Thursday, July 31, 2014ScoreBig Links With HiltonLos Angeles-based discounted sports and event ticket company ScoreBig said Thursday that it has linked up with hotel loyalty program Hilton HHonors, where members of that program will receive savings on their ticket purchases, and also earn points for spending through ScoreBig. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. ScoreBig said the move--its first, hotel loyalty program partnership--will give Hilton HHonors members savings on tickets to live events from the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and c (More info...)
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Hulu Updates Android App, Offers Up Free ContentLos Angeles-based streaming television provider Hulu said this morning that it has updated its Android app, and will offer up a selection of free content on the app. The move--the first to offer free content on its mobile apps--gives access to both current and past episodes of television shows, which Hulu said would mostly mirror the Hulu.com, ad-supported site. The move is significant in that Hulu had previously required a subscription to Hulu Plus for any mobile device access via its apps. Hul (More info...)
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Vakast Nabs $1.3M In Seed For Vacation Rental Search MarketplaceNewport Beach-based Vakast, a startup aiming at the online peer-to-peer marketplace for vacation rentals, has raised $1.3M in a seed funding round, the company announced this morning. Vakast said the funding came from Chinh Chu (senior managing director, Blackstone Group) and Ken Pansuria (founder, Fine Hospitality Group), as well as Nicky Nguyen (NJ Enterprises). The company said it is offering up an online travel agency specifically focused on vacation rentals. The company said it is looking t (More info...)
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Privlo Gets $350M In Debt For Technology Driven Mortgage LoansLos Angeles-based Privlo, a technology driven startup offering up mortgage loans to consumers, said this week that it has raised $350M in a debt financing round, along with $3.8M in equity. The equity funding came from Spark Capital and QED Investors; source of the debt funding was not announced. Privlo provides private origination of residential mortgages, focused on borrowers who do not conform to traditional, government-backed loans, all run via its online platform. The company is led by Mich (More info...)
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Swagbucks Buys SodaheadLos Angeles-based prodege, the parent company of Swagbucks, said this morning that it has acquired Sodahead, the online polling and discussion platform founded by Jason Feffer. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. According to Prodege, it will acquire all of SodaHead's assets and staff from its Encino headquarters, and will move them to Swagbucks offices in El Segundo. Prodege is venture backed by Technology Crossover Ventures. Sodahead was venture backed by Mission Ventures, Mohr Davi (More info...)
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Report: Apple Cutting Beats StaffIt looks like Apple Computer is in the midst of pruning away staff over at Santa Monica-based Beats, two months after it acquired both Beats Electronics and Beats Music for $3 billion. According to a report from Mac industry publication 9to4mac, Apple executives are in Santa Monica, sorting out which Beats employees will or will not be working for Apple. Apparently, Apple is moving many employees to Cupertino, although it will continue to operate out of Beats' Santa Monica offices.
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Insights: Amidst Change is a Constant: Life is Still Two-WayFor today's Insights and Opinions section, we share an essay from Sally Falkow, founder and president of Meritus Media, a digital public relations and social media agency based in the Los Angeles-area.
Social media. Wherever you go, you see and hear about it.
But it was not that way 20 years ago. In fact, 20 years ago, it did not even exist. If you were transported back two decades to 1994 and described today’s world to a group of people, they would have said that you were crazy.
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Invoca Trumpets Sales FiguresSanta Barbara-based call marketing automation software developer Invoca, which is led by Jason Spievak, said yesterday that its systems have converted $2.5 billion in sales for its customers since the company was founded. Invoca said that $1.7 billion of those sales came in the last 12 months. Invoca did not say what that translates to in terms of the company's revenues, however, said it has seed revenue growth of more than 1200 percent over the past three years. Invoca's systems are used for i (More info...)
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BlackLine Reports 60 Percent Rise In RevenuesLos Angeles-based financial software developer BlackLine Systems, which develops financial close automation software, reported yesterday that its revenues were up nearly 60 percent in the second quarter of 2014, compared to the prior year. The company--whose software is used by companies to speed up preparation of their quarterly reports--did not report any actual revenue numbers. BlackLine said it signed up such new clients as the Boston Globe, JetBlue, Keurig Green Mountain, Thales Australia, (More info...)
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Portfolium Raises $900,000 In Seed FundingSan Diego-based Portfolium, a startup developing an online platform to share a students' academic portfolio, has raised $900,000 in a seed funding, according to startup incubator EvoNexus. The funding came from the Tech Coast Angels, Taner Halicioglu of Keshif Ventures, and others. Portfolium is based in EvoNexus, which said this newest funding brings the total raised by its startups to $573M. Portfolium was also part of EvoStart, the early stage accelerator run by EvoNexus.
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