Monday, June 28, 2010


Worlize Names CTO
Los Angeles-based Worlize, the user-generated social gaming firm headed by Brian McKelvey, has added a new Chief Technology Officer, the firm is announcing tomorrow. Worlize is adding Sabri Sansoy, former CTO for Animax Entertainment, to the position. Sansoy also has served as Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Technology at Game Show Network (GSN). Worlize is developing an online virtual world which will allow users to create their own environment, and connects to social networking env (More info...)
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Zeebo Ups Funding To $13.5M
San Diego-based Zeebo, which develops a wireless gaming console, has now raised $13.5M in its latest funding round, according to a regulatory filing by the firm Monday afternoon. The firm has previously raised funding from Qualcomm and Tectoy S.A., and was founded by former Qualcomm employee Mike Yuen and gamer and entrepreneur Reinaldo Normand. $8.0M of that funding was received in May.
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Qualcomm May Benefit From InvenSense IPO Efforts
San Diego-based Qualcomm is one of the major venture investors in Silicon Valley's InvenSense, which filed for an IPO Monday afternoon. InvenSense, which makes the motion sensing components that power Nintendo's Wii MotionPlus accessory, said in an S-1 Monday that it is looking to IPO as INVN on the NASDAQ Global Market. Qualcomm owns 7.0 percent of InvenSense, according to the firm's filings, with Artiman Ventures, Partech International, and Sierra Ventures also owning significant stakes.
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Xencor In License With MorphoSys
Monrovia-based Xencor, the biopharmaceuticals firm headed by Dr. Bassil Dahiyat, has inked a licensing deal with German pharmaceuticals firm MorphoSys, Morphosys said over the weekend. Accordin to MorphoSys, it has gained an worldwide license to XmAb5574, a high potency monoclonal antibody developed by Xencor for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. As part of the licensing deal, Xencor will receive $13M and will be eligible for unspecified development-, regulatory- and commercialization-relat (More info...)
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Geodelic Raises $7M
Santa Monica-based Geodelic, the location-based mobile phone applications firm headed by ukelele-strumming Rahul Sonnad, has raised $7M, the firm said today. The funding came from MK Capital, Clearstone Ventures, and Shasta Ventures. The funding brings the company's total raised to around $10.5M. Geodelic provides applications which provide additional information about local businesses and attractions via mobile phone.
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Meg Whitman Ad Draws Fire From Internet Startup
The campaign for Republican candidate for Governor, Meg Whitman, is taking fire from an Internet startup, Cheezburger Network, for unauthorized use of its web site in a political attack ad. According to Cheezburger Network, which is run by Ben Huh and based in Seattle, Whitman used the firm's FAIL blog site without permission in its latest ad against Democrat Jerry Brown. In the ad, Whitman uses a faked screenshot of the FAIL Blog with the words FAIL over Jerry Brown. Cheezburger is best known f (More info...)
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Inphi Names Engineering VP
High speed semiconductor firm Inphi Corp. is continuing to bolster its executive ranks ahead of an IPO, saying today that it has hired Lawrence Tse as its Vice President of Engineering for New Business Initiatives. According to Inphi, Tse joins the company from Intremag Systems, where he was Chief Technology Officer. He also served at Marvell Semiconductor, most recently as Vice President of Engineering for the Wireless Products, Communications and Consumer Business Group, and has been at Volter (More info...)
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Broadcom, Skyworks Among Beneficiaries Of iPhone Sales
Two Southern California firms are two of the biggest beneficiaries of the huge rush to purchase Apple's new iPhone 4. According to a number of recent "tear-downs" of the new iPhone 4, Irvine-based Broadcom, and Skyworks Solutions, the spinout of Conexant which has operations in Irvine and Newbury Park, are two of the major component providers for the new iPhone. Broadcom makes two chips used in the iPhone 4, including the chip that handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections on the phone, and a chip (More info...)
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Apple's iPhone 4: 1.7 Million Phones In Three Days
Apple's launch last week of the iPhone 4 has resulted in over 1.7 million of its iPhone 4 phones sold in three days, through Saturday, according to Apple Computer. According to an announcement by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the iPhone 4, which became available to consumers throughout Southern California and elsewhere on Thursday, was the "most successful product launch in Apple's history". The launch of the device caused massive lineups at Apple stores across the region Thursday, as fans lined up to b (More info...)
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Tech Coast Angels Launches New Sidecar Fund
The Tech Coast Angels, the venture capital angel investment group, has launched a new "sidecar" fund, the Angel Capital Fund, according to angel investor Dave Berkus. The fund target size is around $5-6M. A sidecar fund is an investment fund which is used by angel investment groups to bolster the investments in those groups' portfolio, without individual involvement of specific angels in the investment rounds. The new fund was announced by Berkus on fellow Tech Coast Angels member Frank Peters p (More info...)
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HitFix Raises $1.6M
Los Angeles-based HitFix, an online web site focused on entertainment news and information, has raised $1.6M in a new funding round, according to investor the Tech Coast Angels. According to the TCA, it joined in a second round of funding worth $1.6M in Hitfix, led by investor Yuri Pikover. Hitfix focuses on news, interviews and commentary on all aspects of entertainment. Pikover was founder of Access360 and a co-founder at Xylan and is an active angel investor in the Southern California area. A (More info...)
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Wispry Links With IBM
Irvine-based WiSpry, a developer of tunable radio frequency (RF) semiconductors, said today that it is working with IBM in a joint development effort. According to WiSpry, it is working with IBM to develop MEMS process technology and to manufacture its tunable RF product roadmap. Details of the development deal were not disclosed. The deal includes WiSpry's current and future generation of products, including a product slated for production with a "major tier-one" OEM this fall, the firm said.
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LeisureLink Plans Vacation Pricing Report
Pasadena-based LeisureLink, which operates an online vacation lodging site and related tools for vacation rental and other alternative vacation lodging providers, said over the weekend that it will be launching a new "Vacation Pricing Snapshot" list. The firm said the list tracks pricing trends and provides recommendations on when and where to book vacation rentals, and can be used by consumers to decide when to book their vacation lodging, based on if prices are dropping or rising in a market. (More info...)
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Apriso Wins Boston-Power
Long Beach-based Apriso, a developer of software used for managing manufacturing operations, reported today that it has been selected by Boston-Power. The firm said that Boston-Power is using its FlexNet software to enhance its manufacturing operations and quality assurance program. Financial details of the win were not disclosed. Both Boston-Power and Apriso are venture backed companies, with Boston-Power backed by Foundation Asset Management, Oak Investment Partners, Venrock, GGV Capital and G (More info...)
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Border Stylo Launches Web Content Sharing Software
Los Angeles-based Border Stylo, a new startup headed by Oscar Guido, said today that it has launched a new software add-on called "Glass", focused on sharing of web content. According to the firm, Glass allows users to offer a real-time feed of their conversations on any web page, and is focused on content sharing between people. The company said the product allows users to share real-time chat, comments, links, and more on any web site. Border Stylo's software is currently limited to a private (More info...)
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Mindspeed Names HR VP
Newport Beach-based semiconductor firm Mindspeed Technologies announced this morning that it has named Allison K. Garcia as the firm's Senior Vice President, Human Resources. According to the firm, Garcia joins the company from Lantronix. Garcia has also served at Quicksilver, Cendant Corporation, and The Boeing Company. Mindspeed is a developer of semiconductors for the networking market. Garcia will reports to CEO Raouf Halim.
posted on Monday, June 28, 2010(Full story)