'It Felt Like a Black Mirror Episode' The Inside Account of How Bird Laid off 406 People in Two Minutes via a Zoom Webinar

Ben Bergman

Ben Bergman is the newsroom's senior finance reporter. Previously he was a senior business reporter and host at KPCC, a senior producer at Gimlet Media, a producer at NPR's Morning Edition, and produced two investigative documentaries for KCET. He has been a frequent on-air contributor to business coverage on NPR and Marketplace and has written for The New York Times and Columbia Journalism Review. Ben was a 2017-2018 Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Economic and Business Journalism at Columbia Business School. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, playing poker, and cheering on The Seattle Seahawks.

'It Felt Like a Black Mirror Episode' The Inside Account of How Bird Laid off 406 People in Two Minutes via a Zoom Webinar

Last Friday morning, 406 Bird employees – who had been working from home for two weeks because of the coronavirus and bleary-eyed from putting in longer than usual days in an unprecedented effort to rapidly wind down global operations in cities around the world – received a generic-sounding Zoom webinar invitation titled "COVID-19 Update."

Travis VanderZanden, 41, a former top Uber executive who founded Bird only three years ago, had abruptly cancelled the previous Thursday's regular biweekly all-hands meeting, referred to internally as Birdfams. He had not addressed Bird's thousand-plus employees since they were forced to leave their offices, so most employees assumed he was giving an update on the company's response to the worsening global pandemic.

But some grew suspicious when they noticed the guest list and host were hidden and they learned only some colleagues were included. It was also unusual they were being invited to a Zoom webinar, allowing no participation, rather than the free-flowing meeting function the company normally uses. Over the next hour, employees traded frantic messages on Slack and searched coworkers' calendars to see who was unfortunate enough to be invited.

"It should go down as a poster child of how not to lay people off, especially at a time like this," said one employee.


Before the novel coronavirus brought the world to a halt, Bird had been on an exceptionally meteoric rise, even by the frothy standards of what now seems like a bygone era of venture capital that brought ever-ballooning valuations to all manner of companies. In 2018, Bird became the fastest company in history to reach unicorn status. Shortly after that, it achieved a $2 billion valuation in less than a year and announced it had expanded to 100 cities with 10 million scooter rides.

In late January, Bird raised another $75 million of Series D2 funding at a $2.77 billion valuation. But less than two months later, the company suddenly found itself mostly shuttered at the worst possible time during the crucial post-winter months when it counts on earning most of its revenue after bringing scooters out of what employees refer to as "hibernation." During a pandemic the last thing people want to do is touch a shared scooter, if they're going anywhere at all.

Employees say the company has swiftly responded to by far the biggest crisis in its short history more severely than it has publicly let on, suspending operations in every market and slashing its workforce by 40%, a figure based on the global Slack channel all employees are required to join that includes about 1,060 employees. (A Bird spokeswoman declined to comment on the figure and referred to an earlier TechCrunch article that put the percentage at "around 30%.")

It Felt Like a Black Mirror Episode;' The Inside Account of how Bird Laid off 406 People in Two Minutes via a Dystopian Zoom Webinarassets.rebelmouse.io

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Bird's Santa Monica headquarters has been particularly hard hit. Whenever the office is able to reopen, there will be fewer than half as many workers as before Coronavirus.

This account, which includes many previously unreported details, is based on a review of internal memos and a recording of the now infamous Zoom meeting obtained by dot.LA as well as extensive conversations with more than half a dozen Bird employees at all levels of the company who were laid off. Most requested anonymity so as not to jeopardize their severance or future job prospects.

Bird declined to make anyone available for an interview or even fully answer a list of written questions, instead sending a statement to dot.LA: "Layoffs are never easy or comfortable to do and COVID-19 has impacted the way they are done in at least the near term...We are eternally grateful to the impacted individuals and wish that the entire situation could have been avoided."

Employees describe being thrilled to join such a fast-growing startup brimming with talent that had a lofty mission to forever change the way people are transported all around the world. Last year, LinkedIn named Bird as one of the hottest startups to work for in the U.S.

The now sadly common occurrence of reducing headcount, as employers like to call it, during coronavirus is challenging when face-to-face meetings are not possible. However, Bird employees say they are disheartened by how coldly Bird handled the reductions.

