Tuesday, February 2, 2016FamousBirthdays.com Passes 10M UniquesLos Angeles-based FamousBirthdays.com, the online site which lets users look up who had a famous birthday on any day of the year, and who shares those famous birthdays, said Tuesday that it just passed 10 million monthly unique users. The site, founded by Evan Britton, says it now has 16 full time employees. The site shows all of the celebrities who share a birthday, along with a biography of those celebrities, facts and trivia, birth signs, and rankings among other celebrities. The site not onl (More info...)
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Susa Ventures Seeks $50M For Second FundSusa Ventures, an early stage investment firm which has an office in Los Angeles, is looking to raised a $50M, second fund, Susa Venture II, according to a recent regulatory filing. Details on the fundraising effort have not been announced by the company. The fund targets investments in early stage companies focused on data, analytics, and related tools. The new fund lists Seth Berman, Chad Byers, and Leo Polovets as Managing Members. Eva Ho, formerly an executive at Factual, Google/YouTube, and (More info...)
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Synoptek Acquires Earthlink's IT Services BusinessIrvine-based Synoptek, a managed services provider backed by private equity investors, said Monday that it has acquired EarthLink's IT Services business. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. As part of the acquisition, Synoptek has received equity funding from Sverica Capital Management, Five Points Capital, and Portfolio Advisors, plus debt from Zions Bank and Comerica. Synoptek is a provider of IT consulting, managed services, and other related cloud services.
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Group Plans Drone Racing Event In Burbank This WeekendA local startup, which organizes and runs drone racing events, is holding an invite-only event this weekend to qualify UAV pilots for a competition in Dubai later this year. According to the Aerial Grand Prix, it is hosting a local qualifier to advance pilots to the World Drine Prix in Dubai, which is dangling a $1M prize. Aerial Grand Prix said the event is being run in partnership with the International Drone Racing Association (IDRA), and will feature both multirotor and fixed wing model airc (More info...)
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RadPad Aims At Short Term RentersLos Angeles-based RadPad, the apartment search and rental startup led by Jonathan Eppers, says it expanding its service to cover short-term rental listing with the latest release of its service. According to the company, it now features short term rentals from onefinestay, Airbnb, and HomeSuite on its marketplace, in addition to its existing long-term listings. RadPad said the move comes from major landlords, who the company said prefer short-term renters (looking to stay a few weeks or months a (More info...)
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AeroVironment Drone Used In Antarctic MissionSimi Valley-based AeroVironment reports this morning that its Puma unmanned aircraft have been used in a mission to Antarctica, by the United States Coast Guard. Aerovironment said its hand-launched, Puma AE UAS was used for the Operation Deep Freeze resupply mission, the military component of a resupply mission to the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station. The mission ran from December 30th to January 18th. AeroVironment said its unmanned aircraft were used aboard the U.S. Coast Guard' (More info...)
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Alelo, USC Team On Virtual Learning TechnologyLos Angeles-based Alelo, which develops game-based, role playing simulations and teaching technology, says that it has partnered with the USC Institute for Creative Technologies, to co-develop disruptive learning technology. Alelo--which originally spun out of USC--said they have been partially funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, to build a project called VRP (Virtual role-playing) Builder, which is aimed at helping to make it easier to develop virtual role playing-based lear (More info...)
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Biosynthetic Technologies Gets $100M Loan Guarantee From USDAIrvine-based Biosynthetic Technologies, a developer of high performance biobased oils targeting the automotive and industrial lubricant market, has received a $100M loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the company. Biosynthetic said the guarantee will go towards a guarantee of 80 percent of a loan being issued for the company to build a commercial-scale manufacturing plant. The loan guarantee was made under the USDA's Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased (More info...)
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Yardi Acquires German Software CompanySanta Barbara-based real estate management software developer Yardi Systems has acquired a German company, iMS Immobilien Management Systeme GmbH, a developer of commercial property management software, the companies said very late last night. Financial terms ofthe acquisition were not disclosed. Yardi said that iMS will become its new head office for Germany.YArdi's software is used for investment and property management by real estate investors and managers.
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Microsemi Opens New R&D Center In IrelandAliso Viejo-based Microsemi, which develops power and other semiconductors, said it has opened up a new R&D facility in Ireland, to focus on design, development, and manufacturing of products for the aviation industry. According to Microsemi, the new, 1,900 square foot research and development center is basedin Ennis, Ireland. The company said its new Aviation Centre of Excellence will focus on a new product line of high reliability, aviation power products. Microsemi did not say why it selected (More info...)
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Procore Technologies Wins Big Construction ClientCarpinteria-based Procore Technlogies, which develops cloud-based, construction management software, said it has signed its largest deal to date, with construction company Mortenson Construction. Financial impact of the win was not disclosed. Procore, which is led by Tooey Courtemanche, said that Mortenson Construction is approximately number 18 in the nation in terms of top construction firms, based on industry rankings. Procore is venture backed by ICONIQ Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners.
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Anytime Mailbox Takes On Postal MailSanta Monica-based Anytime Mailbox says that it is expanding its service, which lets users receive their postal (snail) mail anywhere at one of 38 locations, and have that mail scanned and sent to their computers, phones, or a tablet. The startup, led by Matt Going, said that, since founding in 2013, it has now spread to 70 locations in 35 different metro areas, where it will receive mail scan that mail, deposit checks, recycle, shred, and also let users pickup that mail, starting at $9.99 per m (More info...)
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