📱From Digital IDs to AI Feeds: Tech Giants Shake Up the Digital World

📱From Digital IDs to AI Feeds: Tech Giants Shake Up the Digital World
Image Source: CA DMV

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles!

This week, two tech titans, Apple and Snapchat, announced groundbreaking updates that are poised to reshape the way we interact with our digital devices. From secure digital IDs to personalized AI feeds, these innovations are set to have a significant impact on our daily lives.

Apple's Digital Driver's License: A Game-Changer for LA Residents

Apple has taken a major step forward in digital identity with the integration of California driver's licenses and state IDs into Apple Wallet. This initiative, part of the state's mobile driver's license (mDL) program, offers a more convenient and secure way for LA residents to carry their identification. With encrypted data and NFC-enabled verification, users can now use their digital IDs at TSA checkpoints, select retailers, and even for age verification at bars and restaurants.

The mDL program not only simplifies travel and everyday transactions but also presents exciting opportunities for LA-based startups specializing in fintech, cybersecurity, and identity verification. As digital IDs become more widely adopted, these startups can innovate to create new applications and services that leverage this technology.


Image Source: Snap

Snapchat's AI-Powered Feed and Enhanced AR: A Personalized Experience

Snapchat is undergoing a major transformation with its most significant redesign in years, focusing on simplicity and personalization. The app now offers a more personalized experience, with an AI-driven "For You" feed that curates content tailored to individual preferences. Additionally, Snapchat has enhanced its augmented reality (AR) tools, opening up new possibilities for interactive experiences and creative expression.

LA's thriving tech ecosystem, particularly its startups focused on AI and AR, stands to benefit greatly from Snapchat's innovations. These updates provide opportunities for local developers to create complementary technologies and explore new partnerships within Snapchat's evolving platform.

Impact on LA's Tech Ecosystem

Both Apple's and Snapchat's updates underscore a growing trend toward personalization, security, and streamlined user experiences. LA's tech scene, with its vibrant startup community and strong focus on innovation, is well-positioned to capitalize on these shifts.

As digital experiences become more integrated into our daily lives, LA's startups can explore new frontiers in AI, AR, and secure mobile technologies. This wave of innovation is set to drive growth and collaboration within the local tech ecosystem, solidifying LA's reputation as a global hub for cutting-edge technology.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • PictorLabs, an AI-powered histopathology platform that enhances disease detection, has raised a $30M Series B led by Insight Partners. The company has now raised a total of $48.8 million. - learn more
  • Mellomanic, formerly We Are Giant, has raised a $6M Funding Round, bringing its total capital to $13.8M, to expand its platform and enhance its music experiences for artists and fans, backed by investors including Sterling Partners. - learn more

    LA Venture Funds

    • Mucker Capital participated in a $2.5M Seed Round for Tab Commerce, a fintech company providing financial management solutions to transform how restaurants handle their spending and optimize operational efficiency. - learn more
    • Finality Capital led a $3.2M Seed Round for RISE, a Gigagas Layer 2 blockchain platform designed to enhance scalability and reduce transaction costs. - learn more


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    LA Tech Week 2024: Saturday-Sunday Event Lineup
    tech-week

    Here’s what’s happening during the closing weekend (Oct 19 - Oct 20) of LA Tech Week 2024! Events are organized by location so you can easily catch the sessions that interest you most.

    SATURDAY EVENTS

    BEVERLY HILLS

    12:00 PM

    • BIG Showcase (Invite Only):

    BIG Showcase (Invite Only)

    2:00 PM

    Light Dao

    Struck Capital, Seahorse Express

    EAGLE ROCK

    12:00 PM

    Sunrise Integration, Shopify

    EL SEGUNDO

    9:00 PM

    Administratum, Valar Atomics

    HOLLYWOOD

    10:00 AM

    Passes

    MALIBU

    6:00 PM

    • Malibu Beachfront Investors Networking & Wine Tasting:See Details

    Gaya Ventures

    MARINA DEL RAY

    6:00 PM

    • Awaken Your Spirit: A Journey of Transformation (Invite Only)

    Sagos Distro, Alma Wellness

    SANTA MONICA

    7:00 AM

    Founders Running Club

    8:30 AM

    Techstars

    9:00 AM

    Magic Mind

    StartupStarter, Inc., City of Santa Monica

    10:00 AM

    Gen She

    AI LA

    Crea, Barry's, Unsubscribe

    10:30 AM

    Plantologist

    11:30 AM

    • Pickleball Palooza (Invite Only)