"Lots of companies have to lay people off right now," said Jenny Alvauaje, a 23-year-old Bird data scientist who was dismissed after a year and half at the company. "People will recognize the companies who did it well and the ones that didn't. I hope Bird is the one that is remembered as one who did it poorly."

"It felt like a Black Mirror episode"

At 10:30 a.m., employees logged onto Zoom but were greeted only by a cracking silence. Meetings at Bird are usually always punctual and more frenzied Slack messages followed.

"Is there audio? Why can't i hear anything?" Alvauaje messaged her colleagues.

"We never start late," another employee remembers thinking. "This is strange. Something feels off."

For the next five minutes, employees stared at a sparse slide with a dark grey background that said only "COVID-19."

"It was not our brand color or font, which frankly was unsettling in a way I couldn't articulate," Alvauaje said.

Thinking there were technical difficulties, some employees logged-off and were never able to return to the meeting. Then, after five minutes of dead air that seemed like an eternity, a robotic-sounding, disembodied voice came on the line.

The woman began by acknowledging "this is a suboptimal way to deliver this message." Then she cut to the chase: "COVID-19 has also had a massive impact on our business, one that has forced our leadership team and our board of directors to make extremely difficult and painful decisions. One of those decisions is to eliminate a number of roles at the company. Unfortunately your role is impacted by this decision."

The meeting was scheduled to last half an hour but ended up going for only two minutes. Towards the end of the monologue, as the woman started talking about the future of Bird, she sounded like she was getting choked up and was trying to hold back tears.

"It felt like a Black Mirror episode," Alvauaje said. "This ominous voice came over and told us we were losing our jobs."

Almost no one recognized the voice, and there remains disagreement about who had the unfortunate job of delivering the message. But this much is clear: It was not VanderZanden or a top executive.

"It was a cowardly move," said a Bird manager. "Travis did not want to deliver the news."

"It sounded like a recording and it was very strange and ominous," said an operations employee.

VanderZanden, who Tweets sparingly and has been silent on the messaging service since late January, defended the meeting Saturday in a reply to a recounting of the meeting that had gone viral: "We did NOT let employees go via a pre-recording. It was via a live zoom mtg (not ideal either) b/c we're all WFH during COVID. Video was turned off which we thought was more humane. In retrospect, we should've made 1on1 calls to the 100s impacted over the course of a few days."

VanderZanden's defensive replies and an internal memo have been his only comments about the layoffs. In its statement, the company said, "we purposefully and intentionally did not have any video on to protect privacy as we delivered the news live to individuals. A live speaker delivered the news in real time over the web-based call and a slide was projected outlining additional information including four weeks of pay, three months of medical coverage and an extended timeframe to exercise options."

Most employees dot.LA spoke with still believe the call was pre-recorded. They say it's hard to otherwise explain how the message could be delivered so robotically, but some also say at this point the distinction is moot.

"It might as well have been a recording given the lack of human interaction," said one staffer.

Making it more surreal, some people were logged out while the brief speech was still underway. As the voice on the line was speaking, employees stared at their computer and began to take in the news that they were losing their jobs. Then their screens suddenly went dark and their company issued MacBooks restarted. By 10:40 a.m, everyone was locked out, just as employees were frantically trying to exchange personal numbers and emails on Slack and take screenshots of their contacts. They wondered why they were being cut off then since they had just been told their last day was not until April 3rd.

Bird Layoffs: An Audio Recordingwww.youtube.com

A month earlier, someone in Bird's IT department had been tasked by his superiors to write a script that would allow the company to instantly shut down all of a user's accounts – computer, email, Slack – with the click of a single button, according to an employee. He was told the script would be used for general off-boarding rather than the mass layoff that he ended up being included in. Last Friday, the script seems to have been activated early.

Some employees, who had the day off or were working a later shift, did not understand why their computers were restarting and why they could not log back in. Others tried in vain to join the webinar and got a message saying it was full, likely because Bird's webinar license didn't accommodate enough attendees. Some employees did not realize what was going on until they saw a brief TechCrunch article posted at 11:26 a.m.

According to Bird's statement, "HR representatives, managers, and/or executives personally reached out to all individuals directly as a follow up." But few employees have seen any follow-up. It did not help that many managers were included in the layoffs and had no idea who on their team had been cut. Some resorted to messaging their reports on LinkedIn to see if they still worked at the company.

