Hola Metaverso Wants To Bring the Latino Community Into Web3

Decerry Donato

Decerry Donato is a reporter at dot.LA. Prior to that, she was an editorial fellow at the company. Decerry received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. She continues to write stories to inform the community about issues or events that take place in the L.A. area. On the weekends, she can be found hiking in the Angeles National forest or sifting through racks at your local thrift store.

Hola Metaverso Wants To Bring the Latino Community Into Web3
Courtesy of Hola Metaverso

To many outsiders, the Web3 community can feel like a bunch of crypto bros in Patagonia jackets. At least thatโ€™s what Tameron McGurren-Leal thought before he signed on as business development manager for Hola Metaverso, a new project that aims to educate the Latino community about today's rapidly emerging digital realms.


Hola Metaverso's mission is to educate the Latino community by hosting in-person and online educational events that put in laymanโ€™s terms what exactly is going on with the metaverse, as well as blockchain-related technologies like crypto, NFTs, DeFi, DAOsโ€”and all the seemingly endless linguistic jargon that comes with it.

The 23-year-old McGurren-Leal got involved with Hola Metaverso not long after graduating from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in finance and real estate. While perusing through his social media feeds, he stumbled upon a Twitter Spaces where he connected with Oszie Tarula, a digital media consultant who is the mastermind behind Hola Metaverso.

โ€œTwitter is a cesspool of really cool people,โ€ McGurren-Leal said. โ€œThey've kind of pivoted from a meme place to actually community building.โ€

Hola Metaverso's business development manager Tameron McGurren-Leal.

Courtesy of Hola Metaverso.

While McGurren-Leal resides in Iowa, he has L.A. roots through his father, who was born and raised in East Los Angeles. He poured himself into the L.A. startup scene after listening to podcasts like investor Jason Calacanis' "This Week in Startups" and following Twitter accounts like Alexis Ohanian, Meagan Loyst and Gen Z VCs. โ€œI wanted to be more engulfed into the L.A. tech scene and L.A. Latino scene,โ€ he said.

The idea for Hola Metaverso became reality in December 2021, when Tarula gathered friends and acquaintancesโ€”all of whom identify as Latino and live in L.A. or neighboring citiesโ€”to start the project, with each person assigned a role. According to the 2020 Census, Latinos make up nearly 49% of Los Angeles County's roughly 10 million residentsโ€”yet much of the community is left out of the conversation around emerging Web3 applications, in line with the overwhelmingly white composition of the tech and startup worlds.

โ€œThere's a big push from Latino communities and typically forgotten communities to want to be a part of Web3,โ€ McGurren-Leal told dot.LA.

The Hola Metaverso team are now planning an inaugural one-day tech conference ton April 30 at the Avenida Productions studio in Historic Filipinotown. The event will be live-streamed for anyone that canโ€™t attend in person, with details posted on the conference's website.

Panelists will include Web3 Familia founder Orlando Gomez, intellectual property attorney Eliana Torres from Web3Lawyers, ThinkNow co-founder Mario X. Carrasco, Blockassetโ€™s Pablo Segarra and filmmaker Fanny Grande.

Aside from sponsorships that are still being finalized, the project will be funded by the event's ticket prices ($150 per person). That includes access to experts in Web3, live entertainment, food and networking. Registration is open until all 200 tickets are sold out.

By creating an event with a Latino focus, McGurren-Leal says Hola Metaverso is hoping to tap into the cultural sense of compaรฑerismo. โ€œWe are a very inclusive group,โ€ he noted, โ€œand weโ€™re really trying to make sure it's an inclusive environment.โ€

๐Ÿš€ Inversion Secures $44 Million to Pioneer On-Demand Delivery from Space

๐Ÿ”ฆ Spotlight

Happy Friday, LA!

