Wednesday, February 22, 2017


Joymode Opens Up Service To All, Launches New Kids Category
Los Angeles-based Joymode, the startup led by Joe Fernandez which lets people rent, not buy, all the gear needed for experiences like backyard movie night, virtual reality parties, camping, and more, said it has just opened up access to anyone in Los Angeles interested in the service. The company had previously been in invite-only mode. The company also said it has launched a special "Kids" category to its service, which features different experiences specifically for kids (and apparently, kids' (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)

TripScope Acquired By Travefy
Los Angeles-based TripScope, which operated a mobile application to help travel agents get leads and to connect consumers with agents, has been acquired by Travefy. Financial terms of the acquisition were not announced. Tripscope was venture backed by PLC Ventures, Wavemaker Ventures, AmplifyLA, and Erik Blachford, the former CEO of Expedia. Katelyn O'Shaughnessy is the CEO of Tripscope, and will become an advisor to Travefy.
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)

Jam City, TinyCo Team On Futurama Game
Los Angeles-based JamCity, and mobile games developer TinyCo said this morning that they are launching a new, mobile game based on the popular Futurama TV series. The new game features new content from Futura's creator and Executive Producer Matt Groening, Executive Producer David X. Cohen, plus others on the team that created the futuristic, comedy TV series. The new game, Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow, is being developed in conjunction with Fox Interactive and animation firm Rough Draft Studios (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)

Techstars Music Goes Live In LA
Techstars Music, a new startup accelerator program run by startup accelerator operator Techstars, has launched in Los Angeles, Techstars said this morning, with eleven startups. According to Techstars Music, the first eleven companies in its program include Amper (AI + music), Hurdl (LED wearables at concerts), JAAK (blockchain for music metadata), Pacemaker (social mixtapes), Pippa (podcasting), Popgun (deep learning, singing computers), Robin (ticket concierge), Shimmur (social interacti (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)

Tala Gets $30M In New Funding Round
Los Angeles-based Tala, the fintech startup led by Shivani Siroya, is announcing this morning that it has raised $30M more in a Series B funding round. The funding was led by IVP, and also included Ribbit Capital, along with Lowercase Capital, Data Collective, and Collaborative Fund. Jules Maltz of IVP joins the company's board with the funding. Tala is developing mobile technology which uses the patterns and information available on the cell phones of users in developing countries, to help with (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 (More)(Full story)

Maple Media Finds $30M For Acquiring Mobile Apps
Los Angeles-based Maple Media, a new startup led by startup veteran Clark Landry, along with Jam City veteran Michael Ritter, has raised $30M in a funding round from Shamrock Capital, the company announced this morning. The startup said it will acquire, manage, and operate mobile applications in the utility, productivity, games and entertainment areas. Ritter was most recently SVP of Business & Corporate Development at Jam City (formerly SGN Games), and Landry was co-founder of Shift (acquired b (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 (More)(Full story)

SpaceX Dragon Battling Docking Issues
The recently launched SpaceX Dragon is running into some issues with docking with the International Space Station, according to NASA, which said early this morning that the rendezvous and docking of the spacecraft was aborted this morning after "incorrect value in data" on the location of the space station. NASA said that the SpaceX Dragon will automatically reset for another rendezvous and docking attempt in 24 hours. The ISS and the SpaceX Dragon had been scheduled to rendezvous at 3:25 a.m. E (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)

Report: Disney Buys MakieLab
MakieLab, the custom, 3D printed doll startup which had been part of Disney's second Disney Startup Accelerator program, has been acquired, reportedly by Disney itself. Full details of the acquisition and buyer were not officially announced, however, MakieLab said that it has been acquired by a "a fantastic US media behemoth". MakieLab had a deal with Disney to ship custom, 3D printed dolls featuring such characters as Star Darlings, Minnie Mouse, Maleficient, and others; the company's CEO, Alic (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)

Chrome River Launches New Hotel Expense Handling Feature
Los Angeles-based Chrome River, which develops cloud-based expense and invoice automation software, has extended its software to handle hotel bills and folios, the company said today. According to Chrome River, its new Chrome River FOLIO product automates hotel folio extraction into expense reports, taking emailed PDF or HTML hotel folios to its software, and creating full lime-item breakouts in their expense reports. Chrome River says its software automatically compares a hotel folio against a (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)

Qualcomm Gets Infotainment Systems Design Win With Peugeot
San Diego-based Qualcomm Technologies announced this morning, along with European automotive giant PSA Group, that PSA will integrate Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 Automotive (820A) processor in a new line of vehicles. Financial impact of the win was not announced. The two said that Qualcomm's processor will start appearing in PSA's vehicles beginning in 2020. PSA Group owns the Peugeot, Citroen and DS brands.
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)

Global Eagle Entertainment Loses CEO, CFO
Los Angeles-based Global Eagle Entertainment, which provides in-flight, satellite-based Internet services for airlines, has named a new CEO, after the loss of both its CEO and CFO on Monday. According to the company, its board has appointed Jeff Leddy as its new CEO and interim CFO. Leddy replaces Dave Davis, who has resigned both as a board director and CEO of the company on Monday, according to the company. In a related move, Global Eagle said that its EVP and CFO, Tom Severson, has also resi (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)

Glaukos Sets New Chief Medical Officer
San Clemente-based Glaukos Corporation, which is developing medical technology for the treatment of glaucoma, saysi t has named L. Jay Katz, MD, FACS, as its new Chief Medical Officer. The company said that Katz is a practicing ophthalmologist, the Director of Glaucoma Service at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and a Professor of Ophthalmology at Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. The company said Katz was a former medical monitor for its various clinical trials.
posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017(Full story)