    YouTube

    1:00 PM

    • Realfren Games: From strangers to an inner Realfren within 52 weekends: See Details

    Office for Humanity and Circuit Works

    • Talking blockchain technology with special guests: See Details

    LadyDayDao

    5:00 PM

    KARD, What's Plots

    THE VALLEY

    7:00 AM

    Camino5

    VENICE

    9:00 AM

    Westside Yogis

    11:00 AM

    Open App

    1:00 PM

    Ripe and Teddy's Hot House

    4:00 PM

    • Fashion Forward: How AI is Redefining the Fashion Industry: See Details

    VIAVIA, BNTO.RENT, ALMA.AI

    VIRTUAL

    11:00 AM

    BLCK UNICRN

    WEST HOLLYWOOD

    7:00 PM

    Next Sequence

    SUNDAY EVENTS

    INGLEWOOD

    12:00 PM

    Entrepreneur Ventures, VCPE GROUPS

    PLAYA DEL RAY

    2:00 PM

    AI LA, DELL, NVIDIA

    SANTA MONICA

    10:00 AM

    • Women Founders, Cold Brew & Beach View, Rooftop: See Details

    Clutch Talent

    11:00 AM

    11DollarSunglasses.com, Less Litter Foundation

    12:00 PM

    Data in LA, Amplitude

    12:30 AM

    New Moon, Warner UK Innovations

    TOPANGA CANYON

    3:00 PM

    Dreamore

    VENICE

    8:00 AM

    • Surf session with founders, investors, creators: See Details

    Surfed Club, Bow Shock

    12:00 PM

    • Podcast Panel and Brunch: LA Tech Community Builders: See Details

    WeAreLATech.com, Blankspaces.com

    VIRTUAL

    2:00 PM

    BLCK UNICRN


    For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

    Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!


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    LA Tech Week 2024: Friday’s Event Lineup
    tech-week

    Check out Friday, October 18th's schedule for LA Tech Week 2024! Events are sorted by location so you can easily find what matches your goals for the day.

    BEVERLY HILLS

    8:00 AM

    Scrappy

    BRENTWOOD

    7:30 AM

    Seaside Ventures

    CULVER CITY

    9:00 AM

    Intersections LA

    1:30 PM

    • Showcasing Bioscience Innovation in LA County (Invite Only)

    BioscienceLA, County o LA, Larta Institute, LAEDC

    5:00 PM

    Grid110

    6:00 PM

    ACT House, Sip & Sonder

    EL SEGUNDO

    7:00 PM

    Dirac, Inc.

    INGLEWOOD

    10:00 AM

    Zoo Corporation, Embedded Ventures

    12:00 PM

    • Tech & The Built Environment Series: LA28 Roundtable & SoFi Stadium Tour: See Details Here

    Blended Impact

    MARINA DEL REY

    9:00 AM

    USC ISI

    PACIFIC PALISADES

    4:00 PM

    Silicon Valley Bank, Emmeline Ventures

    PLAYA DEL REY

    8:00 AM

    AI LA

    5:30 PM

    AI LA

    PLAYA VISTA

    12:00 PM

    • Women In Gaming Lunch at Google (Invite Only)

    Google

    4:00 PM

    Verizon, Infinity Festival

    SANTA MONICA

    11:00 AM

    SVRN Ventures

    Headline, Slow Ventures, Karat

    2:00 PM

    Glyf

    Botanical, Panoptic

    The American South Asian Network (ASAN)

    4:00 PM

    • Pizza, Wine, & Connectivity: Celebrating the Nomadic App Revolution:See Details Here

    Synadia

    The American South Asian Network (ASAN)

    Dory Consulting

    • Women in Tech: Beachfront Rooftop at Sunset - Wine-up & Unwind: See Details Here

    Clutch Talent

    Cohere Commerce

    5:00 PM

    Clutch Talent

    Pirros

    6:00 PM

    • Unlocking Capital with Angels & Advisors | No Pressure Networking + Panel:See Details Here

    No Pressure Networking

    Tech Pitch Roast Comedy LLC

    6:15 PM

    • Navigating Intersections: Empowering Leaders in Challenging Times: See Details Here

