How LA-Based Super Hi-Fi Hopes to Change Streaming Audio Using AI

Sam Blake

Sam primarily covers entertainment and media for dot.LA. Previously he was Marjorie Deane Fellow at The Economist, where he wrote for the business and finance sections of the print edition. He has also worked at the XPRIZE Foundation, U.S. Government Accountability Office, KCRW, and MLB Advanced Media (now Disney Streaming Services). He holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson, an MPP from UCLA Luskin and a BA in History from University of Michigan. Email him at samblake@dot.LA and find him on Twitter @hisamblake

How LA-Based Super Hi-Fi Hopes to Change Streaming Audio Using AI
  • Super Hi-Fi's AI transports the skills of a trained radio DJ to digital music playlists. Spotify's former head of research Tristan Jehan recently joined as an advisor
  • Founded in 2018 by veterans of the digital music business, the company's customers include iHeartMedia, Sonos, Peloton and Octave Music Group
  • Its leaders envision a new audio listening experience — where everyone has a personalized, curated playlist, with artful, AI-generated sequences and layers of music, voice clips (e.g. news and podcasts), and branded messaging that drives new revenues to the music industry

Before the beat from "Baby Got Back" that underpins Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" fades to silence at the song's end, a sound clip pops up, right on rhythm and with a similar energy, telling the listener what streaming service they're listening to. A new track seamlessly takes the baton from the Minaj song before the brief branded message concludes, and continues the upbeat mood as a music bed for a rapid sequence of audio clips – first a voice imploring listeners to get hyped, then a word from Kanye about his interview with Beyoncé, a snippet from that interview, and another in-the-spirit advert – before blending into the intro of the next song, Kanye's "Stronger": all of it interwoven as if it were a single track produced in a recording studio.


It is the automation of this art, once the preserve of skilled radio DJs, that Super Hi-Fi is bringing to the digital music industry. In doing so, the L.A.-based company thinks it can help music services and artists make more money, and give listeners a new and improved way of experiencing audio.

Super Hi-Fi's customers include iHeartMedia,

Founded in 2018 by a group of digital music business veterans, with customers that include iHeartMedia and Sonos, SHF recently announced that Tristan Jehan – a pioneer of applying AI and machine learning to music, most recently as head of Spotify's research team – has joined the company as an advisor.

Streaming, which has been powered in part by Jehan's work on recommendation algorithms, may have saved the music industry from piracy-fueled devastation, but Super Hi-Fi's founders believe companies like Spotify, Apple and Amazon have missed the mark in some important ways.

"We think digital services forgot that the primary user interface is your eardrums, not your eyeballs," Zack Zalon, Super Hi-Fi's chief executive, told dot.LA.

As a result, a listener cannot readily distinguish one service from another, he said. Visual branding can help, but especially as smart speakers grow more popular, listeners will have an increasingly difficult time knowing whether they are tuned in to Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora or any other service.

Zalon and Brendon Cassidy, another co-founder and Super Hi-Fi's chief technology officer, both built digital radio services for CBS, AOL, Yahoo and Cricket Wireless. They contrast the uniformity of streaming services to broadcast radio stations. Two stations in the same city, focusing on the same type of music, still tend to have their own personality, they say.

"It's not just the music," Zalon said. "It's the space between the songs that the radio stations are filling and (thereby) connecting with listeners in an emotional way."

Beyond differentiating the source of the sound, SHF believes that using the space between songs — as radio stations do — can transform the listening experience. Leaving aside stitching in voice clips and layering in all other kinds of audio, they say that even sequencing songs together is fraught with issues.

The two most common types of transitions that digital services use between songs are crossfading and brief pauses.

Pauses create dead air, which iHeartMedia's chief product officer Chris Williams told dot.LA is the "enemy of radio," because it takes listeners out of their flow and puts them in a position to make a decision: namely, whether to keep listening or not. "I want to minimize that," Williams said.

As for crossfading – which Zalon said tends to be applied uniformly across tracks, such as a six-second blend of the end of one song with the start of the next, irrespective of the songs' particulars – it doesn't always work. Williams said crossfading can be done without jarring the user or disrespecting the songs about 50% of the time, and ever less so as longer song lead-ins give way to snappy intros aimed at grabbing listeners' attention from the first note.

"Crossfades create crashes," he said.

A radio DJ, by contrast, is trained to avoid these issues.

"The techniques of trained radio DJs are pretty complicated," Zalon said. "Super Hi-Fi is AI that has all the skills of a trained radio DJ."

