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XMeet the Space Startups That Make Up SCALE Aerospace Ventures' Inaugural Cohort

A jet designer that aims to make supersonic flight available to the masses, a durable 3-D printer maker and a company trying to improve post-disaster and space communication are among SCALE Aerospace Ventures' 2021 accelerator cohort.
Eight aerospace companies that are working on next-frontier technologies were tapped for the 13-week virtual program that kicks off on Monday, May 10. A joint partnership of UCLA and Starburst Aerospace, the accelerator is designed to help pre-seed and seed stage aerospace startups find their market fit, develop products, and secure funding through mentorship and workshops.
"We often see many of the new ideas that truly propel the aerospace and defense industries forward come from young startups," said Francois Chopard, founder and CEO of Starburst Aerospace."We believe in this new cohort and are looking forward to the cutting-edge innovation that will develop from this collaboration."
Starburst runs multiple aerospace accelerators all over the world in cities like Paris and Tel Aviv.
It is no surprise that Starburst is investing in Los Angeles, known to many as the aerospace capital of the world, consisting of more than 25 aerospace companies including SpaceX. Earlier this year, the U.S. Space Force announced it would establish its acquisitions and technology division in the Los Angeles area this summer.
This program was granted $1.4 million by the U.S. Economic Development Administration to develop SCALE Aerospace Ventures.
Here are the startups slated to join the accelerator this summer:
Atomus logo
Atomus
With a team originating from University of Southern California, Atomus works to protect companies from cyberattacks when they share technical data packages for manufacturing. The startup's technology is already being used by the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Air Force and the Defense Innovation Unit.
Exosonic logo
Exosonic
Loud sonic booms from supersonic aircraft prevent passenger planes from traveling at supersonic speed. Exosonic has developed a low-boom supersonic jet capable of carrying 70 passengers, transforming commercial aviation while remaining conscious of its carbon footprint.
Craitor logo
Craitor
The company's 3D printing system is designed to withstand extreme temperatures and water, unlike competitors. Craitor's capabilities made it attractive to the U.S. Marine Corp, which is working with the company on the development through units at Camp Pendleton, Twenty Nine Palms. It is also working with the Navy through the San Diego Naval Base.
Rebel Space Technologies Logo
Rebel Space Technologies
Headquartered in Long Beach, the startup provides secure radio communication in difficult environments such as space or post-disaster. Rebel Space Technologies leverages AI software and advanced signal analysis.
Rhoman Aerospace Logo
Rhoman Aerospace
Los Angeles-based Rhoman Aerospace is developing flight control software for drones. The software aims to increase traditional flight time and provide safety measures that will help open doors for commercial scale drone operations.
Black Arrow Logo
Black Arrow
Black Arrow: This startup focuses on creating more options for companies utilizing data labeling and calibration so they no longer have to rely solely on manual labeling by in-house or international labeling teams.
Axion Ray
Axion Ray
This startup is currently in stealth mode, but according to AngelList, it develops "AI to accelerate engineering of next-gen & electric automotive/aerospace vehicles."
Metaspectral
This startup applies photo compression technology to spectral images, which captures light across the electromagnetic spectrum. Metaspectral's technology compresses these large images down to as little as 30% of their original size, which makes the evaluation of the images and data more efficient.
Editor's note: This story has been updated. An earlier version incorrectly stated Techstars is affiliated with Starburst.
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YouTube Shorts Is Big in India—But Can It Dethrone TikTok in America?
Kristin Snyder is an editorial intern for dot.la. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.
YouTube Shorts has gained major traction in India, where its primary competitor, TikTok, is banned—and YouTube executives are hoping the service can parlay that momentum over to the States.
Shorts creators are reaching large audiences in India, a nation of more than 1.4 billion people, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The Google-owned short-form video platform—which recently surpassed 1.5 billion monthly users—initially launched in India in September 2020; within months of that launch, Shorts was racking up more than 3.5 billion views daily, YouTube CEO Susan Wojicki told the Journal. YouTube subsequently rolled out Shorts in the U.S. in March 2021 and has since focused on growing the service as a competitor to TikTok.
While YouTube has not released country-specific user data and metrics, executives told the publication that India remains one of Shorts’ biggest markets. That’s likely been aided by India’s decision to ban TikTok—which is owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance and bases its U.S. operations in Culver City—in June 2020 due to national security concerns. Data security concerns continue to plague TikTok in the U.S. and other countries where it is allowed to operate, as well.
