Tuesday, March 25, 2008


Verari Creates New Storage Group
San Diego-based Verari Systems said Tuesday that it has formed a new group focused on blade-based storage. Verari said the new unit, called the Verari Systems Storage Group, will be headed by Kevin McGrath, the firm's current Senior Vice President of Engineering. The new business unit is targeted specifically at Web 2.0 and grid computing markets. Verari develops blade computing systems.
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Demand Media Raises $35M, Says Report
PEHub is reporting that Los Angeles-based Demand Media, the online media firm run by Richard Rosenblatt, has raised another $35M in funding. No details of the funding have been released. The firm filed a regulatory filing with the SEC on March 13th, but a spokesperson for Demand Media did not respond to inquiries about the round from socalTECH earlier this month to confirm or clarify the funding. The round would bring the firm's total raise to over $355M, including investments from 3i Ventures, (More info...)
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Viva Vision Adds $2M
Santa Monica-based Viva Vision, which develops mobile content and applications, said today that it has raised an additional $2M in financing for the firm. According to the company, the funding came from Medical Capital Corporation, and will be used to scale its business, support its user base, and grow distribution. Viva Vision did not say if prior investors in the firm participated in the funding.
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The Rubicon Project Signs Braingle.com
Los Angeles-based The Rubicon Project, a venture backed firm developing online advertising optimization software, said today that it has signed on Braingle.com as a customer. According to the Rubicon Project, Braingle has sedn a 43 percent increase in its effective CPMs after switching to Rubicon's technology. Braingle is an online site focused on puzzles and brain teasers. Rubicon is venture backed by Clearstone Ventures, IDG Ventures, and Mayfield, and headed by former L90 founder Frank Addant (More info...)
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Ripple, Eventful Tie On Event Data
El Segundo-based Ripple and San Diego-based Eventful said today that the two have partnered to provide event listings to consumers from Eventful through Ripple's network of retail screens. According to the two, Ripple will feature local events from Eventful on its network of information screens at Borders, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Jack in the Box, Tully's Coffee, and other retail locations. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ripple operates a network of retail information screens (More info...)
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Gemstar-TV Guide Inks Patent Deal
Los Angeles-based Gemstar-TV Guide International said Monday that it has signed a patent license agreement with Humax Co., Ltd. Humax is a manufacturer of set-top boxes. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to Gemstar-TV Guide, the multi-year agreement covers a patent license for interactive program guides in retail, set-top boxes for distribution in Europe. The deal also covers digital televisions and digital recording devices.
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Illumina Hires New Finance VP
San Diego-based Illumina said Monday that it has appointed Mike Bouchard as the firm's Vice President of Finance. Bouchard joins the firm from Websense, where he was Vice President of Finance and Accounting. Bouchard has also served at Gateway, Rohm & Haas, and S.A.L. Limited. Illumina is of life sciences software.
posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008(Full story)

Sierra Monolithics Open Irvine Office
Sierra Monolithics, a Redondo Beach firm developing high performance, analog and RF semiconductors, said Monday that it has opened a new Irvine design center. The company said that the new center--in what it describes as the heart of the high technology corridor in Southern California--is the result of strong growth and increasing opportunities in the firm's business. The firm said it selected the area because of the wealth of talent in public and start-up companies in the region. The firm is ve (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008(Full story)