*socaltech.com <http://socaltech.com> TechNews - Thursday, October 15, 2020* Edited by Benjamin F. Kuo ISSN: 1524-6736 http://www.socaltech.com/News <https://www.socaltech.com/News> ------------------------------
*Sponsored By * Pacific Western Bank, Venture Banking Group (http://www.pacwest.com/lending-solutions/venture-lending) Stubbs Alderton Markiles, LLP (http://www.stubbsalderton.com). Business. Technology. Law. Vision. KPMG (http://home.kpmg/us/en/home/about/offices/los-angeles-1.html) Level up with KPMG ------------------------------ *Headlines * - Evofem Biosciences Scores $25M <#0080479> - AlphaTrAI Applies AI To Investment Management <#0080480> - IDrive Targets Businesses With New Video Conferencing Tool <#0080481> - Plenty Unlimited Raises $140M, Plans To Set Up Farm In Compton <#0080478> - Virgin Galactic Planning First SpaceFlight From New Mexico <#0080477> - Lead Edge Capital Raises Fifth Fund, Worth $950 Million <#0080476> *Marketplace* - Accelerating Growth For Early Stage Innovation. <#ad764> - From Idea to IPO - KPMG’s Emerging Growth Practice <#ad760> - Bestronics - Electronic Engineering Services, SOMs, Imaging Products, Displays & Batteries <#ad752> - IP Protection for Technology and Business - SoCal IP Law Group LLP <#ad750> *Thursday, October 15, 2020* *UK Government's Department for International Trade (DIT) <https://www.events.great.gov.uk/ehome/200195057>* The UK is one of the world's fastest-growing tech hubs with more than 60,000 tech companies, 30 industry clusters, and over $14 billion in investment over the last five years. The UK Government's Department for International Trade (DIT) team provides local 1:1 support to companies expanding internationally, helping de-risk market entry with free support services. DIT can provide tailored set-up information, including market research, legal and accounting introductions, recruitment support, policy insight, and partnership-building opportunities. As the #1 destination in Europe for inward investment and tech talent, and home to more fast-growth companies than any other European country, the UK has a lot to offer to US companies. We work with all companies, from start-ups/scale-ups through to the Fortune 500. To find out more about "Why UK," and to work with DIT's LA team, contact us at: https://www.events.great.gov.uk/ehome/200195057 *Evofem Biosciences Scores $25M* <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080479.html> San Diego-based Evofem Biosciences, a biopharmaceuticals firm which is developing products to prevent urogenital chlamydia and gonorrhea in women, and which also markets a vaginal contraceptive gel, saysi t has raised $25M in a strategic investment. The publicly held company--which trades on the NASDAQ as EVFM--said the investment came via unsecured convertible promissory notes. The investment came from Adjuvant Capital. (More... <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080479.html>) *AlphaTrAI Applies AI To Investment Management* <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080480.html> San Diego-based AlphaTrAI, a fintech startup which is backed by venture capital investor Analytics Ventures, says it is launching its own, extrenal fund, and is expanding its leadership team. (More... <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080480.html>) *IDrive Targets Businesses With New Video Conferencing Tool* <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080481.html> Los Angeles-based online backup and storage provider IDrive Online Backup says it has released a new service, which provides secure video conferencing. According to IDrive, its new tool, EPYC, offers both secure video conferencing and "AR" capability for remote workforces. The company said it launched the new tool as a result of COVID-19 and the current remote work climate. (More... <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080481.html>) *Plenty Unlimited Raises $140M, Plans To Set Up Farm In Compton* <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080478.html> Plenty, a Bay Area startup developing vertical farming technology, said this week that it has raised $140M in a new funding round, and will build a new farm in Compton. The startup--backed by Softbank Vision Fund and strawberry farming giant Driscolls--has raised more than $500M in total for its vertical farming efforts. Plenty is developing vertical, indoor farming technology, and currently growing greens such as lettuce, arugula, and kale for grocery stores. (More... <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080478.html>) *Virgin Galactic Planning First SpaceFlight From New Mexico* <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080477.html> Virgin Galactic, the commercial space tourism operation backed by Sir Richard Branson, says it is preparing for its first spaceflight from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The company--which has been developing its spacecraft in Mojave, California--says it plans the first launch later this fall, with the intent to carry several research payloads in the cabin of its spacecraft, the VSS Unity. (More... <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080477.html>) *Lead Edge Capital Raises Fifth Fund, Worth $950 Million* <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080476.html> Santa Barbara- and New York-based Lead Edge Capital, a growth focused, technology investment fund, announced this morning that it has raised $950M in a new fund, Lead Edge Capital V, LP. The company said the funding came from over 500 existing and new limited partners, and was oversubscribed and closed at its hard cap. The firm now has now raised more than $3 billion across all of its funds. (More... <https://www.socaltech.com/fullstory/0080476.html>) *Accelerating Growth For Early Stage Innovation. <http://www.preccelerator.com>* The Preccelerator® Program is an accelerator for early-stage startups offered to select companies out of the Santa Monica office of Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP that provides initial capital, sophisticated legal services, interim office space, mentorship, a targeted curriculum, investment strategy counseling and access to a strategic perks portfolio with the objective of helping you grow your idea from business concept to funded