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Articles by Patrick Hechinger
14 Cyber Security Companies In Los Angeles To Know
Whether you're at home or in the office, cyber attacks are always a threat. And in an online world, it's tough to find software that will protect you from every angle. Top Cybersecurity Companies in LA GoGuardian TeleSign TigerConnect Gem Signal Sciences CUJO Cylance Zenedge We put together a list of 14 LA-based tech companies that have your cybersecurity in mind: GoGuardian Students are more engaged online than any other demographic and GoGuardian is making sure they're protected.
New startup report shows half of SoCal startups are hiring for tech talent
Silicon Valley Bank released their Startup Outlook this week and despite a cautious market outlook, the report shows that more than half of Southern California startups are still expecting to have a better year in 2015. Now in its seventh year, the report is based on an annual survey of technology and healthcare startups that gauges their perceptions on business conditions, fundraising, hiring and public policy issues.
Tech survey finds high growth in 2014, optimism continues in 2015
What better way to understand the future of the tech industry than by asking the men and women who built it? Findings show the business landscape has continued to trend upward since 2008, despite executives' optimism plateauing due to stabilizing market conditions. Their findings for 2014 showed 76 percent of companies beat their revenue targets and 98 percent maintained or expanded their workforce.
Title III is approved: What that means for your startup | Built In LA
In a society where crowdfunding is now the norm, it seemed counterintuitive to have citizens’ investment opportunities governed by a Depression-era restriction. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved Title III of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act today, allowing non-accredited investors the opportunity to participate in equity crowdfunding. But what does that mean for the startup ecosystem?
5 NYC media companies shaping the future of B2C marketing | Built In New York
We live in a consumer society, but there's perhaps nothing we consume more than media. With so much content available to the average internet user, companies are clamoring for new ways to effectively market their offerings on every device. A new wave of NYC startups is making that happen. Here are five media marketing companies you should know: Boasting a client list of well-known travel brands, Intent Media has turned a unique media specialty into a prosperous niche market.
Your new career is here: 8 Chicago tech companies hiring this month
If you’re looking for an opportunity to can kick your career into overdrive, you’ve come to the right place. These Chicago tech companies are hiring in a big way, and they’d love to have a look at your resume. What they do: Groupon’s on-demand marketplace connects consumers with local merchants offering deals on products and experiences. To do so efficiently, the company’s engineers stay on the cutting edge of mobile technologies, data science and machine learning.
Tech roundup: Outcome Health's historic funding round, Cars.com goes public and more
Bootstrapped since 2006, Outcome Health just became one of the best-funded companies in our tech ecosystem’s history. The company, which helps patients get better by providing actionable health information at the point of care, announced on Wednesday that it has raised its first round of funding ever at a valuation of more than $5 billion pre-money.
50 influential people in LA tech you should follow on Twitter
Twitter can be a super useful tool, giving us access to news, global perspectives and thought leadership from the world's most notable individuals. But it's also a great way to make friends and build community. You can meet like-minded people, learn about what companies are up to and even discover events, right from the comfort of your own screen. Every year, we share a list of 50 people from LA's tech and startup community we think are worth following.
5 LA-based companies keeping pets (and their humans) happy
Los Angeles, with its widely available parks, hiking trails and beaches, is a majestic place to have a pet. Whether it's the pet strollers of Santa Monica, the surfing dogs of Huntington Beach or the hikers off of Mulholland Drive, LA's pet community is as diverse as their owners. With Silicon Beach taking shape, LA's pet tech community is evolving to serve pets of all shapes and sizes...and their humans.
From social media managers to senior developers, here's what tech employees in LA actually make
Here at Built In Los Angeles, we want to help startups find amazing talent — and we want talented developers, designers, marketers and product managers to find the perfect job, too. Picking a job isn't all about the money — but, let's be real, it's still sort of about the money. It'd be silly to think anyone works simply for the hell of it.
This West LA 8-year-old is launching his own startup
Max, an 8-year-old from West LA has taken an early step toward becoming an entrepreneur. He and his mother, Jacki, have created a new subscription box startup called The Top Secret Science Club. The monthly box is curated by the mother-son duo and leads its customers through a story to learn more about science and history. Each box includes a book, a science mission to solve, and three to five hands-on science experiments. And for every box purchased, another box is sent to a less fortunate child.
