
Get in the KNOW
on LA Startups & Tech
XHow the TikTok Ban Could Impact LA Employees
Kristin Snyder is dot.LA's 2022/23 Editorial Fellow. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.

From mass layoffs to the rocky economic climate, tech workers have had a rough few months. TikTok hasn’t been immune to these issues. In July, the company laid off about 100 employees across the globe, and then cut at least 20 advertising employees one month later. In January, TikTok cut a handful of people from its HR department over the team’s “limited practical value” to the company.
But TikTok also faces a problem different from any of its competitors—the US government is assessing whether or not its platform should be banned from the country. Leaving TikTok’s current 32,000 headcount in jeopardy of mass layoffs.
Though the company’s Chinese ownership is at the root of its political dispute, TikTok’s US headquarters are in Culver City. First opened in January 2020 with 400 employees, the location brought employees back to the office twice a week in July 2022. TikTok has not released information about how many employees work out of LA, but its Mountain View office houses roughly 1,000 employees. LinkedIn lists around 1,000 LA-based employees, but that number is slightly muddled by influencers listing TikTok as their employer. Offices in New York City, Austin and Nashville round out its US footprint.
Of course, TikTok could still be bought out by another company. But it's unclear what company would pay TikTok’s fee, which ranges from $40 billion to $100 billion. Experts have noted that major tech companies like Google and Meta already run their own social media platforms, so buying a competitor would open them up to antitrust scrutiny.
Others point to Microsoft and Oracle as potential buyers. But bothcompanies have undergone recent layoffs this year, which brings into question how many TikTok employees would be kept aboard. Microsoft has also funneled $10 billion into OpenAI, which means the company might not be interested in diverting funds to a social media platform. Whoever the new owner is, the company could potentially scrap TikTok’s Culver City office, leaving a gaping hole in LA’s tech scene.
Still, any TikTok employee who survives a potential sale may benefit from a change in ownership. Even before the company was under political fire, TikTok faced scrutiny for cultural differences between its Chinese owner and its US offices. Last year, multipleemployees across the country spoke out about being pressured to adhere to China’s “996 policy,” which has employees work 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. Its content moderates have revealed taxing work environments that exposed them to graphic content. And even high-level executives have struggled as TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, maintained decision-making authority.
If Congress does vote to ban TikTok, that could leave thousands of employees across the country in search of new jobs. And it couldn’t come at a more difficult time. Meta, Snapchat and Twitch, among other social media companies, have all had mass layoffs in the past few months. Which means there’s already a pool of unemployed tech workers in search of work, a number of whom have decidedly turned to other fields.
It’s unclear what the long-term timeline of the TikTok ban looks like and when the government’s ultimate decision will hit employees. But LA’s tech scene might need to brace itself for a mass wave of employees seeking a new home. And this time, they won’t have TikTok to document their employment woes.
- Tech Layoffs Continue and Influencers Are Being Blamed ›
- Chinese Spy Balloon Reminds Every Politician To Talk A Lot More About Banning TikTok ›
- As TikTok Faces a Ban, Competitors Prepare to Woo Its User Base ›
- TikTok Users Are Finally Talking About the Ban ›
Kristin Snyder is dot.LA's 2022/23 Editorial Fellow. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.
Subscribe to our newsletter to catch every headline.
L.A. Tech Week has brought venture capitalists, founders and entrepreneurs from around the world to the California coast. With so many tech nerds in one place, it's easy to laugh, joke and reminisce about the future of tech in SoCal.
Here's what people are saying about L.A. Tech Week on social:
Shots from last night at the @useintro x @a16z dinner to jumpstart LA Tech Week (hosted by me and @andrewchen) pic.twitter.com/86Va3KmCJ8
— Raad (@Raadmobrem) June 5, 2023
First #LATechWeek event @Techweek_ - @jpmorgan event
I learned about 8 new LA startups in just a few minutes. So much going on here!#LongLA
(Subscribe to the @dotLA newsletter to learn about LA tech!) pic.twitter.com/GQdAjmQse7
— Spencer Rascoff (@spencerrascoff) June 5, 2023
Who’s at LA Tech Week?! pic.twitter.com/m5rCugANRL
— Andrew Yeung (@andruyeung) June 5, 2023
Shoutout to VTAGZ’s CEO @bvatere for speaking at #LATechWeek and discussing the future of digital mar-tech. 20 years in the LA tech scene & still going strong 💪 https://t.co/7U8dnLDOwK
— VTAGZ (@vtagzlocker) June 5, 2023
Starting off #LATechWeek strong with a beach workout at the gorgeous Venice Beach with hosts @banklessvc and @benlakoff. ☀️🏋️ pic.twitter.com/iA9QESOWgq
— Tech Week (@Techweek_) June 5, 2023
Not messing around with #latechweek@trustfundvcpic.twitter.com/JsVnMF2aDg
— Sophia Amoruso (@sophiaamoruso) June 3, 2023
Spent an hour hacking w/ Saba, Shai, Zach, Ed. They shipped https://t.co/D1lONbMean
This will be a lot fun + winner gets a meeting with @draper_u
Sign up ⬇️ #LATechWeekhttps://t.co/mz5jfKIGuQ
— Suffiyan Malik (@suffiyanmalikk) June 5, 2023
Comparing #LATechWeek schedules feels like the week before high school starts and you see if you and your besties have any of the same classes
— Lili Montes (@lili_montes_) June 4, 2023
Kicking off #LATechWeek@SpringPlace@JeromeFogelLA#CiarraPardo@RealMatthewLowe#web3#blockchain#AI#sports#healthcare#innovation#data#security@rihanna@fentybeauty@SavageXFenty#FONpic.twitter.com/SQFQjRWWIp
— Apothēka Systems Inc. (@ApothekaInc) June 5, 2023
Welcome to #LATechWeek.
