Thursday, September 22, 2011FastCall411 Gets New Funding RoundLos Angeles-based FastCall411, the sales automation and analytics firm led by Richard Rosen, said Thursday evening that it has scored a second round of financing. Size of the round was not announced. FastCall411 said the round came form 500 Startups, the angel fund headed by Dave McClure. FastCall411 has previously scored funding from the Twilio Fund, the microfund that backs companies using Twilio's telephony APIs. Angel investors Gerry Campbell--formerly GM/SVP for AOL's Search and Directional (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
Fulcrum BioEnergy, Backed By USRG and Rustic Canyon, Files For IPOFulcrum BioEnergy, a Pleasanton, California-based producer of biofuels from municipal solid waste, filed for an IPO Thursday. Fulcrum's primary backers are two, Southern California venture capital firms, U.S. Renewables Group, and Rustic Canyon Partners. Fulcrum BioEnergy said it is looking to looking to raise up to $115M in its IPO offering, trading as FLCM. The firm has not yet selected an exchange. Fulcrum's IPO is being underwritten by UBS Investment Bank. U.S. Renewables Group (as USRG Mana (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
MarketShare Raises $5.0M In Debt FundingLos Angeles-based Marketshare, the developer of marketing and advertising optimization software, has raised $5.0M in a debt funding round, according to a regulatory filing form the firm. The funding has not yet been announced. According to the filing, round close on September 8th, and came from a single investor. MarketShare's equity investor is Elevation Partners, which invested $32M in the firm earlier this year.
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011 (More)(Full story)
Slacker Launches New Facebook AppAmong the dozens of companies announcing new Facebook applications at Facebook's F8 Developer Conference today was San Diego-based Slacker, the personalized music and Internet radio operator. Slacker said it has launched a new social app called Slacker Radio on Facebook, which allows listeners to discovery new music, and share information about their music listening to friends. The new app connects into Facebook's new Timeline features. Slacker is promoting the new app, and connecting into Timel (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
DAR.fm Adds Downloading To Mobile, PCsSan Diego-based DAR.fm, one of the newest startups being run by prolific entrepreneur Michael Robertson, told its users today that it is now allowing users to download recording from the site to mobile devices and PCs. DAR.fm said that users can automatically schedule a time to download recordings to their iPad, iPhhone, Android, Blackberry, or iPod and MP3 players using the service. DAR.fm allows users to record and download Internet radio stations for playback at any time; the service says it (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
Get.com Launches Product Discovery Site, Backed By $1M In FundingSanta Monica-based Get.com, a new startup founded by Jake Gold and Steven Fruchter, has launched, looking to help users make product purchase decisions. According to the firm, it has raised $1M in seed funding for its efforts, which the firm's founders says solve the same problem for products as Yelp and TripAdvisor do for local services and travel. Get.com offers up an online site where people can search for and read reviews on products, including electronics, automotive products, beauty, and (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
Xirrus In Channel Expansion EffortThousand Oaks-based Xirrus, the developer of Wi-Fi access arrays, looks to be a big channel expansion push, saying Thursday that it has expanded its partnership program in Europe, for the enterprise, as well as for schools and universities. Xirrus said it has launched a channel partner program specifically aimed value added resellers and systems integrators in Europe, as it looks to tackle that new market. Concurrently, the firm said it launched a new enterprise partner program in the U.S., wit (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
GotCast Powers Cosmetics Casting CallSanta Monica-based GotCast reports today that it is powering a casting call for cosmetics line Smoak, to help that firm find a co-star of its next campaign. GotCast, which offers up an online platform to find talent and models, did not announce the financial impact of the win. GotCast said that its platform will also be used by Smoak's founder, former Miss USA Shanna Moakler, to find pageant models for this year's Miss Nevada USA pageant. GotCast is headed by Alec Shankman.
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
Interview with Alex Capecelatro, HyphosIn his quest to better connect with new friends, Alex Capecelatro had a problem: none of the existing social networking sites were really designed to connect people with who you didn't know, and might share your hobbies and interests. To make it easier to find new people and connect with new friends, he thought he'd start his own company to help solve that issue. His startup, Culver City-based Hyphos, just launched an early beta access at UCLA--his alma mater, and that of a number of his co-foun (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
DONE! Ventures Wins Women.com From NBCThe legal battle over the domain Women.com appears to have finally come to a close for Los Angeles-based DONE! Ventures, run by Ben Padnos. According to the firm, the Women.com domain was transferred to DONE! Ventures as part of a legal settlement with NBC Universal. Terms of the settlement were not released. Padnos--best known for starting BetterPPC, the provider of pay-per-click marketing software--had sued NBC Universal in June of 2010, after making an offer to buy Women.com for $1M, which wa (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
ReachLocal Opens Three New OfficesWoodland Hills-based ReachLocal, the provider of local online marketing services to small and medium sized businesses run by Zorik Gordon, said this morning that it continues to expand its presence with the opening of three new offices. ReachLocal said it has opened up direct local sales offices in Dusseldorf, Germany; Newcastle, Australia; and Columbus, Ohio. ReachLocal has an extensive local presence, which has been the keystone of the firm's business expansion. ReachLocal explained the office (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
Ambrx In Deal With Bristol-Myers SquibbLa Jolla-based Ambrx, the biopharmaceuticals developer, and Bristol-Myers Squibb said today that the two are in a collaboration. According to the companies, Bristol-Myer Squibb will receive exclusive, worldwide rights to research, develop, and commercialize biologics based on Ambrx research around its Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF-21) protein. The protein is being targeted at treating type 2 diabetes. The deal also includes research around the Relaxin hormone, which is aimed at treating heart (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)
Two Biotech Labs Set Up Shop In San DiegoIn a demonstration of the amount of activity in San Diego's biotech industry, two, separate companies announced new biotech laboratories opened up in San Diego Wednesday. Both Isis Pharmaceuticals and the J. Craig Venter Institute said they are opening up new R&D facilities in San Diego Wednesday. Isis Pharmaceuticals said that it has completed a new, 176,000 square foot building in Carlsbad, which will serve as a consolidated R&D facility for the company. Isis said the building, built along wi (More info...)
posted on Thursday, September 22, 2011(Full story)