Unicorn race! How long it took LA's tech unicorns to reach their mythical status
Los Angeles and Orange County have the perfect climate for unicorns. But who was the fastest? Jockied by now legendary founders like Elon Musk and Evan Spiegel, these seven unicorns all strode across the finish line at different times in the last 15 years. There are a few LA startups that have made the final turn (we're looking at you and ) but as of today, here are the one's that have reached the $1 billion valuation: 16 years: Razer was founded in 2005 and reached $1 billion in October 2014.
3 serial LA entrepreneurs talk LA tech, pitching to investors and more
Many people dream of starting their own businesses, but few ever do. Even fewer have the distinction of launching multiple companies. In this segment, we speak with Los Angeles’ own serial entrepreneurs to learn the secrets of their success, their tips for prospective founders, and what makes Los Angeles a great place to start a business. Do you have any special methodology for generating business ideas?
Caltech grads who founded LA tech startups
Los Angeles universities are renowned for producing top-tier tech talent and entrepreneurs. Amongst the wide-selection of institutions, The California Institute of Technology has produced graduates who have made early and sustaining contributions to LA tech. Here are 11 Caltech alumni that have left their mark: Editor's note: This list is exclusively comprised of alumni who founded local digital tech companies in Los Angeles.
21 startups representing LA tech at SXSW
Everyone loves March. Some bask in the onset of spring, others revel in March Madness, and those in the tech community know only one thing: SXSW Interactive. The festival returns this week for its 23nd year, where the greatest minds in the tech and digital space gather for a week of sharing ideas. Many are headed down to Texas to represent LA tech. Some are up for awards, others are there to demo their companies and still others are just there to drink and get weird.
This LA startup has crafted the perfect perk for your Millennial employees
The best perks are the kind that can be universally enjoyed. And as the number of young people suffering from student debt grows, it makes sense companies would find a way to help alleviate that stress. “We had this great piece of tech that is consumer proven to help people increase their payments four to eight percent every month,” McQueen said. “How can we use this technology that people really like and have a bigger impact on the student loan crisis?
What 6 LA CEOs learned from their first jobs
Everyone remembers the humbling experience of their first "real" job. Mine was working a grill at our local pool's concession booth — I got fired. My older brother and I wanted to see who could punch a bigger dent into the walk-in freezer door. Unfortunately, the Centennial Pool Management Team wasn't as intrigued by that feat of strength. I learned a thing or two from that mistake but time will tell what role it plays in influencing my career.
7 IoT companies making awesome products in Los Angeles
We've come a long way from The Clapper. The Internet of Things industry is growing rapidly and capitalizing on people's thirst for technology-enabled convenience. Here are seven LA companies producing gadgets to make life easier at both your home and office: Flo Technologies Of all the things that go wrong on a property, it turns out that water is often the cause. Each year, insurance companies pay $9 billion to repair water damage, and that’s an expense that Flo Technologies wants to reduce.
Can you guess these 40 LA tech startups by their logos?
A lot goes into a great logo.It needs to represent your company, look aesthetically pleasing and be instantly recognizable. As the boys in HBO's Silicon Valley taught us, you need more than just two lowercase letters in a box.Take the Sporcle quiz below and see if you can recognize these 40 LA tech companies. If you name them all, screen shot your score and Tweet us the photo. The first 10 winners will take home a Built In t-shirt!Have a tip? Let us know or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
This LA tech giant beat out Google and Yelp in this year's top workplaces list
For the second year in a row, Fortune has ranked its 30 Best Workplaces in Tech and Santa Monica's Cornerstone OnDemand Cornerstone OnDemandVisit their siteView company profile has landed in a prominent spot. The list is divided between Large, Medium and Small workplaces. With over 600 LA-based employees, Cornerstone took the number six spot in the Large Workplace category, followed by Yelp (#7) and Google (#8). Ultimate Software of Weston, FL took the top spot in the Large category for 2016.
Like father like son: Demand Media and WhipClip founder's 18-year-old son launches startup
Following in your father’s footsteps is a tradition as old as time. Especially if your father is the serial entrepreneur behind two of LA’s most well known tech companies. Dillon and his fellow high school co-founder, Tyler Makhani, created the site a few years ago when they struggled to find a suitable tutor at a good price. At 15-years-old, the duo raised a seed round from their friends and family to start building a beta version of the site.