This AI is designed to help customers like iHeart provide listeners with custom playlists that artfully blend one song with the next – no matter which song it is – and incorporate additional sonic elements like branded logos, interview clips, voice segments and more to eliminate dead air while respecting the artistry of the underlying songs, and to potentially drive streaming revenues back up to or beyond the levels that CDs generated in their peak.

How Does It Work?

As Super Hi-Fi's first customer, iHeartMedia helped the company fine tune its AI model and algorithms.

"Their pool of some of the world's best music programmers and on-air DJs became in a way like our QA partners," Zalon said.

By now Super Hi-Fi has "fingerprinted" iHeart's entire music catalog – tens of millions of tracks, Williams said – to identify the songs' underlying characteristics: features like volume, rhythm, mood, vocal texture, tempo and more. Lots more.

"The data we have on the music takes up more file space than the music itself," Zalon said.

Super Hi-Fi's AI has also fingerprinted each of iHeart's 700 styles of sonic logo; there's a country version of the "You are listening to iHeart…", a hip-hop version, a reggae version, and so on.

So, too, with any audio file that any customer may want to include in a playlist.

"The real power of the AI is to understand all the content with enough depth to make pretty much any output decision that any service might want," Zalon said.

Results have been good for iHeart. Williams reported that since they've rolled out Super Hi-Fi across their streaming services, the company has seen listening durations double.

"That increases ad impressions," he said. "There are clear business upside reasons beyond aesthetically creating a better experience...and [achieving] clear differentiation [from competitors]."

The Next Song

After having recently reeled in Sonos and its new streaming service as a customer, Super Hi-Fi has its sights set on bigger streaming fish. Jehan may help them get to Spotify, and they'll also look to Apple Music.

Chief business officer John Bolton told dot.LA that Spotify's expansion into podcasts makes them a prime candidate to benefit from Super Hi-Fi's service. He pointed to their "Your Daily Drive" product – a mix of music they know listeners like and relevant news – and said he could see that sort of playlist growing to include podcast snippets, the weather, and various other forms of audio, all tailored to the listener's preferences and location.

"If we see this happen at scale you'll start to see listening experiences become something very different," said Bolton, who helped found Super Hi-Fi after leaving ByteDance, which acquired his social media-meets-music startup Flipagram.

Streaming platforms may well be working on their own blended-audio AI solutions, but Williams says iHeart has benefited by getting in with Super Hi-Fi early.

"Two years from now everyone should have this solution or some version but we'll have already taken this to the next step, so it gives me the opportunity to get ahead," he said.

Music lawyer Ed Buggé, partner at L.A.-based entertainment law firm Hertz Lichtenstein & Young, thinks Super Hi-Fi "could be an attractive target for digital streaming platforms (DSPs) as they look to differentiate their platform offerings."

Spotify's former chief economist agreed. Will Page said a major audio streamer could look to Super Hi-Fi as a way to stand out in a market of look-alike services competing for the same customers.

"All these services offer the same 60 million tracks for the same $9.99 price point. With so much similarity, the value of distinctiveness goes up," he said. "The end game could see it being acquired by a DSP."

More than Music

Even if Super Hi-Fi doesn't lure the big catches in streaming, it can serve other verticals, including digital fitness. Peloton is already a customer.

"They wanted something different," Zalon said. "They want to make sure there's no loss of energy between songs; there's nothing worse than having music drop off in the middle of a workout. So we've been working with them on the roadmap to use the AI to help create an exercise experience that never loses its energy." In addition to blending songs, this will include voice-over instructions from Peloton's instructors.

Retail music is another area the company's targeting. Octave Music Groups, which operates Apple Music for Business and manages the music that customers hear at Starbucks, along with many other bars, restaurants and stores throughout North America and Europe, is another Super Hi-Fi customer.

Just as a radio station manager works with a DJ to set ground rules for branding the station through its sonic choices – running a branded message every 15 minutes, a news break every 30, and keeping segues tight but breezy, for example – each customer works with Super Hi-Fi to customize the AI to fit its desired style.

In exchange for this AI-plus-support service, Super Hi-Fi receives a licensing fee. The company would not disclose its prices or finances, though Bolton said Super Hi-Fi has not raised any outside funding.

He thinks using AI to bring a new level of real-time curation, presentation and personalization can attract more advertising and subscription revenues to the music industry. That's all the more important in an era when live performance has evaporated.

    "We have a big, bold vision and tech that can transform playlists into listening experiences that we think will eventually make the industry much more money and provide a much better product for consumers," he said.

