StartUp Beat

10/31/07 – FastCall411, a Hollywood-based local pay-per-call listing and search company, has announced the availability of its “FastCall” and “TryAnother” applications via an API, as part of a new partner recruitment program.

FastCall411 says it will now integrate with partners via the API that enables third parties to include a FastCall411 widget directly within local listings.  The company says the widget allows the consumer to contact local merchants using a click-to-talk application, or they can dial a local phone number as they ordinarily would.  FastCall also says it is in discussions with several major local search providers about integrating the technology into their listings.

FastCall officially launched at DEMOfall07 in September.  The company says it is taking a new approach to local search, using different criteria and a different data set than the traditional search engine approach of licensing old data from the yellow pages and ranking merchants based on proximity.

Consumers can access FastCall411 via the web or mobile device by selecting a category and entering their zip code and call-back number, according to the company.  Within seconds, FastCall411 says its automated dialing application contacts as many merchants in the searched category as is necessary to connect the consumer to a relevant merchant who is both available and interested in providing the service, according to the company.

FastCall411 says the consumer also has the option of selecting a specific merchant in the category.  If the call to that merchant doesn’t result in immediate satisfaction, the user can instruct the service to “try another.”  The company says the application will automatically dial recommended merchants until the one available merchant is on the phone and ready to satisfy the user’s need.

The service is free for users and is underwritten by participating merchants, according to the company.

FastCall411 – www.fastcall411.com

Posted by startupbeat at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/31/07 – Demand Media, the Santa Monica-based social media and domain holding company, has debuted a user advertising program for its .TV domain and social networking service.

.TV “channels” are social networking tools offered to registrants of .TV domains.  Registrants of these domains who activate their channels will now be able to use Demand Media’s advertising network, with ads showing up on their channels that generate revenue for the user of .TV channels.

Demand Media was founded in May 2006 by former MySpace.com chairman Richard Rosenblatt.  Demand and its fully-owned subsidiary, eNom, recently released the .TV channels service as a combined domain, online video and social networking product.

The company also owns a number of other web content properties, including Answerbag.com and eHow.

Demand Media – www.demandmedia.com

Posted by startupbeat at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/30/07 – Pasadena-based Entretech, the business development organization supporting high technology companies throughout greater Los Angeles, today publicly invited local technology companies to apply for its Fifth Annual Entrepreneurship Awards.  Offered in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Entretech says the Entrepreneurship Awards will again honor the region’s top emerging technology companies that “exemplify the best in entrepreneurial spirit and skills.”  The deadline to apply is November 29, according to Entretech.

Previous Entrepreneurship Award winners include LegalZoom, Snap.com, Prolacta Bioscience and Evolution Robotics.

Entretech says this year’s awards will honor leading-edge companies in three categories based on annual revenue: “Start-up” – under $1 million; “Emerging” – between $1 million and $8 million; and “Growth” – over $8 million.

Companies may self nominate or be proposed by a third party or organization.  Applicants must demonstrate a significant market potential for their product or service and a strong likelihood for achieving that potential, according to Entretech.

An awards selection committee, including representatives from prominent local venture capital firms and successful entrepreneurs and business leaders, will select finalists early next year.  Finalists will be announced at a “Hot Companies” breakfast on January 31, where they will have the opportunity to present before a large group of business leaders and investors, Entretech says.  The Entrepreneurship Awards winners will be announced on March 6, 2008 at the Awards dinner in downtown Los Angeles.

Entretech – www.entretech.org

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10/30/07 – Tarzana-based DigiContractor, maker of the iPhotoMeasure digital photo-based measuring software, has announced that it is offering the use of its innovative technology free to victims of the Southern California wildfires.

The iPhotoMeasure software makes it possible to measure distances from a digital photograph of an area, home or room with accuracy.  Anyone whose property has been damaged or destroyed, who needs to know the dimensions of their home’s damage, needs to archive the data, or file an insurance claim, can email a photo to iPhotoMeasure at photo@iphotomeasure.com, according to the company.  The homeowner will then receive the measurements they require, at no cost.

DigiContractor says its software works by taking the dimensions of a known element in the photograph—such as a fireplace or a person—and using that information to calculate the dimensions of other objects in the photo.  Fire victims can also download a target from the iPhotoMeasure web site and use it in all of their photos as a reference point, the company says.  DigiContractor has also extended the offer to insurance company representatives who require area measurements on the properties they have insured.

