Friday, April 9, 2010


RealD Files For IPO
Beverly Hills-based RealD, which develops 3D technology used in projecting 3D movies, has filed for an IPO, saying in a filing Friday that it is looking to raise up to $200M on the NYSE. The firm is hoping to list on the exchange as RLD. The IPO is being underwritten by J.P. Morgan Securities and Piper Jaffray & Co. RealD is backed by Shamrock Capital, which owns about 14.8 percent of the firm. Co-founders Michael Lewis and Joshua Greer also each own about 14.7 percent. According to the filing, (More info...)
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ValueClick CEO Vadnais Retires
Westlake Village-based ValueClick said Friday that CEO Tom A. Vadnais is retiring from the firm, and also resigning as a board member. Vadnais is being replaced by James R. Zarley, who was most recently executive Chairman at the firm. Vadnais has been CEO of ValueClick since May of 2007, and was the initial angel investor in the firm. Vadnais is also being replaced on the baord, by Martin T. Hart.
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Amplyx Pharmaceuticals Gets $1.5M
San Diego-based Amplyx Pharmaceuticals announced Thursday that the firm has raised $1.5M in a Series A funding round. According to the firm, the round came from Golden Seeds, a nationwide angel group investing in women-led companies, with participation from Life Science Angels and the Tech Coast Angels. Amplyx is developing small technology which it says significantly improves absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) issues with small molecule drugs. The firm said that Mary Lake (More info...)
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Insights and Opinions: An Open Letter On Paid Versus Unpaid Internships
For our Insights and Opinions section this morning, we are publishing an open letter from Robin D. Richards, Chairman and CEO of Internships.com -- and a successful Southern California serial entrepreneur and investor -- addressing the U.S. Department of Labor's crackdown on the use of unpaid interns at companies. Paid vs. Unpaid. That is not the question. Access to opportunity is for some almost an entitlement, but for the vast majority of Americans access to opportunity results from (More info...)
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Demand Media Powers USA Today Site
Santa Monica-based Demand Media, the online publishing and content firm run by Richard Rosenblatt, has scored a win with USA Today, the firm said Thursday. According to Demand Media, it has teamed up with USA Today to launch a new section of USA Today's site called "Travel Tips". Demand said the new site will feature content produced exclusively by the firm's site, and will allow travlers to find information on thousands of topics. The firm is initially populating the new travel site with around (More info...)
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Clearstone Gets Another Win With Ankeena
Santa Monica-based Clearstone Ventures appears to be on an exit roll this month, with the acquisition Thursday of Ankeena Networks, a supplier of software for content delivery networks. Juniper Networks said Thursday that it would pay something less than $100M for Ankeena, which was incubated by Clearstone Ventures, and also had gained funding from Trinity Ventures and the Mayfield Fund. Clearstone's Sumant Mandal sits on Ankeena's board of directors. Just a couple of weeks ago, Clearstone portf (More info...)
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Edmunds.com Warns Of Escrow Scam
Santa Monica-based online auto site Edmunds.com reports this morning that it is addressing a scam which uses the firm's name to try to victimize online car shoppers. According to Edmunds.com, there is an ongoing scam which uses the site's name, logo, and likeness to direct users to a auto "escrow" service, even though the firm does not run an escrow service for car buyers. Edmunds.com said it has shut down two sites already, and is working with authorities, web hosts, and banks to put an end to (More info...)
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Qualcomm Shuffles Chinese Head
San Diego-based Qualcomm announced today that it has promoted Xiang Wang, currently Vice President of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, to Senior Vice President of Qualcomm, and President of Qualcomm Greater China. Wang replaces Frank Meng, who the firm said is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Wang has previously also served at Motorola and Lucent/Agere, and has been managing Qualcomm's CDMA Technologies division in China.
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BakBone Loses CEO
San Diego-based BakBone Software, a developer of data backup software, said late Thursday that its President and CEO, James R. Johnson, has left the firm, and resigned from the company's board. Reason for the transition was not given. BakBone said that Steve Martin, the firm's CFO, has been appointed Interim CFO. Bakbone said it has retained an executive search firm to search for a new President and CEO. Johnson had been CEO for the last six years at the company.
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Kofax Wins Australian Insurance Provider
Irvine-based Kofax plc, a developer of document capture products, reported this week that it has inked a $800,000 contract with an Australian insurance provider and worker's compensation insurer. The firm said it will provide a document capture solution to the un-named firm. Kofax develops document capture software used to automate business processes.
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Siemer & Associates Names Managing Director
Santa Monica-based Siemer & Associates, an investment banking firm and investor focused on digital media and technology, has hired on Ivan Nikkhoo as a Managing Director at the firm, the company has announced this week. Nikkhoo was the prior Head of the Technology Practice at Barrington Associates, and has served at Wells Fargo Securities, N3 Technology Fund, SOA Software, and Vertex Systems, among other firms. (Disclaimer: Nikkhoo has previously been a sponsor of socalTECH.com).
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NexMed Adds Execs
San Diego-based NexMed, a specialty contract research organization, announced earlier this week that it has named Terry Ladd as Vice President of Business Development at its Bio-Quant subsidiary, and Richard Martin as Vice President of Chemistry. Ladd has previously served at Calvert Laboratories, MDS Pharma Services, SkeleTech, Phoenix International Life Sciences, Chrysalis International, Pharmakon Research International, and ITR Laboratories. Martin was previously at RetroVirox, and also serve (More info...)
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