Los Angeles' public transportation system has a lot of room for improvement. And this week's CoMotion conference in Los Angeles was the setting where the city's public transportation agency announced some of its ambitious plans to reshape the way Angelenos travel. Among those plans, L.A. Metro will roll out a pilot program next year to let users access scooters, bikes, trains and buses with one universal pass.
LA Startups To Watch 👀
👉 Acelyrin. The pharmaceutical startup wants to move the L.A. biotech community beyond the "innovate and exit" model to avoid getting swallowed up by big pharma.
👉 AppliedVR. The virtual reality startup this week became the first to get FDA approval for a VR device that aims to ease chronic lower back pain.
👉 Elude. The travel startup raised $3 million this week in a sign that investors feel confident that air travel is resuming and millennials are eager to get away, cheaply.
#TechLA's Movers & Shakers This Week 📢
➡️ Pasithea, a Florida based biotech company, is turning ketamine into an at-home depression treatment.
➡️ In a move that would guarantee financial incentive, Canoo is moving its headquarters from Los Angeles to Arkansas.LA Tech and Venture Capital News 🗞
🗞 Ford, one of Rivian's biggest investors, no longer has plans to develop an electric vehicle using the high-flying EV company's tech, Rivian said on Friday.
🗞 dot.LA interviewed showrunner Brian Volk-Weiss this week on creating content in the streaming age and how COVID changed the industry.
🗞 For its second time this year, Activision Blizzard employees are planning a walkout after the Wall Street Journal reporter CEO Bobby Kotick knew for years about sexual misconduct allegations at the company.
🗞 The Los Angeles Auto Show opened its doors this week and unveiled seven electric vehicles from companies that are entering the local market for the first time.
🗞 Sweetgreen, the Culver City salad chain that aims to double in size over the next five years, made a great debut on the New York Stock Exchange.🎙 Listen Up 💬
Need a podcast recommendation this weekend? Here are some new pods to keep you company this weekend:
🎙 Martha Notaras joins this week's LA Venture to talk about placing her investments in fintech and insurtech companies. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
🚨 EXTRA EXTRA 🚨
🗞 The University of Southern California and Cal State L.A. are leading the efforts to digitize Mesoamerican artifacts, including some that are nearly 3,000 years old.
🗞 The channel G4TV made a television comeback this week after its seven years off the air.
🗞 The Hollywood workers union IATSE narrowly ratified a new three-year deal with major studio owners on Monday, even though it lost by popular vote.
🗞 The Staples Center will soon have a new name, apt for the crypto-crazed era: The Crypto.com Arena.
🗞 Los Angeles could better serve its communities by being more open with its data around ridership trends, reporting where revenue is being spent, and investing more into infrastructure to support its micromobility ambitions, writes Jason Thomas, a former strategic finance operator at Bird scooters.
LA Tech and Venture Capital Events 📅
Check out these upcoming Southern California tech and startup events in November:
- Event: Los Angeles Auto Show 2021: Nov. 19-28
Is your organization having an event? Let us feature it in our newsletter! Email luis@dot.la.
Am I doing this right? 🤔
Throw me feedback, compliments or questions on this newsletter at luis@dot.la or on Twitter at @rungomez.