Office Hours Podcast: Enormous Rockets Made By A Printer - A Conversation With Relativity Space's Tim Ellis
Spencer Rascoff
Spencer Rascoff is an entrepreneur and company leader who co-founded Zillow, Hotwire and dot.LA, and who served as Zillow's CEO for a decade. He is currently executive chairman of dot.LA and a board member at Zillow and TripAdvisor. In fall 2019, Spencer was a Visiting Executive Professor at Harvard Business School where he co-taught the "Managing Tech Ventures" course. In 2015, Spencer co-wrote and published his first book, the New York Times' Best Seller "Zillow Talk: Rewriting the Rules of Real Estate." Spencer is the host of "Office Hours," a monthly podcast on dot.LA featuring candid conversations between prominent executives on leadership, diversity and inclusion, and startups.
Led by Tim Ellis, Relativity Space is radically upending the aerospace industry by manufacturing rockets using 3D printers. In this episode of the Office Hours podcast, hear my conversation with Tim, as we dig into Relativity's engineering feats, its vision for the future of humans in space, what the cutting-edge company values above all, and how in the not-too-distant future Relativity hopes to send a 3D printer to Mars to print rockets there.
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Though Silicon Valley is still very much the capital of venture capital, Los Angeles is home to plenty of VCs who have made their mark – investing in successful startups early and reaping colossal returns for their limited partners.
Who stands out? We thought there may be no better judge than their peers, so we asked 28 of L.A.'s top VCs who impresses them the most.
<p>The list includes many familiar names. Dana Settle, founding partner of Greycroft, and Mark Mullen, founding partner of Bonfire Ventures, garnered the most votes.</p><p>Settle manages West Coast operations for Greycroft, a New York firm with $1.8 billion in assets under management. She is one of only nine of the top 100 VCs nationally who are women, <a href="https://thenextweb.com/tech/2019/01/25/male-white-venture-capitalist-gender-diversity/" target="_blank">according to CB Insights</a>.</p><p>Mullen is a founding partner of Bonfire Ventures, which <a href="https://dot.la/bonfire-ignites-100-million-b2b-fund-ii-exclusive-2647540605.html" target="_self">closed a $100 million second fund in September</a> to continue funding seed stage business-to-business (B2B) software startups. Mullen has also been an angel investor and is an LP in other funds focusing on other sectors, including MaC VC and BAM Ventures.</p><p>Below is the list of the top ranked investors by how many votes each received from their peers. When there was a tie, they appear in alphabetical order according to their last name: </p>
<p class=""><em>Lead art by Candice Navi.</em></p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDczODYwMX0.YmEjdiEcmomKs2kGbwaij7EwLO-_0n7rbLJH0WIbz9U/image.jpg?width=489&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0&height=574" id="b27ce" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dfc63c042fef280f9133663c317cd494" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Mark Mullen, Bonfire Ventures" />
Mark Mullen, Bonfire Ventures
<p>Mark Mullen is a founding partner of Bonfire Ventures. He is also founder and the largest investor in Mull Capital and Double M Partners, LP I and II. A common theme in these funds is a focus on business-to-business media and communications infrastructures.</p><p>In the past, Mullen has served as the chief operating officer at the city of Los Angeles' Economic Office and a senior advisor to former Mayor Villaraigosa, overseeing several of the city's assets including Los Angeles International Airport and the Los Angeles Convention Center. Prior to that, he was a partner at Daniels & Associates, a senior banker when the firm sold to RBC Capital Markets in 2007.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzkyMzY3M30.mwdhgMwXhAoWGxEFAbEiH0D1L2gYTN2vwPbOR6YPbp0/img.jpg?width=980" id="04adb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9e06e66fdee8acf579d02d24d75d7ba6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Dana Settle, Greycroft" />
Dana Settle, Greycroft
<p>Dana Settle is a founding partner of Greycroft, heading the West Coast office in Los Angeles. She currently manages the firm's stakes in Anine Bing, AppAnnie, Bird, Clique, Comparably, Goop, Happiest Baby, Seed, Thrive Market, Versed and WideOrbit, and is known for backing female-founded companies.</p><p>"The real change takes place when female founders build bigger, independent companies, like Stitchfix, TheRealReal," she said this time last year in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/greycrofts-dana-settle-on-closing-funding-gap-for-female-founders-2019-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an interview with Business Insider</a>. "They're creating more wealth across their cap tables and the cap tables tend to be more diverse, so that gives more people opportunity to become an angel investor." Prior to founding Greycroft, she was a venture capitalist and startup advisor in the Bay Area.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzEzMzE0Mn0.gffGUdMwGtU9Ntr1rM0ZLEXGNk4MdtuvRPsdgxMpp8w/img.jpg?width=980" id="2a238" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b3881d277f525725119e572c4fcbda6e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Erik Rannala, Mucker Capital" />
Erik Rannala, Mucker Capital
<p>Erik Rannala is a founding partner at Mucker Capital, which he created with William Hsu in 2011. Before founding Mucker, Rannala was vice president of global product strategy and development at TripAdvisor and a group manager at eBay, overseeing its premium features business.</p><p>"As an investor, I root for startups. It pains me to see great teams and ideas collapse under the pressure that sometimes follows fundraising. If you've raised money and you're not sure what comes next, that's fine – I don't always know either," Rannala wrote in <a href="https://www.mucker.com/more-funding-wont-magically-fix-your-startup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a blog post for Mucker</a>. </p><p>Mucker has a portfolio of 61 companies, including Los Angeles-based Honey and Santa Monica-based HMBradley.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDU0ODY5NX0.Cl_9Z__GHW9Ak9sMFCFiVnJpn1ICmfh2FgEdWQndv7Y/img.jpg?width=980" id="d41bd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="59d31edc830379a9bbc98e35853a33bf" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="William Hsu, Mucker Capital" />
