, Hawthorne, SpaceX http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5679 Marketing Manager, Los Angeles, Belkin http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5678 Software Engineer, Los Angeles, Factual http://www.socaltech.com/showjob.php?id=5677 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ RECENT FUNDING SUMMARY 08/05/16 TheWaveVR $2.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76360 08/03/16 Sensay $4.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76250 08/02/16 EVOFEM $25.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76243 08/02/16 StatRad $13.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76228 08/01/16 PacketSled $5.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76156 08/01/16 Bioniz $13.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76155 07/29/16 Takt $30.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76152 07/28/16 cloudvirga $7.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76113 07/26/16 Scopely $55.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76023 07/26/16 Kite & Lightning $2.5M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=76022 07/22/16 WASH.IO, INC. $8.6M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=75954 07/21/16 WeDo $1.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=75904 07/20/16 Synthorx $10.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=75858 07/18/16 ZestFinance $0.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=75657 07/13/16 Sienna Biopharma $12.0M http://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=75648 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 August 9, Los Angeles -- Intro to React - Javascript LA Meetup. General Assembly. As many of you have heard, React.JS is one of the hottest JavaScript frameworks right now in our industry. JavaScriptLA will be giving a presentation on how one can get started with React, as well as some of the features and benefits of using the framework (especially for those of you thinking why React vs Angular or 'just using JQuery').. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25396 August 9, Westwood -- ExecTec. Scarcity of Choice is Good for You! As odd as it seems the more choices you or a user faces, the worse the outcome. I blame 31 flavors which took a simpler time when ice cream was a simple treat on a hot summer day and made it into a customize experience. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25403 August 10, Thousand Oaks -- Clean Technology Council Summer Mixer. Bring your friends and join CTC members for loads of fun, games, great food and drinks (5-6pm earlybird specials!) Meet Tech Executives, Entrepreneurs, Inventors, Angel/VC Investors, Joint Venture Partners, Deal Makers, Start Up Mentors, CTC and 101 Incubator founders. Hear new Fast Pitch and Kickstarter proposals. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25384 August 10, Culver City -- TechCrunch LA Mini-Meetup. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25410 August 10, Santa Monica -- Career Negotiation Strategies. General Assembly. It pays to be persuasive — especially when it comes to your career. Negotiation can lead to higher salaries, greater startup equity, and better titles, yet most of us accept the first offer we get because we don’t have the skills or strategies to try. Before your next career move, join General Assembly and The Muse to learn key negotiation strategies you can take to the table with confidence.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25379 August 10, Irvine -- Will Crowdfunding Be In Your Company’s Future? OC Tech Alliance. With the SEC approving recent rules for Crowdfunding, more startup companies are now being able to take advantage of this capital formation pathway. However the benefits of this relatively new funding source may be outweighed by the challenges of regulatory and other obstacles that exist. In addition, while the advent of Crowdfunding may well find a welcome home in business plans throughout the U.S, this new capital formation pathway needs to be balanced with safeguards to prevent fraud and protect the investing public. Thankfully, newer (and crowd-based) tools to monitor online reputations are emerging. Either way, the potential to unleash untold numbers of new ventures is certainly exciting for would-be entrepreneurs. In this presentation, we will be discussing the how to’s of Crowdfunding and a look into the future when Crowdfunding can be utilized to offer equity. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25400 August 11, Los Angeles -- Two Bit Circus Happy Hour. Join the Two Bit Circus Carnies for a night of game playing, networking and community at our Midway space at the Brewery Lofts. We're pulling back the curtain and letting our friends get hands on and play Two Bit Circus games and network with our Los Angeles community.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25402 August 12, Santa Monica -- AirMap Developer Conference and Launch Party. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the potential for unmanned aircraft. Join us in Santa Monica for a sneak peek of AirMap’s brand new platform, APIs, and SDK for drones, apps for iOS and Android, and Web. Space is limited. RSVP to attend. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25389 August 13, Los Angeles -- SOLA/HACK! Generaly Assembl. In this mini-hackathon event, participants will use design thinking, UX design methods and web development skills in an entrepreneurial spirit to address social, economic, and environmental challenges specific to South L.A. Participants will learn about these challenges with two kick-off talks, and then form teams to brainstorm and rapidly prototype solutions. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25412 August 13, Los Angeles -- Interactive Architecture: Adaptive World Release Party & Book Signing. Architect Michael Fox & guests talk smart highways & adaptive buildings. Fox will sign his new book Interactive Architecture. Open to the public. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25395 August 15, Santa Monica -- Make it on Mobile: Using Adobe Mobile Apps to Create Your Initial Design. General Assembly. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25409 August 16, Los Angeles -- LAVA Venture Panel & LAVA Annual Meeting. Join us at MAGICOPOLIS for a fun evening of Capital Networking with VC and Angel Investors, LAVA Members and LAVA Board Members. LAVA kicks off the the summer by hosting it Annual Membership Meeting , conducts Director elections and will feature its Annual Venture Capital Panel. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25404 August 18, Santa Monica -- The Art of Fundraising Episode II: Setting the Deal. Panel discussing the ins and outs of fundraising including: -The Pitch -Relationship Building -Negotiation (Term Sheet, convertible notes, etc.) -Due Diligence. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25407 August 18, Irvine -- Tech Panel: DevOps Discussion. Free tech panel discussion with 3-4 industry-leading professionals and a moderator covering some of the most pressing topics surrounding DevOps. We will be covering what the best tools are for DevOps engineers, which cloud providers are industry leaders and what skill sets are most desirable and applicable for DevOps engineers. Please join us. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25390 August 19, Los Angeles -- LAVA Healthcare - Jessica Rousset, Center for Innovation at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. This month's LAVA Healthcare features pediatric innovation opportunities by Jessica Rousset, director of the Center for Innovation at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and co-director of the Consortium for Technology and Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP), a technology accelerator dedicated to developing pediatric-health solutions. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25405 August 20, Santa Barbara -- TEDxSantaBarbara. Must apply to attend. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25362 August 22, Santa Monica -- Los Angeles Advertising Professionals. Mix, mingle, and network with other advertising professionals. Find partners, meet new people, and do deals. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25397 August 23, Santa Monica -- LA FinTech Mix Mingle Network. Come mix and mingle with other Financial Technologist's Tues Aug 23. Learn about the newest and fastest changes going on in financial technology. Finance is undergoing a massive change some call the "financial paradigm". Laws from 1930-1940 (old right?) are getting broken down with technological innovation in finance. Find partners, talk about your project, bounce ideas, discover LA Fintech. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25398 August 24, Riverside -- The Roadmap to Commercialization: From Market Entry Through Exit Strategy. Tritech SBDC. Why is the right business model critical to your venture start-up’s success? Can a bad value proposition kill your business? How well do you really know your target customer? As a founder, your “Hero’s Journey” will be fraught with numerous obstacles, “uncertainty, fear and doubt”. This workshop series will help you determine and verify the right course for your start-up, raise your odds of being funded, and build a scalable, sustainable company. In this workshop, you will learn how to. ? 1.Search for and discover your best niche customers 2.Create the right value propositions to motivate their purchases of your product 3.Generate a fundable business model 4.Grow a sustainable and profitable company 5.Achieve an Optimal Exit Strategy. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25321 August 24, San Diego -- 5G: WHAT IS IT AND WHY DO WE NEED IT? Commnexus. Automobile business mogul Henry Ford is noted as saying, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” The purest sense of original innovation is creating value before customers even see it, or understand it. Consumers understand 5G is better than 4G, but what does that mean? Lifestyle today is dependent upon reliable high-speed networks; there are currently 6.4 billion connected devices in the world. The future will bring about a society where life itself will be dependent on reliable high-speed networks. 5G is the future. Connected cars operating with 5G’s ultra-low latency are expected to utilize V2V (vehicle to vehicle) communication, reducing car accidents and saving lives. Projected download speed of 5G is 5 Gbps to 10 Gbps. However, 5G is much more than an increase in network speed; it’s a significant increase in network capacity which will catapult the IoT/IoE revolution, transforming the way we live.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25411 August 24, Santa Monica -- Fireside Chat w/Dollar Shave Club CEO Michael Dubin. Join us for our next Startups Uncensored, a fireside chat with Michael Dubin, Founder/CEO of Dollar Shave Club. We'll be celebrating their $1B recent exit, and talking with Michael about his whole journey.. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25393 August 24, San Diego -- EvoNexus MarketLink: Huawei. In 2015, Huawei ranked 228th on the Global Fortune 500 based on its revenue which grew by 35% reaching $60.8 billion USD. Huawei Executives are coming to Irvine on August 24-25th as part of the EvoNexus MarketLink Program. Selected companies will have the opportunity to discuss potential business opportunities with Huawei. Deadline to apply July 22. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25358 August 25, Calabasas -- 13th Annual ERA Summer Social . The Electronic Representatives Association of So. Cal. are pleased to announce the 13th Annual Summer Social will be held on Thurs, Aug. 25th from 5 - 8 pm. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25394 August 25, San Diego -- EvoNexus MarketLink: Huawei. In 2015, Huawei ranked 228th on the Global Fortune 500 based on its revenue which grew by 35% reaching $60.8 billion USD. Huawei Executives are coming to Irvine on August 24-25th as part of the EvoNexus MarketLink Program. Selected companies will have the opportunity to discuss potential business opportunities with Huawei. Deadline to apply July 22. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25359 August 31, Los Angeles -- The 7th Annual Women in Green Forum. The Women in Green Forum (WIGF) has emerged as the premier conference series highlighting women’s impact on the environmental industry. The 7th Annual Women in Green Forum (WIGF) will convene leaders in the environmental movement, drawing an international audience of sustainability experts including academic researchers, CSR executives, energy analysts, and technology developers. The WIGF also appeals to regulatory agencies involved in developing policies and legislation surrounding green technologies for the private and public sectors. This is an opportunity for sustainability professionals from all sectors to share ideas and create lasting partnerships. More than your average conference, the 2016 WIGF will incorporate keynotes, panels, and interactive workshops around the theme “Business as (Un)Usual: Where Purpose Meets Profit”. In addition to featuring sessions about sustainability in business, throughout the day attendees will have the opportunity to hear from presenters and exhibitors in ‘Work,’ ‘Life,’ and ‘Balance’ themed breakout rooms that call attention to networking and professional skills, personal environmental consciousness, and mind and body wellness. . See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/25192 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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 Technical Connections, Inc. (http://www.technicalconnections.com) Successfully connecting Tech Talent with Premier Clients in SoCal for over 30 years. La Visual (http://Lavisual.com) A Branding, Product Strategy & Rapid Prototyping Accelerator 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://listserv.socaltech.com/mailman/listinfo/socaltech 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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