YouTube Shorts, in turn, continues to gain ground on TikTok. The Journal cited a June survey by data research platform Inmar Intelligence in which more than 29% of respondents identified Shorts as their preferred short-form video service, compared to only 25% in September 2021. TikTok, meanwhile, fell in popularity—with 44% picking it as their top choice in June, compared to 49% in September.
YouTube is now hoping that it can translate Shorts’ success in global markets like India over to the U.S., specifically among the younger users who have driven much of TikTok’s growth. The two firms are already competing on better ways to monetize their platforms for creators, while TikTok recently expanded its maximum video length to compete with YouTube for longer-form content.- TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube and Facebook: Who's Paying What for ... ›
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Kristin Snyder is an editorial intern for dot.la. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.
Netflix Facing Another Round of Layoffs: Report
Christian Hetrick is dot.LA's Entertainment Tech Reporter. He was formerly a business reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and reported on New Jersey politics for the Observer and the Press of Atlantic City.
Netflix could have another round of layoffs as early as this week, according to Variety.
The streaming giant, which has seen its stock price plummet more than 70% this year, already cut 150 positions across its organization in May. The upcoming layoffs could be similar in size, with impacted employees expected to be informed at the end of this week, Variety reported Monday.
Netflix shares have cratered since the streaming platform reported in April that it lost 200,000 subscribers during the first quarter—the first time that the company shed customers in more than a decade—and expects to shed another 2 million subscribers in the current second quarter. The streamer has blamed heightened competition, password sharing and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, among other issues, for the loss in customers.
On Netflix’s first-quarter earnings call, CFO Spencer Neumann said that amid slowing revenue growth, the company will look to “protect our operating margins” over the next two years by “pulling back on some of our spend growth across both content and non-content spend.” Netflix began cutting costs a few weeks later, laying off about 25 people in its marketing division, including at its editorial website Tudum.
Although Netflix is navigating unique problems, it is far from the only tech firm that has slashed staff in recent weeks amid increasingly precarious economic conditions.
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Christian Hetrick is dot.LA's Entertainment Tech Reporter. He was formerly a business reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and reported on New Jersey politics for the Observer and the Press of Atlantic City.
LA Tech ‘Moves’: Jam City Shakes Up Games Leaders, Viant Lures Amazon Vet
Kristin Snyder is an editorial intern for dot.la. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.
“Moves,” our roundup of job changes in L.A. tech, is presented by Interchange.LA, dot.LA's recruiting and career platform connecting Southern California's most exciting companies with top tech talent. Create a free Interchange.LA profile here—and if you're looking for ways to supercharge your recruiting efforts, find out more about Interchange.LA's white-glove recruiting service by emailing Sharmineh O’Farrill Lewis (sharmineh@dot.la). Please send job changes and personnel moves to moves@dot.la.
Cash ecosystem integrator Sesami named Nicolas Van Erum as chief marketing officer. Van Erum joins from creative agency Sid Lee.
8minute Solar Energy, a solar and energy storage company, hired Kip Larsonas chief technology officer. Larson previously led technology teams at Amazon and Convoy.
Advertising software company Viant Technology tapped Dustin Kwan as chief product officer. Kwan was most recently general manager of advertising products at Amazon DSP.
Tamara Armstrong joined Loyola Marymount University as chief information officer and vice president for information technology services. Armstrong was most recently associate vice chancellor and CIO at the Los Rios Community College District.
TigerConnect, a health care clinical collaboration platform, hired Melissa Bellas president. Bell was previously chief growth officer for Intelligent Medical Objects.
Visual effects and animation studio DNEG tapped Disney Animation and Dreamworks veteran Erika Burton as co-president of its animation arm.
Video game developer Jam City promoted Lisa Anderson to executive vice president, from her previous role as senior vice president of studio operations. The company also hired Dan Lipa to head its casino division and King’sBrent Blazek to lead its puzzle division.
Seth Rogan’s cannabis lifestyle brand Houseplant brought in Kelly Natenshon as senior vice president of housegoods. Natenshon was most recently a consultant for home brands including California Closets, Cravings by Chrissy Teigen and Wayfair.
Cancer research organization City of Hope named Philip Okala as system president to oversee its portfolio of clinical care and research entities. Okala was previously chief operating officer at the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
Law firm Perkins Coie added attorney Patrick Anding, who has previously provided legal counsel for tech companies, as a partner at its Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice in its Los Angeles and San Diego offices.
Kristin Snyder is an editorial intern for dot.la. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.