Predicting the Trends of 2022: From our Fingertips to Outerspace

Spencer Rascoff

Spencer Rascoff serves as executive chairman of dot.LA. He is an entrepreneur and company leader who co-founded Zillow, Hotwire, dot.LA, Pacaso and Supernova, and who served as Zillow's CEO for a decade. During Spencer's time as CEO, Zillow won dozens of "best places to work" awards as it grew to over 4,500 employees, $3 billion in revenue, and $10 billion in market capitalization. Prior to Zillow, Spencer co-founded and was VP Corporate Development of Hotwire, which was sold to Expedia for $685 million in 2003. Through his startup studio and venture capital firm, 75 & Sunny, Spencer is an active angel investor in over 100 companies and is incubating several more.

Predicting the Trends of 2022: From our Fingertips to Outerspace

I started my journey as both an angel investor and founder over 20 years ago.

A handful of successful companies and hundreds of investments later, I realized a few common themes throughout my portfolio. One in particular stands out: democratization.


Democratization, or making things more accessible to more people, has been a considerable factor in much of my decision making as a founder and investor.

I helped democratize travel when co-founding Hotwire, real estate with Zillow, and second home ownership with Pacaso.

The same rings true for my current investments, like Intro, a startup that provides access to industry and thought leaders to anyone seeking 1-on-1 virtual sessions, or Arrived Homes, which democratizes rental investment opportunities.

That being said, I’m constantly thinking about what’s next, and have noticed this democratization shapes many of the trends we can expect in 2022 and beyond. From accessible space travel to work environments - here are a few of my predictions.

The Metaverse and Web3 Take Center Stage

2022 is primed to bring the metaverse into the mainstream with major companies placing big bets (and big dollars) on this idea. Democratizing a wealth of information and communication for millions, if not billions.

Sure, Facebook's recent name change to “Meta” put this front of mind for many, but the metaverse is nothing new. The concept of people living their lives online in virtual and augmented reality has been a staple in entertainment since Neal Stephenson’s 1992 novel, "Snow Crash." Tech has also attempted to bridge this reality gap with products like Oculus and Google Glass, while gaming platforms like Roblox and Minecraft are built on this concept of virtual interaction.

2022 will see more integration across platforms, propelling us further into this new reality - a virtual world where we seamlessly interact, exchange ideas, shop, learn, and more (my son and I recently recorded a podcast on the subject) is on the horizon.

And successful startups are already claiming their stake in the metaverse. Wave, for example, is re-writing the future of concert-going by bringing artists and audiences together through live and immersive virtual performances. The company has partnered with celebrities like John Legend and the Weeknd - giving an interactive and one-of-a-kind concert experience to millions.

The metaverse may dominate the current conversation - but it’s not the internet’s only progress gaining steam.

Web3 Will Enter the Mainstream

Currently, Web2 (or, the internet as we know it) is essentially controlled by companies that provide a service in exchange for users’ data and their user-generated-content. This is the magic that powers social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Web2 enriches the corporations which own the platforms with financial rewards and governance control of their sites.

On the other hand, Web3 aims to shake things up by giving the power and compensation back to the people in an open, intelligent, democratized and decentralized system. This decentralization will also allow users more control over the data they share and will make the internet even more integrated into daily life.

Web3 will run on blockchain technology, meaning that all transactions are publicly recorded for all to see. The user-generated content that drives economic value will benefit those users contributing to the network instead of the companies that created the network. These users will then be compensated via tokenization or crypto.

I can picture some killer apps in 2022 ready to compete with major companies currently relying on Web2 technology. Some startups, like the blockchain-powered wireless network Helium, and Hivemapper for mapping, have already adopted this decentralization and blockchain technology.

While the metaverse and Web3 go hand in hand as we enter this next internet phase - some of 2022’s forecasts land closer to home.

At Work and Home

Should employers require employees to be in-person or not?