    ---

    Sam Blake primarily writes about media and entertainment for dot.LA. Find him on Twitter at @hisamblake and email him at samblake@dot.LA

    https://twitter.com/hisamblake
    samblake@dot.la
    🛡️Meet the Defense Unicorn That Just Raised $250M to Stop Drone Swarms

    🔦 Spotlight

    Hello, Happy Friday!

    For this week's spotlight story, we're turning our attention to a monumental leap in defense technology achieved by Epirus, a dynamic startup based in Torrance that specializes in groundbreaking anti-drone systems. Recently, Epirus successfully secured a whopping $250 million in Series D funding, raising its total capital to over $550 million and solidifying its status as a unicorn in the defense tech sector.

    Image Source: Epirus

    At the heart of Epirus’s arsenal is Leonidas, a solid-state, directed energy system named after the fierce Spartan king. As formidable as its namesake suggests, Leonidas stands out by neutralizing unmanned systems and other electronic threats with unmatched precision—a vital capability in today’s digital battlefield where drones are increasingly common. Offering a high-tech shield against potential threats, Leonidas has established Epirus as a key player in modern warfare technology, underscored by significant contracts such as a notable $66 million deal with the U.S. Army in 2023.

    Founded in 2018 by a visionary team including Joe Lonsdale, Bo Marr, Max Mednik, Nathan Mintz, Grant Verstandig, and John Tenet, Epirus combines expertise across technology, strategy, and security to push the boundaries of defense innovation. The collective experience and strategic foresight of its founders have propelled the company's rapid growth and technological advancements.

    Looking to the future, Epirus plans to utilize this influx of capital to broaden its reach into international and commercial markets, enhance its team, fortify its supply chain, and establish a new training center in Oklahoma to further military preparedness.

    This latest round of funding was led by 8VC and Washington Harbour Partners LP, accompanied by a diverse group of new and returning investors, including strategic defense partner General Dynamics Land Systems and seasoned investors like StepStone Group and T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Inc. New stakeholders such as Oppenheimer's Private Market Opportunities Vista VI Fund, NightDragon, Manhattan Venture Partners, Centaurus Capital LP, and Center15 Capital also joined, reflecting robust market confidence in Epirus’s innovative approach and future potential.

    Keep an eye on Epirus as it navigates this exciting phase of growth and innovation. With its advanced technologies and strategic expansions, Epirus is not just responding to the challenges of today’s digital battlefield but is also setting the pace for tomorrow’s defense landscape.

