Wednesday, July 9, 2008Buzznet In Deal With Heavy Metal SiteHollywood-based Buzznet, the venture-backed, online social media site focused on music, said Wednesday that it has inked a partnership with The Gauntlet, an online web site focused on hard rock and heavy metal news and information. Financial details of the relationship were not disclosed, nor did the sites discuss what the partnership entails. The Gauntlet was founded in 1996 and is run by Jason Fisher; the site provides news, reviews, interviews, and community forums around hard rock and heavy (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008(Full story)
Guidance Goes GreenMarina Del Rey-based Guidance, a Internet hosting provider, said Tuesday that the firm has started providing what it calls "100 percent carbon-neutral" hosting solutions. Guidance said that it has moved to using energy-efficient servers and processors to host its clients' websites, and also offset its electricity-related CO2 emissions by purchasing renewable energy credits. Guidance said it will not require its clients to undergo any upgrades or additional investment to take advantage of the "gr (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008(Full story)
Userplane Signs Social Networking Software FirmSanta Monica-based Userplane said Wednesday that it is in a partnership with ConVerdge, a provider of social networking and community software, to offer its Webchat2 and Webmessenger2 software through ConVerdge. According to Userplane, ConVerdge will integrate its web chat and instant messaging software into its Social Media Platform. That solution provides social networking and community applications for online web sites. Userplane explained that the integration will roll out first on social ne (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008(Full story)
Activision Rolls Wii Branding EffortSanta Monica-based video games publisher Activision said Wednesday that the firm has unveiled a new consumer initiative, to promote its Wii portfolio. According to the firm, the new effort -- which it is calling "Wee 1ST" -- will highlight games specifically developed for Nintendo's Wii platform. The branding will initially roll out with the titles Little League World Series 2008, Rapala Fishing Frenzy, and Dancing with the Stars: Get Your Dance On. Activision said the new branding effort will i (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008(Full story)
Plimus Raises $18MSan Diego-based Plimus, which provides outsource e-commerce services, said Tuesday that the firm has raised $18M in a financing round. The funding came from Susquehanna Growth Equity, LLC. Amir Goldman and Jonathan Klahr of SGE will join the board of directors of Plimus as part of the funding. Plimus said the new funding will go to support the growth of the company. Plimus provides payment processing, e-commerce shopping carts, and other software for online retailers and others.
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 (More)(Full story)
Interview with Jawad Ansari and Shiraz Akmal, GCube VenturesGCube Ventures (www.gcubeventures.com) is a new investment firm launching today focused on the video game industry. The firm is headed by Jawad Ansari, the former General Partner at Miven Venture Partners, and Shiraz Akmal, most recently Vice President of Global Operations at THQ. We thought it would be particularly interesting to talk with GCube, because we constantly hear from entrepreneurs in the video game industry who have a hard time finding investors and getting their projects started. W (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008(Full story)
Perfect Market Takes $15.6MPasadena-based Perfect Market, which operates a marketing service for publishers, said today that it has raised $15.6M in a new venture capital round. The round came from Trinity Ventures and Rustic Canyon Partners, with participation from Square 1 Bank and Idealab. According to Perfect Market, the new funding will go towards company operations and for the company's product development initiatives. Larry Orr of Trinity and Nate Redmond of Rustic Canyon Partners have joined the company's board al (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 (More)(Full story)
Ceradyne Buys Semiconductor Technology FirmCosta Mesa-based Ceradyne announced this morning that it is in a definitive agreement to acquire SemEquip, Inc., a North Billerica, Mass.-based developer of products for the manufacture of logic and memory chips. Ceradyne said it would pay $25M in cash, plus up to $100M in contingent payments based on revenues from SemEquip, over the next 15 years. SemEquip develops cluster ion implantation sub-systems, and advanced ion source materials which are used in the manufacture of logic and memory chips (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008(Full story)
Arrowhead Research Creates Energy Storage SubsidiaryPasadena-based Arrowhead Research said today that it has created a new company, Agonn Systems Corporation, focused on developing and commercializing nanotechnology-based energy storage devices. According to Arrowhead, the new firm will acquire energy storage technologies based on nanoscale engineering from research institutions, and develop energy storage devices targeted at electric vehicles and other large format applications. Arrowhead the new firm's advisors will include Alan Gotcher, Ph.D. (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008(Full story)
eSolar Names CFOPasadena-based eSolar, the Idealab startup developing utility scale solar thermal power technology, has named Merrick Kerr as the firm's new Chief Financial Officer, the company announced this morning. The well-funded startup--which recently landed $130M in funding from Idealab, Oak Investment Partners, and Google.org--said that Kerr joins the firm from Rentech, Inc., where he also was CFO. Kerr has also served at PPM Energy. eSolar now has 103 employees working at the firm. eSolar is focused on (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 (More)(Full story)