The next day, one employee received what seemed like a heartfelt note of gratitude from his boss's boss thanking him for what he had contributed during his 18 months at Bird, but he soon discovered he had gotten a form letter. "Seven of my contemporaries said they had received the exact same message," the employee said. "I realized he had just copy and pasted it."

Workers were told they would be receiving three months of healthcare benefits but when they looked into it, they discovered the company is actually only providing coverage until April 30th. After that employees have the option of enrolling in COBRA, according to an off boarding memo obtained by dot.LA.

"I can't pay the $600 out of pocket for that," said one employee. "I'm just going to go on MediCal." (A Bird spokeswoman clarified Wednesday: "All impacted employees will receive three months health coverage paid for by Bird. Ensuring these individuals were taken care of through June during the global pandemic was key and we wanted to go beyond the industry standard.")

Employees say Bird seems primarily concerned about getting their now locked laptops back, which are mostly MacBook Pro's for older employees and the cheaper MacBook Air's for newer staffers, who joined in an era when the company became more focused on cutting costs.

"IT will send a box with a return shipping label to retrieve company assets (e.g., Laptops, chargers, and badge)," the company stated in its off boarding memo. "All items should be put in the box and mailed back to us by April 15."

The company has been less specific about how employees will get back the items they left at their desks when they walked out of the office for what turned out to be the last time nearly three weeks ago. It is a sad fact of the COVID-19 era that laid off employees do not even get to clean out their own desks.

"They said any personal items would be sent back to us 'eventually,'" said one staffer. "There's a lot of stuff on desks and monitors that belong to employees of the company."

live.staticflickr.com

A workforce decimated

Almost no division was spared from wrenching cuts, from engineering to data to government partnerships to legal.

"Pretty much everybody I worked with was let go," said one operations employee. "They eradicated whole teams."

Several employees noted that the cuts included some viewed internally as superstars. They also noticed that the layoffs will result in a much less diverse company.

"It seems like they got rid of the majority of women and people of color," said one staffer. "In engineering they got rid of the only women in significant leadership."

"As far as I know, the folks that are left from my immediate team consist of all men, most of whom are white," Alvauaje wrote in a Medium blog post. She said her data team was reduced from around 50 to just five people. "When your C-Suite looks the way Bird's does (the way many do, in tech and otherwise) and your data team follows suit, you cannot best serve the communities you pretend to care about," she wrote.

Laid off employees have joined an ex-Bird Slack group to share job leads and try to process what happened. "There's a lot of dark humor being passed around," said one employee.

"This could not have happened at a worse time"

When the coronavirus hit, many Bird employees were busy coordinating taking scooters out of "hibernation" for the busy spring and summer months, a period known as "Spring Push." The company brings in little revenue in the winter, banking on ridership to return in warmer months.

"This could not have happened at a worse time for the company so that's why this happened so quickly," said one employee.

Bird's biggest competitor, Lime, announced March 21st that it was "winding down and pausing" service in all markets except for South Korea. Bird did not follow suit, at least publicly. Its last announcement about COVID-19 came on March 12th - which seems like a lifetime ago in this rapidly changing environment. The blog post said only that the company would be cleaning scooters more frequently.

"The only cleaning I was aware of was when they were putting them away," said a Bird operations employee. "They have been rapidly removing scooters from marketplaces and putting them in sleep mode. Externally they were not telling customers that. They weren't telling people they were removing everything."

Bird would not directly address whether the company has suspended operations in all markets. "Our decision to temporarily pause or reduce our fleet in some cities is very fluid as the response to and recommendations regarding COVID-19 evolve," a spokeswoman said Wednesday afternoon in an e-mail to dot.LA. "Our actions are in line with voluntary, as well as mandatory measures set by governments for businesses. We will continue our close dialogue with local officials in each of the cities we provide our service and will again offer full fleets of our safe, clean transportation alternative as soon as possible."

The last weeks at Bird were particularly frantic for many employees because the company was doing something no rapidly growing unicorn ever wants to do: scaling back its operations as quickly as possible.

"My sole focus the last weeks of my employment was reducing operational spend as much as I could," said a manager. "My department had quite a bit of spending. I was told to get it to zero."

This manager was part of a team of about two dozen employees responsible for planning Bird's response to the novel coronavirus.

"I thought cuts were likely coming at some point," said the manager. "But I did not expect to be cut in the first round."

