Monday, June 25, 2012
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TrueCar Adds Auto Exec To Board
Santa Monica-based TrueCar said Monday that it has named an automotive industry executive to its board. The firm said that Tom Gibson, the former Chairman, President, and CEO of Asbury Automotive Group, has joined the firm's board. Gibson also has served at Ford, Chrysler, and Subaru, including serving as President and COO of Subaru of America. TrueCar operates an online site which allows users to get detailed quotes on new automobiles from dealers, and also provides information on automobiles a (More info...)
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
Instaprints Launches Instagram Photo Marketplace
A new startup, Instaprints, headed by Fine Arts America's Sean Broihier, said Monday that it has launched a new marketplace which allows users to buy canvas prints of Instagram photos. The new, Los Angeles startup allows Instagram users to sell photos as canvas prints, framed prints, acrylic prints, greeting cards, and posters. The new service allows users to import photos from their Instagram account, and set a price for their prints. The new service is a direct competitor to InstaCanvas, a cro (More info...)
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
Boingo In NYC Wi-Fi Deal With Google Offers
Los Angeles-based Boingo Wireless is in a deal to provide free Wi-Fi across New York City, in a deal with Google Offers. According to Boingo, the move will provide Wi-Fi across six Manhattan subway stations and more than 200 of its hotzones, through September 7th. The free access comes as a part of a deal with Google Offers, the daily deal service run by Google. Financial details of the deals between the companies were not announced.
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
Yammer Acquired By Microsoft For $1.2 Billion
Yammer, the business focused micromessaging site patterned after Twitter, and spun out of Hollywood-based genealogy site Geni, has been acquired by Microsoft for $1.2 billion in cash, Microsoft confirmed Monday. Yammer, which was headed by David Sacks, will become part of the Microsoft Office Division. Yammer had been started in Los Angeles in 2008, but later moved to Silicon Valley. The deal had been disclosed earlier via rumors.
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
Make It Work Shuts Down
Santa Barbara-based Make It Work, the in-home, information technology support firm headed by Eric David Greenspan, has shut down. The firm told its customers and partners that as of June 25th, the firm has halted operations and is in the process of closing the business. Make It Work was known for its fleet of bright red Mini Coopers. Make It Work was backed by Frontera Capital, Somera Ventures, and the Tech Coast Angels. The shutdown came after the firm failed to raise more capital. In recent mo (More info...)
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
OnGreen In Deal With Chinese Firm
Los Angeles-based OnGreen said this morning that it has partnered with the China Beijing Environmental Equity Exchange (CBEEX), an online trading platform for carbon credits. Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed, however, OnGreen said the deal will give its members with greater access to cleantech projects throughout China. OnGreen explained that CBEEX is an online platform created by the Chinese government to exchange cleantech assets and reduce carbon emissions. OnGreen oper (More info...)
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
Fandango Lands Deal With MSN
Los Angeles-based Fandango has scored a deal with MSN, to power MSN's online and mobile movie tickets, on both MSN Movies and MSN Entertainment, the firm said today. According to Fandango, the deal makes it the official online and mobile movie ticketing provider for both sites. Financial details of the deal were not announced. Fandango said MSN's sites have a reach of more than 100 million U.S. users per month.
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
FastPay Gets $25M
Los Angeles-based FastPay, which provides receivables financing for digital media businesses, said this morning that it has raised $25M in funding. The funding included a senior credit facility from Wells Fargo Capital Finance and a subordinated debt and equity investment from SF Capital Group. FastPay, which is led by Jed Simon, helps companies deal with the extremely long payment cycles online sites deal with when using online advertising networks and others--usually, longer than 60 days. Fa (More info...)
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
Quest Software Gets Increased Offer
The bidding war for Aliso Viejo-based Quest Software, the developer of IT management software, continued this morning, as the firm reported that an un-named, strategic bidder has upped its proposal to acquire the company to $27.50 per share in cash. The bidder--believed to be Dell Computer--trumps the last offer, $25.75 per share from Insight Venture Management and its partners.
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
Interview with Mark Sylvester, Likeabilitee
How do you sort through all that social media activity you are driving, and figure out who really cares about what you're posting? Santa Barbara-based Likeabilitee (www.likeabilitee.com) has come up with a new, highly visual service which makes it very easy for you to analyze and understand how people are engaging with your social media posts on Facebook. The service was created by experience serial entrepreneurs Mark Sylvester and KymberleeWeil, who some might know from creating service introNe (More info...)
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
BlockBeacon Raises $500K
Santa Monica-based BlockBeacon, the developer of mobile apps headed by Brandon Mills, former co-founder and Head of Product at SocialVibe, has raised $500,000, the firm disclosed Friday. The funding was led by Resolute.VC, the new venture fund of Mike Hirshland, formerly of Polaris. BlockBeacon develops a mobile app which helps users discoverpromotions from local restaurants and bars. The firm did not say when the funding round was received; the funding was disclosed as part of a release of the (More info...)
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012 (More)(Full story)
Pathway Genomics In Brazilian Deal
San Diego-based Pathway Genomics, the venture backed provider of genetic testing services, reported a win this morning with a Brazilian medical diagnostics company. Pathway Genomics said it has tied with Diagnosticos da America, which it says is the largest private medical diagnostics company in Latin America. Size of the deal was not disclosed, but Pathway said the deal would give physicians in the region access to its genetic testing services.
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
NTS Wins Industry Group
Calabasas-based National Technical Systems, the provider of testing and engineering services, reported a win this morning from industry group the USNAP Alliance. NTS said it will be the exclusive test tool developer and certification test lab for the group, focused on creating standards between meters, in-home displays, programmable thermostats, and such products as electric water heaters, HVAC, washing machines, and pool pumps. The firm did not say what kind of fiscal impact the deal will prov (More info...)
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
Amazon Studios Sets First Four Content Projects
Amazon Studios, the content development effort being run out of Amazon.com's Los Angeles arm, the People's Production Company, has set the first four projects being developed by the company. According to Amazon, it has selected one children's show and three comedies as the first four content development efforts at the company. Amazon said it will provide $10,000 as option extensions to the creators of The 100 Deaths of Mort Grimley (Angel Castlilo), Doomsday (Nathan Thomas), Magic Monkey Billion (More info...)
posted on Monday, June 25, 2012(Full story)
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