LA Venture Podcast: March Capital Co-founder Shares Decades Of Lessons Learned

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles,

The FTC’s new “Click to Cancel” rule is shaking up subscription-based tech. Now, instead of navigating a maze of cancellation hurdles, users can cancel subscriptions as easily as they signed up—with a single click. This shift is a wake-up call for SaaS, streaming, and app-based companies, where once-hidden exit options often kept users around simply because canceling was a hassle.

The rule also requires businesses to send regular renewal reminders, ensuring customers stay informed about upcoming charges. It's more than a cancellation button—it’s about transparency and giving users control over their decisions.

For startups, the impact goes deeper than UX adjustments. Many have relied on "dark patterns," which subtly discourage cancellations by hiding the exit. Now, companies must shift toward building genuine loyalty by delivering real value, not by complicating exits.

While this might affect retention rates initially, it could lead to more sustainable business models that rely on satisfaction-driven loyalty. Investors may start prioritizing companies that emphasize transparent, long-term engagement over those that depend on dark patterns to maintain retention metrics.

The rule opens the door to more ethical UX design and a truly user-centered approach across the tech industry. It may even set a precedent against manipulative design in other areas, such as privacy settings or payment methods.

Ultimately, the “Click to Cancel” rule presents an opportunity for the tech industry to foster trust and build stronger customer relationships. Startups and established companies that embrace transparency will likely stand out as leaders in a new era of customer-centric tech, where trust—not tricky design—is what retains users.

As the tech landscape continues to evolve, LA Tech Week 2024 offers a chance to explore these shifts in real-time. Check out the upcoming event lineups to stay informed and make the most of your time:

• Friday Event Lineup

• Saturday - Sunday Event Lineup

For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

• Ghost, a company supporting top brands and retailers with streamlined logistics and fulfillment solutions, raised a $40M Series C funding round led by L Catterton to fuel its continued growth and innovation. - learn more

• Hello Cake, a sexual wellness and health brand, raised an $18M Series B funding round led by Silas Capital and Strand Equity and acquired Trigg Laboratories, a Las Vegas-based company, to expand its product line and market presence. - learn more

• Horizon Surgical Systems, a microsurgical robotics company, has raised a $30M Series A funding round led by ExSight Ventures to advance its platform, fund first-in-human studies, and expand its team to drive further innovation. - learn more

• Terray Therapeutics, a biotech company using generative AI to develop small-molecule therapeutics, raised $120M in a Series B funding round led by Bedford Ridge Capital and NVentures, to advance it’s internal programs to clinical trials and further develop its AI-driven platform, tNova. - learn more

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🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles,

As many of you know, LA Tech Week is right around the corner, kicking off next Monday October 14th bringing together founders, creatives, investors, and engineers for a week of immersive events, panels, and socials across the city. From blockchain and AI to biotech and design, LA Tech Week is a chance to dive into the ideas shaping today’s technology landscape.

What to Look Forward To

Insights from Visionary Leaders: Hear firsthand from industry trailblazers as they share stories, challenges, and key lessons from their experiences. Expect fresh perspectives on AI, venture capital, biotech, and the ethical questions around emerging technologies.

Interactive Panels: This week isn’t about watching from the sidelines; it’s about engaging directly with the tech community. Participate in hands-on panels discussing everything from startup scaling to ethical AI, with honest insights from those actively shaping these fields.

Networking Mixers & Social Events: Meet and connect with founders, VCs, developers, designers, and fellow techies across LA. Rooftop mixers, lunch meetups, and creative gatherings offer the perfect chance to spark ideas and collaborate.

Plan your week with the daily lineup, organized by location for easy navigation:

• Monday Event Lineup

• Tuesday Event Lineup

• Wednesday Event Lineup

• Thursday Event Lineup

• Friday Event Lineup

• Saturday - Sunday Event Lineup

For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!!

🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

• Clout Kitchen, a Los Angeles and Manila based startup, has raised $4.45M in seed funding, co-led by a16z SPEEDRUN and Peak XV’s Surge, to develop AI-powered digital twins, which enables gaming creators to produce realistic virtual avatars for content and fan engagement. - learn more

• MeWe, a privacy-focused social media platform, has raised an initial $6M in Series B funding led by McCourt Global to support Web3 integration and expand its decentralized network for 20 millions users. - learn more

• Suma Wealth, a financial platform aimed at empowering Latino entrepreneurs, raised a $7M seed round, with participation from ResilienceVC, Acumen, Commerce Ventures, Ascendo Venture Capital, and Cooley, to enhance its AI-driven financial tools, including the recent acquisition of Mooch, an AI-powered personal finance app that expands its personalized financial management solutions. - learn more

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Here’s what’s happening during the closing weekend (Oct 19 - Oct 20) of LA Tech Week 2024! Events are organized by location so you can easily catch the sessions that interest you most.

