Thursday, December 15, 2011NanoH2O Raises $14.8MEl Segundo-based NanoH2O, the UCLA spinout which is developing reverse osmosis membranes for water desalination, has raised $14.87M as part of an ongoing, $30.6M fundraising effort, according to a regulatory filing from the firm. No details of the funding have been announced by the company yet. NanoH2O is venture backed by Khosla Ventures, Oak Investment Partners, Rusheen Capital Partners, and PCG Energy and Technology Fund.
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Mobile Roadie, San Diego Zoo Launch AppLos Angeles-based mobile app developer Mobile Roadie and the San Diego Zoo said Thursday that they have launched a new, official app for the zoo. The two said the new San Diego Zoo mobile app allows visitors to plan a trip, learn more about animals, see what events are happening, and even buy tickets through the app. Both iPhone and Android versions of the app area available. Mobile Roadie is a developer of a wide range of mobile apps, ranging from celebrities, newspapers, brands, artists, and m (More info...)
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Factual Adds Restaurant DatasetLos Angeles-based Factual, the data startup heavily backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, and other big name venture investors, said this morning that it has launched a new, restaurant dataset. The firm--whose open datasets are used to power location based services and other web services--said the dataset includes over 55 million entries, providing information such as hours, cuisine, meal types, and more on those locations. The firm said that the data also includes two new countries, Ch (More info...)
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Yowza Gets Angel Funding For Mobile CouponsWoodland Hills-based Yowza, the developer of a mobile coupon application for both the iPhone and Android, disclosed today that it has closed on a Series A funding round. The round came from the Tech Coast Angels and the Pasadena Angels. The firm did not detail exact timing or size of the round. Yowza's application provides location-based mobile coupons and offers for national retailers. The firm's CEO is David Teichner, who has previously served at Channel M, Genco Advertising and PlayNetwork. Y (More info...)
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SpaceX: Build Your Own Falcon 9 RocketFans of Hawthorne-based SpaceX, the commercial rocket firm of Elon Musk, have been riding high this week, with the approval of its NASA launch mission to the International Space Station, scheduled for February. Plus, the firm has also just been tapped by new space startup Stratolaunch--backed by Microsoft billionaire Paul G. Allen--to help power that company's own space efforts. However, what might make fans of the company the happiest, is the firm said today that anyone can now build their own, (More info...)
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Boingo Extends In RomeLos Angeles-based Boingo Wireless is continuing to build out its network of airport Wi-Fi access points, saying this morning that it has linked a deal to add its services to two airports in Rome. Boingo said that it will provide its managed Wi-Fi at the Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, through a deal with Aeroporti di Roma (ADR). Financial terms of the deal were not announced. Boingo said the deal comes on top of two, existing airport Wi-Fi locations in Italy. Boingo provides unified access to (More info...)
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Yowie Adds Group Chat ServiceSanta Monica-based Yowie, the online live chat service which has been providing live online chats with celebrities, is announcing this morning that it has expanded its platform to host group video chats for consumers. The site said it will allow friends, family, co-workers, and others to connect in video chats. Yowie had previously only been providing live video chats with celebrities. The service explained that it is looking to compete directly against Skype, Google Hangouts, and Tiny Chat with (More info...)
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Live Nation Buys Analytics Firm BigChampagneLos Angeles-based Live Nation Entertainment said today that it has acquired a provider of media metrics and analytics, BigChampagne Media Measurement. Financial details of the buy were not disclosed. BigChampagne provides media metrics about entertainment and online audiences. LiveNation said that it will incorporate the technology from BigChampagne across its businesses, to power social discovery, product personalization, and other features. BigChampagne was based in Beverly Hills, and was foun (More info...)
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FindTheBest Partners With GreatCollegeAdvice.comIn an extension of the site's syndication strategy, Santa Barbara-based startup FindTheBest said yesterday that it has partnered with GreatCollegeAdvice.com to power a college comparisons engine for the site. FindTheBest--the startup headed by former DoubleClick founder Kevin O'Connor--said it has built a custom comparison of colleges and universities for GreatCollegeAdvice. Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed. The deal is just one of several that FindTheBest has inked recent (More info...)
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SpectraFluidics Lands $1.3M From TSASanta Barbara-based SpectraFluidics, the developer of chemical detection and analysis technology, reported yesterday that it has been awarded a $1.3 million contract from the Transportation Security Administration. The firm said the contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will go towards developing and validating a vapor detection system for detecting homemade explosives. SpectraFluidics' technology is used to detect trace vapor chemicals. The company is headed by Phil Strong.
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Fisker Automotive Sets Marketing, Sales HeadAnaheim-based Fisker Automotive, the developer of electric vehicles, announced yesterday that it has named Richard Beattie as Chief Commercial Officer. The automaker said that Beattie will be responsible for the firm's global marketing, sales, and customer service divisions. Beattie was previously EVP of Marketing and Sales for Jaguar North America, and also had served at Lincoln Mercury, Ford, and Mazda.
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Central Desktop Names Smialowicz COOPasadena-based Central Desktop, the online project management and cloud-based collaboration software provider, is announcing today that it has tapped Mark Smialowicz as its new Chief Operating Officer. Smialowicz joins the firm from Integrien, where he was COO and CFO. Smialowicz has also served at RampRate, McLeodUSA, and Devise Associates. Integrien was acquired by VMware last year for over $100M. Central Desktop is headed by Isaac Garcia, and provides its software-as-a-service to companies lo (More info...)
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