    🤝 Venture Deals

    LA Companies

    • Zeitview, a Los Angeles-based leader in AI-powered infrastructure inspections, has raised a $60M funding round led by Climate Investment, with participation from Upfront Ventures and others. The funds will be used to accelerate the development of its Visual AI technology and enhance its Insights software platform, supporting infrastructure sectors such as solar, wind, utilities, properties, and telecom throughout the asset lifecycle. - learn more
    • Nervonik, a medical device company specializing in peripheral nerve stimulation for chronic pain relief, has raised a $13M Series A funding round led by U.S. Venture Partners (USVP). The funds will be used to advance the development of its next-generation nerve stimulation technology, aiming to provide effective, non-opioid pain management solutions. - learn more
    • Mote, a company specializing in carbon-negative energy production, has secured $7M in the initial close of its Series A funding round. The investment was co-led by Nella Next and Preston-Werner Ventures. Mote converts agricultural and forestry waste into clean hydrogen through its Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) technology, which also sequesters carbon dioxide. The funds will be used to advance its first commercial-scale facility, expand engineering capabilities, and accelerate strategic partnerships in the hydrogen and energy sectors. - learn more
    • FastLane Labs, a developer of Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) infrastructure, has raised a $6M funding round led by Figment Capital and DBA. The funds will be used to develop a comprehensive liquid staking token on the Monad blockchain, aiming to build a sustainable MEV ecosystem that benefits users, decentralized applications (dApps), and stakers. - learn more
    • Supergut, a company specializing in gut health products like powders, bars, and shakes containing resistant starches and prebiotic fibers, has secured a significant growth equity investment led by Full Frame Growth Partners, with participation from Alpha Edison, Rocana Venture Partners, Strand Equity Partners, and others. The funds will support new product innovation, retail expansion, and new hires. Additionally, Supergut has appointed Tracey Warner Halama, former CEO of Vital Proteins, as its new CEO to lead this next phase of growth. The company has experienced a 172% sales increase in 2024, driven by its 'GLP-1 booster' product. - learn more
    • FairPlay, a Fairness-as-a-Service company, has raised a $10M funding round from Infinity Ventures, JPMorgan Chase, and Nyca Partners. FairPlay specializes in developing tools that help organizations identify and correct biases in their AI-driven decision-making processes, aiming to promote fairness and compliance in sectors like financial services and insurance. The company plans to use the funds to expand its operations and enhance its product offerings, furthering its mission to build fairness infrastructure for the internet and ensure safer AI adoption. - learn more
    • ACID Labs, a leader in instant social gaming on messaging platforms, has raised $8M in funding led by a16z GAMES Speedrun and NFX, with participation from Fusion. The funds will be used to accelerate its mission of building viral instant games where people already connect, focusing on creating seamless, social-first gaming experiences. - learn more
    • MelodAI, a company specializing in AI-generated content (AIGC) and multimodal AI agent services, has secured a new round of funding led by LF Labs. The funds will be used to advance product development and expand market presence in the Web3 and AI entertainment sectors, enhancing MelodAI's competitiveness in the global AIGC and AI agent service industries. - learn more
      LA Venture Funds
        • Fika Ventures led a $4.7M Seed funding round for Outmarket AI, a San Francisco-based intelligence platform designed to transform commercial insurance through AI-powered insights and automation. The funds will be used to accelerate platform innovation, expand the team, and establish strategic partnerships with leading brokers and carriers. - learn more
        • FirstLook Partners participated in a $25M equity funding round for Flex, a Miami-based fintech company that provides an all-in-one finance platform for business owners. Flex offers services such as business banking, expense management, credit cards, and accounts payable automation. The company plans to use the funds to enhance its AI-driven accounts payable automation and expand its personal finance management services for business owners. - learn more
        • B Capital led a $96M equity investment in Odeko, a New York-based all-in-one operations and technology partner for local coffee shops, cafes, and other food and beverage businesses. Including a $30M credit facility from Banc of California, the total funding amounts to $126M. Odeko plans to use the funds to fuel growth through new services and cost savings for customers, acquire businesses to extend its market reach and product offerings, and build out its leadership team. - learn more
        • Presight Capital participated in a $2.2M Seed funding round for Needle, an AI-powered search and agent development platform based in San Francisco and Berlin. Needle enables organizations to access and manage data across various internal systems, integrating with tools like Confluence, Slack, Gmail, and Dropbox. The funds will be used to expand the engineering team, enhance core technology, and accelerate go-to-market initiatives. - learn more
        • Village Global participated in a $2.8M Pre-seed funding round for Orpheus Ocean, a New Bedford, Massachusetts-based company specializing in deep-sea robotics. Orpheus Ocean develops autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) designed to enhance deep ocean and seafloor data collection. The funds will be used to conduct the first commercial demonstrations of their AUV technology, expand their technical team, and grow their fleet to support increased deployments in the coming year. - learn more

              Download the dot.LA App

              The AI Arms Race Heats Up — Who’s Really Winning?

              🔦 Spotlight

              Hello, LA!

              In the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, tech giants are racing to outdo each other, unveiling innovations that promise to redefine our interaction with technology. This week, the spotlight shines on three major developments: Amazon's introduction of Alexa+, OpenAI's release of GPT-4.5, and Meta's announcement of a standalone AI app.

              Amazon's Alexa+: Your New AI Companion

              Image Source: Amazon

              Amazon has unveiled Alexa+, a next-generation AI assistant powered by generative AI.According to Amazon, Alexa+ is designed to be more conversational, smarter, and highly personalized. It can manage tasks ranging from controlling smart home devices to making reservations and providing personalized recommendations. With the ability to understand colloquial expressions and complex queries, Alexa+ aims to make interactions feel less like commands to a machine and more like conversations with a trusted friend.

              Alexa+ will be free for Amazon Prime members and available for $19.99 per month for non-members, adding a new premium tier to Amazon’s ecosystem. For more details,Amazon's official release covers the top features.

              OpenAI's GPT-4.5: A Leap Towards Emotional Intelligence

              Image Source: OpenAI

              Meanwhile, OpenAI has launched GPT-4.5, its largest and most advanced AI language model to date.In OpenAI’s announcement, the company highlights how this upgrade enhances pattern recognition, connection drawing, and creative insight generation. Early testing indicates that interactions with GPT-4.5 feel more natural and intuitive, thanks to its broader knowledge base and refined personality.

