Monday, August 27, 2018BigRentz Sets New Operations VPIrvine-based BigRentz, the private equity-backed online marketplace for heavy equipment rentals, has named a new Vice President of Operations, the company said today. According to the company, it has promoted Keith Holmes to Vice President of Operations, from his prior position as Director of Strategic Partnerships. The company said that Holmes will lead operational management of the inbound customer queue, customer care, specialty services and supply. Holmes has been Director of Strategic Partn (More info...)
posted on Monday, August 27, 2018(Full story)
Walmart: Turning San Diego Into A Key Technology CenterWhen people think Walmart, they don't often think of the retail giant as a technology leader. However, the company's technology team, Walmart Labs (www.walmartlabs.com)--which said this month that it is planning on major growth in San Diego--- is responsible for the company's key supply chain technology, online e-commerce site, and much more. We caught up with Claude Jones, who is in charge of growing Walmart's technology team in Carlsbad from 70 people and tripling the team, out of new offices (More info...)
posted on Monday, August 27, 2018(Full story)
Totally Bored Takes $250K For Teen Trivia AppLos Angeles-based Totally Bored, a new startup developing trivia apps for millennials, said last week that it has raised $250,000 in a seed funding round. The funding came from internet entrepreneur Oded 'O.D.' Kobo. Totally Bored is led by co-founder and CEO Gal Michaeli, a 19-year-old. According to the startup, it is a "clever new trivia app" that was "founded by millennials for millennials". The app currently ony runs on iOS. According to the company, the new funding will go towards developme (More info...)
posted on Monday, August 27, 2018(Full story)
Rakuten Aspyrian Finds $150M For Cancer TreatmentsSan Diego-based biotechnology developer Rakuten Aspyrian announced last week that it has raised $150M for its efforts to develop treatments for head and neck cancer. According to Rakuten Aspyrian, the Series C funding round was led by Hiroshi Mikitani, the CEO of Japan's Rakuten. The company has now raised $238M in total funding. Mikitani also was the lead investor on both of Rakuten Aspyrian's prior rounds. According to the company, the new funds will go towards advancing its lead compound, ASP (More info...)
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QAD CEO Karl Lopker Dead At 66Santa Barbara-based software developer QAD announced this morning that its CEO, Karl Lopker, has passed away. According to QAD, Lopker passed away on Saturday, August 25th. Lopker was just 66 years old. Details and circumstances around Lopker's death were not announced by the company. Lopker joined QAD in 1979, and prior to that, co-founded Deckers Outdoor Corporation. Karl Lopker's wife, Pam, founded QAD. According to QAD, it will consider options for a permanent CEO appointment "in due course" (More info...)
posted on Monday, August 27, 2018(Full story)
GoGuardian Targets Suicide In Elementary Schools With New SoftwareLos Angeles-based GoGuardian, a developer of educaitonal software, says it is targeting the problem of suicide and self-harm in K-12 schools, with a new product called Beacon. According to GoGuardian, its new tool uses mahcine learning to identify and alert school staff about at-risk students, so they can get assistance they need. According to GoGuardian, the new software assesses the content students are creating and interacting with online via web searches, social media, chat, forums, email an (More info...)
posted on Monday, August 27, 2018(Full story)