The pendulum continues to swing as companies attempt to implement efficient working environments for both employees and employers. The struggle with in-person, work from home and remote/hybrid is a trend likely to extend into 2022 and beyond.

While work from home environments still prove successful in both productivity and efficiency - many employers and employees are craving the benefits of in-person work.

The right balance that harbors both positive company culture and employee satisfaction will look different for every company. But one thing is certain - it will likely never be business as usual.

Luckily, new companies have stepped up to the plate to alleviate some of the stress - especially in the world of HRTech. Companies like Syndio (an investment of mine) values fairness and transparency for employees with their pay equity software and strive to make workplaces better for all. Another investment, Kona, helps boost company culture through effective and positive communication.

Adding to the conversation (and confusion) of in-person vs. remote/hybrid is the continued trend of employees packing up and out of a commutable radius.

Untethered from the office at the outset of the pandemic - many workers uprooted and moved locations. Employees will continue to disperse to different work bases as hybrid or remote environments remain.

This relocation trend also led to rising consumer interest in second-home ownership. My company Pacaso, democratized this market through co-ownership (more on this later!) and allows many people the opportunity to experience the best of both worlds while working in a hybrid environment. This leads us to the next trend...

Further Consumerization of Digital Real Estate

Even with some well-intentioned, centuries'-old regulations still hindering the home buying experience, digital real estate has transformed drastically over the last 25 years. And we can expect even more change in 2022 and beyond.

Consumers have made it clear that they want things to change - and instead of a one size fits all solution, we will continue to see an entire universe of solutions emerge to address the multiple and specific problems faced in the life cycle of a real estate transaction.

A brief history: Gone are the days of the Web1 pay-to-play era of online classifieds and paywalled information. Zillow and Trulia changed that game in 2005 when they turned on the lights and set otherwise restricted information (home valuations, pictures, mortgage rates) free. This created a new business model long craved for by the consumer.

As the above illustrates - change is constant, and democratization is key. In 2022 and beyond look for even more accessible information and transparency with innovations in user-generated content (reviews), better maps, more 3D tours, and tools to provide purchasing a property sight unseen.

2022 will also see the continued rise of the digitized transaction and reduced friction in the home buying/selling process. DotLoop (founded by my Pacaso co-founder, Austin Allison, and acquired by Zillow) was an early leader in reducing friction and digitization with its transaction management software. Many legacy companies now incorporate dotloop or similar software - providing consumers an easier way to follow along the transaction process.

iBuying companies like Offerpad and Opendoor are major players in frictionless transactions. With these companies, homeowners sell their home to an institutional buyer who then refurbishes and resells it for a fee.

All the while, a fresh crop of innovators are providing solutions for other aspects of the transaction. Companies like Flyhomes and Ribbon bridge a homeowner’s equity gap between selling and buying a home, providing cash offers in competitive markets. Doma has digitized the title, escrow, and closing process - streamlining the transaction for all parties. Appraisals have been digitized by Aloft and mortgages by Tomo - greatly reducing some of the most stressful aspects of the giant transaction that is buying or selling a home.

This exciting trend of democratization in real estate is powerful and unstoppable. Though democratization comes in many forms - it always has one thing in common: making previously inaccessible areas of real estate available to many.

In the rental market, investors no longer have to have several hundred thousand dollars in the game to benefit from real estate appreciation. Companies like Arrived Homes, one of my portfolio companies, is a startup that buys homes through crowdsourcing and acts as the landlord. Consumers can put in as little as $100 as a shareholder and are currently seeing 11%+ returns annually.

Separate from the rental market is an area of real estate close to my heart - second homes. Democratization in the second home market was ripe for disruption. Pacaso, a company I co-founded in 2020, solved this by helping people buy a portion of a second home and managing the home and calendar for the owners. It’s been incredibly successful in the US - and we just listed our first European property in Marbella, Spain.

Evolutions in Funding Rounds, Valuations and SPACs

The sky's the limit in 2022 when it comes to valuations and round sizes in venture capital.

