Monday, January 7, 2013


Nevolution Links With ASUS
Los Angeles-based Nevolution, which has been developing software to help brands run their own, PC-based app stores, reported a win today with ASUS. According to Nevolution, it will power the ASUS Vibe Fun Center, a digital marketplace which will be available on ASUS desktops and laptops. Nevolution said it will oversee merchant processing for digital products within the market place. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Nevolution is headed by Matthew Smith. The firm said the partne (More info...)
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What You Missed On Your Holiday Vacation, SoCal Technology Edition
It's a new year and it's time to get back to work. For those who've been relaxing on a tropical beach for the last two weeks (or visiting friends in family, shopping, or otherwise doing other stuff), we present our guide to "What Happened On Your Holiday vacation, Southern California Technology Edition": In the "big news" category (what little happened over the last two weeks): Hulu CEO Jason Kilar is leaving the company. LaunchpadLA Opens Up Spring Applications Broadcom Powering N (More info...)
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Biotech Startup Licenses Technology From UCSD, Raises $18M
A new, biotech startup focused on delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics, Solstice Biologics, said last week that it has licensed technology developed at UC San Diego, and received $18M in a Series A funding. Solstice, which is based in San Francisco, said the technology was licensed from the University of California, San Diego, and is based on research from Professor Steven Dowdy , Ph.D., and his colleagues at UC San Diego School of Medicine. The funding round was led by venBio, and also includ (More info...)
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Pipewave Acquired By Zefr
Pipewave, an online video marketing strategy firm headed by Paul Boruta, has been acquired by Zefr, the firms announced today. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Pipewave, which was founded by Paul Boruta and Jonathan Tushman, provided online video creative and media optimization platform for marketers, agencies, and publishers. ZEFR is the online content distribution startup headed by Zach James and Richard Raddon; the company was formerly known as MovieClips.com, but has recently b (More info...)
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Demand Media Buys Name.com
Santa Monica-based Demand Media announced this morning that it has acquired domain registrar Name.com. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. Demand Media said that Name.com will help the firm as it prepares for the released of new top level domains (TLDs) this year. Name.com was based in Denver. Demand Media said that Name.com is known for its strog retail footprint.
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HeyZap Raises $4.3M From Qualcomm, Others
HeyZap, the developer of mobile applications used to connect people with social games and each other, has scored an investment from Qualcomm Ventures. According to a regulatory filing and multiple sources, HeyZap raised $4.3M in a funding round, which came from Qualcomm along with existin investors Union Square Ventures. HeyZap is based in San Francisco, Qualcomm is in San Diego.
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CallFire Claims Record Growth
Santa Monica-based cloud telephony provider Callfire, which develops cloud-based telephony services used to automate phone calls and voice applications, reported today that it had record growth in 2012. The company said it saw revenue growth of 58 percent for the company. Actual financials were not disclosed by the company. The company attributed the growth in calls and use of its service to the U.S. elections as well as Hurricane Sandy. Callfire was a provider of calling and telephony services (More info...)
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PatientSafe Solutions Lands $20M
San Diego-based PatientSafe Solutions, a developer of mobile platforms used for running healthcare operations and accessing patient data, said today that it has raised $20M in a Series C funding round. The round was led by Merck Global Health Innovation (GHI) fund, and also included Camden Partners, TPG Capital, and Psilos Group. PatientSafe develops apps which run on the Apple iPod Touch used for medication administration, specimen collection, care intervention, and more. As part of the fundin (More info...)
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Illumina Buys Verinata Health
San Diego-based life sciences equipment firm Illumina said over the weekend that it is in an agreement to acquire Verinata Health, a provider of non-invasive testing for fetal chromosomal abnormalities. Illumnina said it would pay $350M plus up to $100M in milestone payments for Verinata. Verinata's tests are used for prenatal testing. Illumina was advised by Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Covington & Burling LLP in the deal. Verinata was venture backed by Alloy Ventures, Mohr Davidow Ventur (More info...)
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Ambryx Names New CEO
San Diego-based Ambrx, a biopharmaceuticals company developing antibodies and proteins, including a Phase 2b growth hormone compound, said today that it has named Lawson Macartney as President and CEO of the company. Macartney also joins the company's board of directors. Macartney was previously at Shire, GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Astra Pharmaceuticals and Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals.
posted on Monday, January 7, 2013(Full story)