"The term we're trying to coin is conscientious consumerism."
Deborah Benton and Amanda Schutzbank seed-stage firm Willow Growth Partners wants to invest in the kind of profitable "conscientious consumer" brands that abound in Los Angeles, but are more likely to get acquired up than see billion-dollar IPO deals.
California advances a bill decriminalizing psychedelic substances.
L.A.-based Popl raises $2.2 million to create the digital business card.
HBO Max expands beyond the U.S. to 39 new territories.
Elizabeth Warren calls for more scrutiny of Amazon-MGM deal.
TikTok removed 7 million-plus underage accounts in Q1.
Snap's Viber deal shows Spiegel's long-term play.
Spotify explores expansion into events.
Virgin Orbit launches its first commercial satellites into space.
Robinhood will pay a $70-million penalty for misleading millions of users.
Willow Growth Partners Raises Inaugural $28 Million Fund
With their new fund, Deborah Benton and Amanda Schutzbank aren't looking for the next billion-dollar exit. Their seed-stage firm wants to invest in the kind of profitable "conscientious consumer" brands and many of them happen to be run by women and people of color.
Human Excrement is the Latest NFT
Just when the world thought the NFT craze couldn't get more strange, contemporary artist Matty Mo announced an auction of his new non-fungible token "The Most Sh*ttiest NFT."
Rocket-Maker Relativity Moves to Former Boeing Plant
On the heels of a $650 million raise earlier this month, reusable rocket-maker Relativity Space is upgrading its headquarters to a 93-acre former Boeing manufacturing facility in Long Beach where it can house production.
Glendale-Based ServiceTitan Flexes its Muscle
A platform built for the millions of contractors and blue-collar tradespeople, ServiceTitan has become a giant. The Glendale-based company picked up Aspire Software and raised $200 million.
Quizizz Raises Another $31.5 Million As Edtech Booms
The planned return of students to classrooms this fall doesn't appear to have stunted edtech companies, many of which saw a surge in use as teachers and students moved online during the pandemic.
FightCamp's Raise Taps Out At $90 Million
The pandemic has been a boon for at-home fitness companies like Costa Mesa-based FightCamp. But as the restrictions lift and gyms lure back fitness buffs, these companies are having to up their game.