Any fears surrounding the pandemic’s effect on venture investing were luckily unfounded. The recovery has been sharp and continues to explode - and there is nothing to stop it.

High net worth individuals, foundations, and endowments are allocating higher percentages of their assets towards private investments, including venture capital. This increase will continue - giving venture funds much more power, and driving larger and larger rounds and higher valuations.

While things are on the rise for VC funding rounds and valuations - we’re about to see a divergence in another arena raising capital and going public: SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Company).

I’ve written about my SPACs a few times - and still believe that for certain companies in certain situations, SPACs are a great path to the public markets. But 2022 will see the bifurcation between the good and bad SPACs.

Once a SPAC is formed and - they have a limited amount of time to find a likely target company to acquire via merger and bring public. Previously, a benefit of SPACs vs. IPO was the speedier timeline it took to bring an acquisition public.

Recent regulations and reviews have slowed the acquisition process for SPACs, which is negatively impacting the SPAC market, potential investors and SPAC valuations. A lot of these SPACs are nearing the end of their deadline to identify a company, raise capital, and merge to go public. Some will succeed - but many hundreds will not.

What started as a way to democratize the traditional IPO path, 2022 will continue to see a split between the few successful SPACs and the rest.

To the Moon

2022 will also be filled with milestones in the democratization of space travel - as the commercial space race continues.

The private sector heavy-hitters - like Bezos’ Blue Origin and Musk’s SpaceX (where I’m an investor) - are still grabbing headlines as the two companies edge closer to making their reusable rockets a reality.

But they are not the only players on the field. Many startups are joining the race - like Relativity Space (another 75 & Sunny portfolio company) - which in June 2021 raised an additional $650M in a Series E round and a valuation at $4.2B. Last month, the company successfully completed stage 1 testing for its 3D printed rocket - the Terran 1. And in 2022 Relativity Space plans to launch the Terran 1 into orbit.

Outside of technology, satellites, and rockets - we’ll see new sectors of new economies emerge, like space-for-earth economies (where resources and services are produced in space for earth) and space-for-space economies.

We can expect Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral and other launch sites to be pretty booked in 2022 and beyond.

… And Beyond

The above list is non-exhaustive. I’m also looking forward to the continued trends towards inclusive and diverse work environments - creating and allowing space for even more innovations and ideas to flourish.

From the future of urban mobility and telehealth to cryptocurrency and NFTs - 2022 (and beyond) is primed for disruption and game-changing technology.

And I’m so excited to be along for the ride. What are your predictions?

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$207M Later, Napster is Back and Ready for the Metaverse

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday, Los Angeles!

This week, we’re rewinding the clock and fast-forwarding into the future at the same time. Napster, yes, that Napster, just got acquired for $207 million byInfinite Reality, a metaverse and immersive tech company that’s aiming to bring the iconic music platform into the next generation.

For anyone who came of age in the early 2000s, Napster was either your musical awakening or the reason your dial-up connection crashed. Launched in 1999 by Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker, it was the face of peer-to-peer file sharing and a lightning rod in the music industry’s first wave of digital disruption. After its legal battles and shutdown in 2001, Napster bounced between owners like Roxio and Best Buy, before eventually merging with Rhapsody and evolving into a legitimate streaming service.

Now, Infinite Reality is giving Napster a fresh remix. The company says it plans to turn Napster into a social-first music platform that emphasizes artist-fan interaction over passive listening. We’re talking virtual 3D concert experiences, listening parties, fan communities, and merch drops… essentially, a metaverse-native platform built for music superfans.

According to Infinite Reality CEO John Acunto, this aligns with the company’s bigger vision: moving the internet away from “a flat 2D clickable web” into “a 3D conversational one.” They’re betting that a brand like Napster, which already carries cultural weight, can thrive in a world where fans want deeper connections and creators want modern monetization tools.