This week, Southern California's thriving space tech scene celebrated another milestone as Inversion, an El Segundo-based startup, announced a $44 million Series A funding round. The investment, co-led by Spark Capital and Adjacent, with participation from Kindred Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures and Y Combinator, underscores the growing appetite for innovative solutions in aerospace, logistics, and beyond. To date, theyโ€™ve raised $54 million, including a $10 million seed round in 2021. In September, they also secured a $71 million STRATFI agreement with the Space Forceโ€™s SpaceWERX to develop reentry vehicles for military applications, funded through a mix of government and private investment.

Image Source: Inversion

Inversion is pioneering a new frontier: reusable vehicles capable of rapidly returning payloads from orbit to Earth. Their "Earth Return Capsules" are designed to deliver within as little as an hour, enabling everything from rapid-turnaround experiments in microgravity to the delivery of critical medical supplies across the globe.

Building on this vision, a key focus for Inversion, as noted by SpaceNews, is the development of Arc, a reentry vehicle designed to provide "precision delivery on-demand" from space to Earth. With its first flight planned for 2026, the company is using the Series A funding to move Arc through its full product cycle, including design and development. This funding will also support Inversion's growth from its current 25 employees to a team of around 70, as well as their move into a new facility. Co-founder and CEO Justin Fiaschetti emphasized that the funding is sufficient to bring Arc through its inaugural flight.

Adding to the excitement, Inversion recently achieved a critical regulatory milestone in October by receiving a re-entry license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This license is a pivotal step in their journey, allowing the company to safely and legally return payloads from orbit to Earth. It positions Inversion among a select group of companies capable of operating in this emerging sector and demonstrates their readiness to bring the concept of space-based logistics into reality.

This isnโ€™t just a win for Inversionโ€”itโ€™s a win for the Los Angeles aerospace ecosystem, which continues to attract top-tier talent and funding. With giants like SpaceX and Relativity Space already calling the region home, Inversion is further cementing LAโ€™s status as the nationโ€™s space tech hub.

As Southern California continues to lead the way in space innovation, Inversion is one to watch. Their vision for merging cutting-edge aerospace technology with real-world logistics solutions may not just change how we view spaceโ€”it might transform how we interact with it.

Stay tuned for more updates from LAโ€™s tech and startup scene. For now, keep your eyes on the skiesโ€”Inversion is bringing them closer to Earth.