The company was founded in 2004 by Paul Minor, a contractor and entrepreneur.

DigiContractor/iPhotoMeasure – www.iphotomeasure.com

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10/29/07 – EarthLink, the Atlanta-based Internet service provider and one of the primary investors in Westwood-based mobile virtual network operator, or MVNO, Helio, posted a third-quarter loss that was driven in large part by its investment in Helio.  Quarterly reports from public companies EarthLink and Helio’s other investor SK Telecom provide a window into Helio’s financial position.  EarthLink’s report revealed a $41.9 million loss from Helio, with the MVNO’s revenue at $51.7 million for the quarter with a net loss of $92.3 million.

Helio has been under enormous pressure lately to demonstrate its viability after the spectacular collapse of fellow Los Angeles-based MVNO Amp’d Mobile, the closure of MVNO Disney Mobile and Helio’s recently layoffs of about 100 employees.  In addition, EarthLink recently decided to pass on further investment in Helio, while SK Telecom opted to up its stake in the company.

EarthLink said as part of its quarterly report that it would not participate in future funding rounds for Helio, but would “retain a meaningful ownership stake” in the company.

Helio has said that its customer base surpassed 130,000 during the quarter, and reiterated that it expects to have between 200,000 and 250,000 subscribers by the end of the year.

Helio – www.helio.com

Posted by startupbeat at 09:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

-Xirrus Demos Service at Interop – Westlake Village-based Xirrus, the provider of high-performance, long-range wi-fi products, demonstrated its new 802.11n Wi-Fi Platform at Interop New York last week.  The company, which has rolled out an impressive number of major deployments this year, also announced a comprehensive 802.11n Wi-Fi Array beta program that it says is scheduled to launch shortly after Interop.  The 802.11n wireless LAN standard, which is expected to be finalized next year, brings a significant performance boost to wi-fi networks beyond the current performance of 802.11g or 802.11a.

-Siderean Software CTO to Speak on Relational Navigation at Defrag, KMWorld & Intranets, Enterprise Search Summit West, and Taxonomy Boot Camp 2007 – Siderean Software, the El Segundo-based provider of relational navigation solutions, has announced that its CTO, Bradley Allen, will speak at four major search and content management conferences in November.  The company says Allen will discuss advances in relational navigation and how enterprises can use this innovative technology to bring social networking to the enterprise.

Posted by startupbeat at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/26/07 – Los Angeles-based greentech vehicle company Venture Vehicles is on track to roll out two versions of its three-wheel alternative energy vehicle in early 2009.  The company made the announcement this week at the Dow Jones Alternative Energy Innovations conference in Redwood City.

According to sources, customers will be able to choose between two versions of the two-seater—a plug-in hybrid that can hit top speeds of 100 mph and gets about 100 miles-per-gallon by replacing some gasoline with electricity or a fully electric version that can drive about 120 miles between charges and reach top speeds of about 70 miles-per-hour.

The plug-in hybrid is expected to cost about $20,000, with the all-electric version marked up to about $25,000, according to sources.

Venture Vehicles closed a $6 million series A financing round in August. 

Venture Vehicles – www.venturevehicles.com

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10/26/07 – Southern California’s healthy quarterly venture capital investment is continuing at a steady clip, according to a report released this week by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association.  For Southern California as a whole, the firms say that venture investment deals valued at almost $784 million closed in Q3.  Los Angeles County’s share was $342 million, second to San Diego County, with $359 million, and ahead of Orange County, which reported $83 million in venture funding in the quarter.

However, the big news may be that New England led the Southern California region in the second spot nationwide.  Silicon Valley, as always, occupied the report’s top spot.  For the past several quarters, Southern California has edged out New England, but the tables were reversed this quarter, with New England accounting for $998 million in funding.

Nationally, the report indicated that the Clean Tech, Internet, and Media and Entertainment sectors raised the most money during the quarter.

Posted by startupbeat at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/25/07 – Pasadena-based Evolution Robotics, the provider of robotic technologies for consumer products, and Hong Kong’s Wowwee Limited, a manufacturer of high-tech consumer robotic and entertainment products, today announced a joint agreement to launch a new category of entertainment robots, functional robots and robotic toys.  The companies say that at least three products are planned for release in 2009, with additional products under development.