Like others, he heard about the call when he logged onto the Zoom webinar. He wished he had at least had enough time to say goodbye to his team.

"The leadership at Bird handled this in an immature manner,' he said. "The world deserves to hear about it."

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🏈Snapchat’s Super Bowl Push & Apple’s New App 📲—Here’s What’s New

🔦 Spotlight

Hello, Los Angeles!

With Super Bowl LIX coming up this Sunday, the buzz isn’t just about the Chiefs vs. Eagles matchup—it’s also about how tech is shaping the experience. From Snapchat’s interactive game-day features to Apple’s latest product launch, there’s plenty happening beyond the field.

Snapchat’s Super Bowl Features

If you're watching the game, chances are you’ll be on your phone just as much as your TV. This year, Snapchat is rolling out AR Lenses, live score updates, and Spotlight challenges to make game day more interactive. Want to try on your team’s jersey? There’s a Lens for that. Need real-time updates? Snap has them covered. Attending the game in New Orleans? Live Location can help you track down friends in the crowd. As the second-screen experience becomes more ingrained in live sports, Snap is making sure it’s front and center.

Snap’s New Initiative: The Department of Angels

Super Bowl Sunday is about competition, but what happens when the challenge isn’t on the field? Yesterday, Snap announced The Department of Angels, a new initiative aimed at supporting communities recovering from disasters, offering independent funding and resources to help them rebuild on their own terms. Backed by $10 million from Snap Inc., Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and the California Community Foundation, the program shifts away from traditional corporate donations and toward grassroots, community-led recovery efforts. Could this be a model for how tech companies engage with real-world crises in the future?

Apple Wants to Change How You Send Invites

Apple is stepping into the event invite space with Apple Invites, a new app designed to make organizing gatherings simpler. Competing with platforms like Partiful and Evite, Apple’s version integrates directly into iMessage and Apple Calendar, making it an easy, built-in option for Apple users. With so many invite platforms out there, will Apple’s streamlined approach become the go-to for iPhone users, or will it simply be another tool in the mix?

Where to Watch Super Bowl LIX

The Chiefs and Eagles face off this Sunday at 3:30 PM PT on FOX. Here’s a helpful link to directly access ways to watch. You can stream the game for free on Tubi, or catch it on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, NFL+, and fuboTV. And of course, we’ll be watching to see which brands—including tech giants—deliver the most memorable ads of the night.

Between Snap’s game-day integrations, its push to support community-led recovery, and Apple’s move into digital invites, this week is full of shifts in how we connect. Which of these will redefine the way we interact? We’ll be watching.

🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Musical AI, a company specializing in rights management for generative AI music, has raised a $1.5M seed funding round led by Build Ventures. The investment will support the development of Musical AI's attribution model, which analyzes tracks to determine the contribution of various data sources in AI-generated music. This enables rightsholders to monitor and manage the use of their works, while providing generative AI companies with access to quality licensed data and detailed usage reports. - learn more

LA Venture Funds
  • Fika Ventures participated in a $16M Series A funding round for Ivo, a San Francisco-based AI-powered contract review platform, bringing its total funding to $22.2M. The company plans to use the funds to scale its AI-driven contract review solutions and has launched the Ivo Search Agent to enhance contract search and analysis capabilities. - learn more
  • Freeflow Ventures participated in a $7M seed funding round for Miist Therapeutics, a Bay Area-based company specializing in physics-based inhaled medicines. Miist plans to use the funds to advance its two lead programs: MST-01 for smoking addiction and MST-02 for migraine treatment. Their proprietary inhaler delivers sterile aqueous drug particles to the peripheral lung, achieving rapid absorption and symptom relief. - learn more
  • Fiore Ventures participated in a $9.5M strategic funding round for Little Otter, a digital mental health care provider specializing in whole-family services. The company plans to use the funds to expand its services to reach millions of families covered by Medicaid and commercial insurance plans, leveraging an AI-powered platform to enhance patient triage and personalized care. - learn more
  • Arca participated in a $13.5M Series A funding round for Beamable, a company specializing in providing live game services for game developers. The funds will be used to expand Beamable's decentralized gaming infrastructure and enhance its platform offerings. - learn more
  • Village Global participated in an $8M seed funding round for Desteia, a company leveraging AI and graph theory to address supply chain disruptions. The funds will be used to enhance Desteia's technology and expand its market reach. - learn more
  • TI Capital and QBIT Capital co-led a $7.5M Series A funding round for Largo.ai, a company specializing in AI-driven solutions for the film industry. The funds will be used to enhance Largo.ai's AI-powered platform and expand its market presence. - learn more
  • Strong Ventures participated in a ₩3.5 billion (approximately $2.9M) funding round for Class101, a South Korea-based all-in-one creator content platform. The company plans to use the funds to enhance its 'Creator Home' service, recruit top creators in fields such as economics, side jobs, art, crafts, and careers, and expand corporate subscription services for employee education and welfare. - learn more
  • Village Global participated in a $4M Seed funding round for Perspective AI, a Palo Alto, California-based company specializing in AI-mediated customer conversations. The funds will be used to expand operations and development efforts. - learn more

