Wednesday, February 22, 2012mobileStorm Gets Debt FundingLos Angeles-based mobileStorm, the provider of mobile messaging and email marketing services headed by Jared Reitzin, has scored a venture debt funding, according to provider Agility Capital. Financial details of the funding and terms were not announced. mobile Storm provides email and SMS marketing tools, mobile apps, and other products to customers such as Humana, NASCAR, American Idol and Kaiser Permanente.
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)
Flowtab Wins Startup CompetitionLos Angeles-based FlowTab, the developer of a smartphone application which allows users to order food and drink from their smartphone, has scored the top position in a competition hosted by Glendale-based startup incubator/office space Voivoda Labs. Voivoda Labs said that Flowtab was judged the top startup out of 15 companies which pitched their firms to investors and judges on Tuesday evening. FlowTab's apps run on iPhone and Android, however, the firm is still in the midst of launching its app (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)
Cool Planet BioFuels Claims BreakthroughCamarillo-based Cool Planet BioFuels, the developer of technology to convert biomass to gasoline, is claiming a "major breakthrough" in its technology. The company said it has been able to produce 4,000 gallons of acre biomass-to-gasoline conversion in its pilot testing, which it says is about twelve times the yield than current, corn ethanol production levels. Cool Planet Biofuels said it used the high yield plant giant miscanthus, developed at the University of Mississippi, in the pilot effort (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)
SG Biofuels Appoints COOSan Diego-based SG Biofuels, which is developing hybrid seeds for bioenergy crops, said Wednesday that it has named Miguel Motta as Chief Operating Officer. Motta was most previously Vice President of Marketing and Strategy and SG Biofuels, which he joined in 2010. Motta has previously served at Monsanto, and also had been at Seminis. SG Biofuels is enture backed by Thomas, McNerney & Partners, Finistere Ventures, Flint Hills Resources, and Life Technologies Corporation.
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)
WHI Solutions Acquired by eBayWHI Solutions, a developer of software and digital catalog products for the auto parts distribution market, which had an office in Los Angeles, in addition to New York and New Jersey, has been acquired by eBay. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. eBay said it will make WHI Solutions part of its eBay Motors operations. eBay said it will continue to maintain offices in New York, New Jersey and Los Angeles after the acquisition.
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)
BakeSpace.com Launches iPad Cookbook Publishing ServiceEver wish you had a better way of sharing your favorite recipes with family and friends? Wish that cookbook for your church, school, or club could enter the modern age? Los Angeles-based BakeSpace.com, the online social networking and recipe site, has a new product for you. The company, which is headed by Babette Pepaj, is launching a new, cookbook publishing tool which allows users to create their own, native iPad cookbooks, which can either be given away for free, and sold online or through t (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)
Xirrus Adds Calix CEO Russo To BoardThousand Oaks-based Xirrus, the developer of wireless networking equipment headed by Dirk Gates, has snagged the CEO of networking equipment maker Calix for its board. Xirrus said it has added Carl Russo, President and CEO of Calix, to the position. Russo also has previously served at Cisco, where he was vice president of optical strategy and group vice president of optical networking, and also had been at Network Systems Corporation, AT&T Paradyne, Cerent (acquired by Cisco), and most significa (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)
Ceres Prices IPOThousand Oaks-based Ceres, the developer of specialized seeds for the biofuels market, has priced its IPO, saying that it will offer up 5,000,000 shares of its common stock at $13.00 per share. The firm will start trading today on the NASDAQ Global Market as CERE. Ceres, a biotechnology firm which is developing specialized versions of agricultural seeds specifically designed for high yields of oils for biofuel and biochemical products, had filed for an IPO in May; the firm priced below its antic (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)
SocialVibe Names Tappin As New CEOLos Angeles-based SocialVibe, which provides online, social advertising to brands, said today that it has named Todd Tapping as its Chief Executive Officer. Tappin was previously COO and CFO at the company. Tappin has previously served as CFO at Overture, had served at private equity firm The Gores Group, was a VP at News Corporation and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Fox Interactive, in addition to serving at Deloitte, Haskins and Sells. SocialVibe is venture backed by Norwest Ven (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)
UberMedia Names VPPasadena-based UberMedia, the Idealab-backed developer of mobile and desktop messaging and social media apps, is announcing this morning that it has hired Ken Rudman as its Vice President of Developer Relations. Rudman joins the company from AT&T Interactive, where he was Director of the Developer Program and Platform. Rudman has also served at Technicolor, Overture/Yahoo! Search Marketing, and Citysearch.com. UberMedia develops a suite of Twitter messaging apps such as UberSocial and Echofon.
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012(Full story)