William Hsu, Mucker Capital
<p>William Hsu is a founding partner at the Santa Monica-based fund Mucker Capital. He started his career as a founder, creating BuildPoint, a provider of workflow management solutions for the commercial construction industry not long after graduating from Stanford. </p> <p><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3048173/the-unexpected-and-hard-earned-lessons-from-a-dot-com-flame-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In an interview with Fast Company</a>, he shared what he learned in the years following, as he led product teams at eBay, Green Dot and Spot Runner, eventually becoming the SVP and Chief Product Officer of At&T Interactive: "Building a company is about hiring correctly, adhering to a timeline, and rigorously valuing opportunity. It's turning something from inspiration and creative movement into process and rigor."</p> <p>These are the values he looks for in founders in addition to creativity. "I like to see the possibility of each and every idea, and being imaginative makes me a passionate investor."</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjI5OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MDA0ODk1Mn0.2h6HQE6NfafuaauyzLzAoVxqibb6HmK2zK3uy__VYSI/img.jpg?width=980" id="322fd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ef8aee3525770cd929e2aba92ecc7531" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Jim Andelman, Bonfire Ventures" />
Jim Andelman, Bonfire Ventures
<p>Jim Andelman is a founding partner of Bonfire Ventures, a fund that focuses on seed rounds for business software founders. Andelman has been in venture capital for 20 years, previously founding Rincon Venture Partners and leading software investing at Broadview Capital Partners.<br><br>He's no stranger to enterprise software — he also was a member of the Technology Investment Banking Group at Alex. Brown & Sons and worked at Symmetrix, a consulting firm focusing on technology application for businesses.</p> <p><a href="https://dot.la/la-venture-podcast-jim-andelman-of-bonfire-ventures-2648143780.html" target="_self">In a podcast with LA Venture's Minnie Ingersoll</a> earlier this year, he spoke on the hesitations people have about choosing to start a company.</p>"It's two very different things: Should I coach someone to be a VC or should I coach someone to enter the startup ecosystem? On the latter question, my answer is 'hell yeah!'"<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjMwMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzExNTE5MX0.Vd5o4KRpVAtcu-6FFZR_KxV8QITMAEEUSS5oKQEWx8k/img.jpg?width=980" id="6450f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="95b602d695ce509d0f7370992c2e9d9d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Josh Diamond, Walkabout Ventures" />
Josh Diamond, Walkabout Ventures
<p>Josh Diamond founded Walkabout Ventures, a seed fund that primarily focuses on financial service startups. The firm raised a $10 million fund in 2019 and is preparing for its second fund. Among its 19 portfolio companies is HMBradley, which Diamond helped seed and recently <a href="https://dot.la/hm-bradley-2649022900.html" target="_self">raised $18 in a Series A</a> round.</p><p>"The whole reason I started this is that I saw there was a gap in the funding for early stage, financial service startups," he said. As consumers demand more digital access and transparency, he said the market for financial services is transforming — and Los Angeles is quickly becoming a hub for fintech companies. Before founding Walkabout, he was a principal for Clocktower Technology Ventures, another Los Angeles-based fund with a similar focus.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDU4NTE1Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MjczMDY0M30._cLZBBVVr-Cp-Bvr3AcSaoTESPvX4--vrxa5GoColmw/image.jpg?width=1500&coordinates=73%2C17%2C73%2C17&height=2000" id="d0ce4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d46bbd0e229197a24283d05c3fddc09d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Kara Nortman, Upfront Ventures" />
Kara Nortman, Upfront Ventures
<p>Kara Nortman was recently promoted to managing partner at Upfront Ventures, making her one of the few women – along with Settle – to ascend to the highest ranks of a major VC firm.</p><p>Though<a href="https://upfront.com/thoughts/announcing-upfronts-new-co-managing-partner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Upfront had attempted to recruit her</a> before she joined in 2014, she had declined in order to start her own company, Moonfrye, a children's ecommerce company that rebranded to P.S. XO and merged with Seedling. Upfront invested in the combination, and shortly after, Nortman joined the Upfront team.</p><p>Before founding Moonfrye, she was the SVP and General Manager of Urbanspoon and Citysearch at IAC after co-heading IAC's M&A group.</p><p><a href="https://dot.la/moving-from-the-passenger-seat-to-the-drivers-seat-upfronts-kara-nortman-named-managing-partner-2648493740.html" target="_self">In an interview with dot.LA earlier this year</a>, she spoke on how a focus for her as a VC is to continue to open doors for founders and funders of diverse backgrounds.<br></p><p>"Once you're a woman or a person of color in a VC firm, it is making sure other talented people like you get hired, but also hiring people who are not totally like you. You have to make room for different kinds of people. And how do you empower those people?"<br></p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjMwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2ODY4OTMyMH0.qmXMUJODdF8dr5bb1ZlFK5-TolS8qXwa_Xt7YHWV5FA/img.jpg?width=980" id="79772" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5969c6ca5112d709e707776fa83ba9d7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Brett Brewer, Crosscut Ventures" />
Brett Brewer, Crosscut Ventures
