Monday, April 21, 2008Touchdown Technologies Raises $22MBaldwin Park-based Touchdown Technologies, a firm which manufactures MEMs probes for the semiconductor test industry, has raised $22M in venture funding, according to numbers released in the PricewaterhouseCoopers/NVCA MoneyTree report this week. No details of the funding have been disclosed by the company. Touchdown Technologies has previously raised funding from Adams Capital Management, AIG SunAmerica Ventures, INVESCO Private Capital, and Pequot Ventures.
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Skyriver Buys Fixed Wireless NetworkSan Diego-based Skyriver Communications, a provider of wireless broadband services, said Monday that it has completed the acquisition of the fixed wireless assets of San Diego-based NetHere. Financial details on the deal were not disclosed. NetHere, an Internet Service Provider, previously owned its own fixed wireless network in addition to reselling Skyriver's fixed wireless services. The deal expands Skyriver's network to what the firm describes as a "substantial portion" of Southern San Diego (More info...)
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Filmaka Launches Digital StudioLos Angeles-based Filmaka said today that it has launched a new digital entertainment studio and online creative community. The firm, which is headed by film producer Deepak Nayar and former FOX Television Entertainment exec Sandy Grushow, said it will look to create content for traditional and digital media and integrated marketing campaigns. A major part of the firm's business is creating online competitions to find undiscovered filmmakers and writers. Deepak Nayar produced Bend it Like Beckha (More info...)
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Southern California Companies Raise $856.8M in Q1PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) released their quarterly venture capital numbers over the weekend, reporting that Southern California had venture capital investments totaling $856.8M for the first quarter of 2008, invested in 93 companies. That compared with over $1.1B in 85 companies invested in Q1 of last year, however was up over last quarter, when So Cal saw $731M in investments in 89 companies.
The report, which is based on data from Thomson Reu (More info...)
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MySpace Rolls Out Advertising PlatformLos Angeles-based social networking web site MySpace said this morning that it has launched a beta of a new advertising program, which allows MySpace advertisers to manage their own profiles. MySpace said that its new Community Builder advertising platform allows brands to build, maintain, and customize their own profiles on the site, as well as gather analytics about their advertising campaigns. The Community Builder product comes in two flavors, a "self-service" and "full-service" version, wit (More info...)
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eSolar Raises $130M For Solar Power PlantsPasadena-based eSolar said this morning that it has raised an astounding, $130M in venture funding for the construction and deployment of pre-fabricated solar power. The firm said the funding came from Idealab, Google.org, Oak Investment Partners, and others. eSolar said that the company--which develops photovoltaic technology for utility-scale solar--is looking to address large, utility-scale power projects, and will provide distributed solar thermal plants that achieve economy of scale at 33MW (More info...)
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Channel M Raises Series CLos Angeles-based Channel M, a firm which provides out-of-home video advertising, said this morning that it has raised a Series C financing from Intel Capital. Financial terms of the funding were not disclosed. Channel M said it would use the round to expand the firm's digital content distribution network and its sales and marketing infrastructure. Channel M operates an in-store, media network of video screens, and counts Macy's, Ashley Furniture, Homestores and Blockbuster as its customers. The (More info...)
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MySpace Promotes Berman To PresidentMySpace announced this morning that Jeff Berman has been appointed President of Sales and Marketing at the company, overseeing online marketing, content and programs, ad solutions, branded sales, and relationships with major advertising partners. Berman was previously EVP Marketing and Content. Berman will continue to report to Chris DeWolfe, co-founder and CEO of MySpace. MySpace is a unit of Fox Interactive Media. Berman was previously responsible for MySpaceTV, and started at MySpace as its S (More info...)
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