Wednesday, October 29, 2014Sientra Up In IPO TradingSanta Barbara-based Sientra, a developer of aethetic medicine implants, rose in its IPO on Wednesday, trading as high as $17.90 during morning trading. The company priced last night at $15 per share, selling 5 million shares of its common stock on the NASDAQ as SIEN. The company had priced at the midpoint of its initial estimated IPO range of $14.00 to $16.00 last night. Sientra was venture backed by OrbiMed, Clarus Ventures, Abingworth MAanagement, Goldman Sachs, and TIAA-CREF, among others. Si (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2014(Full story)
Amgen Plans To Cut 1100 MoreThe news for employees over at Thousand Oaks-based Amgen got worse on Tuesday, after the company said it is deepening job cuts, and plans to now cut 20 percent of its employees as part of previously announced cutbacks at the company. Amgen--which originally planned to cut around 15 percent of its staff--said in a regulatory filing Tuesday it will reduce staffing by approximately 600 to 1,100 positions in addition to the previously announced cuts. That will bring its total number of employee cuts (More info...)
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SpaceX Thrust Into Critical Role After Competitor's Catastrophic ExplosionHawthorne-based SpaceX has been thrust into a critical role with NASA, after a catastrophic launch failure and explosion in Virginia Tuesday evening. Orbital Sciences aborted the launch of its Antares rocket mission Tuesday evening, scattering pieces of its rocket across the night sky. The rocket had carried 5,000 pounds of experiments and equipment for the crew of the International Space Station. Both Orbital Sciences and SpaceX had been selected to help provide resupply services to the ISS by (More info...)
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P.S. XO, Seedling Merge, Raise $7M For Children's Crafts, ToysLos Angeles-based P.S. XO, the e-commerce and crafts startup founded by Soleil Moon Frye and Kara Nortman, said this morning that it has merged with craft and toy brand Seedling, and raised $7M in a funding round. The funding came from Upfront Ventures and Greycroft Partners. P.S. XO and Seedling both have offered a multi-channel, comprehensive strategy that brings crafts and toys not just to retail locations but also e-commerce. The companies are also heavily social, with a huge focus on postin (More info...)
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weeSPIN Finds Funding For Social Networking AppLos Angeles-based weeSPIN announced late Tuesday that it has raised a seed investment round for its music-focused, social networking app. weeSPIN is led by Darius Fong, and offers up an app with a collaborative playlist and connects to streaming music services like Soundcloud and Spotify. Source and size of the seed funding were not announced by he company, however, the company said its advisors and investors include Kevin Fong (formerly of Mayfield Fund), Kelli Richards (formerly of Apple), and (More info...)
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Taco Bell Launches Mobile Ordering, Payment AppIrvine-based quick serve restaurant chain Taco Bell said Tuesday that it has launched mobile ordering and payment -- thanks to technology from Los Angeles-based Tillster. Taco Bell said it will let users order and pay for food at the restaurant using either a new iOS or Android mobile ordering app. Taco Bell said its new app lets users custom order ingredients and pay for orders, which can be picked up through drive through or a separate line within the store. Much of the functionality of the ne (More info...)
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TYLT Rolls Out Wireless Car Charging MountLos Angeles-based electronics accessory maker TYLT has rolled out a pair of new wireless charging product Tuesday. Those products include a wireless car charging mount, which combines wireless charging with a place to put your smartphone or tablet while driving, and a standalone wireless charging pad called the VU SOLO. TYLT's VU Wireless Charging Car Mount is a car mount which supports up to 5.7 inch displays and also includes a built in, wireless charging pad with support for the Qi wireless c (More info...)
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iRise Offers Up Software To Local UniversitiesEl Segundo-based
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