LA tech roundup: Snapchat breaks a record, History In Pictures raises money, LegalZoom goes English and more

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Just hours before midnight on New Years Eve, Snapchat declared a $485.6 million Series D round. The company also has confirmed that it had raised investments from a total of 23 different investors. Reportedly, some of Snapchat’s investors include Yahoo, Alibaba and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, though Snapchat has declined to comment on specifics. According to Dow Jones VentureSource, Snapchat’s $485.6 million round is the 10th largest raise in US history. In total, Snapchat has raised about $648 million and is reportedly valued at over $10 billion dollars. [Snapchat raises $486M Series D: 10th largest funding in US history: Built In LA]

 

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All Day, the media company behind the Twitter accounts History In Pictures and Earth Pics, has raised $2 million from Upfront Ventures, 500 Startups and Daher Capital. Investor Mark Suster, a partner at Upfront Ventures, said of the company’s founder Eric Damier: “[He’s] got one of the best sensibilities for building a social media brand since [Buzzfeed and Huffington Post’s] Jonah Peretti.” The company, which also has a website, wants to use its new money to grow its Twitter and Instagram followers to 60 to 70 million Twitter by 2015. [All Day raises $2M to be a media portal for the Twitter generation: TechCrunch]

 

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J2 Global, a cloud services company, went on a buying spree in December. The company bought eight firms including: Ookla; Newrise Corp, Arion IT Limited; Technology Partners; Quantum RBS Inc.; Comendo Security A/S; Stay Secure, and TestudoData. Locations of newly acquired companies varied widely from Denmark to Mount Vernon, in Washington state. J2 mainly makes its money via online faxing, data backup, email marketing and other business communications software.[J2 Global makes eight acquisitions in one month: LA Business Journal]

 

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Online legal services company LegalZoom is expanding to the United Kingdom. The UK, also a common law country like the United States, has approved LegalZoom to provide legal services. The company will be set up as an alternative business structure and said it will work closely with lawyers, suggesting that some of the services it provides to consumers in the United States may initially be limited by laws regulating how legal representation is provided in the UK. [LegalZoom to sell services in UK: San Fernando Valley Business Journal]

 

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Dish Network has accelerated the unbundling of premium television with the launch of Sling TV. As part of the package, Culver-City based YouTube MCN Maker Studios will be offering content. The new package will focus on providing a limited set of popular television channels, including ESPN, ABC Family, CNN and the Food Network. A lack of sports channels was a major obstacle for unbundling in the past. Burbank-based Disney owns Maker Studios as well as ESPN and ABC Family. [Dish Network aims Sling TV ads at young viewers who shun cable bills: Reuters]