It’s a bold move, but maybe a smart one. Nostalgia is a powerful asset, and in an era where legacy brands keep getting digital reboots, Napster has a chance to go from early disruptor to comeback story.

Will today’s listeners hit play? We’ll see. But as far as tech comebacks go, we’re here for this remix.

🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Topanga, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in AI-driven waste reduction solutions for commercial kitchens, has raised an $8M Series A funding round led by Blue Bear Capital, with participation from Struck Capital, Amasia, and Wonder Ventures. This investment brings Topanga's total funding to $12.2M. The company plans to use the proceeds to expand its food waste tracking platform into the senior living, health care, and hospitality sectors, accelerate the growth of its ReusePass system beyond universities into enterprise food service, and enhance integration with major food-service platforms like Grubhub and Jamix. - learn more
  • Flight Science, an aviation tech startup focused on AI-powered flight optimization, raised $1.5M in pre-seed funding led by Outsiders Fund. The company helps airlines reduce fuel costs, emissions, and turbulence impact, and will use the funds to grow its team and expand product rollout by summer 2025. - learn more
        LA Venture Funds
          • Second Sight Ventures participated in a $14.2M Series A1 funding round for Lucky Energy, an Austin, Texas-based energy drink company. Lucky Energy offers a line of zero-sugar, zero-calorie beverages in six flavors, formulated with ingredients like maca and beta-alanine. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate distribution, introduce new products, support strategic partnerships, and recruit in key business areas. - learn more
          • M13 led a $5.5M funding round for Chord Commerce, with participation from Act One Ventures and others. The New York-based company provides an AI-powered customer data platform (CDP) that helps commerce brands unify customer data, generate real-time insights, and automate marketing decisions. The funding will be used to further develop the platform and support brands in scaling their data-driven marketing efforts. - learn more
          • Upfront Ventures led a $4M Seed funding round for Arlo Health, a New York City-based AI-powered health insurance underwriter focused on small and mid-sized businesses. Arlo offers level-funded health plans designed to improve preventive care and cost transparency through value-based care and AI-driven underwriting. The funds will be used to expand its broker network, grow its engineering and sales teams, and scale operations. - learn more
          • Bonfire Ventures co-led a $5M Seed funding round for VoiceOps, with participation from Village Global and others. Based in New York City, VoiceOps uses generative AI to analyze phone calls and surface insights that boost sales performance, ensure compliance, and optimize marketing. The funding will support product development, team expansion, and broader market adoption. - learn more
          • MANTIS Venture Capital participated in a $17.2M Seed funding round for EDGE Markets, a fintech company building banking tools tailored to the gaming industry. EDGE’s flagship product, EDGE Boost, offers a debit card and bank account specifically designed for betting, with features like spending limits, financial transparency, and cash-back rewards. The funds will be used to further develop the platform and expand its presence within the gaming market. - learn more

              LA Exits

              • SmartDepo, a leading provider of AI-powered deposition summaries for the legal industry, has been acquired by Rev, a prominent speech-to-text technology company. Founded in 2023 by civil rights attorney Isaac Manoff, SmartDepo delivers comprehensive deposition summaries featuring 100% accurate page-line citations, hyperlinked tables of contents, key admissions analyses, and deposition memos highlighting essential themes. This strategic acquisition combines Rev's highly accurate transcription services with SmartDepo's advanced summarization capabilities, aiming to enhance productivity for attorneys and court reporters by reducing manual review time and improving client outcomes. - learn more
              • Stem, a platform offering personalized distribution and digital strategy services for independent artists and labels, has been acquired by Concord, a leading independent music company. Stem will operate as a separate division within Concord Label Group, with CEO Milana Lewis and President Kristin Graziani continuing in their roles. This acquisition provides Stem with the capital and resources to invest in new technology, expand its suite of label services, and accelerate global growth, while maintaining its mission to empower independent artists with autonomy and support. - learn more

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                          $100M in Wheels and Wings: Startups Changing How We Move

                          🔦 Spotlight

                          Happy Friday, LA —

                          LA’s mobility scene is shifting gears — fast.