<p>Brett Brewer is a co-founder and managing director of Crosscut Ventures. He has a long history in entrepreneurship, starting a "pencil selling business in 4th grade." In 1998, he co-founded Intermix Media. Under their umbrella were online businesses like Myspace.com and Skilljam.com. After selling Intermix in 2005, he became president of Adknowledge.com.</p><p>Brewer founded Santa Monica-based Crosscut in 2008 alongside Rick Smith and Brian Garrett. His advice to founders <a href="https://crosscut.vc/team/" target="_blank">on Crosscut's website</a> reflects his experience: "Founders have to be prepared to pivot, restart, expect the unexpected, and make tough choices quickly... all in the same week! It's not for the faint of heart, but after doing this for 20 years, you can spot the fire (and desire) from a mile away (or not)."</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjMwNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzk1MDkzNX0.Lrz9-Iw__jl4L1dTCqL0RqPjL12Uag-lyydbn9r46Uk/img.jpg?width=980" id="b1eb4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3cac5cdf982eda2a6f2e248a14cec5cb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Eva Ho, Fika Ventures" />
Eva Ho, Fika Ventures
<p>Eva Ho is a founding partner of Fika Ventures, a boutique seed fund, which focuses on data and artificial intelligence-enabled technologies. Prior to founding Fika, she was a founding partner at San Francisco-based Susa Ventures, another seed-stage fund with a similar focus. She is also a serial entrepreneur, most recently co-founding an L.A. location data provider, Factual. She also co-founded Navigating Cancer, a health startup, and is a founding member of All Raise, a nonprofit that supports and provides resources to female founders and funders.</p><p><a href="https://medium.com/@John_Livesay/when-google-bought-my-startup-81f1ee21488c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">In an interview with John Livesay</a> shortly before founding Fika, Ho spoke to how her experience at Factual helped focus what she looks for in founders. "I always look for the why. A lot of people have the skills and the confidence and the experience, but they can't convince me that they're truly passionate about this. That's the hard part — you can't fake passion."</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjY3OTMxNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDgzNDE4NH0.RZA8r_BeZsIg0TPXqv0pikirmE3Hnrks5XhrCBFeQ1A/img.jpg?width=980" id="0e32d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0f41bf1e9ce2e6bbbfe70d5d71fb987c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Brian Lee, BAM Ventures" />
Brian Lee, BAM Ventures
<p>Brian Lee is a co-founder and managing director of BAM Ventures, an early-stage consumer-focused fund. <a href="https://dot.la/brian-lee-los-angeles-venture-capital-2645125301.html" target="_self">In an interview with dot.LA earlier this year</a>, Lee shared that he ended up being the first investor in Honey, which was bought by PayPal for $4 billion, through investing in founders and understanding their "vibe."</p> <p>"There's certain criteria that we look for in founders, a proprietary kind of checklist that we go through to determine whether or not these are the founders that we want to back…. [Honey's founders] knew exactly what they were building, and how they were going to get there."</p> <p>His eye for the right vibe in a founder is one gleaned from experience. Lee is a serial entrepreneur, founding LegalZoom.com, ShoeDazzle.com and The Honest Company.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTQzMjMwOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzUxMDk1MH0.k4QtC35HRQ7p1VIynpiYwJqXwABLnNXi_IrlI_oMggs/img.jpg?width=980" id="d431d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6d45a1166ebeebb21c65af6e69cc60dd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Alex Rubalcava, Stage Venture Partners" />
Alex Rubalcava, Stage Venture Partners
<p>Alex Rubalcava is a founding partner of Stage Venture Partners, a seed venture capital firm that invests in emerging software technology for B2B markets. Prior to joining, he was an analyst at Santa Monica-based Anthem Venture Partners, an investor in early stage technology companies. It was his first job after graduating from Harvard, and during his time at Anthem the fund was part of Series A in companies like MySpace, TrueCar and Android.</p><p>He has served as a board member in several Los Angeles nonprofits and organizations like KIPP LA Schools and South Central Scholars.</p> <p>"Warren Buffett says that he's a better businessman because he's an investor, and he's a better investor because he's a businessman. I feel the same way about VC and value investing. Being good at value investing can make you good at venture capital, and vice versa," Rubalcava said in <a href="https://moiglobal.com/alex-rubalcava-interview/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an interview with Shai Dardashti of MOI Global</a>.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc2OTMwNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDc4NTcxN30.nXpeoUqc_-mpUftXvWUlwjHoRF7VufCFbwMNGWQqLrk/img.jpg?width=980" id="80788" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="becd19a763d1348fcc2ef350377f58fd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Mark Suster, Upfront Ventures" />
Mark Suster, Upfront Ventures
<p>Mark Suster, managing partner at Upfront Ventures, is arguably L.A.'s most visible VC, frequently posting on Twitter and on his <a href="https://bothsidesofthetable.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">blog</a>, not only about investing but also more personal topics like weight loss. In more normal years, he presides over LA's biggest gathering of tech titans, the Upfront Summit. Before Upfront, he was the founder and chief executive officer of two software companies, BuildOnline and Koral, which was acquired by Salesforce. Upfront backed both of his companies, and eventually he joined their team in 2007.</p><p>In a piece for his blog, "Both Sides of the Table," <a href="https://bothsidesofthetable.com/finding-an-investor-who-is-in-love-with-you-d0badf1a3998" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Suster wrote about the importance of passion</a> — not just for entrepreneurs and their businesses, but for the VCs that fund them as well.<br></p><p>"On reflection of the role that I want to play as a VC it is clearly in the camp of passion. I really want to start my journeys only with people with whom I want to work closely with for the next 5–7 years or more. I only want to work on projects in which I believe can produce truly amazing change in an industry or in the world."</p>From Your Site Articles
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Despite — or in many cases because of — the raging pandemic, 2020 was a great year for many tech startups. It turned out to be an ideal time to be in the video game business, developing a streaming ecommerce platform for Gen Z, or helping restaurants with their online ordering.
