Monday, April 13, 2009Stickam Adds Mobile Java SupportLos Angeles-based Stickam, a provider of live streaming services and a related online community, announced Monday that the firm is now providing support for streaming live video to Java-enabled mobile devices. According to the firm, StickAm Mobile gives users access to all of the features of the firm's web site, including both viewing and responding to messages in video streams. The company explained that phones supported by the new software include the T-Mobile G1, BlackBerry, and other platfor (More info...)
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VC Fundraising SlowsStartups aren't the only ones seeing a slowdown in fundraising: a report released today finds that venture capitalists themselves are seeing a slowdown in their ability to raise funding. According to a report released this morning by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture capital Association (NVCA), only 40 venture capital funds were able to raise funding this quarter, raising $4.3 billion in capital for Q1. The amount was the smallest number of funds raising capital in a single quarter, since (More info...)
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GreatCall Looks To Hire 150San Diego-based GreatCall, the telecom firm which runs the Jitterbug cell phone service, disclosed this morning that it is looking to hire over 150 employees for a new, Carlsbad-based customer service and sales call center. According to the firm, the new center will have space for over 200 employees. The company said it plans to have the 150 positions filled by the time the firm's offices open in May 2009. GreatCall's Jitterbug service focuses of easy-to-use, simple cell phone service aimed at s (More info...)
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Accruent Hires Two VPsSanta Monica-based Accruent, a developer of real estate and facilities management software, announced Monday that it has hired on two new VPs. Accruent named Anand Rau as Vice President of Engineering, and Virginia Nerurkar as Vice President of Information Technology. Rau joins the firm from RiverOne, where he was co-founder and VP of Engineering; Rau has also served at Hewlett Packard. Nerurkar joins the firm from T-Mobile, where she was Director of Information Management; she has also served a (More info...)
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eMachines Founder Eyes Projector FirmJohn Hui, the co-founder of eMachines, has his eyes on Oregon-based digital projector maker InFocus. According to InFocus, Hui is acquiring the firm through a holding firm, Image Holdings Corporation, in a deal worth $39M. Hui was co-founder of eMachines, founding KDS USA; and was behind the acquisition of Packard-Bell and its subsequent sale to Acer.
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TriZetto Signs Health PlanNewport Beach-baed TriZetto Group, a developer of health care management software, said Monday that the firm has added the CareMore Health Plan as a customer. Financial impact of the deal was no disclosed. CareMore Health Plan is a provider of Medicare Advantage health plans for 32,000 seniors, largely in California. TriZetto is a developer of health care management applications, used for care planning, case and disease management, and more.
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Inlustra Starts ProductionSanta Barbara-based Inlustra, a firm developing Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductor materials, announced this morning that the firm has begun delivering its products to customers. According to the firm--a spinout of the University of California Santa Barbara--it has begun delivering its Gallium Nitride substrates to its customers, who are using it for the production of highly efficient light sources, including LEDs and lasers. The firm said that its products can be used for the production of gre (More info...)
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Geni Launches New Facebook AppHollywood-based online family networking and family tree site Geni officially announced late last week that the firm has launched a new, Facebook application. According to Geni, the new application will allow its users to access such features as building family trees, getting family news and birthday reminders, and more. Geni is venture backed by Charles River Ventures and the Founders Fund.
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D-Link Courts ChannelFountain Valley-based D-Link, a manufacturer of computer accessories and hardware, said today that it has increased sales incentives in the firm's premier partner program, to help out its value added resellers. According to the firm, it has added a 5 percent discount, 50 percent off demonstration unit purchases, and other additional benefits to the program to help its VARs "ease their wasy through these rough economic times."
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TechForward Grabs FundingLos Angeles-based TechForward, a provider of guaranteed buyback plans for consumer electrics, has quietly raised $800,000 in additional funding, according to a regulatory filing. Details of the funding have not been released. TechForward has previously raised funding from New Enterprise Associations and First Round Capital, and was founded by jade Van Doren. TechForward operates a service--distributed via retailers such as CompUSA and TigerDirect--which allows consumers to "lock in" a trade in p (More info...)
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Rubicon Projects Raises $13M MoreLos Angeles-based Rubicon Project, which operates an online advertising optimization service, is announcing this morning that the firm has raised $13M more in a combination of equity and debt. The investment included $5M in equity funding from Clearstone Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund, and IDG Ventures Asia, and also included $8M in debt from Silicon Valley Bank. Rubicon said that the Series B follow-on funding will go twards strategic acquisitions, research and development, international expan (More info...)
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Invitrogen Releases EquipmentCarlsbad-based Invitrogen, a manufacturer of diagnostic equipment for the life sciences industry, announced this morning that it has released a new product. According to Invitrogen, its new GIBCO OPTmizer T-cell Expansion SFM is targeted at use by scientists researching T-cells in human immune response. Invitrogen is a unit of Life Technologies.
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