Monday, July 20, 2015Jukin Media On Track For $10M In RevenuesLos Angeles-based Jukin Media, the viral clips licensing company led by Jon Skogmo, is on track for $10M in annual revenues, the company disclosed Monday. The company--which dropped the number in an interview with the WSJ--finds and licenses all kinds of viral clips, which it licenses to TV programs, websites, and also publishes through YouTube and other channels. Jukin is backed by Maker Studios, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI), Launchpad LA, as well as local angel investors.
posted on Monday, July 20, 2015(Full story)
SpaceX Founder Musk: Structural Failure Took Down Falcon 9Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Hawthorne-based SpaceX, said Monday afternoon that the explosion of the company's rocket last month was due to a broken strut, which held a helium tank to the rocket's second stage. The failure resulted in a catastrophic explosion of the company's Falcon 9 on June 28th. Musk says that SpaceX hopes to recover from the issues, and resume cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) as soon as September. SpaceX--which, before the failure, had seen only succe (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 20, 2015(Full story)
Teledyne Wins $15M NASA ContractThousand Oaks-based Teledyne Technologies said Monday that it has scored a $15M conttract, to supply space-based imagery to NASA. According to Teledyne, its subsidiary, Teledyne Brown Engineering, won the multi-year contract to supply the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with a hyperspectral remote-sensing imagery instrument, to be based on the International Space Station (ISS). Teledyne aid it will be providing integration of the Multi-User System for Earth Sensing (MUSES) e (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 20, 2015(Full story)
SpaceX Plans To Unveil Recovery PlansHawthorne-based SpaceX, the commercial rocket and spacecraft developer led by mogul Elon Musk, is planning on releasing plans on how the company hopes to recover from a catastrophic launch failure on June 28th. According to Musk, he plans to hold a call at noon discussing how the company plans to return to its launch operations. The launch failure looks to be the biggest challenge that Musk has faced with SpaceX, which until the failed mission to the ISS had a flawless record with eighteen succe (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 20, 2015(Full story)
Flipagram: Using Photos And Music To Create A Viral Machine, with Farhad MohitLos Angeles-based Flipagram (www.flipagram.com) has created a potent and wildly viral mobile app, which combines photos, music, and video to create addictive, engaging mini slideshows of your life. The company recently raised $70M in funding to further expand its app and team, from such impressive investors as Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Index Ventures. We spoke with Farhad Mohit, the CEO of Flipagram and a successful serial entrepreneur (having founded Bizrate, which later be (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 20, 2015(Full story)
Scopely Names New GMLos Angeles-based mobile gaming startup Scopely has hired on a new General Manager and VP of Product, the company said last week, hiring on Bernard Chen to the position. Chen was most recently at Kixeye, heading up Battle Pirates and War Commander as Kixeye's General Manager. Scopely is backed by Evolution Media Partners, Knoll Ventures, Greycroft, The Chernin Group, Sands Capital Ventures and Double M Capital.
posted on Monday, July 20, 2015(Full story)
Sorrento Therapeutics Loses VPSan Diego-based Sorrento Therapeutics announced late Friday that its Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, George Uy, is leaving the company. Sorrento said that Uy is leaving the company to become CEO of a startup. Sorrento Therapeutics said Uy would provide strategic advice to the company as a consultant after his departure. Sorrento Therapeutics is developing yreatments for cancer, and has a significant number of licensing and technology deals with Dr. Patrick Soon Shiong's Na (More info...)
posted on Monday, July 20, 2015(Full story)
Electro Rent CFO RetiresVan Nuys-based Electro Rent, which provides rental, leasing, and sales of electronics test and other equipment, said today that its CFo, Craig Jones, is retiring from the company. Jones--who is 69--has been at the company for 26 years. Electro Rent said that it has named Allen Sciarillo, its Vice President of Finance, as acting CFO; Sciarillo has been at the company since 2006.
posted on Monday, July 20, 2015(Full story)