Tuesday, September 27, 2011Steelhouse Scores $3.8M For Behavioral TargetingLos Angeles-based Steelhouse, a provider of behavioral targeting technology for e-commerce sites, has raised $3.8M in a funding round, according to a regulatory filing from the firm Tuesday. The funding is a Series B, and was led by Rincon Venture Partners and Greycroft Partners. Other investors in the firm include Baroda Ventures, the venture capital arm of former Geocities founder Dave Bohnett. Jim Andelman of Rincon Venture Partners has joined the company's board, which also includes Peter Le (More info...)
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Breitbart Raises $10MLos Angeles-based Breitbart.com, the sometimes-controversial publisher of a network of online news sites, has raised $10M in a funding round, according to a regulatory filing by the firm Tuesday. The filing did not indicate the source of funding, however, it did say that two investors were involved in the round. Breitbart has been building out a network of news aggregation sites, heavily investing in technology development.
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RealD Eyed As Takeover TargetLos Angeles-based RealD, the provider of 3D movie projection technology, was suggested as a takeover target Tuesday by Merriman Capital analyst Eric Wold Tuesday, sparking a jump in RealD's stock price. Wold suggested that the firm--whose stock has dropped since its IPO--is now too cheap for companies to pass up on as an acquisition, or to take private. RealD has only been on the public markets since July of last year, when it went IPO on the NYSE--just one of a number of Southern California com (More info...)
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Ebyline Raises $5.0MSherman Oaks-based Ebyline, a startup developing an online marketplace to connect professional journalists with online publishers, has raised $5.0M in a new equity funding round, according to a regulatory filing from the firm today. According to the filing, a single investor participated in the funding. Details on the funding have not yet been announced by the company. Ebyline has previously raised funding from E.W. Scripps Company. Ebyline was founded by Bill Momary, a former Advertising VP at (More info...)
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White House Honors Two SoCal ScientistsThe White House said this morning that President Obama has honored seven researchers with the National Medal of Science, and five inventors with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, including two Southern California scientists. The two awards are the highest awards given by the US government to scientists, engineers, and inventors. The California Institute of Technology's Jacqueline K. Barton was awarded the National Medal of Science for discovery of new properties of the DNA helix, (More info...)
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GoodThreads Ties With Online Fundraising Software FirmLos Angeles-based GoodThreads, the newly minted startup providing personalized T-shirt and merchandise for nonprofits, announced today with online fundraising software vendor FirstGiving, that the two have partnered on personalized merchandise. GoodThreads--started by Brandon Hance, the entrepreneur behind AudioLife--said the two will use their technology to offer up personalized merchandise to supports for events and fundraisers.
GoodThreads was started by Hance, after seeing the popularity (More info...)
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AeroVironment Gets $6.9M OrderMonrovia-based Aerovironment, the developer of unmanned aircraft systems, said today that it has received a nearly $6.9M order from the U.S. Air Force. AeroVironment said the order goes for its Raven small unmanned aircraft systems and spares. The company explained the order came under and existing contract with the U.S. Army. AeroVironment's unmanned aircraft are used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition by the military.
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Catching Up With Rahul Sonnad, Geodelic
Recently, Santa Monica-based Geodelic (www.geodelic.com), the venture backed developer of location-based, mobile apps, has sharpened its focus to provide real-time offers, and has partnered with mobile operators like Verizon and Korean Telecom to offer up its services to those firm's customers. The firm has pivoted from an earlier focus on malls, theme park operators, and other venues, and instead has targeted the mobile operators themselves. To get some insight into how the firm has decided t (More info...)
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Livestrong.com Launches Redesign Of SiteSanta Monica-based LIVESTRONG.com, the health and fitness site run by Demand Media, is launching a redesign of the site today, splitting content into verticals focused on men and women. In an interview, Dan Brien, General Manager of the site, told socalTECH that the changes came after the firm began analyzing how men and women were using the site, extensively profiling how the two groups were using the content and tools on the site. As a result, Livestrong decided to create separate, gender-spec (More info...)
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HitFix Hits AndroidLos Angeles-based HitFix, the entertainment news publisher headed by Jen Sargent, said today that it has launched its first Android app, called Find Your Fix. According to HitFix, the new app ap=llows users to access its event calendar, accessing dates, times, places, and other information on TV, movie ,music, video games, DVD, sports, concerts, shows, and festivals. The app also ties into content from HitFix, including both articles and videos. The app is free. HitFix is venture backed by the T (More info...)
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TowerJazz Ties With Testing FirmNewport Beach-based semiconductor foundry TowerJazz said today that it has tied with Presto Engineering, a provider of integrated test and engineering services. The two companies said that they will provide comprehensive services for companies using SiGe technology from TowerJazz, including wafer-level and packaged part development activities, ranging from design characterization to volume production, probing and final test. The companies said the deal will help speed product development for new (More info...)
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Kofax Lands $1M OrderIrvine-based Kofax, the provider of document capture and automation software, reports today that it has scored a contract worth more than $1M. Kofax said it will supply its software to Basware, which helps organizations automate their financial processes. Basware is using Kofax products for scanning, classifying, and handling business invoices.
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King.com Nabs Marketing HeadLos Angeles- and London-based King.com, the online casual and social games developer, is announcing today that it has named Alex Dale as its Chief Marketing Officer. Dale was previously at Microsoft, where he served as General Manager of its consumer and online services group in Central and Eastern Europe. Dale also has served at Virgin.net, a part of the Virgin Group of companies; Dale founded Virgin.net, which was sold it to NTL Capital in 2004.
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Qualcomm Swizzles Latin American ExecsSan Diego-based Qualcomm said today that it has named Rafael Steinhauser as its Senior Vice President of Qualcomm Latin America. Steinhauser has prevoiusly served at Acision and NextWave, as well as Cisco and Nortel. Steinhauser, who will be based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, replaces Flavio Mansi, who the firm said will be transitioning to other opportunities within the company.
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