Wednesday, May 17, 2017


Cue Collects $15.5M In Funding Round
San Diego-based Cue, a developer of health tracking devices that provide DNA and RNA analysis of infectious and other disease, has raised $15.5M in a funding round, according to a regulatory filing from the firm. The funding included Sherpa Ventures and Rohan Oza of CAVU Venture Partners. The company--which has yet to launch its devices--says it has over 50 people in San Diego working on its devices, which it says can detect such issues as influenza, HIV, Strep throat, Chlamydia / Gonorrhea, and (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 (More)(Full story)

Rocket Lab Plans First Test Flight Of Satellite Launch Rocket
Rocket Lab, a Huntington Beach-based startup developing launch rockets, is hoping to join SpaceX as the second, venture-backed rocket developer in Southern California to reach space with a launch on May 22nd. Rocket Lab--which is venture backed by Khosla Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Data Collective, Promus Ventures, Lockheed Martin and K1W1--said it is targeting a 10-day, launch attempt window from May 22, for its first launch attempt of its Electron rocket. Rocket Lab, which is led by P (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2017(Full story)

TealTech Capital Gets $60M For Medtech Fund, Makes First Investment
San Diego-based TealTech Capital, a new, $60M venture investment fund backed by Torrey Pines Investment, has launched its new investment fund, and made its first investment. Torrey Pines Investment said on Tuesday that the new fund will focus on start-ups in the areas of point-of-care diagnostics and treatment, novel organizational and financial models of health services delivery, including in-home and virtual care, as well as artificial intelligence and deep learning healthcare support systems. (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2017(Full story)

UberEATS Links With McDonald's For Delivery In LA, OC, Riverside
Craving some french fries, but don't want to drive down to your local McDonald's to order some? UberEATS, the on-demand food delivery service run by Uber, and McDonald's of Southern California said that UberEATS has launched delivery service for more than 375 McDonald's restaurants in Los Angeles County, Orange County and Riverside County. McDonald's and UberEATS said that customers can place McDonald's orders either on the UberEATS mobile app, or through UberEATS.com, using their existing Uber (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2017(Full story)

Interview with Ted Dhanik, engage:BDR
Ted Dhanik is co-founder and CEO of West Hollywood-based engage: BDR (www.engagebdr.com), which recently just launched an influencer marketing platform aimed at Instagram.users. Ted was an executive at Myspace, as VP of Strategic Marketing, and was at LowerMyBills before that. Engage:BDR has just launched a platform which lets brands browse and discover influencers, create campaigns, and reach customers through limited time advertisements posted by those influencers. So you were telling us (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2017(Full story)

CrowdStrike Raises $100M, Joins Unicorn Club
Irvine-based cybersecuriy sofware developer CrowdStrike has raised $100M in aa Series D funding, the company said this morning, which values the company a more than $1 billion. The new funding was led by Accel, and also included CapitalG (formerly Google Capital), Warburg Pincus, March Capital Partners, and Telstra. CrowdSrike has now raised $256M in total. The company said the funding will go towards growth efforts and to help meet demand for its CrowdStrike Falcon endpoint protection software. (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 (More)(Full story)

Swell Launches Social Impact Investing Platform
Newport Beach-based Swell, a new fintech startup, said on Tuesday that it has launched a new online platform which lets consumers invest in specific portfolios focused on social impact. Swell said it lets users invest as little as $500 into such themed investments in the areas of green technology, renewable energy, zero waste, clean water, healthy living, and disease eradication. The startup, led by CEO Dave Fanger, said it is looking to deliver both profit and help support companies addressing (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2017(Full story)

Qualcomm Sues Apple Manufacturers For Non-Payment
San Diego-based Qualcomm announced this morning that it has filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California against FIH Mobile Ltd. and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., (together known as Foxconn), Pegatron Corporation, Wistron Corporation, and Compal Electronics, Inc., over non-payment of royalties owed to the company for manufacturing Apple's iPhones and iPads. Qualcomm filed the lawsuit after Apple told those manufacturers to stop paying Qual (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2017(Full story)

Activision Launches Call Of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles
Santa Monica-based games publisher Activision said on Tuesday that it has released Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles, a collection of eight, Zombie-themed maps from Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Call of Duty: Black Ops II. The new collection will initially be available only on the Playstation 4. Activision said it has "remastered" the maps and titles, adding new visuals, enhanced audio, and new gameplay. Activision said the MSRP on the new collection is $2 (More info...)
posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2017(Full story)