LA Tech Updates: Disney Earnings Include Big Mulan News; Microsoft Backs Irvine Chipmaker
Aug 04 2020
Here are the latest updates on news affecting Los Angeles' startup and tech communities. Sign up for our newsletter and follow dot.LA on Twitter for more.
Today:
- Disney Plus Surpasses 60 Million Subscribers
- Rocket Lab Boosts Payload Capacity
- Microsoft Backs Maker of Voice-Activated Chip, Syntiant, in $35M Round
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Disney Plus Surpasses 60 Million Subscribers
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUzNDk4NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTY1OTM2NX0.fjV1GsNR7y3nIaXWAixTIZYF_e7Y1BAC4bed1V7yx5I/image.jpg?width=980" id="9e659" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a41ec51e660a63473c0880ce0330e028" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />black smartphonePhoto by Kon Karampelas on Unsplash<p>Disney's earnings report Tuesday quantified the damage wrought by COVID-19 in the company's third quarter — which was entirely enveloped by the pandemic. </p><p>Each of Disney's four business segments suffered losses except for its direct-to-consumer and international operations, which includes the company's streaming app, Disney Plus.</p><p>The company also released new details about its release plans for the blockbuster live-action film, <em>Mulan</em>. </p><p>First, the revenue figures by segment, compared to 2019's corresponding quarter: </p><ul><li>Media Networks fell 2% to $6.6 billion</li><li>Parks, Experiences and Products tumbled 85% to $2 billion</li><li>Studio Entertainment dropped 55% to $1.7 billion</li><li>Direct-to-Consumer and International climbed 2% to $4 billion </li></ul><p>Disney Plus now has over 60 million subscribers, the company reported, a milestone Disney had previously announced it hoped to surpass by 2024. Add in ESPN+ and Hulu, and the company's total subscriber count now tops 100 million. Disney chief executive Bob Chapek said these numbers give the company confidence to "pursue even more innovative and bold initiatives as we grow our business." </p><p>The day's headline-grabber: Disney will release <em>Mulan </em>on Disney Plus in most markets where the service is available, including the U.S., rather than premiere it on the big screen. That's a big shock to the movie industry, where the theatrical release window usually gives movie theaters an exclusive several-months period to show films before they reach home viewers. <em>Mulan</em>, which was originally meant to hit theaters in March, is perhaps the highest-profile and biggest-budget film to be released direct-to-consumer. It will be available on September 4th for a price of $29.99. </p><p>Chapek called the decision a "one-off event" rather than a new way of doing business. It was the first call of Chapek's without his predecessor Bob Iger on the line.</p>Rocket Lab Improves Payload Capacity
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUzNTAyNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5OTExMDM4OH0.5gN7XgjFLgccp7fG4uFzjYQiVSJ-tDBrN5hFR5bK9Y8/image.jpg?width=980" id="96c13" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b2a0f707d2f85b15f0c5628e76db2aeb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Rocket Lab increased the payload capacity for its Electron launch vehicle to 600 pounds, far above the 225 kg it could support when the Electron launch vehicle first appeared in 2017.</p><p>"When we created Electron, we set out to develop a launch vehicle that small satellite operators would turn to when they needed a dedicated ride to a unique orbit on their schedule," founder and CEO Peter Beck said in a statement.</p><p>"We're proud to be delivering that capability and continuing to evolve our launch and satellite services to meet the market's ever-changing needs."</p><p>The company attributes the improvement to advanced battery technology.</p><p>The Long Beach-based lab is known for its 3-D printed and electric pump engines, known as Rutherford Engines, which company says are 90% more efficient than traditional gas pump engines. Their printing time: 24 hours.</p><p>Rocket Lab is set to launch again later this month.</p>Microsoft Backs Maker of Voice-Activated Chip, Syntiant, in $35M Round
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzUzNDk2MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjgyODk5N30.77xs4oSGU23C9wndb7xm6Hd4S-WFd4wL8aBuA9Q9-8c/image.jpg?width=2000&coordinates=0%2C38%2C0%2C33&height=1500" id="28093" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cb00d72a37e756fb95f60912f2272c1a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Microsoft's venture fund M12 led a $35 million investment round in Irvine-based <a href="http://www.syntiant.com/" target="_blank">Syntiant</a>, a semiconductor-making company that's produced tiny voice recognition chips — smaller than a flea — that are faster than many others on the market.</p><p>The company, which is also backed by Amazon's Alexa Fund, makes an "always-on voice interface" that reacts to speech. It has already shipped out a million of the units which are put into cellphones, smart speakers, earbuds and laptops. </p><p>The venture capital arm of chip maker Applied Materials, Inc. also joined in the lead for the Series C round, along with Atlantic Bridge Capital, Alpha Edison and Miramar Digital Ventures also joined the round. The company has raised a total of $65 million since it was founded by four veterans of the chip industry. </p><p>"It is a tremendous honor to know that some of the world's leading tech investors are supporting our growth stage, as we deliver our deep learning voice solution to customers across the globe," said Kurt Busch, co-founder and CEO of Syntiant. "We are especially thrilled that production volumes of applications using our neural decision processors are increasing and expect orders to ramp even higher throughout the remainder of 2020.<br></p><p>It's estimated that the speech and voice recognition market is expected to reach $26.8 billion by 2025, according to report by Meticulous Research.</p>From Your Site Articles
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George Floyd Update: Disney Will Donate $5M to Social Justice Groups; a16z Announces Diversity Fund
Jun 03 2020
Here are the latest headlines regarding how the protests around the killing of George Floyd are impacting the Los Angeles startup and tech communities. Sign up for our newsletter and follow dot.LA on Twitter for the latest update.