The new products will be powered by Evolution Robotics’ latest NorthStar 2.0 robotic localization and direction technology.  The companies say the new devices will deliver breakthrough robotic capabilities that have never before been available to the robot and robotic toy mass market.

The product initiatives are the result of a strategic partnership between Evolution and Wowee, according to the companies, involving 18 months of research and development to design an innovative positioning and tracking system that will enable a robot to autonomously interact with people, environments, other robots and objects with pinpoint accuracy and control.

Under the latest agreement, Wowwee will manage the product manufacturing, marketing, and sales, and Evolution will provide the key enabling technologies and apply their expertise in robotics to integrate the products’ functions, the companies say.

Evolution Robotics is an IdeaLab startup.

Evolution Robotics – www.evolution.com

Posted by startupbeat at 09:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/25/07 – The Technology Council of Southern California has announced that Santa Barbara-based RightScale was voted “Best of Show” at the VentureNet 2007 conference, held earlier this month.  RightScale was selected from 13 startup and early-stage tech companies that presented at the event.  The award was chosen by a select group of investors who reviewed the companies against five specific criteria, according to the Technology Council.

The 13 companies that presented were a diverse group from throughout Southern California, from Santa Barbara to San Diego. 

The VentureNet show was held at The Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel in Costa Mesa.  Organizers say it was sold-out, with more than 425 venture capitalists, corporate and individual investors, and industry executives in attendance.  Scott Painter, founder and CEO of online automotive retailer Zag, gave the event’s keynote presentation.

RightScale – www.rightscale.com

Technology Council of Southern California – www.tcosc.org

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-WiSpry CEO featured panelist today – WiSpry CEO Russ Garcia is speaking today at the DowJones MicroVentures 2007 conference in Redwood City.  He will be part of a panel called “Making Money on MEMS” that focuses on the advancements in the MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) industry, where WiSpry has firmly established itself as a leader.  More on the conference: MicroVentures 2007

Posted by startupbeat at 09:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/24/07 – Los Angeles-based Language Weaver, developer of software for automatic language translation, today announced it has retained Emmanuel Tonnelier as sales director for southern Europe.  The company says he will also drive additional sales and marketing penetration in the Middle East and Africa for the company.

Tonnelier, who will lead a sales office based in Paris, is a native of France who has worked in executive sales and marketing management positions for various multinational software companies. Most recently he was general manager for Panda Software’s French subsidiary, where he developed a new sales structure, reorganized the company and was responsible for operations.

Language Weaver, which already has a presence in the U.S. and Northern Europe, says that this is part of a new push into additional international markets. 

The company was founded in 2002 based on statistical translation algorithms that resulted from research and development at USC’s Information Sciences Institute.  It recently announced an effort to further expand its software’s ability to automatically translate less commonly taught languages.  Language Weaver also runs a consumer-focused subsidiary called Kontrib.

The company is backed by Palisades Ventures, the Tech Coast Angels and the Athenaeum Fund.

Language Weaver – www.languageweaver.com

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10/24/07 – WiSpry, the Irvine-based fabless semiconductor company that develops low-cost, high-performance radio frequency micro-electro-mechanical systems for the wireless industry, today debuted its newest product family of MEMS tunable digital capacitors.  The company says these products integrate low power CMOS control and voltage generation logic with an array of tunable RF-MEMS digital capacitors to provide customers with an ultra linear, digitally programmable solution on a single silicon die.

To potential customers, WiSpry says this means that end products using its tunable digital capacitors will enable mobile wireless devices to implement digitally programmable matching, filtering and other critical RF functions in wireless front-end systems, ultimately enabling substantial improvements in power efficiency, potential for adaptability to multiple functions and usage environments, superior sensitivity performance, and reductions in size and product cost.

WiSpry designs and markets radio frequency silicon-integrated circuits, components, and modules to RF system manufacturers of mobile phones, laptops and mobile data communications products.

Its investors include American River Ventures, Blueprint Ventures, Hotung Capital Management, L Capital Partners, Shepherd Ventures, In-Q-Tel, Sid R. Bass Associates and The Tech Coast Angels.

