Wednesday, June 21, 2017


Cast & Crew Taps PayPal Exec As Chief Technology Officer
Burbank-based Cast & Crew Entertainment Services, which provides technology-enabled payroll and production-management services to the entertainment industry, has snagged a PayPal executive to serve as its new Chief Technology Officer. The company said today that Andrew Patterson, who was previously Senior Director, Transaction Engineering at PayPal Holdings, has joined as Chief Technology Officer. The company said Patterson will oversee its corporate technology and security teams, and also manag (More info...)
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BlockFraud Finds $5M For Anti-Fraud Software
Santa Monica-based BlockFraud, a developer of machine learning and artificial intelligence software used for detecting mobile fraud, has reportedly raised $5M in a Series A funding, the company disclosed on Wednesday. The company said the funding was led by Palisades Venture Capital (editor's note: apparently, a different investor than Palisades Growth Capital). BlockFraud is led by CEO Massimo Cristini.
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Firm Victimized In Netflix Hack Details Breach
The Los Angeles area studio, Larsen Studios which is at the center of the unauthorized release of episodes of Orange Is The New Black, has detailed how an old version of Windows as behind a massive breach of its network. In an in depth interview with Variety, the company said that--despite paying a Bitcoin ransom worth $50,000 to those hackers--those hackers released 10 episodes of the Netflix series online. The hackers also apparently got away with other content from Netflix, ABC, CBS and Disne (More info...)
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FloQast Adds $25M In Series B Funding
Los Angeles-based accounting software developer FloQast has raised $25M in a Series B funding round, the company announced today, bringing its total raised to $33M. The new funding was led by Insight Venture Partners, and also included Toba Capital and Polaris Partners. Harley Miller of Insight Venture Partners joins the company's board with the funding. FloQast develops close management software for accountants. The startup, which is led by Michael Whitmire, said it will use the new funding for (More info...)
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SerImmune Scores $8M For Antibody Mapping
Santa Barbara-based SerImmune, a developer of immune mapping technology, has raised $8M in a funding round to map out the human immune systems, according to the company. The funding was led by Illumina Ventures, and also included Merck and additional investors. The startup, led by CEO Patrick Daugherty, says it is developing immune mapping technology and a database of human antibodies which will help in identification of therapeutic and vaccine candidates. SerImmune says it maps the distinct ant (More info...)
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Amionx Gets Funding From Qualcomm
Carlsbad-based Amionx, a developer of technology which is aimed at making lithium-ion batteries safer, has raised a strategic round of funding from San Diego-based Qualcomm, according to the two companies on Tuesday. Size of the investment was not announced. According to the companies, Qualcommm President Derek Aberle joins the board at Amionx. Amionx says it is developing technology which acts like a circuit breaker in lithium-ion batteries, which prevents them from becoming the source of a fir (More info...)
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Oaktree Capital Invests In Shoals Technologies Group
Los Angeles-based private equity investor Oaktree Capital Management has made an investment in Shoals Technologies Group, a developer of junction boxes, wiring, and monitoring products for the solar electrical industry. Size of the investment was not announced. According to Shoals Technologies Group, the funding came from Oaktree's Power Opportunities group. Shoals was founded in 1996, and is based in Tennessee.
posted on Wednesday, June 21, 2017(Full story)