Top 50 Startups in Los Angeles to Watch in 2016
In 2015, Los Angeles saw many rising trends. The advancements in virtual reality technology created a mad scramble as companies fought for position in the potentially game-changing industry. LA tech also turned its attention toward real estate tech, utilizing the power of crowdsourcing to revolutionize property investments. But what does 2016 have in store?
Here’s what LA tech leaders are hoping for in 2016
The wheels of 2016 are beginning to gain momentum and it's time to take a look at what the year may hold for the Los Angeles tech ecosystem. Many experts believe LA tech has finally matured and is ready to take the next leap in becoming a global tech hub. But which companies will lead that charge? Will Virtual Reality and gaming be the content-driven saviors many LA techies believe they will be?
Check out which LA entrepreneurs made Forbes 30 under 30
Forbes released their annual 30 under 30 list this week, recognizing those who have made huge contributions in very little time in 20 different industries. Los Angeles tech was well represented, with over 10 individuals on the list in a variety of different fields: In Venture Capital, Arteen Arabshari (24) Senior Associate at Karlin Ventures Karlin VenturesVisit their siteView company profile and Mandy Salzman (29) Director of Techstars' Disney Accelerator made the cut.
This LA company cracked Forbes Hottest 50 startups list
Forbes released their yearly list of the hottest startups yesterday, featuring a single Los Angeles company — WhipClip WhipClipVisit their siteView company profile. In a list dominated by San Francisco and New York startups, Chicago's Uptake, a reclusive data analytics startup, landed in the top spot. Santa Monica's Whipclip took lucky number 13 on the list.
Cannabis goes legit: The Kind sheds light on LA's blooming weed culture
Cannabis culture is often draped in a stereotype clouded by black lights, bongs, and Bob Marley. But when you cast aside Cheech, Chong, Harold and Kumar, the weed world is a lot more relatable than what the media portrays. Rather than sponsored product reviews and political updates, the site hopes to act as a lifestyle site focused on the casual toker. “We think of ourselves sort of like a Vice or BuzzFeed but also like a Cigar Aficionado,” said co-founder Silas Dunham.
Where does tech talent want to move? LA ranks high in new ranking
There's nothing like some good old fashioned city competition. Anthology, a Tinder-meets-LinkedIn service that anonymously matches job seekers with hiring companies, polled 15,000 tech employees in order to rank the most desirable cities to work in. While San Francisco, Seattle, and New York took the top three spots, Los Angeles landed at number four followed by Boston, Austin, Portland, Chicago, and Denver. The good news?
20 USC alumni who changed Los Angeles tech
Los Angeles universities are renowned for producing top-tier tech talent and entrepreneurs. Amongst the wide-selection of institutions, The University of Southern California has produced graduates who have made early and sustaining contributions to LA tech. From Marshall and Viterbi grads to Comm Majors, here are 20 USC alumni that have left their mark: Brandon graduated with degrees in Business Administration and Finance/Marketing.
23 LA tech companies named to Deloitte's Fast 500
Deloitte released their Technology Fast 500 list today, ranking the fastest growing technology, life sciences, energy tech and media companies in North America. The companies were selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth between 2011 and 2014. Los Angeles was represented 23 times on the list including Culver City's Scopely (#2, 19,569%), Santa Monica's ZipRecruiter (#22, 3,704%), ScoreBig (#44, 2,287%) and Ranker (#49, 2,000%). The list includes both private and public companies.
Top Dog: What Business Owners Can Learn from the Canine Community
Being a dog owner is one of life’s more fulfilling and all around awesome experiences. For many, it’s a right of passage – a significant increase in responsibility from Jimmy the goldfish and a toe dip into the waters of parenthood. There’s little more rewarding than taking care of something that depends on you for survival, loves you unconditionally, and doesn’t talk back to you upon reaching its teen years.
Burner syncs up with Dropbox, Slack, Evernote, and Soundcloud
The Premium feature will now let customers renew existing phone lines and Burner Connections allows users to to sync their Burner numbers with other platform like Slack, Soundcloud, Dropbox, Evernote. “We felt that the phone number just wasn’t smart enough,” CEO and cofounder Greg Cohn said. “The idea behind the app was never purely temporary numbers, it was the idea of smarter phone numbers.
Why online gaming is becoming the most important tech industry in LA
The video game industry is by no means new to LA. Industry leaders like Activision and Riot Games have dominated the landscape for years, but a new movement around video game culture is reshaping LA’s tech landscape. Perhaps the most interesting factor of this recent funding surge is that many companies, including Mobcrush and Machinima, aren’t even producing games, but instead, creating platforms that feed off of gaming culture.
