Friday, October 14, 2011BrightSource Energy Targets New Solar Power Effort In RiversideSolar thermal power developer BrightSource Energy said Friday that it has applied for certification of a new project in Riverside County with the California Energy Commission, to develop three 250 megawatt solar thermal power plants on land owned by the Metropolitan Water District. According to BrightSource Energy, the tower project is expected to product clean energy for 300,000 homes, creating over 2,500 jobs in the region. The new Rio Mesa project is BrightSource's third solar power project. (More info...)
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SpaceX Aims At Department Of Defense Launch ContractsHawthorne-based SpaceX, the commercial rocket firm headed by technology mogul Elon Musk, said Friday that it is gearing up to compete for upcoming, Department of Defense launches, after the NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the U.S. Air Force issued new rules for certifying commercial launch vehicles for defense payloads. The three agencies said Friday that the new criteria for launch vehicles--outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Air Force and the two age (More info...)
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Virgin Galactic Lands Deal With NASAMojave-based Virgin Galactic, the commercial spaceflight firm started by Richard Branson, said Friday that it has signed a deal with NASA to conduct research missions from its SpaceShipTwo vehicle. Virgin Galactic said that it has been selected by NASA, under the Flight Opportunities Program, to conduct research flights for NASA. The deal is worth up to $4.5M. The company explained that the contract will allow engineers, technologists, and scientific researchers to conduct cutting-edge experimen (More info...)
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Interview with Sam Rogoway, Near NetworksDo you remember those cheesy, late night local television commercials you used to watch (before you got Tivo?) Wondering how, as a small business, you can reach customers in the YouTube age? Well, Los Angeles based Near Networks (www.nearnetworks.com) is looking to both reach customers online, and avoid the tacky, lousy production of typical small business ads, with a new service. The company is employing a network of documentary filmmakers and high quality, Hollywood production capability here (More info...)
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Insights and Opinions: Everyone loves to leave a legacyFor our Insights and Opinions section this morning, we share a piece by Dave Berkus, an early stage investor and frequent commentator on the business of startups.
Be honest now. Have you ever thought of what legacy you'll leave behind? If you are an entrepreneur or CEO, surely you've thought of how you'll be remembered by your associates and stakeholders after you move on.
We've all heard the stories of tough SOB bosses that took advantage of employees, vendors, even stock holders. And (More info...)
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Hulu Aborts Sale PlansThe owners of Los Angeles-based video site Hulu have dropped plans to sell the business, according to a statement released by Hulu late Thursday evening. According to News Corporation, Providence Equity Partners, The Walt Disney Company, and Hulu's management team, the firm has decided to terminate the Hulu sale process. The firms--saying that Hulu "holds a unique and compelling strategic value" to the owners, and are looking forward to "working together to continue mapping out its path to even (More info...)
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Abgent Acquired By Chinese FirmSan Diego-based Abgent, a producer of biological research reagent products, has been acquired by Chinese firm Wuxi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc.. Wuxi PharmaTech announced the acquisition last night. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Wuxi PharmaTech said that Abgent is the worl'd largest manufacturers of antibody reagents for research use. Abgent was founded in 2001.
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Amgen Expands BoardThousand Oaks-based Amgen said Thursday evening that it has added Robert A. Bradway, the firm's current President and Chief Operating Officer, to the company's board. According to Amgen, the addition of Bradway brings its total board members to 13. Bradway has been at Amgen since 2006, and previously also served at Morgan Stanley. Bradway has been President and COO of the firm since May of 2010.
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