Wednesday, February 6, 2013EcoATM Nabs $40M In Funding, Plans Major ExpansionEcoATM, the developer of those automated machines which lets you cash in your used phones, has some big plans--and some big money--as it plans to expand out its network of machines nationwide. EcoATM announced late Wednesday afternoon that it has raised $40M in a mezzanine debt funding round, from Falcon Investment Advisors. EcoATM, which is headed by Tom Tullie, said that its network now includes 300 of its machiens in 20 states, up from about 45 machines which were primarily in California in 2 (More info...)
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FamilyFinds Sold To CertifiKidFamilyFinds, the daily deals service focused on family and kids, which was based in Los Angeles, has been sold to CertifiKid, the company told its subscribers Wednesday. According to FamilyFinds, it has become part of the CertifiKid family, effective today, with the site honoring vouchers purchases until April 15th. Financial details and structure of the deal were not disclosed. CertifiKid is based in Washington, DC, and provides daily deals on products, family activities, restaurants, kids camp (More info...)
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What Happens When A Startup Is, Literally, Your Life?Startup founders are often told to pour all of their energy, and time, into making their company a success--usually, with the requisite tradeoff in quality of life and personal time. What happens when a startup goes even farther, and goes 24/7--with the company's employees not only working, but living together? Fast Company has the fascinating story of Enplug, a Los Angeles startup which has taken startup dedication to a new level, with all eleven of the startup's employees living, eating, sleep (More info...)
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NationBuilder Loses Co-FounderLos Angeles-based software developer NationBuilder, which develops an online system to help political campaigns create websites, organize, coordinate volunteers, fundraise, and more, has just lost its co-founder and President, Joe Green. According to Green, in a public post on Facebook, he is stepping down as President and away from day to day operations. Green will remain on the company's board. Reason for the move was not given, however, the move comes at an interesting intersection for Nation (More info...)
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Focus@will's Music Service Opens Up To PublicFocus@will, the Los Angeles music startup which says its service can help users improve their concentration and retention while working, said today that it has opened up a public beta of its service. The service--headed by Will Henshall--said its public beta will let a wider set of users test and evaluate its tool, which helps select and play music that enables users to better work, study, write, and read. Focus@will explained that the public beta comes after the signup of over 9,000 private bet (More info...)
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Sotera Wireless Finds $14.8M For Wireless Medical MonitoringSotera Wireless, the developer of medical devices for wirelessly monitoring patients, has raised $14.8M in a funding round, the firm said this morning. The funding round came from Safeguard Scientifics, and also included Delphi Ventures, Sanderling Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, EDBI, Intel Capital, Cerner Capital and West Health Investment Fund.
Sotera Wireless is a developer of a wireless patient monitoring product called ViSi Mobile, which it says provides comprehensive vital signs monitori (More info...)
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Citysearch Debuts Visual Guide Site, New iPhone AppWest Hollywood-based Citysearch has launched two new products today, including both a visual city guide, and a new iPhone app. Citysearch said its new Guides by Citysearch service is aimed at helping users easily find new places in major cities around the country, in a photo-centric way. Separately, the company also launched a new iPhone app, which it says features new expert content linked to those city guides and a new redesigned UI.
Citysearch's new Guides site follows the recent photo-cen (More info...)
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Cymer Gets Stockholder Approval On MergerSan Diego-based Cymer, the supplier of light sources for semiconductor lithography systems, reported today that its stockholders have voted to approve the firm's merger with ASML. The deal had been announced in October, and is worth $2.5 billion. Cymer said the firm is still waiting for expiration of the Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust and a number of other approvals under foreign competition laws. The firm now expects the deal to close sometime in the first half of the year. ASML is based in the Ne (More info...)
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BlackLine Ties With Robert HalfBlackline Systems, the developer of financial close software, and specialized staffing firm Robert Half International said today that the two are in a strategic alliance. According to the companies, Robert Half will work with BlackLine to provide professionals certified on BlackLine's software products to clients. The companies said the move is an expansion of an existing relationship that BlackLine has with Protiviti, which is a subsidiary of Robert Half.
According to the two companies, Robe (More info...)
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Apriso Targets Aerospace, Defense With New ProductLong Beach-based Apriso, which develops manufacturing software, is targeting the aerospace and defense industry with a new product, the firm said today. Apriso said it has launched a "product traceability solution" specifically for those manufacturers, letting users track traceability data from manufacturing systems, from existing manufacturing systems across multiple business units and geographies. The new product helps those aerospace and defense firms better react to quality failures and reca (More info...)
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