              This model is particularly adept at writing, programming, and practical problem-solving. However, OpenAI has clarified that GPT-4.5 is not a "frontier model", meaning it may not outperform highly specialized AI in certain areas. Still, it marks a significant step forward in AI’s capabilities.

              Meta's Standalone AI App: Expanding the AI Ecosystem

              Not to be left behind, Meta is set to launch a standalone AI app in the second quarter of 2025.As reported by CNBC, this move aligns with Mark Zuckerberg’s vision to position Meta as a leader in AI by the end of the year. The app aims to complement existing platforms like Facebook and Instagram, offering users a dedicated space to interact with Meta’s AI technologies.

              This initiative is part of Meta’s broader strategy to enhance user engagement and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. With rivals like Amazon and OpenAI pushing forward, Meta is making its move to claim a seat at the AI table.

              The Bigger Picture

              These developments underscore a significant trend: AI is becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives, with major tech companies striving to create more intuitive, personalized, and human-like interactions. As AI continues to evolve, users can anticipate more seamless and natural engagements with technology, blurring the lines between human and machine interactions.

              In this high-stakes race, the real winners will be those who deliver AI that doesn’t just talk back—but truly understands.


              🤝 Venture Deals

              LA Companies

              • Mitico, a Pasadena-based carbon capture technology company, has raised a $4.3M Seed funding round led by Exergon with participation from Freeflow Ventures, Alliance for Southern California Innovation, and others. The funds will be used to accelerate pilot testing and scale its technology, which captures over 95% of CO₂ emissions from industrial sources like gas-fired power plants and waste-to-energy facilities. - learn more
                LA Venture Funds
                • Alexandria Venture Investments participated in Eikon Therapeutics' $351M Series D funding round to support the company's advancements in live-cell imaging and protein movement analysis for drug discovery. Based in Hayward, California, Eikon is leveraging its proprietary technology to develop new treatments, with a focus on melanoma and other cancers. The funds will be used to accelerate drug discovery programs and expand clinical research efforts. - learn more
                • MTech Capital participated in a €14.4M Series B funding round for Napo, a London-based InsurTech startup specializing in comprehensive pet insurance solutions. The funds will be used to enhance Napo's AI and automation capabilities, aiming to provide more efficient and customer-focused services to pet owners. - learn more
                • Mantis VC participated in a $15M Series A funding round for Edera, a Seattle-based company specializing in workload isolation technology. Edera's solutions enhance cloud and AI infrastructure security by providing strong workload isolation, enabling developers to build rapidly without compromising security. The funds will be used to expand Edera's product offerings, including support for AI infrastructure, and to accelerate the adoption of their technology in securing cloud-native environments. - learn more
                • B Capital participated in a $13.4M Seed funding round for Goose, a Chicago-based technology company developing a next-generation operating system for pet care providers. Goose's platform integrates services such as boarding, day care, grooming, training, and retail, aiming to streamline operations and enhance customer interactions for pet care businesses. The newly raised funds will be used to accelerate product development, expand partnerships, and meet the growing demand for their enterprise-ready platform. - learn more
                • 75 & Sunny Ventures participated in a $6.7M Seed funding round for HouseWhisper, a Seattle-based company developing an AI-powered assistant designed to enhance real estate agents' productivity by automating administrative tasks. The funds will be used to advance product development, expand the team, and enhance AI capabilities, aiming to transform agent workflows and improve client engagement. - learn more
                • Dangerous Ventures participated in an $18.5M Series A funding round for Cambium, a Baltimore-based supply chain technology company specializing in sustainable wood products. Cambium leverages AI to transform salvaged wood into Carbon Smart™ Wood and mass timber products, aiming to modernize the $788 billion wood products industry. The funds will be used to deploy AI technology, strengthen their wood supply network, expand into mass timber offerings, and scale operations to meet the growing demand for sustainable building materials. - learn more
                • Nomad Ventures led a $1.7M Pre-seed funding round for WilsonAI, a London-based company developing the world's first AI-powered paralegal designed to integrate directly into in-house legal teams. Founded in August 2024 by Gus Neate and Alex Wang, WilsonAI aims to automate repetitive legal tasks, such as handling routine requests and reviewing contracts, thereby streamlining workflows. The funds will be used to enhance WilsonAI's AI capabilities, expand integrations with existing legal tech systems, and accelerate customer onboarding across various industries. - learn more
                • Bill Silva Ventures participated in an €800,000 funding round for Solid IO, a Helsinki-based medtech company specializing in patient-specific organ-on-chip technology. Solid IO's platform replicates individual tumor microenvironments to provide real-time, accurate data on cancer responses to immunotherapies and combination treatments. The funds will be used to advance their tumor-on-chip platform, aiming to enhance personalized cancer treatment and improve patient outcomes. - learn more