Today:
- Disney will donate $5M to Social Justice Groups
- Blck VC group launches 'We Won't Wait' campaign
- a16z VC firm launches fund to target diverse founders
- Snap stops promoting Trump's account in its Discover feature
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Disney will donate $5M to Social Justice Groups
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2OTY2MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjY2MTY2NX0._jc-luWmLRd9-UnBFZgyZJTm33I9_3T6Ssz9nZ3lkVY/image.jpg?width=980" id="7082f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c602ad745e2c03d3c0175cf24139e96f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />ABC's TV sitcom Blackish aired two "monumental and timely episodes" this week.
<p>The Walt Disney company announced Wednesday that it will donate $5 million to nonprofit groups fighting for social justice, starting with a $2 million donation to the NAACP. </p><p>"The killing of George Floyd has forced our nation to once again confront the long history of injustice that black people in America have suffered, and it is critical that we stand together, speak out and do everything in our power to ensure that acts of racism and violence are never tolerated," said Disney chief Bob Chapek in a statement. "This $5 million pledge will continue to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations such as the NAACP that have worked tirelessly to ensure equality and justice."</p><p>In a statement, the company pointed to its previous social justice initiatives, including providing "millions of dollars in grants to help students from underrepresented groups make the dream of higher education a reality, including $2.5 million to the United Negro College Fund." Disney also noted that it matches employee donations to "eligible organizations" and that on Tuesday it re-aired two "monumental and timely episodes" of <em>Black-ish </em>on its ABC television networks before a primetime special titled "America in Pain: What Comes Next?" </p><p>In its quarterly earnings released last month, Disney reported nearly $40 billion in revenue in the six months to March 28, 2020. Net income over the same period was down 68% from the year prior, however, as most of the company's business units have been battered by the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p><em>— Sam Blake</em></p>Blck VC group launches 'We Won't Wait' campaign
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2OTYzNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTg1NjgyOX0.Slh0ELzeW9DWblh2PyPxbOBhprxqdU6UhlN8slDMBOY/image.jpg?width=2000&coordinates=0%2C57%2C0%2C42&height=1500" id="97bd1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="267038b66b1b79bab468b27e79b053c4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Venture capital has fueled billions of dollars in wealth but it has largely excluded black Americans. Only 1% of venture-funded startup founders are black and more than 80% of venture firms don't have a single black investor.</p><p>Blck VC, a group of young black investors and entrepreneurs are calling on the venture capitalist community to diversify their ranks and support the black community. Declaring Thursday, June 4th, a day of action, the group launched a campaign called "We Won't Wait." <a href="https://dot.la/blck-vc-2646151711.html" target="_blank">Read more >></a></p><p><em>— Rachel Uranga</em></p>a16z VC firm launches fund to target diverse founders
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM2OTQ0MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDkwMzg3MH0.dhLyHYGgwtjLRdt65OFroB4fgSdsiZTeTSSEG88d7Mw/image.png?width=980" id="a1f14" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7a1c9842c8f468c18e05cdfc2be667a5" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Ben and Felicia Horowitz will match up to an additional $5,000,000 total in any other donations.