WiSpry – www.wispry.com

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10/23/07 – A group of local businesses and trade organizations are hosting a conference this week focused on the startup community in the Los Angeles area.  The gathering, called StartupLA, will feature speakers Joel Ordesky, CEO of ExecTec; former Apprentice winner Kelly Perdew; and serial entrepreneur and current CEO of Mahalo.com Jason Calacanis.

The conference was organized by an eclectic group that includes the Los Angeles-based Asia Society, the Fontana-based VietSight Vietnamese trade group, West Hollywood-based marketing firm The Purple Tornado, eCards.pro and Los Angeles-based culinary specialist Chef JoAnna. 

In addition to presentations by local startup community leaders, conference organizers say attendees can listen to panel topics, present at an open session or enter the scheduled fast pitch competition.

The event takes place this Friday from 1-to-6:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.-to- 4 p.m. at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management.   

StartupLA – www.startuplaevent.com

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10/23/07 – Santa Barbara-based Sonos, developer of wireless multi-room music systems, today released the newest version of its system software, which includes plug-and-play support for the Napster music subscription service and the Best Buy Digital Music Store.

Sonos says its System Software 2.5. is a feature-packed update to its award-winning digital music system that enables users to create a multi-million song jukebox experience throughout the home.

The company also cites a new music search feature as a key component of the software.  The search component allows music lovers to find and play the songs they want from the Best Buy Digital Music Store, the Napster music subscription service, the Rhapsody Online Music Service, and their own music libraries.

Access to the Napster and Rhapsody services does not require installation of a separate application.  The Best Buy Digital Music Store feature requires a Best Buy subscription, but includes direct support and integration with the Sonos system.  In addition, Best Buy will be demonstrating the Sonos direct-to-service approach at store locations throughout the country through multi-zone Sonos displays.

The Sonos Digital Music System is a comprehensive wireless, multi-room offering that lets customers play digital music all over the house and manipulate it from one controller.  The service provides access to online music services, Internet radio and digital music collections.

Sonos – www.sonos.com

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10/22/07 – Los Angeles-based Juice Wireless, the mobile device-based social networking service, has announced that it will offer its JuiceCaster service free to users of San Francisco-based Ojeez.com, a business-oriented social community for entrepreneurs.  Ojeez says it has more than 16,000 members.

The companies say that entrepreneurs will get a free JuiceCaster account when they sign up for Ojeez.com.  The service comes with a mobile application as well as the JuiceCaster Player online plug-in.

JuiceCaster offers tools for mobile devices that allow users to both view and post pictures and videos directly from their mobile phones to their personal web pages on sites like MySpace and Facebook.  It also allows users to send content from cell phone to cell phone.

Juice Wireless says its JuiceCaster application has over 38,000 registered users.  The company was founded in 2004, and counts 21 Ventures, Citizen’s Communications and Qualcomm as investors.  

Juice Wireless/JuiceCaster – www.juicecaster.com

Posted by startupbeat at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

-Demand Media to sponsor PubCon – Santa Monica-based Demand Media, which recently closed a $100 million funding round, has signed on as a gold sponsor at the big PubCon Search Engine & Internet Marketing Conference and Expo in December in Las Vegas.  The company joins Microsoft and Yahoo! as sponsors.  Demand was founded by former CEO of Intermix Media/My Space Richard Rosenblatt, who now serves as chairman and CEO of Demand.  Here is more information about the sponsorship: Demand Media Signs On As Gold Sponsor At PubCon Las Vegas

Posted by startupbeat at 08:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/22/07 – Fonality, the CulverCity-based open-source IP telephony company, announced today that trixbox Pro, the company’s channel-focused Internet telephony PBX system, has been downloaded 10,000 times since its release in August.  The company also announced new price tiers for the product that Fonality says makes the system up to 50 percent more affordable for large deployments.

The company also says it has added a new a new reseller tier into its trixbox Reseller Program that allows smaller resellers to qualify for discounts on Fonality products and services by becoming FtOCC, or “F-talk” certified.  In order to broaden reseller access to Fonality’s products, the company says no quotas are required and certification training includes a free demo kit with two trixbox Pro Call Center Edition lifetime licenses, and one free month of support with certified hardware.

Trixbox Pro is a managed system driven by a patent-pending, “hybrid-hosted” architecture.  Once downloaded and installed on a standard PC, trixbox Pro automatically updates software, configures phones, and connects to Fonality so that server health, call quality and usage are constantly monitored, according to Fonality.  

