LA tech roundup: Underwear in under an hour, Shark Tank rejecter raises $4.5M, Cookie Jam is Facebook's best & more

Uber is facing a lawsuit from the Los Angeles and San Francisco District Attorneys. Uber was warned in September of an impending lawsuit from the District Attorneys, which said the ride sharing company's criminal background checks were insufficient, misleading customers to believe the company screened out drivers who have ever committed criminal offenses. Los Angeles is one of Uber's biggest markets. In other places, Uber has also had a tough week: in Dehli, India where one of its drivers allegedly raped a passenger, Uber was banned, a judge in Spain suspended Uber, the Netherlands banned Uber drivers until they get taxi licenses, and the city of Portland, Oregon is suing Uber to shut it down. [Uber under pressure as more bans and lawsuits loom: BBC]

 

 

 

Ring, a smart doorbell company based in Santa Monica, raised a $4.5 million Series A and $2.5 million in debt financing. Formerly known as Doorbot, Ring makes a “smart doorbell” that lets users know when someone is at their door using video, motion detection and a mobile app for viewing.  True Ventures led the round, with participation from First Round Capital, Queensbridge Venture, Upfront Ventures and angel investors including Steve Russell. Ring is also known for rejecting a financing offering from the reality television show Shark Tank. [Ring Raises $4.5 Million Series A From True Ventures for “Smart Doorbells:” WSJ]

 

 

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Underwear e-commerce company MeUndies now will deliver a fresh pair in under an hour, thanks to a partnership with Postmates. The new service comes as Postmates rolls out a new API that will allow third-party companies like MeUndies to offer local delivery via its on-demand delivery service. Shorts, briefs, T-shirts and sweatpants are also available for fast delivery. The service is only available in Los Angeles now, but the company has plans to expand to other cities in 2015. [Need undies fast? MeUndies now offers same-day delivery: Biz Journals]

 

 

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SGN’s mobile game Cookie Jam was awarded Facebook’s "2014 Game of the Year." The color matching game, which is similar to Candy Crush, launched in May and has well over 5 million players. To make mobile gaming hits SGN founder and CEO Chris DeWolfe has emphasized the need to make sure games are well polished before launch; the app store is too crowded for mediocrity. SGN also launched The Book of Life Sugar Smash this fall, a companion game to the movie “The Book of Life.” DeWolfe previously told Built In LA that he sees mobile games using Hollywood intellectual property as an important part of the industry’s future (think Kim Kardashian: Hollywood mobile game).[Candy Crush killer? Facebook names Cookie Jam as its best game of 2014: The Guardian]

 

 

WhipClip, an app that legally pulls clips from television shows for sharing online, raised $20 million. Led and founded by former Demand Media founder and CEO Richard Rosenblatt, WhipClip hopes to make the vast oceans of content still flowing through traditional television more social. “There is no easy and legal way for viewers to find and share their favorite TV moments,” said Rosenblatt. So that users have a legitimate and high-quality method for finding clips, WhipClip has deals with shows on ABC, CBS and A&E Networks. The app currently is in beta.[WhipClip raises $20M so you can legally rip TV clips & share online: Built In LA]