                          We’ve got movement on the ground and in the skies this week.

                          Image Source: Upway

                          Let’s start on two wheels. Sequoia-backed startup Upway just launched its new 30,000 square-foot flagship facility in Redondo Beach, and it’s not your average bike shop. The UpCenter, as they’re calling it, is the largest e-bike refurbishment center in California — and it’s a big bet on LA becoming a leader in urban micromobility.

                          If you haven’t heard of Upway yet, you will soon. The company refurbishes e-bikes at scale, with $70 million in funding and operations in both the U.S. and Europe. Their mission? Make high-quality e-bikes more affordable and accessible, especially in cities where traffic is, well… legendary.

                          With California’s new e-bike rebate in effect and Angelenos increasingly looking for car-free ways to move around town, Upway’s timing couldn’t be better. Whether you’re commuting, cruising the Strand, or just sick of spending half your life on the 405, a refurbished ride might be the smoothest move you make all year.

                          Now — from bikes to drones.

                          Image Source: Neros

                          Neros, a young LA-based startup focused on American-made autonomous drones, just announced a $35 million Series A to ramp up manufacturing. In a market long dominated by overseas players, Neros is building drone tech domestically — and it’s not just for hobbyists. Their AI-powered drones are designed to be rugged, adaptable, and mission-ready, with applications across defense, public safety, and infrastructure.

                          The round was led by Vy Capital, with participation from Interlagos Capital, D3, Sequoia, and Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, the CEO of Zipline. Neros’ co-founder and CEO, Soren Monroe-Anderson, summed it up well: this is about “freedom through autonomy.”

                          Now, on to this week’s LA venture deals, fund announcements, and acquisitions…

                          🤝 Venture Deals

                          LA Companies

                          • BuildOps, a Los Angeles-based provider of a unified cloud-based platform for commercial contractors, has raised a $127M Series C funding round led by Meritech Capital Partners, with participation from B Capital, Fika Ventures and others. This investment elevates BuildOps to unicorn status with a valuation of $1 billion. The company plans to use the funds to enhance product capabilities, improve customer support, and scale operations to meet the growing demand from commercial contractors nationwide. - learn more
                          • Proteus Space, a Los Angeles-based company specializing in rapid custom satellite bus solutions, has raised an oversubscribed $6.1M Seed-2 funding round, led by Lavrock Ventures with participation from Crosscut Ventures and others. The funds will be used to accelerate the development and deployment of MERCURY™, Proteus’ automated computational engineering system, which aims to revolutionize custom satellite bus design by significantly reducing development time and costs. - learn more
                          • Occuspace, a Westlake Village, California-based company specializing in occupancy intelligence technology, has secured a $6M Series A funding round led by Lewis & Clark Ventures. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate its growth across higher education, corporate, and government facilities, aiming to make space utilization data the source of truth for understanding and managing the built environment. - learn more
                          • Qolab, a company specializing in quantum computing hardware, has secured Series A funding from Applied Ventures, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials. The investment will be used to advance the development and scalable manufacturing of superconducting qubits, a critical component for large-scale quantum computing. As part of the collaboration, Qolab and Applied Materials have also co-authored a technical roadmap outlining strategies to scale quantum computing from hundreds to millions of qubits. - learn more
                              LA Venture Funds
                                • Wasserman participated in a $56M funding round for Carbon Arc, a New York City-based AI data utility company. Carbon Arc specializes in transforming raw data from various industries into structured, standardized intelligence suitable for AI models and business applications. The funds will be used to accelerate the growth of Carbon Arc's Insights Exchange platform, enhancing its data utility services for businesses and the AI community. - learn more
                                • Trousdale Ventures participated in a $24M funding round for Coreshell, a San Leandro, California-based battery technology company. Coreshell specializes in developing low-cost, high-performance silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries, aiming to enhance energy density and reduce costs. The funds will be used to scale production at their 4 MWh manufacturing facility and to plan a new 100 MWh facility, with the goal of delivering next-generation electric vehicle batteries to global automakers this year. - learn more
                                • Talino Venture Studios has participated in a $2.8M seed funding round for Higala, a Philippine-based instant payment system startup. Higala aims to enhance financial inclusion by connecting rural banks, thrift banks, commercial banks, and electronic money issuers through an open payments infrastructure, thereby lowering the cost of real-time payments and reducing entry barriers. The funds will be used to expand Higala's services, including the launch of platform banking in the second quarter, enabling smaller financial institutions to offer digital payment services. - learn more
                                • Alexandria Venture Investments participated in a $150M Series B funding round for Latigo Biotherapeutics, a Thousand Oaks, California-based clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-opioid pain treatments. The funds will support the advancement of Latigo's selective Nav1.8 inhibitors, currently in clinical development, and the expansion of its broader therapeutic pipeline. - learn more
                                • Thiel Capital led a $3.25M funding round for Pilgrim, a biotech startup focused on enhancing human performance and defending against biological threats. The funds will be used to advance its Voyager platform, which is developing cutting-edge biotechnology with potential applications ranging from creating ‘supersoldiers’ to mitigating emerging biothreats. - learn more
                                • Alt-Capital and WndrCo participated in an $18M seed funding round for Town, a startup specializing in small business tax solutions. Town offers an AI-powered platform that automates tasks such as document processing and data collection, providing each client with a dedicated tax advisor. The funds will be used to scale Town's services across the U.S. and expand their team. - learn more

