A USC computer sciences professor has won a federal research grant to create a mobile app to track a person's real-time location and symptoms and assess their risk of COVID-19 exposure. Senior Reporter Tami Abdollah digs into the potential privacy concerns.
The unconventional VC group The Fund has launched an L.A. branch, with members from local startups including Dollar Shave Club, Snap, Droplabs, HopSkipDrive, Founderforward, Tinder and others. The goal: to deepen relationships between local startups and fund 50 L.A. investments over the next two years. Senior Finance Reporter Ben Bergman has more.
Thanks to everyone who attended today's "dot.LA Convenes" women-in-tech event. Our next virtual strategy session on the rise of robotics in SoCal takes place Tuesday. Sign up here!
We're also looking for health-focused startups to take part in next Thursday's Virtual Pitch Showcase on healthcare. Nominate your company!
USC Gets Grant To Track Students' Risk of COVID-19
The app would use location data to calculate a type of credit score for students' COVID-19 risk. The information would be used to help calculate a risk score for locations like your neighborhood grocery store over time. Read more >>
'The Fund' Launches in Los Angeles
Every venture capital fund likes to insist it's unique, but The Fund, which quietly launched in L.A. earlier this year, has some very unique qualities, including that it doesn't allow professional investors to take part. Read more >>
West Hollywood's Dear Media Raises $8 Million
The podcast network, which focuses on female voices, says it's now ready to usher in the "future of audio and commerce." It joins a slew of L.A.-based podcast companies including Wondery, Neon Hum and Crooked Media. Read more >>
Can Peacock Save Comcast?
Comcast -- the media behemoth that controls NBC, Universal Pictures -- had some good news on their first-quarter earnings call, but it wasn't enough to calm investors concerned about how theater closures will affect Universal Pictures and the company's Universal Studios theme parks. Read more updates >>Nominate Your Company For Our Next Virtual Pitch Showcase on Healthcare
Join us for our next virtual pitch showcase featuring emerging startups in the healthcare space - Thursday, May 7th at 11:00 a.m. PST. We are looking for interesting Southern California healthcare companies to showcase. Submissions will be evaluated on a rolling basis.
Angel investor Spencer Rascoff will judge the competition along with Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health General Partner Jay Goss.
Join us Tuesday for a dot.LA Strategy Session on The Rise of Robotics
Rachel Uranga, Reporter at dot.LA will lead a virtual roundtable on how a new wave of robots is remaking humans' relationships with machines. Register here. Space is limited!