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Spotify's content chief moves to Pluto TV
One of Spotify's longest tenured executives, Ken Parks, has announced that he will become Pluto TV's executive chairman in October. The LA-based online video platform was created in 2013 and has already brought in over $13 million in funding. By supporting long form and short form video, Pluto TV plans to be a one-stop destination for all online video content. [Spotify’s Content Chief Moves to Online Video Start-Up Pluto TV: The New York Times]
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LA Times names Top 10 Tech Innovators List
The business section of the LA times named the 10 Innovators to Watch in LA. The list includes Women in Tech International's Carolyn Leighton, Pritzker VC's Chirag Chotalia, uBeam's Meredith Perry, and Buzzfeed's Ze Frank. [LA Times Publishes Top 10 Tech Innovators List: LA Tech Digest]
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AssetAvenue announces new CFO
AssetAvenue, the online lender for real estate investment properties, announced Monday that Peter Coleman will join the company as Chief Financial Officer. Coleman —who was formerly CFO of FuHu— brings more than 20 years of financial management experience and investment banking experience focused on technology companies. He will be responsible for leading the company’s financial management and accounting functions and advising on corporate finance strategies.
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Soylent launches new product
Soylent 2.0 was announced this week, improving on the company's original drink that they hope will replace all eating and drinking with it's nutrient-packed formula. Soylent says its new product is entirely vegan, and uses "farm-free, algae sources" for half of its fat energy. [Soylent Launches New Product With Soylent 2.0: SoCal Tech]
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Luxe rolls out designated driver service in LA
The demand luxury valet service has announced a post-drinking drive home service in LA. The service was piloted in Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle and will take users home in their own car for $25 dollars and $3 per mile. Luxe has also announced that $1 of every ride will be donated to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. [Luxe Launches Post-Drinking Drive Home Service In LA: SoCal Tech]
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Heal expands its menu to stitches and physicals
The on-demand doctor service, Heal, has added two new services to their in-home care options. Users can now order a doctor for any sutures and/or back-to-school physicals and receive the service within the hour for $99. [Heal Expands Into Back To School Physicals, Stitches: SoCal Tech]
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HowLoud and Factual create SoundScore for homes
In order to aid home-buyers, HowLoud has utilized Factual's extensive LA business data to create geographically-specific SoundScores. The different factors include vehicle noise, airport noise, local commercial noise, and specific local noise sources like bars or auto shops. [Know your noise level: HowLoud and Factual create Soundscore for homes: Built In]
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This week's Fundings
Seriously, $18 million
Who invested: Northzone Korea, Investment Partners, along with previous investors Upfront Ventures, Sunstone Capital and Daher Capital.
The Venice company will use the funding to build out their production teams and invest in international marketing programs. Their premiere game, Best Fiends — which launched in 2014 and has been downloaded 15 million times — will be expanding into a global entertainment franchise.
AdtoApp, $6 million
Who invested: Run Capital
The LA-based company creates tools to help publishers double their effective CPM (eCPM), by predicting who is going to bid on their ads and selecting the highest paying advertisement, rather than ad network, for an ad placement.
Fem Inc. (PRIZMA), $3 million
Who invested: Javelin Venture Partners, MESA+ LLC, Techstars, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company in connection with the company’s participation in the Disney Accelerator program and several angel investors.
The company — currently in the Disney Accelerator — has created PRIZMA to provide viewers with personalized, engaging video experiences that align with their interests and deeper motivations. Fem Inc. consists of a former Google engineer, a former Google executive and a neuroeconomist PhD from Caltech.
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