SATURDAY EVENTS

BEVERLY HILLS

12:00 PM

• BIG Showcase (Invite Only):

BIG Showcase (Invite Only)

2:00 PM

• AI, Media & Conscious Leadership: Upleveling Humanity Together:See Details Here

Light Dao

• LA Tech Week Wind Down Party:See Details Here

Struck Capital, Seahorse Express

EAGLE ROCK

12:00 PM

• Shopify Fall Shop & Stroll:See Details

Sunrise Integration, Shopify

EL SEGUNDO

9:00 PM

• "Fix the Timeline" Gundo x LA Tech Week Party:See Details

Administratum, Valar Atomics

HOLLYWOOD

10:00 AM

• LA Tech Week 2024 Hackathon:See Details

Passes

MALIBU

6:00 PM

• Malibu Beachfront Investors Networking & Wine Tasting:See Details

Gaya Ventures

MARINA DEL RAY

6:00 PM

• Awaken Your Spirit: A Journey of Transformation (Invite Only)

Sagos Distro, Alma Wellness

SANTA MONICA

7:00 AM

• Founders Running Club: See Details

Founders Running Club

8:30 AM

• Morning Bike Ride: See Details

Techstars

9:00 AM

• Magic Mornings Yoga Club: See Details

Magic Mind

• Investment Week 2024: See Details

StartupStarter, Inc., City of Santa Monica

10:00 AM

• Founder + Funder Power Walk: See Details

Gen She

• AI LA Life Summit : See Details

AI LA

• Innovation that HIITs: See Details

Crea, Barry's, Unsubscribe

10:30 AM

• Experiential Beauty Activation: See Details

Plantologist

11:30 AM

• Pickleball Palooza (Invite Only)

YouTube

1:00 PM

• Realfren Games: From strangers to an inner Realfren within 52 weekends: See Details

Office for Humanity and Circuit Works

• Talking blockchain technology with special guests: See Details

LadyDayDao

5:00 PM

• Dorm Rooms to Boardrooms: See Details

KARD, What's Plots

THE VALLEY

7:00 AM

• The Other LA Startup Community: See Details

Camino5

VENICE

9:00 AM

• Beach Yoga & Meditation: See Details

Westside Yogis

11:00 AM

• Open x LA Tech Week: See Details

Open App

1:00 PM

• The Gear Down: Sauna + Ice + Workshop: See Details

Ripe and Teddy's Hot House

4:00 PM

• Fashion Forward: How AI is Redefining the Fashion Industry: See Details

VIAVIA, BNTO.RENT, ALMA.AI

VIRTUAL

11:00 AM

• Virtual Team Immersion In The Creator Economy: See Details

BLCK UNICRN

WEST HOLLYWOOD

7:00 PM

• Next Sequence: AI x Bio: See Details

Next Sequence

SUNDAY EVENTS

INGLEWOOD

12:00 PM

• SOFI VIP BOX SUITES: RAMS vs RAIDERS Game: See Details

Entrepreneur Ventures, VCPE GROUPS

PLAYA DEL RAY

2:00 PM

• Cerebral Beach LA Tech Week Recovery: See Details

AI LA, DELL, NVIDIA

SANTA MONICA

10:00 AM

• Women Founders, Cold Brew & Beach View, Rooftop: See Details

Clutch Talent

11:00 AM

• Beach Cleanup with Less Litter Foundation: See Details

11DollarSunglasses.com, Less Litter Foundation

12:00 PM

• Data in LA Meet Up Mixer: See Details

Data in LA, Amplitude

12:30 AM

• Impact Investment Lunch: See Details

New Moon, Warner UK Innovations

TOPANGA CANYON

3:00 PM

• Dreamore Tech Week Hike Party and Picnic: See Details

Dreamore

VENICE

8:00 AM

• Surf session with founders, investors, creators: See Details

Surfed Club, Bow Shock

12:00 PM

• Podcast Panel and Brunch: LA Tech Community Builders: See Details

WeAreLATech.com, Blankspaces.com

VIRTUAL

2:00 PM

• Build A Custom Immersive Experience: See Details

BLCK UNICRN

For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.

Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!