Wednesday, January 21, 2009


mEgo Raises $2.5M
Los Angeles-based mEgo, which operates a service which allows users to create a portable, online profile or "avatar," has raised $2.5M in an angel round, the firm's co-CEO, Julia Johnston, told us Wednesday evening. The angels involved in the new funding round were not disclosed. According to Johnston, the firm has now raised $5.5M in funding, all from angel investors, and will use the funding to continue to develop its product. mEgo's avatars allow users to share photos, videos, wishlists, and (More info...)
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NonStop Riot Gets Series B
Hollywood-based NonStop Riot said Wednesday that the firm has raised a Series B funding round from North Venture Partners. Amount of the funding was not disclosed. The firm helps musicians connect with brands. NonStop Riot said the three year old company has relationships with brands such as Ray-Ban, SanDisk, Loopt, slotMusic, and Red Bull, and bills itself as a "music branding agency." The firm has placed products, such as Ray-Ban sunglasses, with up and coming bands; Red Bull at music events; (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 (More)(Full story)

EQAL Licenses Lonelygirl15 in Poland
Los Angeles-based EQAL, the online entertainment firm behind lonelygirl15, announced Wednesday that the firm has signed a license agreement with a Polish production firm. EQAL said the deal will allow Agora and A2 Multimedia to create a new story based on the firm's lonelygirl15 "social shows." The new series--called n1ckola--will feature more than 100 episodes, running from one to five minutes long. The story will run on a dedicated web site focused on the Polish market. Financial terms of the (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009(Full story)

Stickam.com Signs NATPE
Los Angeles-based live streaming site Stickam.com announced this morning that the firm has been selected by the National Association of Television Program Executives' Market & Conference in Las Vegas. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. According to Stickam.com, it will feature all of the keynote addresses as well as key panel sessions on its site from the NATPE conference, which runs from January 26th through January 29th. The firm said it will be the exclusive live streaming provide (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009(Full story)

Geni Enhances Stats, Adds Gift Subscriptions
Los Angeles-based Geni, an online genealogy and social networking site, upgraded the firm's services last night, adding new statistics features and gift accounts. According to the firm, it now allows users to view statistics on profiles, and has added the ability of users to give "Geni Pro" accounts as a gift to relatives. The gift accounts will cost $50, and allow recipients to gain access to the site's additional features. Geni allows users to create online, Web 2.0-style family trees, along w (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009(Full story)

Epicor's Klaus Back As CEO, President
Irvine-based Epicor Software said Tuesday that Chairman George Klaus has been reappointed as CEO and President of the firm. According to the software firm, Klaus will replace current CEO Thomas F. Kelly, who will be leaving the company to "pursue other interests." Kelly will also resign from the firm's board of directors. According to Epicor's board, the change was made because Klaus is the "ideal person to lead the company at this time," citing his experience growing the firm following the tech (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009(Full story)

Interview with Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, EQAL
Los Angeles-based EQAL (www.eqal.com) launched into the online world in 2006 with the creation of the YouTube sensation "lonelygirl15," the fictional video blog of a teenage girl. Since the, EQAL has inked a number of deals--the most recent with CBS on the show "Harper's Island"--to develop online shows which take full advantage of the Internet medium. We sat down and spoke with Miles Beckett and Greg Goodfried, co-founders of the firm, about what the firm is up to now, their view on how to mesh (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009(Full story)

Abraxis BioScience Names VP
Los Angeles-based Abraxis BioScience announced this morning that it has named Lex H.T. Van der Ploeg, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President of Integrative Medicine and Translational Science at its new spinoff, Abraxis Health. Van der Ploeg joins the firm from Merck Research Laboratories, where he was Vice President, Basic Research and Site Head. Abraxis said that Dr. Van der Ploeg has more than 25 years of experience in enzymology, biochemistry and genetics. Abraxis BioScience said this week that it i (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009(Full story)

Xirrus Deploys In Spain
Thousand Oaks-based Xirrus, a manufacturer of Wi-Fi networking hardware, has deployed its products in Spain, the firm disclosed this morning. Xirrus said that Schiller International University in MAdrid, Spain, has deployed its 802.11abg Wi-Fi arrays. Financial impact and size of the install was not disclosed. Xirrus manufactures hardware that combines Wi-Fi access points with switching capabilities, which yield better coverage and bandwidth in wireless networks.
posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009(Full story)

Nanogen Looks For New Suitor
San Diego-based Nanogen, a developer of molecular diagnostics products, said today that it has received permission to investigate alternatives to a previously announced merger with the Elitech Group. Nanogen had originally announced its merger with the Elitech Group, a French diagnostics company, in August of 2008. According to Nanogen, the firms agreed to waive the restrictions on investigating other alternatives, because the firms said that it is "unlikely" that closing conditions to their mer (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, January 21, 2009(Full story)