<p>One of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capital firms <a href="https://a16z.com/2020/06/03/talent-x-opportunity/" target="_blank">announced Wednesday</a> it is launching a new fund designed for entrepreneurs who have the talent, drive and ideas to build great businesses, but lack the background and resources to do so.</p><p>In a blog post, the firm says it has been working on the fund for six months. However, the timing of the news this week is fortunate for an industry with a <a href="https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/vc-firms-have-a-diversity-problem-do-they-care" target="_blank">serious diversity problem. </a><span></span></p><p>a16z plans to fund a small group of founders in the first year, then expand after that. The initial capital will come from $2.2 million in donations from partners. Ben and Felicia Horowitz will match up to an additional $5 from other donations as well. The firm will invest in exchange for equity in the business, but all returns will stay in the fund to finance future entrepreneurs, which aims to back products from underserved communities that also have an "interesting model, niche market, and/or a little traction to indicate the promise and potential."</p><p>"We're venture capitalists, not activists," the firm said in its post. "Entrepreneurship hasn't been accessible to everyone, but the fact remains that being an entrepreneur is one of the most powerful ways to own your own future, to increase mobility across time and place, to invent new ways of doing things, and to forge a new system. As we emerge from this tragic moment, let's build.</p><p><em>dot.LA co-founder and executive chairman Spencer Rascoff is a board partner at a16z.</em></p><p><em><span></span>— Ben Bergman </em></p>Snap removes Trump's account from its Discover feature
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjY0ODQzMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzYwNjI2NX0.iAteI6t1-vdRIqymUzeX5uJwPuIsRS9rqxTPuXASQBo/img.jpg?width=980" id="01215" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f65582f8f474f612c8af0ff7acd0cc3f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Sam Blake<p>Snap has decided to no longer feature President Donald Trump's account on its Discover platform, where users can watch curated videos. </p><p>The Santa Monica-based company issued a statement Wednesday:</p><p>"We are not currently promoting the President's content on Snapchat's Discover platform. We will not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice by giving them free promotion on Discover. Racial violence and injustice have no place in our society and we stand together with all who seek peace, love, equality, and justice in America."</p><p>A Snap spokesperson said the company made the decision over the weekend. On Sunday, Snap CEO Even Spiegel wrote to his employees, condemning racial injustice. <a href="https://dot.la/trump-snapchat-2646151172.html" target="_blank">Read more >></a></p><p><em>— Sam Blake</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Here are the latest headlines regarding how the novel coronavirus is impacting the Los Angeles startup and tech communities. Sign up for our newsletter and follow dot.LA on Twitter for the latest updates.
- With internships cancelled, Valence tries to fill the void for young black professionals
- Florida is poised to open Disney World and SeaWorld. Will California be far behind?
- Snap and LAUSD promotes reading during COVID, with an assist from celebs like Alicia Keys
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With internships cancelled, Valence tries to fill the void for young black professionals
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzMyNTkwMi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNTczNTE4M30.YVDJESMmCRibfFoEY82y4HiQci38rzJH1RKsJGlw_aE/image.png?width=980" id="7f574" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f541a00e8d17de6d806235c23444c2f4" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Across the country aspiring young students have had their summer internships cancelled because of the pandemic, crushing dreams and muddying professional paths. It's been especially hard for communities of color, where some are the first in the family to go to college or where internships provide an entrance into a professional world.</p><p>Valence Enterprises Inc., a Santa Monica-based company that's developed a sort of LinkedIn for black professionals, is trying to offset the pain calling on their network of leaders and professionals to provide career advice. Their network of 7,000 individuals can talk on everything from Hollywood to venture capital to marketing. Indeed, the legion of young professionals seeking it will need that hand as they enter a world forever changed by the pandemic.</p><p>Many are already facing devastating family loss - as the coronavirus kills African Americans at three times that of white families. And job loss is concentrated in low-wage sectors where black and Latino workers are seeing high unemployment. </p><p>The very wealth gap that Valence seeks to lessen is only <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/pandemics-poor-rich-economics-coronavirus-covid19/" target="_blank">expected to widen after the pandemic</a>. </p><p>Dubbing their efforts the "Boost Challenge," Valence is asking their network of more than 7,000 professionals to provide 30 minute one-on-one coaching sessions. "This is a chance to be coached by some really inspiring people that you otherwise wouldn't have direct access to," said Emily Slade, co-founder of Valence.