But which companies in Southern California had the best year? That is highly subjective of course. But in an attempt to highlight who's hot, we asked dozens of the region's top VCs to weigh in.
We wanted to know what companies they wish they would have invested in if they could go back and do it all over again.
<p>Startups were ranked by how many votes each received. In the case of a tie, companies were listed in order of capital raised. The list illustrates how rapidly things move in startup land. One of the hottest startups had not even started when 2020 began. A number doubled or even 16x'd their valuation in the span of a few short months. </p><p>To divvy things up, we delineated between companies that have raised Series A funding or later and younger pre-seed or seed startups.</p><p>Not surprisingly, many of the hottest companies have been big beneficiaries of the stay-at-home economy.</p><p>PopShop Live, a red-hot QVC for Gen Z headquartered out of a WeWork on San Vicente Boulevard, got the most votes. Interestingly, the streaming ecommerce platform barely made it onto the Series A list because it raised its Series A only last month. Top Sand Hill Road firms Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/benchmark-wins-deal-for-live-shopping-app-popshop-at-100-million-valuation" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reportedly competed ferociously for who would lead the round</a> but lost out to Benchmark, which was an early investor in eBay and Uber. The round valued PopShop Live at $100 million, way up from the $6 million valuation it <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/news/2020/07/08/popshop-live-raises-3m-for-live-streaming-app.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">raised at only five months prior. </a></p><p>Scopely, now <a href="https://dot.la/doubling-valuation-scopely-is-now-one-of-the-top-la-tech-startups-2648525465.html" target="_self">one of the most valuable tech companies in Los Angeles,</a> was also a top vote getter.</p><p>The Culver City mobile gaming unicorn <a href="https://dot.la/doubling-valuation-scopely-is-now-one-of-the-top-la-tech-startups-2648525465.html" target="_self">raised $340 million in Series E funding in October</a> at a $3.3 billion valuation, which nearly doubled the company's $1.7 billion post-money valuation from March. It is no coincidence that that was the same month stay-at-home orders began as Scopely has benefited from bored consumers staying on their couch and playing ScrabbleGo or Marvel Strike Force. </p><p>The company's success is especially welcome news to seed investors Greycroft, The Chernin Group and TenOneTen ventures, who got in at a $40 million post valuation in 2012. Upfront Ventures, BAM Ventures and M13 joined the 2018 Series C at a $710 post-money valuation.</p><p>Softbank-backed Ordermark, which flew more under the radar, also topped the list. The company's online ordering platform became a necessity for restaurants forced to close their dining rooms during the pandemic and raised $120 million in Series C funding in October.</p><p>On the seed side, two very different startups stood out. There was Pipe, which enables companies with recurring revenues to tap into their deferred cash flows with an instant cash advance, and Clash App, Inc., a TikTok alternative launched by a former employee of the social network in August.</p><p><span></span>We will have the list of Southern California's top seed startups out tomorrow.</p>
<p class=""><em>Lead art by Candice Navi.</em></p>
Hottest
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzIyNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1OTQ3MjQ2OH0.JYCNMjYvosYa5SI7701CH_jMFbeFdMcRCChXt442cq0/img.png?width=980" id="4a086" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f2f18f0bc4400a388e43736c560ff87f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="PopShop Live logo" />PopShop Live ($100 million)
<p>The live-streaming shopping channel created by Danielle Lin reportedly found itself in the middle of a <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/benchmark-wins-deal-for-live-shopping-app-popshop-at-100-million-valuation" target="_blank">venture capital bidding war this year</a>. Benchmark eventually won out leading a Series A round, vaulting the app at a $100 million valuation. The Los Angeles-based platform has been likened to QVC for Gen Z and <a href="https://dot.la/popshop-live-2646369816.html" target="_self">it's part of a new wave of ecommerce</a> that has found broader appeal during the pandemic. Google, Amazon and YouTube have launched live shopping features and other venture-backed startups like Los Angeles-based NTWRK have popped up.</p>Boiling
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzIyOC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MzI5MjYwMn0.h7Nq7GiwXTcg_7Io5WEXblFX0rWQHxn69RzluTh7n_Q/img.png?width=980" id="44eea" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d02c4cad650c987721ff91ee939a5bf7" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Scopely logo" />Scopely ($3.3 billion)
<p>One of the most valuable Southern California tech startups with <a href="https://dot.la/doubling-valuation-scopely-is-now-one-of-the-top-la-tech-startups-2648525465.html" target="_self">a $3.3 billion valuation</a>, the Culver City mobile game unicorn has benefitted from a booming gaming market that has flourished in this stay-at-home economy. Scopely offers free mobile games and its roster includes "Marvel Strike Force," "Star Trek Fleet Command" and "Yahtzee with Buddies." In October the company raised a $340 million Series E round backed by Wellington Management, NewView Capital and TSG Consumer Partners, among others fueling speculation that it was on its road to an IPO. Co-CEO Walter Driver <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-28/scopely-raises-340-million-in-push-to-be-a-mobile-gaming-giant?utm_source=google&utm_medium=bd&cmpId=google&sref=4Kf8RwDw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has said</a> that he doesn't have immediate plans to go public. </p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzIzNC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDQ4NTgyMn0.caggOCkGNRp4GE2mV_BvBsOt-3eTs6wLqCHAXmK9IpQ/img.png?width=980" id="3dbf5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="32c857792f8d2b98b3afefa5790b7d45" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Ordermark ($70 million)