                                  LA Exits

                                    • Dieta Health, a Los Angeles-based company known for its AI-powered stool imaging technology, has been acquired by Cylinder. Dieta’s clinically validated app, shown to outperform traditional patient-reported outcomes, will be integrated into Cylinder’s platform to improve digestive health diagnostics and enable earlier, more personalized treatment. As part of the deal, Dieta’s founder and key team members will join Cylinder to support ongoing development and clinical research. - learn more

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                                            PledgeLA’s Next Chapter Starts Now with Noramay Cadena

                                            🔦 Spotlight

                                            Happy Friday, Los Angeles! As we wrap up another busy week in LA’s tech scene, there’s big news on the leadership front. PledgeLA has a new chair, and it’s someone who knows what it takes to break barriers and build lasting impact. Noramay Cadena, a San Fernando High grad turned triple-degree MIT engineer, has spent her career defying expectations. She started in aerospace engineering, leading operations before pivoting to venture capital, where she’s invested in 90+ companies across industries. She co-founded Latinas in STEM in 2013 and later launched MiLA Capital, a seed-stage VC firm investing in hardware and manufacturing innovations. As Managing Partner of Supply Change Capital, she has focused on technology transforming the food system, raising a $40M fund and deploying over $20M into 23 companies, including eight in California. Stepping into her new role as chair of PledgeLA, she’s setting her sights on an even bigger challenge: making LA’s tech and VC ecosystem more inclusive, accessible, and globally competitive.

                                            Noramay Cadena (left, with her son) incoming chair of PledgeLA, receives a Catalyst Award for Emerging Manager in December. (With Qiana Patterson, PledgeLA Chair 2020-22 and Managing Partner of NAYAH)

                                            She follows in the footsteps of Anna Barber of M13, whose leadership transformed PledgeLA into a driving force for change, launching the VC Fellowship to elevate diverse investors and spearheading the GP + LP Connections Series, which facilitated over 80 investor meetings last year. She also played a key role in the Venture Capital Data Report with UCLA Luskin and introduced the PledgeLA Catalyst Awards, honoring leaders driving capital access and innovation.

                                            Now as Chair Emerita, Barber will continue supporting PledgeLA as it enters its next phase under Cadena’s leadership.

