Friday, March 6, 2009


Sage Sells Tax Compliance Business
Irvine-based Sage North America disclosed this week that the firm has sold its tax compliance services business to Empower Corporation. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Sage North America is part of The Sage Group plc, and provides payroll/HR software and related software for businesses.
posted on Friday, March 6, 2009(Full story)

RotoHog Teams On Volleyball Fantasy Game
Los Angeles-based RotoHog, which operates online sports fantasy games, said today that the firm is in a partnership with the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour on a new fantasy game. According to RotoHog, it will operate a fantasy game for the tour, which will be available through AVP's web site. Financial impact of the deal was not disclosed. RotoHog said that the 2009 AVP Fantasy Challenge will launch in mid-March, with prizes for both short-term contest and full seasons; AVP will cross promote the (More info...)
posted on Friday, March 6, 2009(Full story)

RazorGator Confirms Funding
Los Angeles-based RazorGator announced Friday that it has close on $7.5M in a funding round, led by existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Oak Investment Partners, and Steamboat Ventures. The funding had been disclosed earlier this week, but not confirmed by the company until today. According to RazorGator, it will use the new round of funding for "aggressive expansion" of its ticketing service. RazorGator operates a service which helps sports and entertainment fans get access to h (More info...)
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Interview with Sean McCleese, Student of Fortune
It's interesting to see how the Internet continues to create new marketplaces for what are otherwise inefficient businesses. An area we've been seeing a lot of companies attacking recently is tutoring and homework help. One of the firms looking to make its market in the area is Altadena-based Student of Fortune (www.studentoffortune.com). We talked with Sean McCleese, CEO and Founder of the firm, about what it offers, and how it's looking to stand out from the many other tutoring sites out the (More info...)
posted on Friday, March 6, 2009(Full story)

Insights & Opinions: Angel Investors - Do They Charge Fees?
One of the biggest questions we get from entrepreneurs is if they should be having to pay to present to angel groups. Joe Platnick, a member of the Pasadena Angels, talks about whether fees are ever appropriate to present to an angel investors group. Joe writes: Imagine going to a VC or bank and receiving a bill for a few thousand dollars for your first meeting. Imagine also that the requests for payment only get worse the further into their funding process you go. By now you’ve prob (More info...)
posted on Friday, March 6, 2009(Full story)

Energy Innovations Names New CEO
Pasadena-based Energy Innovations, one of the solar power firms funded by Idealab and started by Bill Gross, said Thursday afternoon that it has hired on Joseph Budano as the company's new CEO. Budano was most recently President of the programmable power division of Xantrex Technologies. Xantrex is a major manufacturer of solar power inverters, used to convert DC solar power to AC household current. Energy Innovations develops solar concentrators. According to Energy Innovations, Budano has also (More info...)
posted on Friday, March 6, 2009(Full story)