Tuesday, October 25, 2011Internet Brands Buys Five Auto WebsitesLos Angeles-based Internet Brands is continuing its domain acquisition streak, saying Tuesday that it has acquired five, new enthusiast websites. Internet Brands said it has acquired 5series.net, CobaltSS.net, gtr.co.uk, DieselTruckResource.com and DieselBombers.com. Financial terms of the acquisitions were not announced. All of the websites provide automotive related information, and become part of Internet Brands Automotive Network. 5series focuses on BMW 5 owners; cobaltSS.net is aimed at us (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
Friendgift Looks To Spur Friends To Buy You ProductsLos Angeles-based FriendGift said Tuesday that it has launched a service which will allow users to shop for products, and then convince their friends to help pay for those products. Friendgift is a spinoff of Friendgiftr, and is headed by Rob Carpenter, said its new FriendPay service can be used as a gift registry, or just as a way to get friends to help out with big purchases. FriendGift said it will reward those friends with special discounts, vacations, access to live events, and more when th (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
BlueCava Gets $9.5M For Device ID TechnologyIrvine-based BlueCava, a developer of device identification technology used for both online advertising tracking, as well as fraud prevention, said Tuesday that it has raised $9.5M in a funding round. The round was led by S3 Ventures, and also included Mark Cuban and Tim Headington. S3's Brian R. Smith joins the company's board along with the funding. BlueCava uses the unique fingerprint of computers to identify users, applying that to online advertising, as well as to prevent online fraud, with (More info...)
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Solarflare Appoints Finance VPIrvine-based Solarflare, which develops 10 Gigabit Ethernet networking adapters, said Tuesday that it has expanded its executive ranks with a new Vice President of Finance. The firm said that Mary Jane Abalos will serve in the position, heading up the company's finance department, as well as overseeing investment and funding operations. Abalos joins the company from Cogent, where she was during the firm's IPO efforts and sale to 3M. Abalos has also previously served at JNI Corporation. Russell S (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
FastPay Takes On Financing For Internet PublishersA new, Los Angeles startup, FastPay, headed by Jed Simon, said today that it has launched its service, which provides payment financing for online publishers. The firm said it has so far deployed more than $25M in financing to companies, which allows those companies to collect payments faster than usual terms of online advertisers, helping them to manage their cash flow better. FastPay essentially provides receivables financing to publishers, who--due to standard industry practice--usually see a (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
Boingo Adds PayPal PaymentsLos Angeles-based Boingo Wireless, which operates a global network of Wi-Fi hotspots, said today that it is now accepting PayPal for purchases of its Wi-Fi access service plans. Boingo said the addition of the new payment option will enable an "express lane" for customers who want access but don't want to enter account information, and is particularly aimed at better supporting mobile devices with limited screen space. Boingo also accepts credit cards, an iTunes account, and Skype credit.
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
Zaarly Gets $14MZaarly, the mobile marketplace firm which was spawned out of the LA Startup Weekend event, said today that it has raised $14.1M in a funding round, and added former eBay CEO Meg Whitman to its board. The new funding comes from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sands Capital Ventures, CMEA, VEnture51, CrunchFund, Marc Ecko, and Artists & Instigators. The firm also has previously received investments from Ron Conway and Ashton Kutcher, among others. Zaarly was created at the LA Startup Weekend ear (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
CALIENT Technologies Raises $19.4MSanta Barbara-based CALIENT Technologies, a developer of photonic switching equipment, said this morning that it has raised $19.4M in a round of venture financing. The round came from both new and existing investors. Names of those investors were not disclosed. Calient said its new funding will go towards expanding its products to the data center and cloud computing markets. CALIENT Technologies is headed by Atiq Raza, and develops modular photonic switching systems.
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Microsemi Advances Acquisition of Zarlink SemiconductorAliso Viejo-basedMicrosemi, the semiconductor maker, said today that it has advanced its acquisition of Zarlink Semiconductor, and now owns approximately 93 percent of Zarlink's outstanding shares, and 99 percent of Zarlink's outstanding debenteres. The firm said the move will allow it to exercise a right given under Canadian law to acquire the remaining outstanding shares and debentures of Zarlink. Microsemi had launched a hostile bid for Zarlink in July.
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
TrueCar Sets Up In-House StudioSanta Monica-based TrueCar, the online auto pricing and buying service headed by Scott Painter, said today that it has set up its own, in-house broadcasting studio, to allow its experts to provide live and taped interviews. The firm said the studio is connected to the Vyvx broadcast fiber network, and is aimed at offering up its executives and experts to cable television networks.
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
ESET Partners With Malware Detection ServiceSan Diego-based ESET, the developer of anti-virus scanning software, reports today that its technology is being included in a malware detection service from OPSWAT. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The two said the partnership will help improve OPSWAT's SDK-based, malware scanning service, Metascan Online. The two said the deal will help provide ESET with malware samples from its online service, helping ESET to identify newly emerging threats. OPSWAT's Metascan Online is an onli (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
Evolution Robotics Expands Mint DistributionPasadena-based Evolution Robotics, the developer of the Mint floor cleaning robots, said Monday afternoon that it has expanded retail distribution of its products. According to Evolution Robotics, it has expanded its distribution to nearly 6,000 additional U.S. retail locations, with deals with Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and online at Amazon.com. Evolution Robotics--one of the firms out of Idealab--develops the Mind and Mind Plus automatic floor cleaners, which use robotics te (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
Rubicon Project Names VPsLos Angeles-based the Rubicon Project, the online ad optimization service for online publishers, said today that it has named Jay Sears as SVP Marketplace Development, and Jeremy Fain as Vice President Client Services. Sears was most recently at PulsePoint, and Fain was at CBS Interactive. The company also said it has added Grant Sterling, formerly of NBC Universal, as an Account Director. All three will be located in Rubicon's New York office. Rubicon Project operates an online platform which h (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)
Patrick Soon-Shiong Aims At Pancreatic Cancer TreatmentsThe Chan Soon-Shiong Insitute for Advanced Health--one of the projects of that billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong--said today, along with Soon-Shiong's incubator NantWorks, that Soon-Shiong has been working on a treatment for advanced metastatic pancreatic cancer, and has published "encouraging" trial results on its efforts. The institute said that SOon-Shiong has published the results of a study which combines two drugs, gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel, for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011(Full story)