<p>The coronavirus has forced the closure of many dining rooms, making Ordermark all the more sought after by restaurants needing a way to handle online orders. Co-founder and CEO Alex Canter started the business in 2017, which recently rang in more than <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciakelso/2020/12/09/how-ordermarks-latest-funding-haul-could-help-independent-restaurants-survive-the-pandemic/?sh=443a72644b7d" target="_blank">$1 billion in sales</a>. Ordermark secured $120 million in Series C funding by Softbank Vision Fund 2 in October that it will use to bring more restaurants online. The company's Nextbite, a virtual restaurant business that allows kitchens to add delivery-only brands such as HotBox from rapper Wiz Khalifa to their existing space through Ordermark, is also gaining traction. </p>Simmering
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzMxNi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjM4MjQ5Mn0.XSHQfru9tTpdeBqd_ecb--8DiZg_vdyOtF9ZV9zAG78/img.png?width=980" id="f1665" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ccc0b78dd8ae8cda9bf95979e83506fd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Cameo ($300 million)
<p>Cameo, which launched three years ago, had its breakout year in 2020 as C-list celebrities like Brian Baumgartner <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/larryfitzmaurice/kevin-office-highest-earning-cameo" target="_blank">banked over a million dollars</a> from creating customized videos for fans. In the sincerest form of flattery, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-15/facebook-building-tool-to-let-fans-pay-celebrities-for-face-time" target="_blank">Facebook is reportedly launching a feature that sounds a lot like Cameo. </a> Even though the company is still technically headquartered in Chicago, we included Cameo because CEO Steven Galanis and much of the senior team moved to L.A. during the pandemic and say they plan to continue running the company from here for the foreseeable future.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzQyMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzIyNTA2MH0.Q7liPP3eMIINmacHCWZDp3P2xJjIx19nAJL3r0PTzV0/img.jpg?width=980" id="93955" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="434dc887e08ba641d20ff886ff63fcc1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Mothership ($64 million)
<p>Co-founded by CEO Aaron Peck, Mothership provides freight forwarding services intended to streamline the shipping experience. The company's tracking technologies connect shippers with nearby truck drivers to speed up the delivery process. It raised $16 million in Series A venture funding last year, driving the platform to a $48 million pre-money valuation.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzUxNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDM4ODMxNH0.JhY8gLSI7YWbw_8vxTM3IQOf8NZELdrh8bWdGG8mB_U/img.png?width=980" id="1fbcd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a8d5aef9e041c3700337626ee2c76f7a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Nacelle ($6.7 million)
<p>Founded in 2019, Nacelle's ecommerce platform helps retailers improve conversion rates and decrease loading speeds for their sites. The software integrates with Shopify and other services, offering payment platforms and analytics integration, among dozens of services. Nacelle raised about $4.8 million earlier this year with angel investors that included Shopify's Jamie Sutton, Klaviyo CEO Andrew Bialecki and Attentive CEO Brian Long. </p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzUxOC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMjQzNzY4NH0.zm2mva9fCGhqXuHoccScAn530juKqwRsCWrwwTr0i_M/img.png?width=980" id="40a75" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a75fc932a261d3eaf7302b99b52a192b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Boulevard ($30 million)
<p>Matt Danna and Sean Stavropoulos <a href="https://dot.la/boulevard-app-2649021308.html#:~:text=Their%20four%2Dyear%20old%20salon,to%20digitize%20their%20appointment%20books." target="_self">came up with Boulevard when an impatient Stavropoulos was frustrated</a> wasting hours to book a hair appointment. Their four-year-old salon booking and payment service is now used by some of Los Angeles' best-known hairdressers. Last month, the two secured a $27 million Series B round co-led by Index Ventures and Toba Capital. Other investors include VMG Partners, Bonfire Ventures, Ludlow Ventures and BoxGroup.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzUyNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTQwOTM5NH0.ccTFYR5uzxflJ9M_IPQdCkvQD3DlHSWfrWeqsWQKw-U/img.jpg?width=980" id="eedcc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="21a26c482b5299dee4186797f38b3815" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="CloudKitchens" />
CloudKitchens ($5.3 billion)
<p>Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick CloudKitchens rents out commissary space to prepare food for delivery. And as the pandemic has fueled at-home delivery, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/uber-founder-turns-real-estate-mogul-for-ghost-kitchen-startup-11603186200" target="_blank">the company has been gobbling up real estate</a>. The commissaries operate akin to WeWork for the culinary world and allow drivers to easily park and pick-up orders as the delivery market has soared during pandemic. Last year, it raised $400 million from Saudi Arabia's colossal sovereign wealth fund. </p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzYwMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NDI3MjkyNX0.l7SX-f7x7WXYLSJxOFh9IBYPQ9UHyAGYlLwm-VqcSEM/img.jpg?width=980" id="28ddc" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="643a9b510e5eab16ebdf2169ab66b44d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