                                            Cadena recognizes the strength of the foundation she’s inheriting. “Anna has been instrumental in making PledgeLA a force for inclusion in LA tech and venture. I’m honored to build on that work as we take the next big leap forward,” she said. “We’re at a critical moment for LA tech. We’ve built momentum, but now is the time to turn that into real, lasting change. I’m focused on forging new partnerships, increasing capital access, and ensuring that LA’s innovation economy works for everyone—not just the few.”

                                            Her first priorities? Expanding PledgeLA’s VC Fellowship to create more pathways into venture, strengthening connections between emerging fund managers and investors, and doubling down on community-driven initiatives. Earlier this year, PledgeLA members, including Wonder Ventures, raised $1.1M for wildfire relief efforts—a testament to the power of LA’s tech community when it mobilizes.

                                            With Cadena at the helm, PledgeLA isn’t just continuing its mission—it’s accelerating it. Thanks to Barber’s legacy and Cadena’s vision, the future of LA tech is poised for even greater impact. For more details on the transition and what’s ahead, read the official announcement here.

                                            And speaking of momentum, if you’re heading out this weekend, be sure to check for road closures—the LA Marathon is set to take over the streets this Sunday! Whether you’re running, cheering, or just navigating around town, it’s another reminder that LA is always on the move.

                                            Image Source: The McCourt Foundation


                                            🤝 Venture Deals

                                            LA Companies

                                            • Scrunch AI, a Los Angeles-based platform that helps businesses optimize their presence in AI-driven search results, has raised a $4M Seed funding round led by Mayfield. The company plans to use the funds to accelerate product development and expand its market reach, aiming to ensure brands remain visible and competitive as AI search becomes more prevalent. - learn more
                                            • Wolf Games, a Los Angeles-based generative gaming startup, has secured $4M in seed funding. The investment round includes prominent figures such as television producer Dick Wolf, music industry pioneer Jimmy Iovine, and Paul Wachter, Founder and CEO of Main Street Advisors. Wolf Games specializes in creating generative cinematic games that adapt to individual player choices, offering immersive and personalized storytelling experiences. The company plans to use the funds to develop its inaugural game, "Public Eye," set to launch in Summer 2025. "Public Eye" is a crime procedural game where players assist in solving murder investigations, guided by an AI-powered assistant that tailors the experience to each user's play style. - learn more
                                            • Fixated, a digital entertainment platform, has secured $12.8M in funding, led by Eldridge Industries. Fixated specializes in transforming creator representation and monetization, providing infrastructure, strategy, and expertise to help digital creators scale their content and diversify revenue streams. The investment will be used to expand Fixated's influence across talent management, content creation, gaming, and digital entertainment, aiming to empower creators and set higher industry standards. - learn more
                                            • Liminal, a user-generated content (UGC) gaming startup, has secured $5.8M in seed funding. The investment round included BITKRAFT Ventures, Riot Games, and OTK Media Group, with participation from angel investors including Marc Merrill, co-founder of Riot Games. Liminal is developing a platform that enables players to create immersive role-playing game (RPG) adventures without coding knowledge, aiming to make storytelling through gaming more accessible and engaging. The funds will be used to advance the development of this platform, with plans to launch publicly playable content in the coming year. - learn more
                                            • Pragma, a Los Angeles-based backend game engine developer, has secured $12.75M in strategic funding, bringing its total raised to over $50M. The investment round included participation from Square Enix, Upfront Ventures, Greylock Partners, and Insight Partners. Pragma specializes in providing scalable backend solutions for live-service games, powering features like matchmaking, analytics, and monetization. The new funds will be used to enhance their suite of live-service tools, support strategic acquisitions, and strengthen partnerships within the gaming industry. - learn more
                                            • Tetrous, a Sherman Oaks-based biotech company focused on bone-to-tendon healing, raised $6.5M in an oversubscribed Series A round. The funds will be used to expand market reach, generate clinical data, and broaden surgical applications of its technology. - learn more
                                            • Uthana, a generative AI company specializing in 3D character animation, has raised a $4.3M funding round led by IA Ventures. The company plans to use the funds to expand operations and development efforts, aiming to revolutionize the animation and game development industry by enabling real-time, lifelike animations that adapt dynamically to gameplay, thereby enhancing immersion and realism. - learn more
                                            • LiquidTrust, a Los Angeles-based fintech company, has raised a $4M Seed funding round led by Anthemis Female Innovators Lab Fund, Resolute Ventures, and Motivate Ventures. The company specializes in secure payment solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and has introduced Micro Escrow Pay, an instant escrow payment solution designed to embed trust directly into payment flows. The funds will be used to expand operations and development efforts, aiming to protect SMBs from fraud and nonpayment risks. - learn more
                                              LA Venture Funds
                                                • B Capital participated in a $4.5M funding round for Bizongo, a Mumbai-based B2B e-commerce platform focused on raw material procurement and distribution, bringing the company's valuation to $980M. The funds will be used to scale operations threefold by December, expand product categories, and position Bizongo for profitability by the last quarter of FY26. - learn more
                                                • UP.Partners led a $4M Seed funding round for SaySo, a New York City-based retail technology company that provides an interactive shopping platform designed to turn excess inventory into profit-driven opportunities. SaySo plans to use the funds to expand its partnerships and bring its interactive clearance platform to a broader retail audience. - learn more
                                                • March Capital participated in a $200M Seed funding round for Lila Sciences, a company developing an AI platform combined with autonomous laboratories to accelerate scientific discovery across life, chemical, and materials sciences. The funds will be used to further develop Lila's AI platform, build the first AI-driven science factories, and scale operations to enhance scientific research capabilities. - learn more
                                                • Animal Capital led a $1.6M pre-seed funding round for Platter, a New York-based ecommerce technology startup. Platter specializes in helping Shopify brands create high-converting storefronts that maximize profit. The funds will be used to further consolidate disparate tools into a unified product suite, empowering Shopify brands to build more profitable storefronts. - learn more