                      LA Exits

                      • Loki Solutions, a company specializing in advanced cyber operations and intelligence analysis, has been acquired by VTG to expand its capabilities within the intelligence community. The acquisition strengthens VTG’s offerings in national security and cyber defense, integrating Loki Solutions’ expertise to support critical missions. - learn more
                      • Dave's Hot Chicken, a Pasadena, California-based chain renowned for its Nashville-style hot chicken, has been acquired by private equity firm Roark Capital in a deal valued at approximately $1 billion. Founded in 2017, Dave's Hot Chicken has rapidly expanded to over 250 locations worldwide, generating around $1 billion in annual sales. The company is majority-owned by its founders—Dave Kopushyan, Arman Oganesyan, Tommy Rubenyan, and Gary Rubenyan—and counts rapper Drake among its investors. Roark Capital, based in Atlanta, manages $38 billion in assets and owns a portfolio of major restaurant brands, including Arby's, Culver's, and Subway. - learn more
                      • Mob Scene, a premier Hollywood marketing agency specializing in film studios, television networks, and streaming services, has been acquired by Connekkt Media, one of Asia's largest media and entertainment-technology companies. This strategic acquisition aims to combine Mob Scene's creative marketing expertise with Connekkt Media's technological capabilities, enhancing their global reach and service offerings. Under the new agreement, Mob Scene's co-founder and CEO, Tom Grane, will continue to lead the company. - learn more
                      • Curious Refuge, a platform dedicated to supporting generative AI storytellers, has been acquired by Promise, a pioneering film and media company. This acquisition aims to empower and discover AI-driven storytellers worldwide, fostering a vibrant creative community that connects artists, filmmakers, and technologists. By integrating Curious Refuge's resources and community with Promise's innovative approach, the collaboration seeks to revolutionize the landscape of AI-generated storytelling. - learn more

                          Download the dot.LA App

                          🛰️LA Is Emerging as a Space Powerhouse—And Investors Are Lining Up

                          🔦 Spotlight

                          Hello, Happy Friday!

                          This week, Los Angeles proved once again why it's at the center of space, tech, and innovation. From a major satellite funding round to a big push for wildfire relief, the city is making moves across multiple industries.

                          K2 Space Lands $110M to Build High-Power Satellites

                          Image Source: K2 Space

                          Torrance-based K2 Space just raised $110 million in Series B funding, co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Altimeter Capital. The company, which has now secured $180 million since its launch in 2022, is working on high-power, multi-orbit satellites designed to make space operations more efficient and affordable.

                          With a new 180,000-square-foot facility in Torrance, K2 is scaling up production—and a successful in-space demo proves they’re on the right track. As demand grows for more powerful satellites, this funding puts them in a strong position to compete.

                          True Anomaly Expands into Long Beach

                          LA's space industry is scaling fast, andTrue Anomaly is the latest company to plant roots in Long Beach. The defense tech startup is opening a 90,000-square-foot facility to develop next-gen space security and reconnaissance systems.

                          Of that, 70,000 square feet will be dedicated to engineering and production, while the remaining space will house office and R&D teams. With more satellites playing key roles in national security and commercial operations, True Anomaly’s expansion positions it right where it needs to be—close to top aerospace talent and major government clients.

                          Apple Unveils iPhone 16e

                          Image Source: Apple

                          Apple has added a new model to its lineup with the iPhone 16e, a budget-friendly but powerful option. Priced at $599, it includes:

                          • A18 chip with Apple Intelligence
                          • 48MP 2-in-1 camera system
                          • 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
                          • Face ID, replacing the classic home button

                          Pre-orders start February 21, with availability beginning February 28. Apple is positioning the 16e as a mid-tier option that brings AI-driven capabilities to a wider audience without the premium price tag.

                          TikTok Returns to U.S. App Stores

                          After a brief removal,TikTok is back on Apple and Google app stores following a delay in enforcement of a potential national ban. The White House assured tech platforms they won’t face penalties for keeping the app available, at least for now.

                          For creators, brands, and businesses that depend on TikTok, it’s a relief—but the platform’s long-term future in the U.S. is still up in the air.

                          FireAid Distributes $50M for Wildfire Relief

                          Image Source: Fire Aid

                          While LA’s tech industry looks ahead, major efforts this week focused on immediate recovery.FireAid announced $50 million in wildfire relief grants to support Los Angeles communities impacted by the recent devastating wildfires.

