Tuesday, August 30, 2016


Sonos Connects With Amazon Echo
Santa Barbara-based music systems maker Sonos is getting set to allow its customers to control their speakers with Amazon Echo, the voice-controlled device from Amazon.com, the company said on Tuesday. Sonos showed off its systems being controlled by Amazon Echo in a video released to YouTube on Tuesday morning.
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Tech Coast Angels: We Have Higher Returns Than Angel Averages
The Tech Coast Angels, Southern California's biggest angel investment group, says its performance record and returns on its investments are higher than the average angel, in nearly all categories, based on a new academic study. According to the TCA, it had a 3.3x return on its investments, based on an analysis prepared by Dr. Rob Wiltbank and Professor Wade Brooks for Willamette University and the Angel Resource Institute (ARI). The TCA said, if a TCA member had participated in all of its 305 in (More info...)
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Petnet Finds $10M From Petco For Personalized Pet Feeding Gadget
Los Angeles-based Petnet, the developer of automated, smartphone connected pet feeding bowls, has raised $10M in a Series A funding, the company Tuesday morning. The funding was led by Petco, and also includes a deal to make the compan's SmartFeeder and SmartBowl products available at that pet retailer. Petnet, led by Carlos Herrera, develops an automated, smartphone-enabled pet feeder which lets its users manage feeding times, feeding amounts, and allows users to monitor their pet's food intake (More info...)
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Washio Shuts Down On Demand Laundry Service
Santa Monica-based Washio, the venture-backed, on-demand laundry startup, has shut down, according to the company. The company said that it will be shutting down its operations, as of Aug 29., and returning orders to customers. The company did not say why it decided to shut down. Washio had raised around $21.86M in funding, from such investors as A Grade Investments, AME Cloud Ventures, Canaan Partners, Pejman Mar Ventures, Sherpa Ventures, Three Six Zero Group, plus Ashton Kutcher and a large (More info...)
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Bitium Raises $6M More
Santa Monica-based Bitium has raised $6M more in funding, for its software development efforts, the company disclosed this morning. The funding came from Polaris Partners as well as other prior investors. Bitium has also previously raised funding from Amplify LA, Double M Partners, Karlin Ventures, Lazerow Ventures, and Resolute.vc. Bitium, led by Scott Kriz, develops software used for managing access to software-as-a-service apps.
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SpaceX, SES Sign Satellite Launch Deal, First To Use Returned Rocket
Hawthorne-based SpaceX, and Luxembourg-based SES have announced a new launch deal this morning, where SpaceX will launch the SES-10 satellite into orbit on a Falcon 9 rocket. According to the companies, the launch will be the very first to re-use the booster stage of the Falcon 9, using one of the rocket boosters successfully returned to earth by SpaceX. The two said the launch is expected in Q4 of this year. SpaceX and SES--which are calling the used rocket booster "flight-proven"--said that su (More info...)
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March Capital Partners Leads Investment In eSports Streaming Startup Genvid
Los Angeles-based venture investor March Capital Partners, in a deal led by Gregory Milken, has lead a seed funding round in New York-based startup Genvid Technologies. Genvid Technologies said it has raised $1.5M in a seed funding round, which was led by March Capital Partners, and also included OCA Ventures. Genvid is developing software specifically for use in live e-Sports broadcasts, adding interactive features to live streaming on Twitch and other services. Genvid says its founders come fr (More info...)
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Yuneec Rolls Out Flying, HD Selfie Camera, Beats Lily To Market
Yuneec, the Chinese flying drone developer which has its U.S. headquarters in Ontario, California, has rolled out a new drone today--the Breeze, which it calls a "flying camera". The new drone--which costs $499.99--is specifically designed to take aerial photos and videos of consumers, for sharing on social media. Yuneec said the new flying camera will fly both indoors and outdoors, and is controlled by an iOS or Android app, and can instantly post videos and photos to Twitter, YouTube, Instagra (More info...)
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BlackLine Opens Office In Germany
Los Angeles-based accounting automation software developer BlackLine announced this morning that it has opened up a new office in Germany, as part of an expansion effort in Europe. According to BlackLine, the new office is based in Frankfurt, Germany. BlackLine said that new office specificially serves Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and will be led by Petra Ellmerich. BlackLine develops software to automate financial close, account reconciliation, and other parts of the accounting process. B (More info...)
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Skyworks Names New CFO
Skyworks Solutions, the developer of analog semiconductors, said on Monday that it has named Kris Sennesael as its Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, based in Irvine. Sennesael was most recently CFO of Enphase Energy. Sennesael also has served at Standard Microsystems, ON, AMI Semiconductor and Alcatel Microelectronics. Skyworks is based in Woburn, Mass., but has major operations in Southern California. Sennesael replaces outgoing CFO Donald Palette, 59, who is retiring; Palette (More info...)
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Cancer MoonShot 2020, NantHealth Target Breast Cancer
Culver City-based CancerMoonShot 2020, and NantHealth said this morning that the two are taking aim at Inflammatory Breast Cancer, with a new working group focused on the disease. According to Cancer MoonShot 2020, the team includes physicians, researchers and oncology professors from across the nation, to investigate personalized, immunotherapeutic treament options for the rare disease, which is the deadliest form of breast cancer. The new group will use NantHealth's comprehensive "GPS Cancer" (More info...)
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