Billionaires Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson had their moment in the spotlight, and now it's Elon Musk's turn. SpaceX will send civilians into space on its Inspiration4 mission tomorrow, Sept. 15, from Florida's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. And you might not want to miss it. Here's how to watch it live.
⬆️ Activision Blizzard has hired Julie Hodges, a former Disney executive, as it struggles to gain footing during an ongoing sexual harassment crisis.
🎥 Women account for 30% of creators, 31% of directors and 24% of editors on streaming programs, study finds.
🌱 Irvine-based WM Technology (Weed Maps) has acquired Sprout, a cloud-based CRM platform.
📚 Caltech in Pasadena ranks in the top 10 universities in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Reports list for Best National Universities for 2022.
💰 Coding Stars is expanding to Los Angeles and Orange County to provide funding for workstations and computer-science instructors in under-served schools.
📊 Digital asset investment advisor Wave Financial, based in L.A., says it has crossed the $1 billion mark in assets under management.
⬆️ L.A.-based consumer data startup mePrism has hired Adam Judelson as its president and COO.
🏆 Torrance-based biotherapeutics company Diadem has been awarded the first Amgen Golden Ticket in Southern California.
But Will There Be Beer in Space?
Billionaire Jared Isaacman, CEO of the financial tech company Shift4 Payments, is ponying up $200 million for SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission — and he's bringing beer. Isaacman says he decided to bring 70 pounds of hops on the shuttle so they can then be auctioned off to a brewery to turn it into "space beer." The proceeds from the auction will also benefit St. Jude.
Pacaso Raises $125 Million Even as Neighbors Protest
Pacaso wants to sell you a stake in a top-tier second home, and it just raised $125 million to do so — that is, if you're among the minority of homeowners who can afford one.
CreatorIQ Raises $40 Million to Make Analytics Spot On
CreatorIQ uses artificial intelligence to determine how engaged social media stars are and with which audiences. On Tuesday, it raised $40 million to build out its brands and influencer software.
Nominate Innovators for dot.LA's Startup Awards
Nominate Innovators for dot.LA's 2021 Startup Awards
We are thrilled to announce the dot.LA Startup Awards 2021, a celebration of the most innovative people and companies in the L.A. startup and tech community. The event will be hosted live on Friday, October 29th, during the dot.LA Summit. We will recognize and celebrate L.A.'s most coveted startup pioneers, rising tech companies and disruptive innovators.
Nominations are open for company submissions in six categories. Get involved and nominate a startup or an individual to win an award by clicking here. Nominate who you think should win each category!
Nominations Are Open for Our Summit LA Pitch Showcase
We're looking for Southern California startups that have a product on the market and have raised less than $1 million in funding to pitch at dot.LA's Summit on Thursday, October 28th at 6:00pm PT on the main stage at Fairmont Miramar.