I hope you brought a warm jacket. pic.twitter.com/67ctZZ5tN8
— Ben Bergman (@thebenbergman) June 5, 2023
Continuing today's #LATechWeek with a breakfast meet alongside #JPMorgan bankers, founders, and investors.
Valuable discussions on the evolving #InnovationEconomy and banking trends. Connecting within the dynamic tech ecosystem! @Techweek_pic.twitter.com/pFbJfvkRlm
— Lucas Sojka (@USojka) June 5, 2023
Super excited to attend @mucker labs session at #latechweek on product led growth.
Thanks K& L Gates pic.twitter.com/8txgevwUAi
— CarDana (@CarDanaCo) June 5, 2023
Kicking off #LATechWeek by covering Technology & Storytelling for Social Good Panel for @dotLA with representatives from @GoldhirshFdn@9dotscommunity@laincubator@creative_acts@sabraarbas@StrikeDebtpic.twitter.com/1yvNVyHHEe
— Decerry Donato (@DecerryDonato) June 5, 2023
- SUPERCHARGE LA: Access to Capital & Cocktails #TechWeek ›
- Here's What to Expect at LA Tech Week 2023 ›
- Tech Week Will Return to Los Angeles This June ›
LA-Based Apex Is Tapping Into the Small Satellite Market by Making Buses for Spacecraft
Spencer Rascoff serves as executive chairman of dot.LA. He is an entrepreneur and company leader who co-founded Zillow, Hotwire, dot.LA, Pacaso and Supernova, and who served as Zillow's CEO for a decade. During Spencer's time as CEO, Zillow won dozens of "best places to work" awards as it grew to over 4,500 employees, $3 billion in revenue, and $10 billion in market capitalization. Prior to Zillow, Spencer co-founded and was VP Corporate Development of Hotwire, which was sold to Expedia for $685 million in 2003. Through his startup studio and venture capital firm, 75 & Sunny, Spencer is an active angel investor in over 100 companies and is incubating several more.
On this episode of Office Hours, Apex founder and CEO Ian Cinnamon discusses the importance of investing in space exploration and shares his thoughts on the evolving space ecosystem in Los Angeles.
Apex is a space manufacturing company that offers productized configurable satellite buses with a focus on meeting the needs of the rapidly expanding space industry.
Founded in 2022, Cinnamon strategically chose Los Angeles as home base because he is a firm believer that the city is “the aerospace capital of the world.”
“It really comes down to the caliber of the talent and the companies that have been established in this area,” he said. “Strategically, we're very close to Vandenberg Air Force Base where we have a launch facility. So driving distance to a great strategic launch facility means that years and years ago, a lot of these defense companies opened up shop in the L.A. area to be able to serve those needs.”
In the past, companies would use single- use rockets, but the surge of space startups in the area building reusable rockets has helped drive down the cost of launches.
While there has been some pushback on space exploration, Cinnamon believes that the work he and his fellow colleagues have done is significant in pushing the boundaries of what we currently know.
“All of the satellites that our buses enable and other satellite buses enable us to better map and understand climate change,” he explained. “If we can't measure it, we can't fix it because we don't know if what we're doing is actually working. But if we had never invested beyond the Moon Program decades ago, and we just had no space as a matter of focus on Earth, we wouldn't have the ability to measure our ozone layer or understand the changing climate.”
Prior to his work with Apex, Cinnamon founded Synapse which built AI systems for security and the defense industry.. It was through this experience he learned how to work with the data from different satellites of various space companies.
“In all of my conversations with these different companies that were launching their payloads into space, they would complain constantly about the satellite bus,” Cinnamon said. “They would say we're able to manufacture our payloads really quickly, we're able to sell the data. But the biggest bottleneck for us is the bus is delayed, the bus didn't work.”
As Cinnamon encountered such frequent complaints, he turned to his friend Maximilian Benassi to find a solution. That solution is Apex.