8 LA tech internships to help you make the most of your semester
Getting an internship during college can be just as important as choosing the right major. Now that 40 percent of Americans hold college degrees, you'll need something to help you stand out from the pack.
Is dev school right for you? A day in the life of two students
Generally I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and hit the snooze bar. Around 6:40 I get out of bed and go to the gym for about 30-45 minutes. I come back upstairs, make breakfast, and I’m out the door by 8:30 a.m. so I can get to Codesmith around 8:50. I grab some coffee and chat with people and at 9:00 a.m. we have something called daily notices. They are really, really strict about you being on time to daily notices.
The Top 100 Tech Companies in LA
*Rank is determined by total Los Angeles County-based employees at digital technology companies as of August 2015. *MaxCDN, Cargomatic, and Retention Science all reported the same number of employees and therefore share the 100th spot * Correction: Five companies were wrongfully ommited from the list including Demand Media (350+), Media Temple (230+), Zealot Networks (225+), Dun & Bradstreet (150+), and Thrive Market (60+). We apologize for this error.
Los Angeles named the #3 startup city in the world
For the second time in three years, Los Angeles has nabbed the #3 spot on Compass’ Global Startup Ecosystem rankings. Silicon Valley and New York grabbed the #1 and #2 slots respectively, and Boston and Tel Aviv rounded out the top five. Compass collected insights from 11,000 startup surveys and over 200 interviews with entrepreneurs in 25 countries. The rankings were based on a city's overall performance, funding, talent, market reach, and startup experience.
4 characteristics that have come to define LA tech
When Lee Schneider moved from New York to Los Angeles, he admits he had a snobby perception of his new city. But after years of working in the city, teaching at USC, and conducting research for his book, Chronicle of a Startup Town: LA, he uncovered a layer of the city he did not expect. “This has made me think about the history of what is going on here. It's not coming out of nowhere. It started with Howard Hughes and with Myspace.
Finding a mentor in the tech industry: 3 CEOs share their experience
The tech world is notorious for its youth. With billion dollar companies led by 24-year-olds, it's hard to know who to seek advice from in a rapidly changing industry. We talked with three CEOs who shared their thoughts on the most effective ways to find a mentor — or mentors — that can help you develop your career and your business: Ranker is a list making platform headquartered on Miracle Mile in the heart of Los Angeles.
4 LA offices that would make going to work easy
What were your considerations when picking an office space and designing its layout? "We took the time to listen to our team and what made them excited about coming to a specific work space. For them it was location. Our culture is one that bleeds diversity and Santa Monica brings people together from all over. As such, many on our team are from various parts of the country and being able to stroll the beach for a break or lunch was very important.
Kadenze brings freemium model to online art school
There's no shortage of jokes about the futility of the art major. Parents or students spending $30,000 to study something that has never created a historically easy path to employment doesn't all seem like the best idea. But what if students could try out the artistic education path before financially committing? A few Cal Arts grads may have found the solution to bringing art education online.
5 hottest events for LA's tech startup community this week
[ibimage==38153==Original==none==self==ibimage_align-center] It's a big week for the tech community in LA and although Silicon Beach Fest may be the headliner, there are plenty of other events to check out: How to Startup in LA with the Founders Institute, June 22 at 6:30 p.m. Los Angeles has a fast growing startup ecosystem, and entrepreneurs here are lucky to have so many resources available to help them in their journey.
Tech roundup: Science Inc. partners with Quarterly, Uber gets bad news, & more
[ibimage==38088==Original==none==self==ibimage_align-center] Science Inc. partners up with Quarterly Science Inc., the disruptive media, marketing and brand building company announced today it has formed a partnership with Quarterly Co., a subscription service startup featuring exclusive boxes curated by influencers. As part of the partnership, Quarterly will leverage Science’s growth engine and business strategy expertise.
Brilliant Co. rolls out customizable bikes, raises $1.5M
Buying a bike can be oddly intimidating — and pricey. Really testing one out isn't usually an option, plus a few big brands dominate the market with far too many versions. But today, there was good news for casual bikers on a budget. Brilliant Bicycle Co., launched today in Santa Monica and is offering customized, stylish bikes starting at $299. The company also announced a $1.5 million seed round which they intend on applying to product development and testing.
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