The trixbox Pro product is designed specifically for resellers and IT professionals.  The company says all three editions of trixbox Pro can be easily branded by resellers for a custom look-and-feel.  Product logos, screen appearance and color schemes can all be tailored to match the brand of the reseller or end-customer.

Fonality targets the small-to-medium sized business market with business-class IP telephony systems.  It recently announced that its direct-to-customer PBXtra business phone system has been adopted by more than 500 organizations worldwide.

The company counts Azure Capital and Intel Capital among its investors.

Fonality – www.fonality.com

Posted by startupbeat at 08:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/19/07 – Santa Monica-based wi-fi hotspot network operator Boingo Wireless, has announced that Boingo Mobile, the company’s wi-fi service for mobile devices, is now available for selected Nokia phones.  The companies say that selected Nokia handsets and Internet tablets can automatically connect to Boingo’s network around the world.

Owners of compatible Nokia wi-fi enabled devices, including selected S60-based smartphones and Linux-based Internet tablets, can download and install Boingo Mobile and automatically connect to Boingo’s network around the world, the companies say.  The Boingo Mobile software identifies Boingo-enabled hotspots and automatically authenticates users with their Boingo account.

Boingo Mobile subscribers pay a monthly flat rate of $7.95 for unlimited high-speed Internet access at thousands of hotspots worldwide in places like airports, hotels, restaurants, cafes, and convention centers.  The company is offering the first month of service free for a limited time.

Boingo was founded in 2001 by EarthLink and Helio founder Sky Dayton.

Boingo Wireless - www.boingo.com

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-CyberDefender celebrates Halloween with free tech support – CyberDefender, the Los Angeles-based security software developer and support provider, is giving away free remote tech support to anyone that calls its support hotline on Halloween.  According to the company, on Wednesday, October 31, any computer user can contact CyberDefender at (877) 377-3765 for free comprehensive technical support for their home or office computers.

Posted by startupbeat at 09:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/18/07 – Zag, the Santa Monica-based online auto sales company, has announced that it will partner with San Francisco-based Vast.com, which runs a vertical online auto sales service, to create a new used car search solution. Zag says it is integrating the Vast.com platform to attract used car shoppers with a better experience and convert them to buyers for Zag’s premium dealers.

Zag works with brands and affinity groups, and private labels its Internet research and shopping technology that includes an exclusive nationwide network of auto dealers.  It says it currently serves 60 million members, primarily though deals with Capital One, USAA and thirteen AAA clubs across the U.S.  The company’s value proposition is that consumers can complete more of the auto-buying transaction online—everything from selection, pricing, searching inventory and accessorizing to financing and insurance.

Founded by Scott Painter, founder and former CEO of CarsDirect.com, Zag’s investors include Global Research Partners, Capital One, Capricorn Investment Group and Anthem Ventures.

Zag – www.zag.com

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-Helio offering device discounts – Several mobile blogs are reporting that Westwood-based mobile virtual network operator Helio is offering discounts on some of its popular devices like the Fin, dual slider Ocean phone, and Heat.  The promotions appear to be short term rather than permanent price cuts.  More on Helio and the promotions: Helio offering discounts on handsets

Posted by startupbeat at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/17/07 – Irvine-based Axiom Microdevices, which develops fully-integrated complementary metal oxide semiconductor, or CMOS, power amplifiers for cell phones, has announced that it shipped more than one million power amplifiers in the months of August and September.  The company says this increase in monthly volume puts it on track to ship a total of 10 million units of its quad-band GPRS CMOS power amplifiers by the end of 2007.  Multiple handsets containing Axiom Microdevices’ product now are shipping in Europe and Asia, according to Axiom, which shipped its first million units earlier this summer.

Axiom says its patented technology allows the use of 130-nanometer silicon CMOS process technology to integrate all of the functions between transmitter output and transmit/receive switch.  The company says that its technology achieves what was previously only viable with more complex manufacturing.

Axiom was founded in 2002 with patented technology developed at the California Institute of Technology.  It is backed by U.S. Venture Partners, Tallwood Venture Capital and Anthem Venture Partners.

In addition to its Irvine headquarters, Axiom also has sales offices in the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan and South Korea.