In addition to the bottlenecks the space industry was facing, Cinnamon said he also built Apex to coincide with humanity’s natural ascent into space.
“In order for that camera, or that sensor or that human life support module, we call those payloads, to actually function in space, you attach it to what's called the satellite bus,” Cinnamon said. “Think about what you'd imagine a satellite to look like, you'd probably think of this metal structure, the solar panels, maybe some sort of engine, all of that is actually the bus, not the rest of the satellite like the payload…At Apex, we manufacture the bus, which is the core component of that satellite that lets the payload actually survive and thrive in space.”
In the past, NASA was the biggest driving force behind space innovation, but in the last few years that has shifted to the private sector because of companies like SpaceX making its mark on the industry. The reason for this change is in part because NASA started to outsource some of their projects.
“More of these private companies have raised their hand and said, ‘Hey, NASA needs this done,’” he said. “NASA needs a new rover for the moon. NASA needs this instead of going to the traditional defense industrial base, or your typical primes.They now have more competition. These new companies are raising their hand saying ‘we'll go do that’ and this is really all pioneered by SpaceX coming online and saying, ‘Hey, instead of it being the same traditional players building the rockets, what if a commercial company came about and did that?’”
dot.LA Reporter Decerry Donato contributed to this post.
Want to hear more episodes? Subscribe to Office Hours on Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.
Spencer Rascoff serves as executive chairman of dot.LA. He is an entrepreneur and company leader who co-founded Zillow, Hotwire, dot.LA, Pacaso and Supernova, and who served as Zillow's CEO for a decade. During Spencer's time as CEO, Zillow won dozens of "best places to work" awards as it grew to over 4,500 employees, $3 billion in revenue, and $10 billion in market capitalization. Prior to Zillow, Spencer co-founded and was VP Corporate Development of Hotwire, which was sold to Expedia for $685 million in 2003. Through his startup studio and venture capital firm, 75 & Sunny, Spencer is an active angel investor in over 100 companies and is incubating several more.
This Week in ‘Raises’: Measurabl Snags $93M, Selva Ventures Grabs $34M
Decerry Donato is a reporter at dot.LA. Prior to that, she was an editorial fellow at the company. Decerry received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. She continues to write stories to inform the community about issues or events that take place in the L.A. area. On the weekends, she can be found hiking in the Angeles National forest or sifting through racks at your local thrift store.
A local data management platform company lands fresh funding to help commercial real estate owners reduce carbon footprint, while one Los Angeles-based venture firm closes its second fund to accelerate the growth of emerging companies across health, wellness, beauty and personal care.
***
Venture Capital
Measurabl, a San Diego-based data management platform raised $93 million in its fourth round of funding co-led by Energy Impact Partners and Sway Ventures.
El Segundo-based developer of hyperspectral earth-imaging technology Pixxel raised $36 million in a Series B funding round from new investors such as Google, along with existing investors Radical Ventures, Lightspeed, Blume Ventures, growx, Sparta and Athera.
Galvanick, a Los Angeles-based cybersecurity platform, raised a $10 million seed funding round. Major investors included MaC Venture Capital, Founders Fund, Countdown Capital and Hanover Technology Investment Management among others.
Chamberlain Coffee, a Los Angeles-based coffee company founded by YouTube star Emma Chamberlain, raised $7 million in funding led by existing investors including Blazar Capital and United Talent Agency.
Dropstat, a Los Angeles-based health care platform closed a $5.5M seed funding round led by Panoramic Ventures.
Per an SEC filing, San Diego-based real estate platform Urbanum, Inc. raised $1.7 million in funding.
Funds
Selva Ventures, a Los Angeles-based venture firm closed its second fund of $34 million backed by Unilever Ventures, PagsGroup and Obelysk.
Miscellaneous
Los Angeles-based (EV) fast-charging network operator EVCS has been awarded $1.9 million from the California Energy Commission (CEC) Rural Electric Vehicle (REV) program to support the installation of 30 DC fast chargers and 8 Level 2 chargers in Northern and Central California.
Raises is dot.LA’s weekly feature highlighting venture capital funding news across Southern California’s tech and startup ecosystem. Please send fundraising news to Decerry Donato (decerrydonato@dot.la).- Jadu Raises $36M To Build An Augmented Reality Web3 Gaming Platform ›
- This Week in ‘Raises’: Zest AI Snags $50M, Kingswood Capital Collects $500M ›
- ‘Raises’: LinearB Lands $50M, Magnify Ventures Launches $52M Fund ›
Decerry Donato is a reporter at dot.LA. Prior to that, she was an editorial fellow at the company. Decerry received her bachelor's degree in literary journalism from the University of California, Irvine. She continues to write stories to inform the community about issues or events that take place in the L.A. area. On the weekends, she can be found hiking in the Angeles National forest or sifting through racks at your local thrift store.