      LA Exits

      • SpringboardVR, a provider of virtual reality (VR) venue management software and a leading content marketplace for location-based entertainment, has been acquired by SynthesisVR. Previously owned by Vertigo Games, SpringboardVR is known for its platform that enables VR arcade operators to manage content licensing and operations efficiently. With this acquisition, SynthesisVR aims to enhance its offerings for VR arcades and developers, supporting the growth and innovation of the VR industry. - learn more
      • Generation Genius, an educational streaming platform that provides K-8 science and math videos, activities, and lessons, has been acquired by Newsela to enhance its instructional content and strengthen real-world connections in science and math education. - learn more

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        AI Dominates the Headlines, but Defense Tech Is Gaining Speed

        🔦 Spotlight

        Hello, Los Angeles!

        This week, DeepSeekAI has been dominating the tech conversation. The Chinese AI startup’s chatbot app surged to the No. 1 spot on the App Store, drawing both excitement and scrutiny. Supporters see its open-weight model as a potential game-changer, offering developers more flexibility compared to closed AI systems like OpenAI’s. But the rapid rise has also raised questions about security, data governance, and global AI competition. Whether DeepSeek will be a long-term disruptor or just a momentary sensation remains to be seen, but one thing is clear—AI remains the tech industry’s driving force.

        But while AI continues to dominate headlines, another sector is quietly making waves—defense technology. And one LA-based startup just secured a major endorsement from investors and the U.S. government.

        Castelion’s Hypersonic Bet—Can It Outrun the Defense Industry’s Red Tape?

        Image Source: Castelion

        El Segundo-based Castelionjust raised$100 million to accelerate its mission to build hypersonic weapons faster, cheaper, and at scale. The financing—$70 million in equity (led by Lightspeed Venture Partners with participation from a16z, Lavrock Ventures, Cantos, First In, BlueYard Capital, and Interlagos) and $30 million in venture debt (from Silicon Valley Bank)—is the latest sign that venture capital sees national security startups as a high-growth opportunity.

        Unlike traditional defense contractors, Castelion is operating like a fast-moving startup, not a slow-moving government supplier. Founded by former SpaceX engineers, the company is applying an iterative, test-heavy approach to building long-range hypersonic strike weapons—which travel at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (3,800+ mph) and are designed to evade modern missile defenses.

        Not Just VC-Backed—The U.S. Military is Betting on Castelion Too

        While the $100 million raise is a major milestone, Castelion already has funded contracts with the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army. These contracts are focused on hypersonic technology development and scaled manufacturing, areas where the military has struggled to move quickly due to bureaucratic delays and reliance on traditional defense giants.

        To prove it can execute, Castelion recently successfully launched a low-cost ballistic missile from a self-built launcher in Mojave. Now, with both government contracts and venture capital behind it, the company is pushing forward on more flight tests and building out its scaled production capabilities.

        Image Source: Castelion - Castelion launches a missile prototype in Mojave, CA

        With rising geopolitical tensions and an increasing focus on faster, cost-effective deterrence, Castelion is positioning itself as a new kind of defense player—one that moves at startup speed. Whether it can sustain that pace while navigating the complexities of government procurement remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the future of defense tech isn’t just about who can build the best weapons—it’s about who can build them fast enough.