Axiom Microdevices – www.axiom-micro.com

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10/17/07 – Pasadena-based EI Solutions, the systems integration arm of Energy Innovations, today announced that it will begin constructing a 1 megawatt solar electricity system for The West County Wastewater District’s main wastewater treatment plant in Richmond, Calif., later this year.  EI Solutions says the system is being funded and built under a power purchase agreement with Solar Power Partners, who will own and operate the system while providing the plant with clean energy at a fixed price.

EI Solutions says the ground-mounted system will include state-of-the-art single-axis trackers that will be used to keep approximately 4,000 solar panels focused on the sun throughout the day to maximize solar energy production.

By displacing its utility power usage with clean solar power, the District estimates that it will substantially reduce its annual share of emissions by generating over 2 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity in the first year, while at the same time eliminating more than 3.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and 897 pounds of nitrous oxide emissions annually.

EI Solutions has completed projects for a wide variety of public agencies and private companies, including the largest solar installation on a U.S. corporate campus at Google’s Mountain View headquarters.  The company recently announced that it would build a solar installation at the headquarters of Sony Pictures Entertainment.  EI Solutions and Energy Innovations are Idealab startups.

EI Solutions – www.eispv.com

Energy Innovations – www.energyinnovations.com

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10/16/07 – Westlake Village-based Xirrus, the provider of high-performance, long-range wi-fi products, has received a “Gold Star, Silver Star and Bright Star Mobile Star” award from MobileVillage, a market development and news service about mobile technology.

MobileVillage says the annual Mobile Star Awards aim to honor and promote the best companies, products, deployments and leaders in mobile and wireless technology. Winners are chosen by subscribers to Go Mobile, MobileVillage’s online newsletter, according to the publication.

Xirrus has had a steady stream of major deployments of its Wi-Fi Array wireless access product this year.  The company was founded in 2004 by former Xircom executives and is backed by U.S. Venture Partners and August Capital.

This year’s Mobile Star Awards winners are posted online at www.mobilevillage.com/awards.htm.

Xirrus – www.xirrus.com

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10/16/07 – Santa Monica-based social networking web site Reunion.com today announced the appointment of Cornell McGee as CMO.  The company says that in this capacity, McGee will be responsible for overseeing all functions of Reunion.com’s marketing and business development, and a focus on aggressive customer acquisition for the site.

McGee comes to Reunion.com after serving as CMO and senior vice president of acquisition marketing at True.com.  He also served as senior product and business manager at Match.com.

Reunion.com claims it has annual revenue growth of 100 percent, and says it is now one of the top-ranked social networking sites with almost 8 million unique visitors and 60 million searches for people monthly.

The company was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Jeffrey Tinsley.  Investors include Steve Newman, former president of GreatDomains.com; Richard Rosenblatt, chairman and CEO of Demand Media; Andy Mazzarella, former CEO and CFO, of iMall; and Latham & Watkins LLP, a global law firm with more than 1,500 attorneys.

Reunion.com – www.reunion.com

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10/16/07 – Sherman Oaks-based online video animation company Fix8  has raised $3 million in a round lead by Vickers Financial Group.  The company provides interactive media tools for user-generated content, allowing users to create animation and add to videos and other content. has raised $3 million in a round lead by .The company provides interactive media tools for user-generated content, allowing users to create animation and add to videos and other content.

Fix8 recently announced a partnership with Los Angeles-based video streaming web site Stickam.

Fix8 – www.fix8.com

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10/15/07 – Los Angeles-based VIMBY has announced the official launch of its community-based online video site.  VIMBY, which is an acronym for “Video In My Backyard,” is focused on the 18-34 year-old demographic, and produces original, first-run programming focused on topics like action sports, cars, music, nightlife, fashion, art, alternative subcultures, travel and more.

Company founder and CEO Dean Waters says VIMBY is capturing subcultures that already exist offline and bringing them online with broadcast-quality video.  VIMBY says its programming department focuses on quality and relevance, shooting the majority of its content in HD and focusing most on the 18-24 demographic—the younger end of the overall market.

The company says it has built a nationwide network of young, creative producers, shooters and editors to provide content to the site.  These filmmakers get paid per video segment after pitching the initial idea and getting a green light, according to VIMBY.