                          The first round of grants will help local nonprofits and organizations providing housing, financial assistance, essential goods, and emergency support to those affected. Some of the initial recipients include:

                          • United Way of Greater Los Angeles – Providing direct financial aid and community-based recovery efforts.
                          • Baby2Baby – Supplying essential goods to families and children impacted by the fires.
                          • CA Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund – Supporting emergency relief and long-term recovery.
                          • LA Fire Department Foundation – Assisting first responders with wildfire-related resources.
                          • Meet Each Need with Dignity (MEND) – Providing emergency food, housing, and job resources for displaced individuals.

                          FireAid’s benefit concert, which drew millions of viewers worldwide, has continued to raise funds, with additional grants expected to roll out in the coming months to further aid recovery and rebuilding efforts.

                          LA Isn't Just Keeping Up With the Future—It's Defining It.

                          From major investments in space and national security to new consumer tech and philanthropic efforts, LA is proving its influence across industries. The question isn’t what’s happening here—it’s what’s happening next.


                          🤝 Venture Deals

                          LA Companies

                          • CREE8, a company offering a centralized virtual workspace with on-demand, high-performance workstations, secure storage solutions, and real-time collaboration tools for creatives, has received an investment from Moneta Ventures. The funding will be used to enhance its platform capabilities and expand its market presence, providing seamless workflows for creators and professionals in need of cloud-based creative solutions. - learn more
                          • Breakthrough, an AI-driven startup founded by former Google executive Adit Abhyankar, has secured a $600,000 Pre-seed funding led by Senvest Capital. The company specializes in enhancing B2B sales messaging by optimizing content in real-time through its self-learning AI platform. The funds will be used to expand Breakthrough's enterprise client base, explore applications beyond traditional sales outreach, and refine the product to better align with market needs. - learn more
                          • UVIONIX, a robotics and automation startup specializing in AI-powered autonomous flying robots for warehouse inventory management, has secured a $3.5M Seed funding led by LAUNCHub Ventures. The investment will accelerate UVIONIX's product release, expand its presence in the U.S. and Europe, and support the growth of its AI and engineering teams in Bulgaria and the U.S. - learn more
                          LA Venture Funds
                          • March Capital participated in a $305M Series B funding round for Together AI, a San Francisco-based company specializing in providing a cloud platform for developers and researchers to train and deploy generative AI models. The funds will be used to expand Together AI's cloud infrastructure, including the large-scale deployment of Nvidia Blackwell GPUs, to support over 200 open-source models and serve its growing user base of more than 450,000 AI developers worldwide. - learn more
                          • Amboy Street Ventures participated in a $12M Series A funding round for Millie, a San Francisco-based tech-enabled maternity clinic. Millie offers comprehensive, patient-centered maternity care, integrating clinical best practices with digital tools to support individuals from conception through postpartum. The funds will be used to expand Millie's technology platform, enhance service offerings, and open new clinics, starting with a collaboration in California in 2025. - learn more
                          • StoryHouse Ventures participated in a $4.3M Seed funding round for Henry AI, a company specializing in automating commercial real estate transactions. Based in New York, Henry AI uses AI-powered technology to streamline real estate deal execution. The funds will be used to enhance its platform and expand its capabilities, making commercial real estate transactions more efficient and scalable. - learn more
                          • Amplify.LA participated in a $6.2M Seed funding round for Mavvrik, an Austin-based FinOps platform formerly known as DigitalEx. Mavvrik helps organizations manage and optimize IT expenditures through advanced financial operations solutions. The funds will be used to enhance its platform capabilities, addressing rising IT costs and improving financial efficiency for its clients. - learn more
                          • Generational Partners participated in a $4M Pre-seed funding round for Everstar, a company specializing in AI-driven solutions for nuclear compliance. The funds will be used to develop Everstar's platform, aiming to enhance safety and efficiency in the nuclear energy sector. - learn more
                          • Watertower Ventures participated in a $1.2M pre-seed funding round for Glassbox, a Toronto-based fintech startup developing an AI-compatible financial analysis platform. The funds will be used to expand Glassbox's team and bring its platform to market, aiming to transform traditional spreadsheet-based workflows into more efficient, transparent, and AI-driven processes. - learn more
                          • March Capital participated in a $75M Series C funding round for Luminance, a Cambridge, UK-based legal technology company specializing in AI-powered contract generation, negotiation, and analysis. The funds will be used to accelerate Luminance's global expansion, particularly in the U.S., and to enhance its AI platform, extending its applications to adjacent areas such as procurement and compliance. - learn more
