Tuesday, February 9, 2016JPL's New Space Tourism Posters Wow, InspireIf anyone has dreams of a future in space, the folks at NASA's Jet Propulstion Laboratory do--so it's not a surprise that JPL has just released a huge collection of retro-inspired, travel posters to such locations as Mars, Venus, Ceres, and other locations in the far off galaxy. NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program--which is focused on the discovery and understanding of planetary systems around nearby stars--was behind the Exoplanet Travel Bureau posters released in January. JPL--which is run by (More info...)
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PeeqSee Launches Social Networking AppLos Angeles-based PeeqSee, a new startup developing social networking and media apps, has launched an app which lets users create interactive, visual posts. The startup--founded by Vacit Arat--lets users posts photos with an interactive component, which unveil additional information when users click on objects in those photos. The company said those "Peeqs" also can direct users to another photo, video, website, message, or video channel. Arat was previously President and CEO of Vantage Surgica (More info...)
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Semitrex Opens Office In IrvineIn a bid to tap into the wealth of semiconductor talent in Irvine, Laguna Beach-based Semitrex, a developer of power electronics devices, said it has opened up a new design center in Irvine. According to Semitrex, the new office will help it better tap into the area's skilled engineering resources. The company, led by CEO Michael Freeman, also said it has opened up a new office in Milan, Italy, another location for electronics talent. Semitrex develops mixes-signal and analog integrated circuits (More info...)
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Float Selected For E-commerce Accelerator, Commerce.InnovatedLos Angeles-based mobile credit startup Float, which is developing an iOS app to provide credit to consumers, has been selected as part of the commerce-focused startup accelerator Commerce.Innovated. Commerce.Innovated--which is run by Silicon Valley Bank and MasterCard--is a "virtual accelerator" aimed at helping startups in the commerce area. SVB and MasterCard said that they also added New York-based customer data API company Alloy, and Nevada-based mobile authentication platform provider Lau (More info...)
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Amplyx Ups Total Funding To $51.5M For Fungal Infection TreatmentSan Diego-based Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, a developer of treatments for life threatening fungal infections, said it has added a new investor to its Series B funding, and has now raised a total of $51.5M for the company. 3x5 Partners joined investors in the company's $49.2M Series B. In addition to the funding, the company said it Michael Hodges, M.D., as chief medical officer; Karen Shaw, Ph.D., as vice president of biology; and Elizabeth Gordon, Ph.D., as vice president of regulatory affairs. Hod (More info...)
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Toast Labs Gets Seed Funding, Launches Food AppEl Segundo-based Toast Labs, a new startup led by The Honest Co. veteran Ashley King, said today that it has raised a seed round of funding, and launched its first app, Dysh. The startup said it recently closed a seed funding round from BAM Ventures, Chaotic Investments, John Bendheim Enterprises, and Suntoy Enterprises along with Courtney and Carter Reum, Jeff Stibel, and Matt Toledo, Publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Business Journal. Financial details of the seed funding round was not anno (More info...)
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Cognitive Logic Picks Up $3M From Upfront VenturesCognitive Logic, a developer of business analytics software, has raised $3M in a seed funding from LA's Upfront Ventures, along with IA Ventures. The investment in UK-based Cognitive Logic was led by Upfront's Mark Suster. Cognitive Logic was founded by Nick Halstead, who as the founder of DataSift, a prior Upfront Ventures portfolio firm, based in San Francisco. Cognitive Logic is based in Basingstoke, UK. Upfront's Mark Suster has joined the company's board with the funding, according to a reg (More info...)
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PSI Services Acquires UK's EnlightKSBurbank-based PSI Services, which provides professional testing services to companies, government agencies, and others, has acquired UK-based testing services company EnlightKS. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. EnlightKS, founded in 1995, is based in Royston, UK. PSI said the acquisition will help it grow its international market presence for the e-learning and talent assessment market.
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American Solar Direct Lands Investment Funding For Rooftop SolarLos Angeles-based residential solar energy provider American Solar Direct has raised a round of investment, from Dubai-based solar developer and investor Adenium Energy Capital. Size of the funding round was not announced. American Solar Direct said the investment is Adenium's first investment in the United States. The new funding will go towards accelerating growth and expansion at the copmany. American Solar Direct says it has more than 5,500 customers in California.
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KnGrid Raises Funding RoundOrange County-based KGrid, a cleantech startup working on electric car charging stations, said it has received an investment from German utility RWE, via RWE New Ventures LLC. Financial terms of the investment were not announced. KnGrid said the two are working on a cloud-based service for utilities to send grid conditions and pricing signals to connected electric vehicles. The company apparently has a prototype, electric car charging system implemented at the University of California, San Diego (More info...)
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Activision Blizzard Gets Clearance From South Korea For King Digital AcquisitionSanta Monica-based Activision Blizzard said late Monday that it has received clearance from the South Korean Fair Trade Commission, on its deal to acquire King Digital Entertainment. The clearance is one of a number of clerances required on the $5.9 billion deal, which was announced in November. The companies are still waiting for clerances from the EU, among other conditions.
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