Tuesday, October 21, 2014Zuma Ventures Takes On Early Stage StartupsTwo, Los Angeles area startup veterans--David Carter and Allen Hurff--launched a new "venture studio" Tuesday morning aimed at helping to create and incubate early stage startups. According to the two, they have launched Zuma Ventures, a new effort to help identify early-stage technologies with large market opportunities, and use those technologies to create new, independent companies. Carter was a co-founder/partner at Amplify.LA, and also was founder of Vertical Technologies, Thoughtstar, and (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2014(Full story)
Sientra Sets Estimated IPO RangeSanta Barbara-based Sientra, a developer of aesthetic medicine products, said in an SEC filing last night that it now expects its IPO at between $14.00 and $16.00 per share. Sientra is looking to sell 5 million shares of its stock in an offering on the NASDAQ under the symbol SIEN. Sientra's IPO is being underwritten by Piper Jaffray, Stifel, Leerink Partners, and William Blair. Sientra is backed by Abingworth Bioventures, OrbiMed, Clarus Lifesciences, Private Equity Managers, TIAA, and others. (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2014(Full story)
uSamp Names Marketing ChiefLos Angeles-based market research technology provider uSamp announced this morning that it has promoted Andy Jolls to the post of Chief Marketing Officer for the company. Jolls has been SVP of Global Marketing Communications for the firm since 2013, and previously served at Cooking.com, FICO, Move.com, Hewlett Packard, and Apple Computer. The company said that Jolls will oversee marketing of its various brands, and also oversee corporate marketing, demand generation and communications.
posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2014(Full story)
Enplug: Bringing Social Media To A Display Near You
For the most part, the ubiquitous digital displays you now see in restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and bars are all still one way, noninteractive devices. How about if you could make those displays interactive and social? Culver City-based Enplug (www.enplug.com) is looking to change those one way digital displays into social, interactive content. We spoke with CEO and co-founder Nanxi Liu about the company's software.
Talk about what your product is all about?
Nanxi Liu: Our g (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2014(Full story)
Stamps.com Buys ShipWorksEl Segundo-based Stamps.com has acquired St. Louis-based ShipWorks, a developer of subscription-based e-commerce shipping software, the company announced Monday. Stamps.com said it paid approximately $22M in cash for ShipWorks. Stamps.com said that ShipWorks will operate as an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of the company. ShipWorks develops shipping software, which is used by online sellers to manage shipping and sales on such marketplaces as eBay, Amazon, Yahoo, and elsewhere.
posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2014(Full story)
Amgen To Help In Ebola Drug Production EffortsIn a bid to help speed up the availability of treatments for Ebola, Thousand Oaks-based Amgen said over the weekend that it is working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help San Diego-based ZMapp figure out a way to produce its experimental drug treatment for treating Ebola. ZMapp ran out of its extremely limited supply of its drug in August. According to Amgen, it has told 12 to 14 staff members to help assist in the effort, using the same techniques that Amgen uses to produce its Enb (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2014(Full story)