๐Ÿค Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Seen Health, a company enhancing healthcare for seniors, has raised a $22M Series A funding round led by 8VC to support the opening of its first center in California and drive the development of the companyโ€™s technology. - learn more
LA Venture Funds
  • Theory Forge Ventures participated in a $30M Seed funding round for San Francisco-based Wordware, a startup developing a full-stack operating system for AI development that enables users to create sophisticated AI agents using natural language; the funds will be used to expand their platform and accelerate growth. - learn more
  • Clocktower Ventures participated in the most recent funding round for OpenYield, a New York-based company revolutionizing bond trading with its automated, equity-like marketplace, bringing the company's total funding to $7M to date. - learn more
  • Bonfire Ventures led a $4.25M Seed funding round for KeySavvy, a Seattle-based platform that simplifies and secures private-party car transactions; the funds will be used to expand their operations and engineering team, support new partnerships, enhance platform automation, and launch a fast-financing product for buyers. - learn more
  • Aliment Capital led a $42M Series C funding round for OneRail, an Orlando-based company specializing in last-mile delivery logistics software; the funds will be used to enhance their platform's capabilities and expand market reach. - learn more
  • UP.Partners led a $7M second-extension Series A funding round for Teleo, a Palo Alto-based company specializing in autonomous construction equipment; the funds will be used to expand their product offerings and accelerate market adoption. - learn more
  • Alexandria Venture Investments participated in a $30M Seed funding round for Valora Therapeutics, a San Diego-based biotechnology company developing novel immunotherapies using their proprietary AbLec platform; the funds will be used to advance their research and development efforts, optimize the platform, and progress AbLec therapeutics toward clinical trials. - learn more
  • Progression Fund participated in a $1.5M Pre-Seed funding round for GetMyHome, a Redondo Beach-based real estate service provider that offers a full rebate of seller-paid agent commission fees, charging clients a flat fee for the services they need, and employs agents who receive flat-fee compensation to help clients secure their dream homes without the incentive to push for overbidding. - learn more
  • Hyperlink Ventures participated in a $33M Series B funding round for Selector, a Santa Clara-based company specializing in AI-driven solutions that provide comprehensive visibility and intelligence for complex networks, infrastructure, and applications; the funds will be used to accelerate the development of their AIOps, Large Language Model (LLM), and Digital Twin technologies, as well as to expand their global presence. - learn more
  • Bonfire Ventures and Impulsum Venture Colab participated in a $5.25M Seed funding round for CalmWave, a Seattle-based health-tech startup specializing in reducing non-actionable ICU alarms to alleviate clinician fatigue; the funds will be used to boost market growth and expand partnerships with GPO channels like Premier, Inc. and Partners Coop. - learn more
  • Wavemaker 360 participated in a $14.5M Seed funding round for Citizen Health, a San Mateo, CA-based company with an AI-powered consumer health platform designed to support individuals managing rare and complex conditions; the funds will be used to enhance their platform and advance research in rare disease drug development. - learn more
  • B Capital led a $25M Series A funding round for Synapticure, a Chicago-based virtual care company specializing in neurodegenerative diseases; the funds will be used to expand partnerships, invest in technology, accelerate clinical research, and scale their medical group to enhance care for patients and caregivers nationwide. - learn more
  • Amboy Street Ventures and Emmeline Ventures participated in a $16M Series A funding round for Alloy, a New York-based menopause care startup that offers personalized treatments, including hormone therapy and symptom management, through telemedicine consultations and home delivery of medications. - learn more
  • Morpheus Ventures participated in a $28M Series A funding round for Goodstack, a SaaS and fintech platform that helps businesses integrate charitable giving, and the funds will be used to expand services for corporates, build technology for nonprofits, and hire across the team in 2025. - learn more
  • Trousdale Ventures participated in a Series B funding round for Anello Photonics, a Santa Clara, CA-based company specializing in silicon photonic optical gyroscopes (SiPhOGโ„ข); the funds will be used to improve navigation and positioning in GPS-denied environments for industrial and defense uses. - learn more
  • Cultivate Next participated in a $30M Series B funding round for Plantible Foods, a San Diego-based biotechnology company that creates sustainable, plant-based protein ingredients, starting with Rubi Proteinโ„ข from the aquatic plant Lemna, will use its investment to expand manufacturing at its first commercial plant, "The Ranchito," a 100-acre facility in West Texas. - learn more
  • Bonfire Ventures led a $4M Seed funding round for Mithrl, a San Francisco-based company providing an AI-powered platform to accelerate scientific research; the funds will be used to expand their go-to-market team and further develop the platform. - learn more
  • Upfront Ventures led a $15M Seed funding round for BrightAI, a San Francisco-based company specializing in AI-powered sensor technology for real-time monitoring across various industries; the funds will be used to enhance their technology and meet growing customer demand. - learn more

      LA Exits

      • Brainjolt, a Pasadena-based digital media company that creates and curates engaging content across various platforms and reaches millions of users monthly, has been acquired by Centerfield. - learn more

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              Whatโ€™s New from Waymo ๐Ÿš—ย and Snapchat ๐Ÿ‘ป

              ๐Ÿ”ฆ Spotlight

              Happy Friday, LA!

