Elon Musk is back in the news cycle, but this time it wasn't because of his tweets.
Tulsa has transformed its iconic 75-foot-tall Golden Driller statue into a likeness of the billionaire entrepreneur in an almost superhero-style pose with the Tesla emblem emblazoned across his chest. The city gave the statue, built in the 1960s as a tribute to the oil industry, a makeover to entice Musk to build a new factory in the Oklahoma metropolis.
<p>Musk is reportedly considering both Tulsa and Austin as locations to build the upcoming "Cybertruck" utility vehicle. The factory could produce as many as 10,000 jobs, and become the largest employer in Tulsa, <a href="https://www.tulsaworld.com/business/tulsa-vs-austin-to-get-tesla-a-look-at-the-stats/collection_7b34607a-cab1-566c-b490-9628452a3d4a.html#1" target="_blank">reported</a> the <em>Tulsa World</em>. And, given that Musk is a frequent user of Twitter, the city's politicians have taken to social media to call attention to the statue as a way to entice Musk into building a plant there.</p>
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<p><br/></p><p>No word on if Musk has seen the publicity campaign.</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.
- Now Trump weighs in on Elon Musk's defiant move to open a Tesla plant early
- Los Angeles may extend shelter-in-place directives until August, says county health official
- UpKeep raises $36 million Series B as maintenance services startup in demand amid COVID
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UpKeep raises $36 million Series B as maintenance services startup in demand amid COVID
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI3MzY0OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNzY2MDM1MX0.QEuZGTPO-hQeDjY0DE8YJ2Kej7fFdACnErWzvCpLvOw/image.jpg?width=980" id="8d2c5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8c29b58d478d9ef13655e213ffae8a90" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Ryan Chan, UpKeep founder and CEO, says the pandemic has only made UpKeep more attractive as companies put a greater emphasis on cleaning and maintenance.
<p><a href="https://www.onupkeep.com/" target="_blank">UpKeep</a>, a mobile platform that helps companies streamline maintenance requests, announced Tuesday it has raised $36 million in Series B funding. Though it is a difficult time for many companies to fundraise, Ryan Chan, UpKeep founder and CEO, says the pandemic has only made UpKeep more attractive as companies put a greater emphasis on cleaning and maintenance. "I feel fortunate that we are in a space that is growing because of this," Chan told dot.LA. "We were able to raise at very favorable terms, but for a lot of companies it's very difficult to raise right now."</p><p>Chan certainly does not want to be seen as gloating. "We got lucky, but through no fault of our own," he added. Though UpKeep is a Los Angeles company, it turned to New York-based Insight Capital to lead the round. Existing investors Emergence Capital, Battery Ventures, Y Combinator, Mucker Capital, and Fundersclub also participated.</p><p>"COVID-19 is bringing the importance of maintenance into the spotlight, underscoring UpKeep's mission," Deven Parekh, Managing Director at Insight Partners, said in a statement. Upkeep says it saw 206% revenue growth last year and has signed with notable brands including Unilever, Siemens, DHL, Thermo Fisher Scientific, McDonald's and Jet.com.</p>Los Angeles may extend shelter-in-place directives until August, says county health official
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI3MzYzOS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTE2MDQ3OH0.8SsIb7kUNYHLhSGzsxUiRBMEQd75L0Gnl8bsMRbBJSs/image.png?width=980" id="0fa20" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b03901f7608a01aea8d5d0f02c3d6392" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /> <p>Los Angeles County may extend stay-at-home orders for the next three months, ending sometime in August, according to Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer during a Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday. California began loosening stay-at-home rules last week, reopening trails and providing retailers with the ability to sell merchandise through curbside services.</p><p>But Ferrer warned Tuesday that further loosening of the rules will be slow. And that would only change if there was a "dramatic change to the virus and tools at hand." "Our hope is that by using the data, we'd be able to slowly lift restrictions over the next three months," she said, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-12/coronavirus-beaches-reopen-los-angeles-county-move-toward-new-normal?fbclid=IwAR2Z97ITma_M1wvWtL-Ia-IV_3kP7lvjsxnTaEV3VQKukeM_0Z_1tGtAU-U" target="_blank">according to the L.A. Times.</a> But without widely available therapeutic testing for the coronavirus or rapid at-home tests that would allow people to test themselves daily, it seems unlikely that restrictions would be completely eased.</p>Now Trump weighs in on Elon Musk's defiant move to open a Tesla plant early
