Monday, March 20, 2017


Report: ShadeCraft Raises $2M For Solar Tracking Sunshade
Pasadena-based ShadeCraft, which is developing a "smart" sunshade/umbrella which tracks the sun, absorbs solar energy, and includes built in speakers, a camera, and smartphone charger, has reportedly raised $2M in a seed funding. Source and details of that funding have not been announced. The company is targeting its sunshade/umbrella for use at home, on the beach, and at outdoor activities.
posted on Monday, March 20, 2017(Full story)

Peregrine Semiconductor Buys Arctic Sand Technologies
San Diego-based Peregrine Semiconductor, which is now owned by Murata, has acquired Arctic Sand Technologies, a developer of low power semiconductors used for DC-DC power conversion. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced. Peregrine and Murata said the acquisition will help Murata in its power electronics efforts. Artic Sand was based in Burlington, Mass.
posted on Monday, March 20, 2017(Full story)

SpaceX Returns Dragon, And NASA Cargo, To Earth
SpaceX, the Los Angeles-based spacecraft and rocket developer led by Elon Musk, successfully returned a SpaceX Dragon capsule to earth on Sunday, full of 5,400 pounds of cargo from the International Space Station. The SpaceX Dragon departed the ISS at 5:11 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 19th, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 7:52 a.m. PT. SpaceX says it is now transporting the Dragon to NASA. SpaceX typically returns those capsules through Long Beach. The SpaceX Dragon had been at the ISS for (More info...)
posted on Monday, March 20, 2017(Full story)

SetPoint Medical Adds New Enterprise Associates As Investor
Valencia-based biomed startup SetPoint Medical announced this morning that it has received a new investment from New Enterprise Associates. Size of the investment, and details of the round, were not announced by the company. SetPoint said that NEA joins Morgenthaler Ventures, Boston Scientific, Topspin Partners, Medtronic, and GlaxoSmithKline's Action Potential Venture Capital Limited as an investor in the company. As part of the investment, Setpoint is adding Josh Makower, General Partners at N (More info...)
posted on Monday, March 20, 2017(Full story)

Machinima Names New GM As Gutstein Leaves
Burbank-based
posted on Monday, March 20, 2017(Full story)

Yardi Gets Win In Kuwait
Santa Barbara-based real estate management software developer Yardi has scored a win in Kuwait at the Kuwait Financial Centre "Markaz", the company said last week. Yardi said that Markaz will use its Yardi Voyager 7S software for its real estate portfolio management. Financial impact of the deal was not announced. Markaz has more than $3.05 billion (US) in assets under management. Markaz provides asset management and investment banking in the Middle East.
posted on Monday, March 20, 2017(Full story)

CALIENT Technologies Launches Into New Market
Santa Barbara-based optical switching equipment maker CALIENT Technologies has launched its optical switching product into a new market. CALIENT said its CALIENT S320 Optical Circuit Switch is in customer trials with government and commercial data center operators. The company said the switch is aimed at being used as a low latency optical us for data centers. CALIENT's switches use microelectromechanical (MEMS) chips for their high speed switching. Pricing on the new product was not announced.
posted on Monday, March 20, 2017(Full story)

Kelley Blue Book Expands Into Portugal
Irvine-based Kelley Blue Book, the online vehicle information and value provider, announced this morning that it is expanding into the country of Portugal. According to KBB, it has launched a new site at KBB.PT, which it says is its first international launch of the service. KBB said the international expansion is the first in a series of international launches planned for the service. The new site was built in partnership with Janela Digital, with pricing data from Portuguese automotive classif (More info...)
posted on Monday, March 20, 2017(Full story)