GOAT ($1.5 billion)
<p>Founded by college buddies five years ago, GOAT tapped into the massive sneaker resale market with a platform that "authenticates" shoes. The Culver City-based company has since <a href="https://dot.la/goat-group-la-2647074186/goat-uses-nba-playoffs-to-launch-brand-campaign" target="_self">expanded into apparel and accessories</a> and states that it has 20 million members. Last year, Foot Locker sunk a $100 million minority investment into 1661 Inc., better known as Goat. And this fall it landed another $<a href="https://dot.la/sneaker-reseller-goats-100m-raise-ptrendsetter-in-a-casual-era-of-ecommerce-2647774644.html" target="_self">100 million Series E</a> round bankrolled by Dan Sundeheim's D1 Capital Partners. </p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzYwNi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTk1OTc5Nn0.6Y7vMFyH1FwClW-QNJ6sUGzhq1Q9IuNP9-4-koT1LqA/img.png?width=980" id="5afc4" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="59830cb360eabf85fffe19a6a0c4af87" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Savage X Fenty logo" />
Savage X Fenty
<p>The lingerie company co-founded by pop singer Rihanna in 2018 is noted for its inclusivity of body shapes and sizes. It has raised over $70 million, but <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/14/business/dealbook/roblox-tech-ipos.html" target="_blank">The New York Times' DealBook newsletter recently reported</a> that it's been on the hunt for $100 million in funds to expand into active wear. The company generates about $150 million in revenue, but is not yet profitable, according to the report. It became <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rihanna-savage-x-fenty-accused-of-deceptive-marketing-2020-2" target="_blank">the focus of a consumer watchdog investigation</a> after being accused of "deceptive marketing" for a monthly membership program.</p>Warming Up
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzYwOS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MzQ1MzE4OX0.fS5XtGx4M-tqWecrth6NCHawGSg2aSkb-yR-cY3wbtU/img.png?width=980" id="c6334" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="aa7476f8a6216fed6b372d8a59876a6b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />FabFitFun ($930 million)
<p>The lifestyle company provides customized personal subscription box services every three months with full size products. Started in 2010 by Daniel Broukhim, Michael Broukhim, Sam Teller and Katie Rosen Kitchens, it now boasts more than one million members. Last year, the company raised $80 million in a Series A round led by Kleiner Perkins last year and <a href="https://labusinessjournal.com/news/2020/oct/05/fast-growing-etailer-fabfitfun-possible-ipo/" target="_blank">appears to be preparing for an eventual IPO</a> as it slims down costs and refocuses on its <a href="https://dot.la/fabfitfun-layoffs-refocus-2645321060.html" target="_self">high value </a>products.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEucmJsLm1zL2ltYWdlP3U9JTJGaW1hZ2VzJTNGcSUzRHRibiUzQUFOZDlHY1NIWXNBeFVWZ1J6a2VJVDZzWE5xU0tPVWg1Ri1qU2V0ZnV1dyUyNnVzcXAlM0RDQVUmaG89aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZlbmNyeXB0ZWQtdGJuMC5nc3RhdGljLmNvbSZzPTE4OSZoPWMyM2U5ZGI3MmI2OWVlYWE1ZGNjMDIzNTZmYjgwZGI3NTkxNWIwZDdhOGFhNTk1YzQzYzRhMzYzNjIzZmEzZGQmc2l6ZT05ODB4JmM9Mjg2MzQwMTM1NCIsImV4cGlyZXNfYXQiOjE2Mzg2MDA1NjR9.qWy95wwhg8i2C_ZX-ba2HEivjNkIw8hNzNcMCrNBqfw/img.jpg" id="acba9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="fc5d20fa9685e883e71b09dc07ace838" alt="Dave app logo" />
Dave ($1 billion)
<p>Launched in 2016, the finance management tool helps consumers to avoid overdrafts, provides paycheck advances and assists in budgeting. Last year, it began to roll out a digital bank account that was so popular that two million users signed up for a spot on the waitlist. The company, run by co-founder Jason Wilk, has raised $186 million in venture capital and counts billionaire Mark Cuban as an early investor and board member. Other backers include Playa Vista-based Chernin Group.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWVkaWEucmJsLm1zL2ltYWdlP3U9JTJGaW1hZ2VzJTNGcSUzRHRibiUzQUFOZDlHY1FPWGJReDlKdmF3b0hXc096dERXRkpVeTRERW5qalVITElidyUyNnVzcXAlM0RDQVUmaG89aHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZlbmNyeXB0ZWQtdGJuMC5nc3RhdGljLmNvbSZzPTcwMSZoPWM5MGI4NjJjMTM0NTExYjcwN2Y2ZTg0NDAzMjNmNGYzNzUyOGIwNTM0N2IzZTc2MmExNzUwYmZmZmRjZDczYjEmc2l6ZT05ODB4JmM9NDAzMDk2MjAwMCIsImV4cGlyZXNfYXQiOjE2NzAxMDk3MjR9.IFhgk0btjnI-GbHb_4Dh9bBcK999VMoWweZCnaGGLZ8/img.jpg" id="22354" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76fa7d61ae8f1057d110501623f42f54" />
Sure ($59 million)
<p>SURE offers multiple technology products to major insurance brands — its platform can host everything from renter's insurance to covering baggage, so customers never have to leave an agency's website. It also offers its platform to ecommerce marketplaces, embedding third-party insurance protections for customers to purchase all on the same webpage. Founded in 2014, the Santa Monica-based startup last raised an $8 million Series A round led by IA Capital in 2017.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzY5MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMTM4NTU3OH0.wH3xo9sjTCMFyvH5bdyMHuNfcTA5Oti0SJ09dXK0dRQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="8e538" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="323b792ef8f96700b01d758590b4cc27" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Zest AI ($90 million)