startup. www.preccelerator.com *From Idea to IPO - KPMG’s Emerging Growth Practice < [email protected]>* KPMG provides Bookkeeping, Audit, Tax, and Advisory services to assist you at any stage of your life cycle. Whether you are starting your business, strengthening your business, expanding into new markets, or pursuing an exit, we have a global network of experienced resources that can take you to the next level. For more information, please contact Ryan Youhan at [email protected]. *Bestronics - Electronic Engineering Services, SOMs, Imaging Products, Displays & Batteries <https://www.bestronics.com>* Are the great ideas stacking up faster than your engineering resources can handle? Your company needs a reliable resource of analog/digital and software engineers to understand your issues, define the problem statements and lay out a course of action to output hardware products ready for integration into your system. Our unique capabilities, used by many in the medical, scientific, military and aerospace industries, allow us to offer engineering services that result in deliverable, production ready subsystems so you can concentrate on targeting your customer base and not stressing about the right mix and numbers of engineering talent needed to see your vision become reality. Contact us at http://www.bestronics.com *IP Protection for Technology and Business - SoCal IP Law Group LLP <http://www.socalip.com>* Patents. Trademarks. Copyrights. Trade Secrets. IP Filings. IP Strategy. IP Litigation. IP Transactions. US and Worldwide. Offices in Westlake Village and Santa Barbara. [email protected] www.socalip.com ------------------------------ *Recent Funding <#funding>* 10/14/20 Menlo Microsystems, Inc. <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100962> Irvine $44.00 M 10/08/20 Slingshot Aerospace <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100961> El Segundo $1.00 M 9/29/20 Seismic <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100936> Solana Beach $92.00 M 9/28/20 Liquid Death <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100935> Santa Monica $23.00 M 9/24/20 Camera IQ <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100898> Santa Monica $5.00 M 9/23/20 Point Predictive <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100897> San Diego $0.00 M 9/23/20 GOAT <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100896> Los Angeles $100.00 M 9/22/20 Beyond Limits <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100895> Glendale $133.00 M 9/16/20 YAPI (Practical Dental Solutions, Inc.) <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100894> Canyon Country $0.00 M 9/15/20 Violux <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100892> Orange County $1.20 M 8/25/20 Songtradr, Inc. <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100821> West Hollywood $30.00 M 8/24/20 Connect Biopharma <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100820> San Diego $115.00 M 7/30/20 MomentFeed <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100700> Santa Monica $10.00 M 7/29/20 Heal <https://www.socaltech.com/intelligence/?action=showdeal&id=100699> Pacific Palisades $100.00 M ------------------------------ *Upcoming Events* Submit your events at least two weeks in advance to: http://www.socaltech.com/submitevent.html October 15, Los Angeles -- *Virtual Tech Happy Hour* Virtual Tech Happy Hour. Startup Coil. The State of the L.A. Tech Ecosystem Updates on startup fundings and major news; Expert Discussion and Q&A Hiring and Getting Hired During a Global Pandemic. In conversation with Career and Culture Whisperers: Kurt Daradics, GM @ Hunt Club, Steve Taylor, National SaaS Practice Lead @ Trine. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/26670 October 15, Los Angeles -- *Virtual Tech Happy Hour* Lights, Camera, Action | Create Video Content Like a Pro. In the physically-distanced world of today, video has become increasingly important as a way to communicate. For startups, it’s an invaluable medium, so we’ve invited Chad Rogers, co-founder of Lemonlight, to speak about topics including: Marketing your business during a pandemic Creating content to stand out from the crowd Making a memorable impact in virtual spaces Why now? The current power of video content. How other companies are effectively transitioning to the new normal How to pivot your video conten. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/26671 October 15, Los Angeles -- *Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies Showcase 2020.* Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies Showcase 2020. Now in its third year, the Most Fundable Companies competition has grown to over 4,500 companies, and for the first time attracted startups from all 50 U.S. states. We are excited to introduce you to an incredible set of companies who have risen to the top this year based on the viability of their business model, size of addressable market, management team expertise, board of advisors, and competitive advantage in their market. Join us for our virtual program to unveil and celebrate: 2020 Pepperdine Most Fundable Companies startup competition winners Special recognition of additional startup categories The showcase kicks off a series of opportunities to interact with and to highlight list winners, followed by national publication of the list in Entrepreneur magazine and online in November. Learn more during the event. Our growth would not be possible without the support of many throughout the year. Thank you to our Sponsors, Advisory Council, and the Graziadio Board. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/26669 October 28, San Diego -- *CONNECT Legal Office Hours* Legal Office Hours. Connect. Meet One-on-One w/ an Expert… for Free. See http://www.socaltech.com/calendar/eventid/26672 ------------------------------ *Recent Job Postings * More jobs at http://www.socaltech.com/Jobs ------------------------------ ------------------------------ *Sponsored By * Stubbs Alderton Markiles, LLP (http://www.stubbsalderton.com). Business. Technology. Law. Vision. KPMG (http://home.kpmg/us/en/home/about/offices/los-angeles-1.html) Level up with KPMG 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) 2017 SOCALTECH LLC. 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