LA tech companies were busy last week. Big names like Walmart are partnering with local startups and other companies are making strides after big funding rounds. This is the Built In LA weekly refresh.
TalkShopLive partnered with Walmart. TalkShopLive combines live shopping with content, technology and connection allowing anyone to endorse products and host live shows. The company partnered with Walmart to bring more opportunities to sellers. [Built In LA]
AvantStay raised $160M. AvantStay is a hospitality platform changing the way people transact, travel and invest in the short-term rental industry. The Series B funding round will be used to expand AvantStay into new markets, enhance the company’s technology offerings and launch its brokerage services nationally. [FinSMEs]
Medal.tv brought in $60M. Medal.tv’s platform for short-form videos allows gamers to connect and interact. The company is continuing its launch of Medal version 3.0, “a super-powered new version of Medal,” according to VentureBeat. [VentureBeat]
LOS ANGELES TECH QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Elementary got $30M. Pasadena-based Elementary is a platform that uses AI to allow manufacturers to inspect the quality of their products. The company plans to double its employee headcount to 100 in the next six months. [Built In LA]
Papaya gained $50M. The Series B round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners with participation from other investors. Papaya is an app that uses AI technology to efficiently let users pay their bills by taking a picture of any type of bill — think rent or hospital bills — and paying them through their phone. The fresh funding will allow Papaya to “substantially” grow its team. [Built In LA]
Hive Technologies raised $30M. The recent investment will allow Hive to continue its mission to create EVs and renewable energy-based charging infrastructure. Hive’s model reduces the return on invested carbon dioxide of EVs to one year, as compared to seven years, on average, without Hive. [Business Wire]
GumGum acquired Playground XYZ. GumGum is a contextual intelligence platform, and Playground XYZ uses a mixture of AI, machine learning and real-time eye-tracking to measure the amount of time audiences spend on ads. The acquisition will allow the companies to offer data on the effectiveness of ads and attention patterns. [AD Exchanger]
