Thursday, January 8, 2009


DECA Raises $10M More
Santa Monica-based DECA has raised $10M in a new round of funding, according to a regulatory filing. The funding was led by new investor Rustic Canyon Partners, with participation from Series A investors Atomico, General Catalyst Partners, and Mayfield Fund. The firm's CEO, Michael Wayne, confirmed the funding with socalTECH, but said that the company would not be making any official comments until a formal announcement next month. DECA is a digital media studio which produces online video conte (More info...)
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ViewSonic Taps Where 2 Get It For Mobile
Anaheim-based Where 2 Get It has been selected by ViewSonic for the firm's mobile location-based services, the firm said Thursday. Where 2 Get It, which provides software to help consumers find retail stores, said that ViewSonic currently is using its online business and product locator software, and will now use its Mobile Suite. Where 2 Get It's mobile software includes a mobile WAP site plus SMS services to provide consumers with location and driving direction information to retailers. The fi (More info...)
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CFX Battery Gains $11M
Azusa-based CFX Battery, a Caltech spinout focused on primary and rechargeable battery technology, has scored $11M in a $15.18M funding round, according to a regulatory funding. The funding was first disclosed December 24th in a filing with the SEC. The funding came from existing investors CMEA Ventures, Harris and Harris, and US Venture Partners. Details on the funding were uncovered by PE Week from the filings. CFX Battery is headed by T. Joseph Fisher III, who was most recently at Energizer; (More info...)
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Triton Pacific Buys Restaurant Chain
Los Angeles-based private equity firm Triton Pacific Capital Partners announced Thursday that it has acquired a majority interest in Dick's Last Resort, a restaurant chain headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Triton Pacific Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on entrepreneurial businesses; the firm invests in healthcare services, software/IT, business services, consumer products, financial services, light manufacturing, logistics, a (More info...)
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Qualcomm Shows Android On Snapdragon Chipset
San Diego-based Qualcomm is showing Google's Android operating system running on the firm's Snapdragon mobile computing chipsets, the firm said today, at CES in Las Vegas. Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset is a 1Ghz, DSP-enabled processor specifically focused on 3G mobile devices. According to Qualcomm, the demo shows "tight integration" between the firm's processors and the Android platform. Google's Android is an open source mobile operating system, which is being targeted at next generation phon (More info...)
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kidthing In Distribution Deal With Children's Site
Los Angeles-based kidthing, which makes digital media software focused on children, has inked a deal with MrsP.com, a children's entertainment site focused on reading and books. Mrs. P. and kidthing said that Mrs. P's video will be available for purchase and download as part of kidthing's service, beginning today. According to the firms, the titles will be available for $.99 each, and with new titles added on a monthly basis. kidthing develops a digital media player which runs on Windows, which (More info...)
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Chumby Targets Digital Photo Frames
San Diego-based Chumby, which makes Internet-connected devices, has rolled out a new reference design that incorporates the firm's software to create Internet-connected digital photo frames. Chumby said that it is enabling digital photo frames using processors from Samsung Electronics, along with Marvell, SMK Electronics, and Wolfson Microelectronics. The firm said that the new reference design--which uses an application processor from Samsung--is available for developers. Chumby's software all (More info...)
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Yardi Signs Property Management Firm
Santa Barbara-based Yardi Systems, which develops real estate management software, has signed on what the firm describes as the largest privatey owned residential property management and investment companies in the U.S. Yardi said that Dallas-based Milestone Management LP has selected the firm's software to manage its properties. Financial impact of the customer win was not disclosed. Yardi's Voyager software is used for managing business operations for property managers. Milestone Management ha (More info...)
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SEO, Inc. Hires Executive
Carlsbad-based Search Engine Optimization Inc, a provider of search engine marketing services, announced this morning that it has hired on Edward Andrews as the firm's Chief Development Officer. Search Engine Optmization said that Andrews joins the firm from World Savings & Loan and Wachovia Bank. Andrews will head up the firm's efforts to develop new strategies for sales growth and expansion, the firm said, as well as heading up its new Agency Select Division. Search Engine Optimization provide (More info...)
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JibJab Raises $7.5M
Venice, California-based JibJab, the online comedy site known for their politically-oriented, musical animations, said this morning that it has raised $7.5M in a Series C funding round. The round came from Overbrook Entertainment and Sony Pictures Entertainment, along with existing investor Polaris Venture Partners. James Lassiter of Overbrook Entertainment will join the firm's board as part of the funding, with Guy Primus, Overbrook's Head of Interactive Media joining JibJab's advisory board. J (More info...)
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