        🤝 Venture Deals

        LA Companies

        • Omnitron Sensors, a Los Angeles-based pioneer in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication technology, has secured over $13M in a Series A funding round led by Corriente Advisors, LLC, with participation from L'ATTITUDE Ventures. The company plans to use the funds to expand its engineering and operations teams and accelerate the mass production of its first product, a reliable and affordable MEMS step-scanning mirror designed for various applications, including AI data centers, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), drones, extended reality (XR) headsets, and toxic gas-detection systems. - learn more
        • Camouflet, a Los Angeles-based technology company specializing in AI-driven dynamic pricing solutions, has secured a $12M Series A funding round led by QVM. The company plans to utilize the proceeds to scale its platform across various industries, expand into international markets, and enhance its technology and team to better serve its clients. - learn more
        LA Venture Funds
        • Clocktower Ventures participated in a $6.2M Seed funding round for Foyer, a New York-based fintech startup that assists individuals in saving for home purchases. The funds will be used to enhance Foyer's platform and expand its user base. - learn more
        • Smash Capital participated in ElevenLabs' $180M Series C funding round, bringing the company's valuation to $3.3 billion. Based in New York, ElevenLabs specializes in AI-powered text-to-speech and voice cloning technology. The newly secured funds will be used to enhance its AI audio platform and expand its global presence. - learn more
        • March Capital participated in a $25M Series C funding round for SuperOps to support the company's efforts in advancing AI research and development, expanding offerings for mid-market and enterprise managed service providers (MSPs), and scaling its global presence. Additionally, SuperOps is launching an AI-powered Endpoint Management tool to enhance IT team productivity. - learn more
        • Cedars-Sinai participated in a $2M funding round for Neu Health to support its AI-driven neurology care platform for conditions like Parkinson’s disease and dementia. Originating from the University of Oxford, Neu Health will use the funds to enter the U.S. market, beginning with a six-month pilot program at Cedars-Sinai focused on improving neurology patient care. - learn more
        • Chapter One Ventures participated in a $2.8M seed funding round for Mevvy, a blockchain startup aiming to democratize Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) trading by simplifying access and reducing technical complexities. The funds will be used to further develop Mevvy's platform, expand its user base, and enhance its offerings. - learn more

          LA Exits

          • Kona, an AI-powered assistant and coach for remote managers, has been acquired by 15Five, a performance management platform. Founded in 2019, Kona integrates with virtual meeting platforms like Zoom and Google Meet to provide tailored coaching and enablement for remote managers. The acquisition aims to enhance 15Five's offerings by incorporating Kona's capabilities to improve manager effectiveness within existing workflows. - learn more

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            Can Technology Outpace Wildfires?

            🔦 Spotlight

            Hello, LA!

            This week, tech headlines are buzzing with OpenAI's launch of Operator, a tool that promises to transform task automation, and TikTok’s major outage, which left millions disconnected. But closer to home, as wildfires blaze across Southern California, survival has become the focus—and technology is making it possible.

            When the plume of smoke reappeared on the horizon, residents across Southern California turned to tools like Watch Duty. Over the past week, as flames surged, the app gained 600,000 new users in just one night, delivering critical, real-time information to help residents stay ahead of danger. Watch Duty, designed to provide wildfire updates, has proven to be much more than an alert system. It’s a lifeline.

            The app integrates live data, satellite imagery, and community reports to send updates directly to users. Information includes fire locations, evacuation orders, and air quality indices, empowering quick, informed decisions. Its community-driven ethos—with contributions from locals, firefighters, and volunteers—ensures hyper-local and timely updates, filling gaps where traditional news outlets often fall short.

            Image Source: Watch Duty

            A New Era of Fire Alerts

            Watch Duty redefines wildfire preparedness through technology and collaboration:

            • Fire Detection: Monitors data from satellites, agencies, and ground sources to identify wildfires.
            • Data Verification: A team of experts ensures reported activity is accurate.
            • Real-Time Alerts: Notifications are sent within 60 seconds of detection.
            • Community Contributions: Local residents provide photos and updates.
            • User Notifications: Alerts include fire size, location, and evacuation details.

            These features make Watch Duty an indispensable tool during wildfire season. In 2024, the app processed over 2 million alerts and supported 50,000 evacuations, with plans to expand predictive modeling by 2025 to anticipate threats before they escalate.