<p>Founded in 2009 by former Google CIO Douglas Merrill and ex-Sears executive Shawn Budde, Zest AI provides AI-powered credit underwriting. It helps banks and other lenders identify borrowers looking beyond traditional credit scores. It claims to improve approval rates while decreasing chargeoffs. The company uses models that aim to make the lending more transparent and less biased. This fall the company raised $15 million from Insight Partners, MicroVentures and other undisclosed investors, putting its pre-money valuation at $75 million, according to PItchbook.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzY5Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzQ3MDk0N30.p4LJPQDZWOPrPH4jbEg19n-3ez5Ryle5LW1m-x59a0Y/img.png?width=980" id="5a9ee" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d28995a5bd865b3e5de61f2834d42da2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
PlayVS
<p>Santa Monica-based PlayVS provides the technological and organizational <a href="https://dot.la/playvs-high-school-esports-2647048099.html" target="_self">infrastructure for high school esports leagues</a>. The pandemic has helped the company further raise its profile as traditional sports teams have been benched. Founded in early 2018, PlayVS employs 46 people and has raised over $100 million. In addition to partnering with key educational institutions, it also has partnerships with major game publishers such as Riot and Epic Games.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzY5NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2ODI4NTgyN30.bZeKd8Z_en55nxL_6LdzNaL1FNUT01e5h2Q1SO-_im4/img.png?width=980" id="f2c6d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d6c15a5a5ff803dd20846e5ce2d40c6b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Tapcart ($40 million)
<p>A SaaS platform helps Shopify brands create mobile shopping apps. The marketing software saw shopping activity jump 50% <a href="https://dot.la/tapcart-mobile-retail-platform-2646056623.html" target="_self">over 90 days</a> as the pandemic walloped traditional retailers. Founded by Eric Netsch and Sina Mobasser, the company raised a $10 million Series A round led by SignalFire, bringing the total raise to $15 million.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzY5NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NzAwNTE2NH0.UmVYzWRXxa5Hi_j3bszZdQsN-cW6sQu6vBj4y2qxz1E/img.png?width=980" id="9c503" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c8ec5c4ea039f60cbb66f7b9241f6697" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Papaya ($31.8 million)
<p>Papaya lets customers pay any bill from their mobile devices just by taking a picture of it. The mobile app touts the app's ease-of-use as a way to cut down on inbound bill calls and increase customer payments. Founded by Patrick Kann and Jason Metzler, the company has raised $25 million, most recently a S10 million round of convertible debt financing from Fika Ventures, Idealab and F-Prime Capital Partners.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzY5OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTYyMTc2Mn0.8lwp3rJYqkee108lZxymVA0Z0FppunMPnCU7prsw8xA/img.png?width=980" id="745c0" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2ea3003764946798b78c5cc4399b6c75" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Floqast ($250 million)
<p>FloQast is a management software that integrates enterprise resource planning software with checklists and Excel to manage bookkeeping. The cloud-based software company claims its system helps close the books up to three days faster. It is used by accounting departments at Lyft, Twilio, Zoom and The Golden State Warriors. In January, it raised $40 million in Series C funding led by Norwest Venture Partners to bring the total raise to $92.8 million.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzY5OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzg4NTI5M30.WUAoRXYSNkJmtqYs1HucZ0lX-koAeXYj5I0oRrWsibk/img.png?width=980" id="36c62" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="65747a7b1adb7ff183c225194acf1ae6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Brainbase ($26.5 million)
<p>The company's rights management platform expedites licensing payments and tracks partnership and sponsorship agreements. It counts BuzzFeed, the Vincent Van Gogh Museum and Sanrio (of Hello Kitty and friends fame) among its clients. In May <a href="https://dot.la/headspace-brainbase-2647426309/rights-management-platform-brainbase-beefs-up-c-suite-following-8m-raise" target="_self">it announced $8 million in Series A financing </a>led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Nosara Capital, bringing the total raised to $12 million.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5Mzc4NC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MzY1NTY2NH0.id3F2ONeIMzdb1wPYc2Cae4gUZ2I6zas4DtLgEhMNA8/img.png?width=980" id="3405b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7f9c7de6dd3ebab0fcfb54ed26010b8e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
OpenPath ($28 million)
<p>The Los Angeles-based company provides a touchless entry system that uses individuals cell phones to help with identification instead of a key card. The company offers a subscription for the cloud-enabled software that allows companies to help implement safety measures and it said demand has grown amid the pandemic. Founded by <a href="https://dot.la/alex-kazerani-james-segil-2646964770.html" target="_self">James Segil and Alex Kazerani</a> the company r<a href="https://dot.la/openpath-primed-for-covid-accelerated-growth-announces-36-million-raise-to-make-keycards-obsolete-2646416034/particle-2" target="_self">aised $36 million led by Greycroft </a>earlier this year, bringing its total funding to $63 million.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5Mzc4Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTUzMDk5MX0.xEVC_2nNgGNHcUlPZc1932EpkrYJbCpShGVP6Pyc1wk/img.png?width=980" id="2ddde" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="08e6efa629173aa520b025475c108b99" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
FightCamp ($2.5 million)