    Intersectional Ventures

    7:00 PM

    Mantis VC, Lightspeed Venture Partners

    Medusa Ai, Marco Di Luca Event Design

    SOUTH LA

    9:00 AM

    USC Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Cap Table Coalition, PledgeLA, Sisters with Ventures

    UCLA

    1:30 PM

    CrownData.AI

    2:00 PM

    Taisu Ventures, Quotient Ventures

    VENICE

    7:30 AM

    Run Tech Club

    9:00 AM

    Google

    12:00 PM

    Ripe and Teddy's Hot House

    5:30 PM

    Spire Circles

    7:00 PM

    Moss Venice, Yuzulabs, JPMorgan Chase

    8:00 PM

    Truffle

    VIRTUAL

    2:00 PM

    BLCK UNICRN

    WEST HOLLYWOOD

    7:30 PM

    Legendary Ventures, Day Dream Ventures

    WESTSIDE

    9:30 AM

    A16Z GAMES

    7:00 PM

    • Female Funders & Founders (Invite Only)

    L'ATTITUDE Ventures

    WESTWOOD

    9:00 AM

    Fedtech, National Security Innovation Network (NSIN)


    For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

    Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!

    Download the dot.LA App

    LA Tech Week 2024: Thursday’s Event Lineup
    tech-week

    Here’s what’s in store for Thursday, October 17th at LA Tech Week 2024! Check out the events by location below to find sessions that align with your interests and goals for an inspiring day in LA’s tech scene.

    BEL AIR

    5:00 PM

    Andrew Yeung, Blindspot

    8:00 PM

    Andrew Yeung, Blindspot

    BEVERLY HILLS

    8:00 AM

    Scrappy

    2:00 PM

    WE Global Studios

    6:00 PM

    • Breaking Barriers: Women Leading the Future of Tech Innovation :See Details Here

    Her Workplace

    BRENTWOOD

    4:00 PM

    Slyngshot, Singleton Foundation, East West Projects

    6:00 PM

    Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs of Southern California

    CULVER CITY

    9:00 AM

    Intersections LA

    9:30 AM

    Tediophobes

    5:30 PM

    Curbivore

    DOWNTOWN

    10:00 AM

    USC Marshall Grief Center for Entrepreneurial Studies

    5:00 PM

    Toonstar, Loyola Marymount University

    EL SEGUNDO

    3:00 PM

    DTI

    5:00 PM

    Sift

    5:30 PM

    Shield Capital

    6:00 PM

    Sigma Computing, Prodege

    HiveWatch

    HAWTHORNE

    6:30 PM

    Astrolab

    INGLEWOOD

    11:00 AM

    Sonder Impact, Sip & Sonder

    6:00 PM

    Sonder Impact, Sip & Sonder, ACT House

    LONG BEACH

    6:30 PM

    Skuttlebot, Maintenance Bay 54

    MALIBU

    6:30 PM

    Reitler, Carta

    MARINA DEL REY

    3:00 PM

    USC, Information Sciences Institute

    5:00 PM

    USC, ISI

    PALMS

    6:00 PM

    The Law Firm of Shivani Honwad, Women in LAVA

    PLAYA DEL REY

    8:00 AM

    AI LA

    PLAYA VISTA

    5:00 PM

    Stash, Google

    6:00 PM

    AI copilot

    Tech Me Out, Global Objects, Verizon Innovation Lab

    SANTA MONICA

    8:00 AM

    Human To Human, Superbloom Collective

    8:30 AM

    Upfront Ventures, Fenwick

    olive, Bonfire, Headline, Fika, TipTop Ventures

    9:30 AM

    • Founders & Investors - Barry’s Bootcamp with SVB (Invite Only)

    Silicon Valley Bank

    Clocktower Ventures, Intuit Ventures

    Founders Wellth Club

    10:00 AM

    Pilot

    • ZK House (Invite Only)

    Aleo

    10:30 AM

    Red Beard Ventures

    12:00 PM

    Inner Circle HQ

    • Tech & The Built Environment Series: Advancing Clean Energy Projects Regionally :See Details Here

    Blended Impact, LAEDC

    Brydge Club, Lendtech, Two to Twenty

    1:00 PM

    Olympian Motors

    2:00 PM

    • YouTube Creator Collective Pickleball Tournament (Invite Only)