              Image Source: Waymo

              In case youโ€™ve been cooped up indoors or havenโ€™t had a chance to leave the office this week, you might have missed the latest buzzโ€”Waymoโ€™s self-driving cars are now cruising all over LA! Thatโ€™s rightโ€”Waymo One, the autonomous ride-hailing service, has officially expanded citywide, now covering nearly 80 square miles of Los Angeles. After months of testing and a waitlist, Angelenos can now book rides 24/7 in areas stretching from Santa Monica to Hollywood to the USC neighborhood. Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with passengers rating the service 4.7/5. Riders are praising the smooth, safe experienceโ€”making it a game-changer for getting around the city, whether itโ€™s for work, errands, or leisure.

              Image Source: Snap

              Meanwhile, Snapchat is stepping up its game with new features in its Family Center designed to boost family safety and connectivity. Parents can now request their teens' live location on Snap Map, stay informed about their location-sharing settings, and set travel notifications to get alerts when family members arrive or depart from key locations like home or school. These updates give families more control and peace of mind in managing their digital interactions.


              ๐Ÿค Venture Deals

              LA Companies

              • Camouflet, an AI-driven platform specializing in real-time pricing optimization, has raised a $3M Seed funding round from private investors to enhance its services. - learn more
              • Chaos Industries, a defense tech company specializing in advanced detection and monitoring systems, raised a $145M Series B funding round led by Accel to accelerate its development of critical national security technologies. - learn more
              • Radiant, a company specializing in advanced nuclear microreactors, raised a $100M Series C funding round led by DCVC. The funds will be used to complete the Kaleidos Development Unit and conduct testing at Idaho National Laboratory's DOME facility, aiming to bring factory-built microreactors to market. - learn more
              • Mundial Media, a company focused on contextual marketing for multicultural audiences, raised a $1.5M Pre-Seed extension round led by new and existing investors, with the funds aimed at advancing their Cadmus AI technology and expanding digital advertising offerings. - learn more

              LA Venture Funds
              • Joyful Ventures participated in a seed funding round for Meatly, a UK-based company specializing in lab-grown pet food, though the exact amount raised has not been disclosed. - learn more
              • B Capital participated in a $200M Series C funding round for Writer, a full-stack generative AI platform that helps enterprises deploy secure and reliable AI solutions to address critical business challenges. - learn more
              • LFX Venture Partners participated in a US$30M Series C2 funding round for UniUni, a company transforming last-mile delivery for e-commerce through technology, and plans to use the capital to improve its platform and rapidly grow its operations. - learn more
              • Composition Capital participated in a $20M Series B funding round for Arbolus, an expert insights platform that connects investors and consultants with subject matter experts, to support Arbolus's expansion into the U.S. market - learn more
              • Type One Ventures co-led a Series A funding round for Lunar Outpost, a company specializing in lunar surface mobility, commercial space robotics, and space resources; the funds will support their active programs. - learn more
              • Trousdale Ventures participated in a $29M funding round for Starfish Space, a Seattle-based satellite servicing company that will use the funds to develop and launch its Otter spacecraft, designed to extend the operational life of satellites in geostationary orbit. - learn more
              • Plus Capital participated in a $20M Series A funding round for OneSkin, a San Francisco-based biotech company specializing in skin health treatments, with the funds aimed at expanding research, developing new formulas, and growing its presence in the anti-aging skincare industry. The company will also invest in its team and explore new sales channels. - learn more
              • Starshot Capital participated in a $10.5M Series A funding round for Ecolectro, a New York City-based green hydrogen company, to support the development of its scalable electrolyzer technology and make green hydrogen more accessible. - learn more
              • Navitas Capital participated in a $37M Series B funding round for SwiftConnect, a company that provides connected access solutions for buildings and spaces, to expand its network, scale operations, and support new product initiatives. - learn more
              • Griffin Gaming Partners led a โ‚ฌ17M Seed funding round for BIT ODD, a Finnish gaming studio focused on creating mobile games that prioritize creativity and emotional depth over finance-driven metrics. - learn more
              • The K Fund participated in a $20M funding round for Homethrive, a caregiving solutions platform, and the funds will be used to help expand its AI-driven care navigation, improve personalized support, and enhance digital tools to increase engagement across various payer populations. - learn more

                    LA Exits

                    • Farm Dog, a Los Angeles-based company that provides a platform with tools to help agronomists streamline their workโ€”offering features for field scouting, document management, and data integration to enhance productivity in agricultureโ€”has been acquired by FarmQA. - learn more

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                            Wonder Dynamics: Redefining the Animation Landscape
                            Wonder Animation

                            ๐Ÿ”ฆ Spotlight

                            Happy Friday, LA!

