Investments in AI-assisted medical diagnosis technology — like Docbot, which helps doctors find polyps that could turn cancerous — are skyrocketing. One Pitchbook analyst estimates the industry has gone from $1.6 billion to $2.6 billion in just one year. But despite the sweeping promises of this technology, doctors remain largely distrustful of it.
💰 California is offering $150,000 grants to entrepreneurs focused on green tech.
📽 A new 6,000-seat YouTube Theater has opened its doors to the public in Inglewood, next to the SoFi Stadium.
🩺 L.A.-based biotech company Immix Biopharma Inc. has added Stanford's former Chief of Medical Oncology George W. Sledge, MD, to its Scientific Advisory Board.
📺 Roku is releasing 23 new shows to its streaming channel from the catalog of content it acquired from Quibi earlier this year.
🔬 Six Southern California science teachers are among the winners of the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge.
🏆 Biocom California is seeking nominees for its sixth annual Life Science Catalyst Awards.
🛍 Instagram is beginning to test ads in its shop tab.
Doctors Remain Skeptical of Medical Imaging AI
Despite the sweeping promises of medical imaging AI, doctors remain largely distrustful of the tech. A survey from the American College of Radiology found that only 30% of doctors use medical imaging AI, and a study presented to the FDA found that 95% of clinicians largely think AI is inconsistent or doesn't work at all.
Southern California Is Volvo's Big EV Market
Volvo is making inroads into the electric vehicle market thanks to robust sales in Southern California. The company's EV and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales in Southern California consisted of more than half of its total sales in the state in June and July.
College-Savings Fintech UNest Acquires NY-Based Savings App
UNest, a Los Angeles-based fintech company that helps parents save money for their kids' college tuition, has acquired Kidfund to increase its user base by around 30,000 users, the company announced Monday. UNest lets parents funnel money into tax-friendly investment accounts for their children.
Beatrice Dixon Scaled Up Her Empire From Her Kitchen
Beatrice Dixon, founder of The Honey Pot Company, says her rise to success in the business world came from a lot of trial and error. Now The Honey Pot Company, a plant-based feminine hygiene line created to provide women with healthy alternatives to feminine care, sells in major retailers like Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and Walgreens.
Listen to her full interview in the latest episode of the Behind Her Empire podcast.
Column: Unbundling Social Media
Authentic human-to-human connection is getting harder to discover and strengthen on social media. Former Zillow executive and dot.LA co-founder Rascoff says that's why his company, 75 & Sunny, is incubating and investing in new platforms based on human connection.