The site also includes blogs, calendars, and message boards, to encourage the community building process around the video content.

Privately funded to this point, VIMBY says it will pursue additional funding in early 2008.

VIMBY – www.vimby.com

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10/15/07 – Frost & Sullivan, the international consulting and business analysis firm, has selected Newbury Park-based EdenTree Technologies as the recipient of the 2007 Global Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Enhancement in the world lab test and measurement market.

The firm lauded EdenTree’s excellent customer satisfaction and its introduction of user-friendly products, first-rate support services and maintenance of a collaborative relationship with customers throughout the product lifecycle.

EdenTree’s flagship product, Lab Manager, is a software platform for managing, scheduling, configuring and tracking network lab resources.  The company says it was developed in collaboration with its early customers, which has helped EdenTree anticipate customer needs and has enabled those customers to focus on their core competencies and more important tasks.  Lab Manager reduces test times, optimizes test resources, fosters repeatability and consistency, and facilitates remote access by offshore personnel, according to EdenTree.

The company says that by using its solutions, customers can ensure that their assets are accounted for and can easily obtain details about their utilization, including the percentage of the time are they utilized, the person who used them, and the test configurations at the time of use.

EdenTree Technologies – www.edentreetech.com

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-Language Weaver exec in speaking tour – Los Angeles-based Language Weaver, the developer of software for automatic language translation, has announced that its vice president of sales and marketing, Kirti Vashee, will speak at four major international globalization industry events this fall.  The company says Vashee’s presentations will focus on the capabilities of statistical machine translation and its evolving impact on language translation automation in commercial enterprise.  The events include: Localization World in Seattle, Oct. 16-18; LISA Forum Europe 2007 in Berlin, Germany, Oct. 22-26; Tekom Annual Conference, November 7-9, Wiesbaden, Germany; and Idiom WorldSummit Europe 2007, Barcelona, Spain, Nov. 12-14.  More about the speaking engagements: Language Weaver Presents Updates on the State of Automated Statistical Translation Technologies to Support a More Connected World

Posted by startupbeat at 08:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/12/07 – Leads360, the Los Angeles-based provider of on-demand customer acquisition and lead management solutions, today announced that it has raised $3.25 million in series A financing from Rustic Canyon Partners.  Leads360 says it will use the funding to accelerate growth and expand into new lead categories, ramp its sales and marketing efforts, and accelerate ongoing product development.

Leads360, which says it is profitable, provides software and professional services to businesses of all sizes that rely on acquiring and converting customers online.  Its platform, LeadManager, allows companies to distribute, track, analyze and convert sales leads faster and with greater efficiency, according to the company.

As part of the funding agreement, Rustic Canyon partner John Babcock will join the firm’s board of directors.

Leads360, founded in 2004, focuses on the mortgage, insurance and secondary education markets to improve distribution, tracking, analysis and conversion of sales leads into profitable customers.

Leads360 – www.leads360.com

Posted by startupbeat at 09:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

10/12/07 – El Segundo-based Ripple, which delivers hyper-local content on flat screen panels in public locations, has partnered with Burbank-based CenterStaging Corp., which runs a 150,000 square foot twelve-stage rehearsal center for the music industry, to provide specially produced CenterStaging video content from its Rehearsals.com web site to Ripple’s interactive digital network.

The companies say the partnership will bring Rehearsals.com content to an audience of more than 15 million consumers through the Ripple network of screens throughout the U.S. at public locations like office building lobbies and other common areas.

CenterStaging and Rehearsals.com will provide Ripple with a wide range of original video content produced from its rehearsal studio lot, giving viewers what it says is a rare and intimate look at major recording artists as they rehearse for their live tours or participate in CenterStaging recording sessions.

Ripple, founded in 2004, has built a network of television screens in public locations throughout Washington, California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii, which the company says now consists of more than 500 locations.  Distribution partners include Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Tully’s Coffee, Jack in the Box, Jiffy Lube, CBS Outdoor, Arden Realty, Kilroy Realty and G&L Realty.  Media partners include ESPN, Reuters, E! Entertainment, Yahoo!, CBS and Clear Channel. 

In July, Ripple closed a $10 million series B round of funding led by investors Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Trinity Ventures.

Ripple – www.rippletv.com

Posted by startupbeat at 09:10 AM | Permalink |