Tuesday, September 24, 2013LA's NameLayer Acquired By TechStarsLos Angeles-based NameLayer, a company which has been accumulating a portfolio of tech-startup friendly domain names, has been acquired by startup accelerator TechStars. NameLayer--which was founded by Julian Shapiro and Edward Zeiden--had develops an algorithm to selectively purchase and commercialize domain names in an automated way, and was founded in 2011. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. TechStars operates a series of startup accelerators across the country, which comb (More info...)
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Calacanis Debuts LAUNCH Fund I To Back 100 CompaniesJason Calacanis, the serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and conference organizer, announced Tuesday morning that it has closed his first, formal angel investing fund, The LAUNCH Fund I. Calacanis said the fund will invest $100-$250K in 50-100 startups. LPs in the fund include Calacanis, David Sacks, and others. Calacanis has already been making investments as part of his LAUNCH Festival, and the new fund will also be invested in companies presenting at those startup launch events. Calacanis al (More info...)
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ServiceNow's Slootman Ventures Into Big Data StartupFrank Slootman, the CEO of San Diego-based ServiceNow, has invested in a big data startup, as he continues to expand out his angel funding activity. According to Mountain View-based BlueData, Slootman was one of the angels in a new, $15M Series B funding round raised by the company. That round was led by Ignition Partners, and also included Atlantic Bridge Ventures, Intel Capital, Amplify Partners and Data Collective. Angels in the funding were Frank Slootman (ServiceNow), Eric Wolford (Riverbed (More info...)
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Former Qualcomm Exec Faces Charges In Insider Trading CaseThe Securities and Exchange Commission has charged a former executive at San Diego's Qualcomm, with trading stock in the company ahead of major announcements, via a secret offshore brokerage account. According to the SEC, Jing Wang, the former Executive Vice President of President of Global Business Operations at Qualcomm, made more than a quarter million dollars in profits from his insider trading, via a secret, offshore brokerage account. The SEC also charged his financial advisor, Gary Yin. T (More info...)
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DoubleBeam Wins MEDLPasadena-based mobile payments company DoubleBeam has signed up Fountain Valley-based mobile marketing firm MEDL Mobile as a customer, the two announced Monday. According to the companies, MEDL Mobile will add DoubleBeam's mobile payments software development kit to its mobile app development platform. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. The addition adds digital check image capture and mobile e-checking payments to MEDL Mobile's platform. DoubleBeam's software scans in a check and (More info...)
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Airbnb Launches Celebrity-Themed Promotion In LAOnline peer-to-peer room rental marketplace Airbnb is launching a big promotion in Los Angeles this weekend, with five "pop-up" houses which it is erecting in locations around the city, created by local celebrities. Airbnb said its "pop-up" houses--prefab houses being installed at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, The Cook's Garden by HGEL in Venice, The Arts District, The Viper Room, and The Grove--will be bookable by users, and were designed by James Franco, Anjelica Huston, Moby, Molly Sims & L (More info...)
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PatientSafe Solutions Raises $27MSan Diego-based PatientSafe Solutions, a developer of mobile healthcare software, has received a strategic investment, bringing its Series C funding to $27M. According to PatientSafe, the strategic investment came from EDBI, the investment arm of the Singapore Economic Development Board. The Series C funding was led by Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, and also included Camden Partners, TPG Biotech, and Psilos Group. PatientSafe said the move includes an expansion into Singapore, where it wil (More info...)
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XCOR Aerospace Claims MilestoneMOjave-based spaceflight startup XCOR Aerospace, one of a number of spaceflight-focused startups in the region, claimed it had made "significant progress" in an engine development program for the United Launch Alliance. XCOR said it successfully operated its liquid hydrogen pump at full design flow rate and pressure conditions, which will allow it to progress in its testing plans. XCOR said it is developing a new liquid hydrogen engine aimed at providing a more cost-effective upper-stage engine (More info...)
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Sequenom Looks To Sell Off Genetic Analysis BusinessSan Diego-based life sciences products company Sequenom reported late Monday that it has engaged Jefferies LLC as a financial advisor, to review potential "strategic alternatives" for its Genetic Analysis business segment. Sequenom said it is looking at a "full range of potential strategic alternatives" for the business. Sequenom develops a range of genetic analysis and diagnostic testing products.
posted on Tuesday, September 24, 2013(Full story)