</p><p>So far, they have gotten a buy in from the former chief marketing officer of Beats By Dre, and founder of Opus, Omar Johnson, to offer branding advice; Olympic medalist Michael Johnson will give partnership and sponsorship advice; and Boris Kodjoe, who founded the Full Circle Festival and is an actor and model, will offer his thoughts on the entertainment industry. Other participants include the chief marketing officer of Snap, Kenny Michell; Maisha C. Leek, a partner at Human Ventures; Derek Ali, a Grammy Award-winning mixing engineer; and Caroline Wang, chief culture, diversity and inclusion officer at Target Corp.</p><p>"As a tech platform and professional network focused on connecting the Black community with mentorship, job opportunities and capital,<a href="http://www.valence.community/" target="_blank"> Valence</a> is in a unique position to provide some support," said Kobie Fuller, the co-founder and a general partner at Upfront Ventures. Valence has previously partnered with historically black colleges and universities, where students are reeling from the impacts of the pandemic.</p><p>An online survey by HBCUvc found among students at historically black colleges 62% lost their job due to COVID-19. The sample survey of 137 students by the nonprofit aimed at increasing opportunity in venture capital and technology also showed that among those 75% held a job while at school. </p>Florida is poised to open Disney World and SeaWorld. Will California be far behind?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI4ODI2OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDkzNDcyNH0.-nX2hvzltOpH8ieuOf_ohBoNJM-JbXhshLlK4D1FW8M/img.jpg?width=980" id="d0ee6" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="79ab04e2418b271f2628e2786013b354" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Walt Disney World wants to reopen in weeks after the Orlando amusement park was shuttered as the pandemic spread, and the company's multi-tiered proposal might be a blueprint to how the Magic Kingdom will open the front gates of its Anaheim park. Other Florida parks are also unveiling proposals to do the same, which must be approved by Gov. Ron DeSantis. </p><p>Disney plans a tiered reopening, with Disney World and Animal Kingdom opening on July 11, then Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15.SeaWorld wants to open on June 11. And Universal Orlando presented its plan to reopen on June 5. That plan also has been approved by the Orlando task force, which sent its recommendation to the governor. "We are developing a series of 'know before you go' communication vehicles and our objective is to reinforce our health and safety messages to guests before they arrive on our property so they are aware and prepared for the new environment," Disney's senior vice president of operations, Jim McPhee, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-05-27/walt-disney-world-park-reopening" target="_blank">told the task force.</a></p><p>Will the same re-opening plan soon be unveiled for California's version of the theme parks? <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-27/silicon-valley-health-officer-slams-faster-pace-of-california-coronavirus-reopening" target="_blank">The Los Angeles Times reported</a> that a key architect of the nation's first coronavirus shelter-in-place order is criticizing the state's <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-26/los-angeles-county-reopens-with-new-state-guidelines-while-city-allows-in-store-shopping" target="_blank">increasingly fast pace</a> of lifting stay-at-home restrictions. Dr. Sara Cody, health officer for Santa Clara County — home to Silicon Valley and Northern California's most populous county — said she was concerned by the decision to allow gatherings of up to 100 people for <a href="https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/guidance-places-of-worship.pdf" target="_blank">religious</a>, political and cultural reasons.</p>Snap and LAUSD promotes reading during COVID, with an assist from celebs like Alicia Keys
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjY1NzUwMC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5OTAxNDQ3N30.Ff-fzCnRnQLbhIXn1cyzX0YwGUwp8YwNWrif-9njEE4/img.jpg?width=980" id="34bce" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8bec468dda80a988ea00bd5388f3aa67" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />c1.staticflickr.com<p>Snapchat and L.A. Unified School District are partnering to keep high school students reading books while the coronavirus pandemic keeps them from the classroom. On Wednesday, Snap launched a new original series titled <em>The A-List Book Club </em>on its Discover platform, which houses Snap-curated content for its young-skewing audience. The new series will showcase celebrities discussing a favorite book and what it means to them. </p><p>Participating celebrities, who will shoot the footage themselves, include Russell Westbrook, Alicia Keys, and Kendall Jenner. At the end of each episode, LAUSD students can swipe up to be directed to L.A. Unified's website, where they can enter their student credentials to receive a free digital copy of the book. Book donations are supported by L.A. Students Most In Need, a charity created to support students during this challenging time. </p><p>The series will also air on LAUSD's YouTube channel, as well as on Snapchat nationwide, but without the swipe up option. "Education creates opportunity, and we are excited to support public education and help create new ways to engage students in learning outside the structure of a classroom," said Evan Spiegel, Snap's co-founder and CEO. "We are inspired by working together with Los Angeles Unified to create resources for students to help them build the foundation for future success."</p>
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