Tuesday, April 26, 2016SpaceX Veterans Announce New Satellite Launch Firm, Vector Space SystemsA new, microsatellite launch firm--founded by veterans of SpaceX--said today that it has raised more than $1M to launch the startup. Vector Space Systems led by former SpaceX executive Jim Cantrell, said it raised $1M in an angel funding to develop a mirosatellite launch company. The company's co-founders include John Garvey (SpaceX), Ken Sunshine (Virgin Galactic, Moon Express, Orbital Science), and Eric Besnard (NASA, Air Force). Cantrell is based in Arizona, but the company's other founders a (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2016(Full story)
Finistere Ventures, International Farming Corporation Form New Venture FundSan Diego-based Finistere Ventures, and farming giant International Farming Corporation (IFC) said today that they have launched a new venture fund, Willow Hill Ventures. According to the two, Willow Hill Ventures will focus on providing growth capital to help early agricultural technology startups scale into viable farming businesses. The company specifically said it is looking to "bridge the Series B funding gap." The new fund will focus on companies in informatics/big data, novel farm systems (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2016(Full story)
Chrome River Wins SonocoLos Angeles-based cloud-based expense and invoice management software developer Chrome River Technologies has signed on Sonoco Products Company as a new customer, the company said today. Financial details of the customer win were not announced, however, Chrome River said the deployment has it supporting expense reports for 20,000 employees across 34 countries. Sunoco is based in Hartsville, S.C. Sonoco is a producer of packaging for the consumper packaged goods and other industries.
posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2016(Full story)
Ceres Gets Two Crop PatentsThousand Oaks-based agricultural biotechnology developer Ceres reports that it hs received two, U.S. patents on crop traits that it says it is looking to apply to such crops as corn, soybean, forage sorghum and cotton. The two patents are U.S. Patent No. 9,303,268 and U.S. Patent No. 9,309,573, and bring the company's total number of patents to approximately 90. The '268 patent focuses on improving low light tolerance in plants, and names Shing Kwok, Sam Harris, and James Burns as inventors, wi (More info...)
posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2016(Full story)
CTC Global Appoints Engineering VPIrvine-based CTC Global, a developer of carbon composites used in high voltage power lines, said it has named Bill Webb as its new Vice President, Engineering. Webb has been at the company since 2014, and previously served at Cytec Engineering Materials, supporting the development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Webb reports to CEO J.D. Sitton.
posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2016(Full story)
Resonant Completes $6M Private PlacementGoleta-based Resonant, which designs radio frequency front end filters, says it has completed its $6M private placement. The funding came from both institutional and individual accredited investors. The publicly held company had announced the deal for the private placement earlier. The placement was managed by National Securities Corporation and Drexel Hamilton.
posted on Tuesday, April 26, 2016(Full story)