                            Wonder Dynamics, a Los Angeles-based company founded by Tye Sheridan and Nikola Todorovic, has launched Wonder Animation, a beta feature that is poised to transform the landscape of video production. Acquired by Autodesk in May, Wonder Dynamics is leveraging this innovative tool, which harnesses artificial intelligence to turn standard video footage into captivating 3D animated scenes, making sophisticated animation techniques more accessible to filmmakers of all budgets.

                            Wonder Animation allows creators to shoot from multiple angles, with the AI reconstructing these shots into a dynamic 3D space. This functionality enables filmmakers to seamlessly blend live-action scenes with interactive virtual environments while preserving original camera movements. Users can customize various aspects, including animations, characters, lighting, and camera tracking data, and the tool integrates smoothly with popular software like Maya, Blender, and Unreal Engine.

                            What sets Wonder Animation apart is its emphasis on artistic control. Unlike many AI tools that impose rigid outcomes, this feature empowers creators to guide their projects, ensuring that their unique style remains front and center.

                            As the boundary between video and 3D animation blurs, Wonder Animation invites creators to experiment and innovate in exciting ways. This development marks a significant step forward in digital storytelling, democratizing access to high-quality visual effects and making sophisticated animation achievable for a broader range of filmmakers.

                            With the global animation market projected to reach approximately $400 billion in 2024 and grow to over $587 billion by 2030โ€”reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 5%โ€”tools like Wonder Animation are more relevant than ever. This growth underscores the increasing demand for animated content and highlights the necessity of innovative solutions to meet filmmakersโ€™ evolving needs. For those looking to elevate their storytelling, Wonder Animation may just be the key to unlocking new creative horizons. According to Statista, this upward trend in the animation market emphasizes the significant opportunities ahead.


                            ๐Ÿค Venture Deals

                            LA Companies

                            • Evite, an online platform enabling users to design, send, and manage digital invitations and eCards with tools for event organization and guest tracking, has received a strategic growth investment from Francisco Partners to accelerate innovation and expand its product offerings. - learn more
                            LA Venture Funds
                            • F4 Fund participated in a $4.1M Pre-Seed funding round for Further, a platform designed to help first-time homebuyers determine how much home they can afford by providing personalized insights on interest rates and lender requirements, giving users a clear view of their purchasing power. - learn more
                            • Alexandria Venture Investments participated in a $10M Seed funding round for CrossBridge Bio, a company focused on developing advanced dual-payload antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies, with the funds supporting preclinical development of its next-generation cancer treatments. - learn more
                            • Clocktower Ventures participated in a $5.6M Series A funding round for Morada Uno, a startup in Mexico focused on making apartment rentals easier by providing a platform that connects tenants with landlords and simplifies processes like lease agreements and rent payments. - learn more
                            • Skyview Capital participated in a $5M Series A funding round for Web3 chain game A-World, a tower defense battle game set in the metaverse on the BNB Chain, where players build hero towers to defeat waves of monsters. - learn more

                                LA Exits

                                • Drive Hospitality, a leading provider of personalized parking and hospitality services, including valet, concierge, bell services, parking management, and advanced technology integration, has been acquired by Propark Mobility. - learn more
                                • Vebu Labs, located in El Segundo and specializing in custom automation solutions for the food industryโ€”including the innovative 'Autocado' system that automates the peeling, coring, and scooping of avocados to enhance operational efficiencyโ€”will be acquired by Serve Robotics. - learn more

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