            Innovations Reshaping Wildfire Management

            Early Detection Leaders:

            • AlertCalifornia: Operates over 1,000 cameras with machine learning to monitor high-risk areas.
            • Pano AI: Uses cameras and sensors to detect smoke and alert responders.
            • Torch Sensors: Deploys heat-detection sensors to identify anomalies early.

            Image Source: Torch Sensors

            Predictive and Analytical Pioneers:

            • Chooch AI: Employs drones and computer vision to monitor fire hazards.
            • Data Blanket: Uses analytics to forecast fire behavior and assist evacuations.
            • Rain: Leverages advanced atmospheric sensing and AI-driven technology to provide precise fire detection and tracking. Its real-time data on fire weather conditions and environmental factors helps agencies anticipate and respond to wildfires with greater efficiency.
            • SCEPTER: Tracks air quality and wildfire emissions using AI and satellite data.

            Image Source: Rain

            A Vision for the Future

            As Los Angeles continues to adapt to the realities of a changing climate, tools like Watch Duty, Pano AI, and AlertCalifornia are proving to be invaluable. These technologies are not just reactive measures; they represent a shift toward proactive disaster preparedness. The question now isn’t whether technology can help but how much more it can achieve in the years to come.

            With the integration of predictive modeling, AI, and real-time data, there’s hope for a future where wildfires are no longer unpredictable forces of destruction. Imagine every household equipped with predictive wildfire maps, heat-detecting drones, and AI-driven tools to guide safety decisions. The innovations are here—it's up to us to support and scale them to ensure they reach the communities that need them most. Which company, which app, or which breakthrough will emerge as the next lifeline? The possibilities for a safer, more prepared Los Angeles feel closer than ever.

            🤝 Venture Deals

            LA Companies

            • Favorited, a new livestream app positioning itself as an alternative to TikTok, has raised a $1.3M Pre-Seed from HF0, Soma Ventures, and several angel investors from the entertainment and social space. The platform, which participated in the a16z Speedrun accelerator program, offers features like streaks and leaderboards to boost user engagement. Favorited plans to use the funds to enhance its app's functionalities and expand its user base. - learn more
            LA Venture Funds
            • Overture VC participated in a $12M Series A funding round for Bedrock Energy, an Austin, Texas-based startup specializing in geothermal heating and cooling systems. Bedrock Energy plans to use the funds to advance its geothermal technologies and expand deployments in Colorado, Utah, and neighboring states. - learn more
            • Navigate Ventures LLC participated in a $7.2M Series A funding round for XILO, a San Diego-based insurance technology startup that provides a quoting and sales automation platform to help independent insurance agencies convert the next generation of insurance shoppers; the funds will be used to scale operations, manufacturing, and commercial efforts for its acne products. - learn more
            • Upfront Ventures participated in a $5.25M Seed funding round for 1up.ai, a New York-based company that automates knowledge for sales teams; the funds will be used to empower their growing customer base, including industry leaders like WalkMe, Gladly, and Deliveroo. - learn more
            • MTech Capital participated in a $2.2M Pre-Seed funding round for Qumis, a Chicago-based AI platform designed to transform insurance knowledge work; the funds will be used to scale its AI capabilities, accelerate product development, and expand its customer base. - learn more
            • Amboy Street Ventures participated in a SEK 304M Series B funding round for Gesynta Pharma, a Stockholm-based pharmaceutical company specializing in anti-inflammatory and pain-relief treatments, with the funds directed toward advancing a Phase II clinical trial of their lead candidate, vipoglanstat, for endometriosis. - learn more

            LA Exits

            • Bandy Manufacturing, a Los Angeles-based provider of aerospace fasteners and components, has been acquired by Novaria Group to enhance its portfolio and expand its capabilities in the aerospace and defense industries. - learn more
            • Pangea, a company specializing in eco-friendly and sustainable products with a focus on innovative technology solutions, is being acquired by Nature's Miracle Holding Inc. to accelerate growth and capitalize on synergies in sustainability and tech-driven product development. - learn more
            • Notisphere, a healthcare communication platform streamlining recall and alert management, has been acquired by Par Excellence Systems to enhance its capabilities in delivering efficient supply chain solutions for the healthcare industry. - learn more
            • Cryogenic Machinery Corp., a North Hollywood, California-based manufacturer specializing in cryogenic pumps for industrial gas and energy applications, has been acquired by PSG, a Dover company, to enhance PSG's portfolio of specialized fluid handling solutions. - learn more

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