    YouTube, @iJustine, @LaurDIY, @StevenHe

    3:00 PM

    Beaute in Tech

    AppsFlyer, Mavan

    • Globalize VC Fund Launch & Startup Showcase (Invite Only)

    Globalize

    yess.io

    3:30 PM

    How Women Invest, 2045 Ventures

    4:00 PM

    WeAreLATech

    Amplify, Wonder Ventures, Fenwick, Stifel, CDW

    • Funding the Future of Mental Health Fireside Chat + Mixer (Invite Only)

    Silicon Valley Bank, Milken Institute, GreyMatter Capital

    Olympian Motors

    Hedra

    4:30 PM

    Emerging LA, Sunset Ventures, Fidelity Private Shares

    5:00 PM

    • Investing in Identity: Underrepresented Founders' Consumer Brands :See Details Here

    XRC Ventures, Black Women Talk Tech

    Palm Drive Capital, Deel

    NextGen Venture Partners

    MELT

    Squad.App

    • Navigating Challenges: AI Solutions for CEOs (Invite Only)

    Tripsider, Ferla

    LAstartups, Startup Coil, Expert Dojo

    5:15 PM

    So Cal Tech, WeAreLATech

    5:30 PM

    • FEMTECH Innovation & Beauty: Shaping the Future of Women's Health and Wellness :See Details Here

    Plantologist

    StartupStarter, Hollo.AI, 1500 or Nothing

    Clutch Talent

    Everything Marketplaces

    6:00 PM

    Tech Pitch Roast Comedy LLC

    Black Tech Meetup

    USC Alumni Entrepreneurs Network

    Ince Capital

    Dreaming in Digital A.I.

    • Israeli Startup Network Meetup (Invite Only)

    Fusion VC, Fenwick

    • Fanfix Tech Week (Invite Only)

    Fanfix

    • The Kickback (Invite Only)

    The Wealth Salons, DVRGNT Ventures, HubSpot, BLCK VC, Cooley, Fabric VC, Canadian Consulate of LA

    INCE Capital

    This Week In Fintech

    Share Ventures, Jack Taylor PR

    6:30 PM

    ElevenLabs

    PowerYou AI

    Higgsfield AI

    Legendary Ventures, Hustle Fund

    7:00 PM

    Emerging LA, Sunset Ventures, Fidelity Private Shares

    Zeal

    8:00 PM

    Litquidity Ventures

    VAN NUYS

    8:00 AM

    Pacer.co

    VENICE

    9:00 AM

    Supply Change Capital

    Arc, Humans Anonymous, Kindo

    10:00 AM

    Wave Digital Assets

    12:00 PM

    JP Morgan, Lux Capital, Camber Road, Varda

    1:00 PM

    The Redline Apart Hotel

    2:00 PM

    Everybody Ventures, TriNet

    Mercato, Silicon Valley Bank

    4:30 PM

    West of Lincoln

    5:00 PM

    The Redline Venice Apart Hotel

    Kyte

    5:30 PM

    XPRIZE, the Female Funders Club, Abundance360

    6:00 PM

    Graphite.dev

    Brandy

    AI LA

    Intro, a16z

    7:00 PM

    Date Week, Paloma

    VIRTUAL

    11:00 AM

    SaaSfluencer

    APCO

    BLCK UNICRN

    1:00 PM

    Untapped Ventures

    Wonder

    2:00 PM

    Azarian Growth Agency

    WEST HOLLYWOOD

    4:00 PM

    Cake Equity

    6:30 PM

    A16z

    Styld

    7:00 PM

    Bulletpitch, Pluto LA

    • Science Fiction Meets Science Fact: Advanced Manufacturing (Invite Only)

    ACME Capital, Calibrate VC, Techstars Space, Advaita Capital

    WESTLAKE VILLAGE

    4:00 PM

    Trinet

    WESTSIDE

    11:00 AM

    A La Mode Branding

    Arizona Commerce Authority

    2:00 PM

    UCLA Technology Development Group, CNSI at UCLA

    5:30 PM

    Pryzm

    • Sunset SoirĂ©e (Invite Only)

    Greycroft, Sound

    6:00 PM

    Graham & Walker

    For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

    Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!

    Download the dot.LA App

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