Merry Christmas Upfront Ventures! LA-based Upfront, best known for its early investments in Maker Studios (sold to Disney for ~$1B, depending on Maker’s ability to reach financial milestones), has raised the cash for its latest fund, its fifth. The last fund Upfront raised was $200 million in 2012. Says Upfront partner MarkSuster, “In 2015 we go back to square one and start…
This Sunday December 7, CicLAvia eill be launching another bike-friendly trek through the streets of Los Angeles. This edition will roll through a 6-mile stretch around south LA (with a large portion around USC for geo reference). In addition to a route blocked off for biking en masse, there will also be a tech expo at the beginning of the path, between…
Troy Carter’s ATOM FACTORY recently announced dates for Season Two of its SMASHD LABS Accelerator Program; applications are now being accepted until June 5. Up to seven companies will be selected for this year’s program, which launches right after Labor Day, and wraps in the middle of November. SMASHD’s first Cohort brought four early-stage + one mature company into the fold: Sidestep:…
With a passion and a mission to bring happiness to the world, Venice-based meditation app HEADSPACE describes itself as a “gym membership of the mind.” and is on a mission to demystify meditation. And with a recent $34 million raise, the company plans on expanding minds and soothing souls with a lot more muscle. Having largely built its following through key partnerships,…
This morning’s Wall Street Journal reports that YouTube has approached top onscreen talent with bonuses in order to keep them posting to the service. The bonuses come in response to heavy wooing for exclusive windows by upcoming services like Vessel (flush with $75 million in funding and run by former Hulu exec Jason Killar). Facebook is making more nuanced overtures by meeting…
In yet another sign of peak video, COLLEGE HUMOR owner IAC (home to Tinder and many other online faves) is seeking a buyer to the tune of $100 million. This is just part of the cycle, in which early pioneers of the space seek an exit after spending millions of dollars over the past decade to build a site heavy with content…
(alright, so it’s a leading headline, but we hear that clickbait crap works really well. sure…..) ZERO. ZILCH. NADA. That’s how much moolah 26-year old Whisper CEO Michael Heyward took off the table for himself after the company recently raised $60 million. Nope, Heyward believes in his company so much that he did not want to cash out any of his shares…
MakerSquare, a 12-week coding bootcamp with locations in San Francisco and Austin, announced the official launch of its Los Angeles location. To celebrate, their new MakerPrep program and diversity-focused scholarship was also announced in conjunction with the launch. The scholarship provides full-ride coverage of the $16,920 12-week program fee for selected applicants with eligibility open to women and underrepresented applicants. “Access to…