                                                LA Exits

                                                  • Tastemade, a media company known for its food, travel, and home design content, has been acquired by food delivery startup Wonder for $90M. The acquisition aims to integrate Tastemade’s content with Wonder’s services, including takeout, delivery, and meal kits, to create a comprehensive "mealtime super app." The deal is also expected to enhance Wonder’s advertising business and offer seamless access to meals featured on Tastemade’s platforms. - learn more
                                                  • Jumpcut Media, a provider of AI-driven intellectual property management and audience analysis tools, has been acquired by Cinelytic, an AI-powered content intelligence platform. Jumpcut's platforms, such as ScriptSense and SocialSense, offer real-time insights into content development and market alignment, enhancing decision-making across the content lifecycle. This acquisition aims to integrate Jumpcut's capabilities into Cinelytic's services, optimizing decision-making in the entertainment industry. - learn more
                                                  • FatTail, a Calabasas, California-based advertising technology company specializing in direct advertising solutions, has been acquired by Chartbeat, a media operations software platform backed by Cuadrilla Capital. This acquisition aims to integrate FatTail's advertising revenue management capabilities with Chartbeat's content analytics services, providing media companies with a unified platform to enhance both audience engagement and revenue generation. - learn more
                                                  • Deep 6 AI, an AI-driven precision research platform specializing in accelerating patient recruitment for clinical trials, has been acquired by Tempus, a leader in AI-powered precision medicine. Deep 6 AI's platform analyzes both structured and unstructured electronic medical record (EMR) data to match patients with clinical trials, serving over 750 provider sites and encompassing more than 30 million patients. This acquisition aims to enhance Tempus' capabilities in clinical trial matching and real-world evidence generation, furthering its mission to advance precision medicine and patient care. - learn more

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