                          • Rebel Fund participated in a €17.2M Series A funding round for Capi Money, a London-based FinTech startup specializing in streamlining international payments for SMEs in emerging markets. The funds will be used to scale Capi Money's platform, enabling small and medium-sized importers in regions like Africa, Latin America, and China to pay international suppliers more efficiently. - learn more
                          • Group 11 participated in a $100M Series B funding round for Dream, an AI company based in Tel Aviv, Israel, specializing in cyber resilience solutions for nations and critical infrastructure. The investment, led by Bain Capital Ventures, will be used to enhance Dream's product capabilities and expand its global market reach, aiming to bolster national cybersecurity defenses against sophisticated threats. - learn more
                          • B Capital participated in a $320M Series C funding round for Lambda, a San Jose, California-based company specializing in GPU cloud services for AI applications. The funds will be used to expand Lambda's AI cloud business, including their on-demand and reserved cloud offerings, to meet the growing demand for AI infrastructure. - learn more
                          • B Capital co-led a $350M Series A funding round for Apptronik, an Austin, Texas-based company specializing in AI-powered humanoid robots. The investment will be used to scale the production of their humanoid robot, Apollo, designed for tasks in logistics and manufacturing sectors. Apptronik plans to expand Apollo's capabilities to other industries, including elder care and healthcare. - learn more
                          • Upfront Ventures led a $7.5M Seed funding round for Keragon, a New York City-based company providing an AI-powered, HIPAA-compliant automation platform for healthcare. The funds will be used to expand operations and development efforts, enabling healthcare professionals to integrate over 300 software tools—including electronic health records, scheduling platforms, and AI medical scribes—without requiring engineering expertise. This integration aims to streamline data exchange, reduce administrative burdens, and safeguard patient information. - learn more
                          • Blue Bear Capital participated in a $16M Series B funding round for ACCURE Battery Intelligence, an Aachen, Germany-based company specializing in AI-based battery safety and performance solutions. The funds will be used to expand ACCURE's predictive analytics software offerings across Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific regions, addressing the growing demand for enhanced battery safety and reliability in energy storage systems and electric vehicle fleets. - learn more
                          • Clocktower Ventures participated in a $6.2M Seed funding round for Era Finance, a company specializing in AI-powered personal wealth management solutions. The funds will be used to expand Era's 'wealth-care' platform, aiming to make advanced financial intelligence accessible to a broader audience. - learn more
                          • Climate Avengers participated in a $25M Series B funding round for Mast, a company specializing in restorative carbon removal projects. The funds will be used to launch a first-of-its-kind biomass burial and reforestation project, aiming to enhance carbon sequestration and combat climate change. - learn more
                          • Clocktower Ventures participated in a $5M Seed funding round for Vigil, a New York-based insurtech startup specializing in annuities. The funds will be used to expand Vigil's platform and enhance its services in the annuities market. - learn more
                          • Finality Capital Partners co-led a $7M Seed funding round for Fragmetric, a company specializing in native liquid restaking protocols on the Solana blockchain. The funds will be used to enhance Fragmetric's platform, focusing on efficient distribution of Node Consensus Network rewards and determining appropriate slashing ratios for Liquid Staking Tokens, thereby strengthening the security and economic potential of the Solana ecosystem. - learn more

                              LA Exits

                              • Guidance, a leading digital commerce services provider, has been acquired by OneMagnify, a global marketing and technology solutions company backed by Crestview Partners. This strategic acquisition aims to enhance OneMagnify's digital experience and eCommerce capabilities, enabling the combined entity to offer comprehensive, data-driven digital solutions to their clients. - learn more
                              • Maple Media, a leader in mobile app publishing with a diverse portfolio of "Top 10" apps across productivity, entertainment, and lifestyle categories, has been acquired by Skybound Entertainment. This acquisition aims to enhance Skybound's reach by integrating Maple Media's stable revenue, proprietary app management technology, and direct consumer relationships, thereby expanding Skybound's audience and engagement. - learn more
                              • Prima, a science-backed wellness brand specializing in clean and clinical CBD skincare and body care, has been acquired by Sky Marketing Corporation, a Texas-based house of hemp brands. The acquisition will allow Prima to expand its reach and continue its mission of delivering high-quality, plant-based wellness solutions under Sky Marketing's portfolio. - learn more

                                Download the dot.LA App

                                RELATEDEDITOR'S PICKS
                                Trending