Sweetgreen, the Culver City salad chain that aims to double in size over the next five years, is gearing up for its closely watched debut on the New York Stock Exchange. Here's everything you need to know about the greens purveyor — from its founders' special shares to its lack of profits — before trading is expected to kick off on Thursday. Read more >>
Here's what else we're reading in the news:
- Rivian's Wall Street winning streak appears to have hit a slump with the company's stock closing down 15%
- Beyond Meat has not quite nailed the chicken tender, as one Twitter user puts it.
- Miramax, which released Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," is suing the filmmaker over his plans to auction movie-themed NFTs.
- FaZe Clan, the L.A.-based esports company, has signed a partnership deal with sports betting app DraftKings.
- VinFast, a Vietnamese electric vehicle company, is making Los Angeles home to its new headquarters.
- Apple is launching a Self Service Repair program next year to allow customers to buy parts from the tech giant for home repairs.
- The LAPD tried out and pursued a contract with a social media surveillance company, Voyager Labs, a new report reveals.
Is Sweetgreen a Tech Company?
However you classify it, Sweetgreen says its "brand, technology and supply chain" set it apart, enabling the firm to "rapidly scale Real Food." Sweetgreen whimsically described this strategy as "a balance of art and science." However, co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman declared in a dot.LA interview last year that the firm "is not a tech company."
First VR Pain Treatment Device to Get FDA Approval
For the first time, a virtual reality device to address pain has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Los Angeles-based therapeutic virtual reality startup AppliedVR's device to ease chronic lower back pain gained FDA approval this week.
Staples Center Will Become Crypto.com Arena
Merry Christmas, Los Angeles. On December 25, the sports and entertainment mecca once known as Staples Center will officially be re-christened The Crpto.com Arena. Love it? Hate it? Take our Twitter poll.
Ketamine Injections Offer 'Blueprint' for New Anti-Depressive Drugs
Once known as a club drug, ketamine is now available as an at-home treatment for depression and anxiety. An L.A.-based concierge service is partnering with Pasithea Pasithea, a Florida-based biotech company focused on therapies for psychological and neurological disorders, to deliver treatments for those whose anxiety, depression or PTSD is too crippling for them to leave the house.
Elude Raises $3M to Let Millennials and Gen Z Get Away — Cheaply
Air travel is picking back up but millennials and Gen Z-ers are still hungry for a deal. Elude, the Los Angeles-based travel startup, announced Wednesday that it received $3 million in funding led by ATX Venture Partners.
Martha Notaras on Making a Good Living from (Sometimes) Boring Companies
The insurance business is having a moment as new technology and big data disrupt the space. Martha Notaras, managing partner at Brewer Lane, is placing her bets in fintech and insurtech companies. She joined this episode of the LA Venture podcast to talk about the future of insurance.
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