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://dot.la/media-library/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI3MzMyNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxOTAxOTQ4OX0.KNXEiNukPzNReeVRUf3Ntd-lhTsix_CuVd33Qy4W6gM/image.jpg?width=980" id="b2b27" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="79f2d38d535393cc507416f82c953e35" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /> <p>This won't come as a surprise: President Trump joined in on the Twitter debate about Elon Musk reopening his Tesla Inc. plant in Fremont, Calif. "California should let Tesla & @elonmusk open the plant, NOW," <a href="http://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/statuses/1260203080076931072" target="_blank">Trump wrote in a tweet Tuesday</a>. "It can be done Fast & Safely!" Musk tweeted on Monday that Tesla would ramp up production at its only U.S. car plant, and risked being arrested after county officials ordered the company to stay closed. The billionaire entrepreneur has slammed California's strict reopening plan, saying his company has a right to manufacture cars and make money.</p><p>Musk wrote in an email to employees, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-12/musk-sends-staff-a-thank-you-note-after-threat-to-uproot-tesla?utm_source=google&utm_medium=bd&cmpId=google" target="_blank">in documents reviewed by Bloomberg News</a>: "Just wanted to send you a note of appreciation for working hard to make Tesla successful. It is so cool seeing the factory come back to life and you are making it happen!!" Over the weekend, Musk stated he would move Tesla and his rocket company SpaceX out of the state unless restrictions were lifted, prompting one California lawmaker to <a href="https://dot.la/coronavirus-updates-treasury-secretary-steven-mnuchin-backs-elon-musks-pledge-to-leave-cali-2645970832.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1" target="_blank">tweet "F*ck Elon Musk."</a></p>From Your Site Articles
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Coronavirus Updates: SoCal Tech Joins Forces for Hospitals; Elon Musk's Threat to Leave California
May 11 2020
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.
Today:
- Elon Musk's tweet storm catches the attention of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
- How L.A. Startups Are Collaborating to Get Aid To Local Hospitals
How L.A. Startups Are Collaborating to Get Aid To Local Hospitals
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzI3MTc2Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5MzkwMDgxM30.xuJ0F01j0xJjQ7WLWVGH1Ogcr9LcWOwEmenjbRk5e7E/img.jpg?width=980" id="59c6c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="373a40394814dfa21f1838aef420c7ca" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Rachel Uranga<p>Jiake Liu is the founder of a startup outdoor furniture company, but lately he feels like he's running a second company <em>— </em>one that's helping supply local hospitals with thousands of protective masks and, in the process, rallying Los Angeles' tech community. </p><p>Liu started <a href="https://www.socaltechforsocalhospitals.org/" target="_blank">SoCal Tech for Hospitals</a> in early March with the goal of raising $60,000 to purchase 30,000 masks for hospitals facing shortages. He's now helped raise nearly $200,000, delivered 50,000 hospital-grade masks and is looking to up the ante with the region's vast tech community to do good beyond the pandemic. </p><p>Over the past months, he's enrolled some of the most well-known startups in town to pitch in for the logistical effort of distributing the masks. After the workday ends, Liu jumps on the phone with other founders to orchestrate the effort. </p><p><a href="https://dot.la/socal-tech-for-hospitals-2645974601.html" target="_blank">Read more >></a></p>Elon Musk's tweet storm catches the attention of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjg2OTcwMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5NTk0MzkzN30.lgFR78Cs9eONl_qR0Rw1jnlZQEw4JaPkoWo6_e85KgA/img.jpg?width=980" id="c608c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7396d1177da4b7de86270bffcf075133" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />upload.wikimedia.org<p>Elon Musk's Twitter rant over the weekend that he wants to move Tesla and SpaceX out of California so he can resume production prompted some notable responses. </p><p>California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D) responded to the post by <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/497030-california-lawmaker-tweets-f-elon-musk-after-threat-to-leave-state" target="_blank">tweeting</a> "F*ck Elon Musk." And on Monday morning, the billionaire entrepreneur got some support from Washington. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/11/steven-mnuchin-says-he-agrees-with-elon-musk-in-tesla-production-dispute.html" target="_blank">told CNBC</a> that he agrees with Musk, calling him "one of the biggest employers and manufacturers in California, and California should prioritize doing whatever they need to do to solve health issues so that he can open quickly and safely."</p><p>Musk has been a vocal critic of lockdown measures in California, which he has called "de facto house arrest." He threatened to move his companies to Nevada or Texas on Saturday after an Alameda County Health officer said she wants Tesla's Freemont factory to remain closed for the time being as the state slowly reopens manufacturing sites. The tweet storm came just a few days after Musk vowed to sell all of his homes and most of his belongings in an effort to obtain what he called "freedom."</p>From Your Site Articles
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