Thursday, June 12, 2014Visual Unity Gets $7.2MVisual Unity, a developer of "over-the-top" (OTT) and multiscreen technology, said Thursday that it has raised $7.2M in a funding round. The company--which is based partially in Los Angeles--said the funding came from 3TS Capital Partners. Visual Unity said it is split between Los Angeles, Munich, Prague, Moscow, Istanbul, Dubai, and Hong Kong. The company's product helps content owners and distributors monetize their video assets on the Internet. The company's CEO is Tomas Petru.
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Google Eyes Stake In Virgin GalacticTechnology giant Google is reportedly looking to take a stake in Mojave, California-based space tourism and spaceship developer Virgin Galactic, according to a report Thursday evening. According to the report, from Sky News, Google is looking to invest $30M in return for a small stake in Virgin Galactic, to give it access to satellite launch technology to put its satellites into low-Earth orbit. The move comes the same week that Google acquired surveillance satellite company Skybox Imaging, whic (More info...)
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Zingle Taps Silicon Valley Vet As New CEOSan Diego-based Zingle, which is developing texting tools for businesses such as hotels and restaurants, said this week that it has tapped a Silicon Valley veteran as its new CEO. The company said it named John Girard, the former Founder and CEO of Clickability, to head up the company's operations from San Diego. Zingle offers up a texting service to allow hotels and restaurants to accept orders and requests via text. The company says its customers include Hilton, Four Seasons, Subway, and Centr (More info...)
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Mobile Majority Raises $8M For Mobile AdsSanta Monica-based Mobile Majority, which offers up premium, mobile brand advertising, said this week that it has raised $8M in a Series B funding round. The company--which until now was known as PaeDae--said it is delivering a product which allows for universal, validated ad delivery across different ad networks, to help address fraud and viewability of their ads on mobile. Mobile Majority is led by Rob Emrich. The company says that it is looking to address the "inherent fraud" present in the c (More info...)
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Startup's Technology Helps L'Oreal Target Ads Based On Hair ColorIn a demonstration of the power of targeting in a world of ubiquitous computing power, Santa Monica-based ad startup GumGum is powering a new advertising campaign which is able to target ads based on hair color shown in photos. Accoridng to L'Oreal Paris and GumGum, they are using image recognition technology to dynamically target product ads, based on hair color identified in photos of faces on its publisher partners' sites. L'Oreal will show ads for dark hair coloring products based on images (More info...)
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Beats Electronics Launches Wireless EarphonesCulver City-based Beats Electronics said this morning that it has launched the company's first, wireless earphones. The company said its new Powerbeats2 Wireless earphones are designed specifically for athletes, and are lightweight, and sweat resistant. Beats Electronics said the earphones were "inspired by" LeBron James, who is helping to market the new earphones. James apparently got his own windfall from the recently announced acquisition of Beats by Apple, gaining $30M in cash and stock from (More info...)
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Yardi Gets Win In New ZealandSanta Barbara-based property management software developer Yardi has scored a win in New Zealand, saying that one of New Zealand's largest independent property management and advisory companies has adopted its software. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. Yardi said that Quadrant is implementing its Yardi Voyager 7S real estate property and financial management platform, as an effort to replace its existing platform and a lot of spreadsheets. Quadrant has around $250M in property unde (More info...)
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Aerie Pharmaceuticals Adds Mazzo To BoardNewport Beach-based Aerie Pharmaceuticals said today that former Advanced Medical Optics founder James Mazzo has joined the company's board of directors. Mazzo is currently Operating Partner at Versant Ventures, and also headed up AMO after its acquisition by Abbott Laboratires in 2009, when it was renamed Abbott Medical Optics. Mazzo sold AMO to Abbott for $2.8 billion, and also had been at Allergan. Aerie Pharmaceuticals is developing treatments for glaucoma.
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EDF Renewable Services Wins Deal In MichiganSan Diego-based renewable energy company EDF Renewable Services said yesterday that it has signed a deal in Michigan, to offer up maintenance and operations support for the 75 megawatt, Brookfield Wind Park. Financial impact of the deal was not disclosed. The wind energy installation is owned by DTE Energy. EDF Renewable SErvices said it now has contracts for 400MW of wind energy with DTE Energy.
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