Tuesday, March 8, 2016


ZEFR Raises $5M More
Venice, California-based ZEFR, the content monetization technology developer, has raised $5M more in what appears to be a convertible debt funding. According to a regulatory filing by the company, the debt funding came from 10 investors. The company has yet to announce details on the funding. Zefr is led by Richard Raddon and Zach James. The company has previously raised funding from such investors as Institutional Venture Partners, U.S. Venture Partners, Shasta Ventures, First Round Capital and (More info...)
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Report: Snapchat Expects $300M To $350M In Revenue In 2016
Venice, California-based Snapchat reportedly is hoping to generate between $300M and $350M in revenue this year, according to a report published Tuesday. The report, from Recode, cited "multiple sources" in the sales target. Snapchat--which has yet to publicly announce financials--apparently hit a "$100M run rate", but not actual yearly revenue, in Q4 of last year. Snapchat has a valuation of over $16 billion, but also has seen massive user adoption of its messaging apps and features such as Sna (More info...)
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Insights: What Makes A Good Startup CEO
For today's Insights and Opinions section, where we feature contributions from the movers and shakers in Southern California's technology industry, we have an article from Ivan Nikkhoo, an experienced entrepreneur, investment banker, and venture investor, who talks about he traits of a good startup CEO: Building a company is hard. Very hard. Even the most experienced operators, investors, and entrepreneurs fail most of the time. Experienced Angels see exits only 20% of the time. The fac (More info...)
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Amgen Backs Tizona Therapeutics In $43M Funding
Thousand Oaks-based Amgen has made another investment this morning in immunology startup Tizona Therapeutics, via its venture capital arm, Amgen Ventures. According to Tizona Therapeutics, it completed a $43M Series B financing round, which was led by Abingworth and Canaan Partners. Series A investors--including Amgen Ventures--also participated, with investments from MPM Capital, Astellas Venture Management and InterWest Partners. Lightstone Ventures also participated in the funding. Tizona is (More info...)
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Mobolize Launches Malware Protection on iOS
Los Angeles-based mobile security software developer Mobolize has recently launched a new, mobile data protection app aimed at protection iOS apps against malware, according to the company. The company--which also offers up an Android app to identify and block malicious websites--says its software helps prevent users from visiting websites known to harbor viruses or phishing attacks, in addition to also helping optimize the transfer of data by up to 50 percent. The new iOS app specifically helps (More info...)
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Juwai.com Sets Up Shop In LA
Juwai.com, a Chinese real estate website which focuses on marketing overseas properties to Chinese buyers, said it has set up operations in Los Angeles, hiring Matthew Moore as its first President of the Americas. Moore is a veteran of Move Inc., where he was EVP of Sales and Marketing. Juwai.com said Moore is an investor in such real estate startups as Retsly, RealScout and gofirstfive, and also previously served at Netscape Communications and WebD. Juwai said Moore will run a North American te (More info...)
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How Tuition.IO Is Helping To Tame Student Debt, One Employee At A Time
Once upon a time, one of the best benefits that employers could offer up an employee was a company contribution to their retirement plan. However, for an entire generation of employees—particularly, those coming out of school now—saving for retirement is completely overshadowed by the far more pressing, crushing burden of student debt. Santa Monica-based Tuition.IO has s created a way for companies to both help their employees tackle that mound of student debt, as well as attract better a (More info...)
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TVC Capital Backs Celigo
San Diego-based software growth equity investor TVC Capital has backed Celigo, a developer of software to integrate cloud-based applications. Celigo said this morning that it has raised $8M in an expansion capital round, its first institutional funding since it was founded in 2006. A part of the funding, TVC Capital's Steven J. Hammerslag joins the company's board of directors. Celigo said the funding will go to expand sales, marketing, and product development. TVC Capital has over $325M under m (More info...)
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ZON Names Former Machinima Exec As COO
Manhattan Beach-based a href="http://www.zon-technology.com">ZON, which develops a line of patio umbrellas which also double as solar-powered mobile device chargers, has named Karina Fedasz as its Chief Operating Officer. Fedasz was CEO and co-founder of Little Bean Sprout, and also had served as CFO and VP of Finance at Machinima.com. ZON said its customers include Starwood's Aloft, MGM International's Aria Resort and Casino, MGM Grand, Bellagio, and Le Pain Quotidien. The company's patio umbre (More info...)
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Vroozi Shifts HQ To Los Angeles
Vroozi, which develops mobile procurement software for the enterprise, said toay that it is shifting its headquarters to Los Angeles, in order to expand its team. Vroozi--which had been headquartered in Irvine--said it would set up a new headquarters at the "junction of the 405/101 freeways" in order to grow its team. Vroozi is led by Steve Olds. The company says its clients include such companies as EMC, Sealed Air, and Watermark Communities.
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Illumina's Flatley Becomes Executive Chairman
San Diego-based life sciences equipment maker Illumina said late Monday that Jay Flatley, the company's Chairman and CEO, is shifting to the board as Executive Chairman, with President Francis deSouza becoming both President and CEO. Flatley had been CEO of the company since 1999. According to Illumina, Flatley grew the company from $500,000 in annual revenues to $2.2 billion in revenues in 2015. deSouza joined Illumina in 2013 as President. Illumina manufactures DNA sequencing and other relate (More info...)
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Blizzard Sets May 24th Release For Overwatch
Irvine-based Blizzard has set an official release date for its upcoming game, Overwatch, saying it will release the title on May 24th for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Blizzard said it has opened up pre-purchases of the first-person shooter gae on its website. Blizzard said that players who pre-order or pre-purchase the game will get access to an early, beta version of the game prior to the official release, with access from May 5th through 9th. The new title centers on a battling through a "near-f (More info...)
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