<p>FightCamp is an interactive home workout system that<a href="https://mashable.com/article/fightcamp-review/" target="_blank"> turns your space into a boxing ring</a> with a free standing bag, boxing gloves and punch trackers. The company is riding the wave of at-home fitness offerings including Peloton, Mirror and Zwift that have taken off during the pandemic as gyms closed. The company has raised $4.3 million to date.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5Mzc4Ny9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY3MDY2MDk5Mn0.ky2E4So36PfYFVd9GjX9HL32nxJlwQ9cEkQQCmmK5pI/img.png?width=980" id="9718b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e60740b87fe8611f571fa5e15072c5ec" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Numerade
<p>The Santa Monica-based company provides video and interactive content for education in math, science, economics and standardized test prep. Founded in 2018 by Nhon Ma and Alex Lee, who previously founded Tutorcast, an online tutoring service, the company gathers post-graduate educated instructors to create video lessons for online learning.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5Mzc4OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjAzNTgyNX0.bcGRZ8fyJOQ4cNXID6Ls8vCdV3KRyxI5Hqjxu7O4Dmc/img.png?width=980" id="4531b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2b3b77d816b05772a7e66235aa3663b6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Our Place ($32.5 million)
<p>The creator of a pan with a cult following on social media, this Los Angeles-based startup designs and retails cookware and dinnerware. Founded by Amir Tehrani, Zach Rosner and Shiza Shahid, the company completed its Series A funding earlier this year, bringing its total raised to date to $10 million.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5Mzc5MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzIxNDk4Nn0.QutV5lS2Yh1lC7cnnX4MtX2XxvLHaewK4WNIGO7zX5M/img.png?width=980" id="5c748" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e684d5f9269f7a81569d933c79bab5bd" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Tala" />
Tala ($560 million)
<p>For customers that have no formal credit or banking history, this company's application promises more financial access, choice and control. It gathers data to create a credit score that can be used to instantly underwrite and disburse loans ranging from $10 to $500. Co-founded by Shivani Siroya and Jonathan Blackwell, Tala has raised $217.2 million to date. Its investors include PayPal Ventures, Lowercase Capital and Data Collective.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5Mzc5My9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDA4OTQ2Nn0.IIPwkBI2M3OMR-fgnM47TLWe5yoOsVZe6tvPwVCI3dU/img.png?width=980" id="c51f8" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d156354bd8c547ab4c02dba9bcb96acf" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="ServiceTitan" />
ServiceTitan ($2.25 billion)
<p>Founded in 2007 by chief executive Ara Mahdessian and president Vahe Kuzoyan, ServiceTitan operates software that helps residential home contractors grow their businesses. It provides businesses tools like customer relationship management and accounting integration to streamline operations. The company closed a $73.82 million Series E funding round from undisclosed investors earlier this year.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5MzgxNi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MzY5OTU2OX0.-z16s658TU1QIbo0mcqGdnrB4Uz0Sj6eRRJgdkyw3fU/img.png?width=980" id="7ba75" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c0d58dce0c266abea711907d8672c260" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
100 Thieves ($160 million)
<p>Founded in 2017 by former professional "Call of Duty" player Matthew Haag, 100 Thieves manages esports competitions in major titles including "Counter Strike Global Offensive" and "League of Legends." The company also produces apparel and merchandise, opening a physical store and training ground called the "Cash App Compound" in collaboration with Fortnite earlier this year. The company has raised $60 million to date, from investors including Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and Aubrey Graham, better known as the rapper Drake.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5Mzg2NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NDM1MTU3N30.gZiFa2FICgByJt8s93ni59ipDb8K-odSv0zjRA8B0Vg/img.png?width=980" id="69e4c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3fffe0b360cf6b88990cd762cda7ae7c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Emotive logo" />
Emotive ($16.5 million)
<p>This AI-powered customer service platform automates text conversations between customers and businesses to increase sales. Emotive uses their sales team to verify questions, distinguishing it from other bot-driven marketing services, according to the company. The company was founded in 2018 by Brian Zatulove and Zachary Wise, who serve as the chief executive and the chief operating officer, respectively. It has raised $6.65 million to date, from Floodgate Fund and TenOneTen Ventures. </p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDk5Mzg3MS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDgzMjY3NX0.r0Oc87K8y6t8f6Xa8l0y0gcGml_5FW2gPpD-TE6Bu7g/img.png?width=980" id="7c591" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="0b958ca5f1549ced0d0b167aba77f5fa" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Everytable logo" />
Everytable ($33 million)
<p>Created by former hedge fund trader Sam Polk, the Los Angeles-based startup wants to be a healthy fast food chain. It <a href="https://dot.la/everytable-2648958920.html" target="_self">prices its healthy pre-packaged meals around $5</a> in underserved communities while costing more in other neighborhoods with the goal of reducing so-called food deserts in low-income neighborhoods. It also offers a subscription delivery service. The company recently closed a $16 million Series B round led by Creadev along with Kaiser Permanente Ventures.</p>From Your Site Articles
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