The lights might be coming back on at Downtown L.A.'s historic Broadway Trade Center. New York-based startup Emcee announced plans to buy the 1907 building, which has been vacant for nearly 10 years, and it into the “Emcee Studio”—a tech hub and shopping center reflecting its ecommerce and creator platform.
Here’s what else we’re reading in the news:
- ViacomCBS rebrands to Paramount to focus on streaming.
- Health care startup Lightfully Behavioral acquires West L.A.'s Resilience Treatment Center for Mental Health.
- EV charging startups FLO and ChargerHelp! are pushing to create statewide regulations for disclosing charging station data.
- Coinbase enables users to send crypto payments from the U.S. to Mexico with much lower fees.
- Rivian unveils a new video surveillance system which activates when people get too close to the vehicle.
Downtown’s Broadway Trade Center Could Become LA’s Newest Tech Hub
Creator economy startup Emcee has agreed to buy a historic Downtown L.A. property with ambitious designs on a new “metaverse hub.”
TCG's Bid to Buy Businesses and Pair Them With Influencers
The Chernin Group and talent agency Night Media are teaming for a new fund that would snap up businesses and pair them with social media influencers.
Epirus and Its Drone-Zapping Defense Systems Hit Unicorn Status
The Torrance-based startup sells “directed-energy” weapons that can take down drones It just raised $200 million to further develop its defense systems.
How Pasadena Biotech Terray Wants to Speed Up Drug Discovery
After three years in stealth mode, a Pasadena biotech startup has emerged with $60 million and, it believes, a new way to create drugs.
FitOn Raises Funds and Announces an Acquisition
West Hollywood-based fitness app FitOn announced its $40 million raise as well as its acquisition of corporate wellness platform Peerfit.
Fisker Is Now Taking Reservations For Its Second EV
Manhattan Beach-based EV company Fisker announced that it has begun taking reservations for its mysterious next vehicle: the PEAR.
Disney's New Head of Metaverse Strategy
In a memo, Disney CEO Bob Chapek introduced executive Mike White as the company’s pick to oversee the Mouse's metaverse strategy.