In summer of 2017, Breanne Acio and her wife set out to explore the country in a van the two teachers had converted for mobile living. “We absolutely fell in love with the lifestyle – just being able to go anywhere, anytime and be in nature,” Acio said.
Southern California
LA Business Journal: Crowded Orbits Need Slingshot
Space agencies and commercial launch providers made 2021 a record-breaking year for space flight, launching more than 130 spacecraft and deploying thousands of satellites. With all these flying objects, Earth’s orbits are becoming crowded. Slingshot Aerospace Inc., based in El Segundo and Austin, Texas, is developing technology to address precisely this issue, and the company announced March 10 that it had raised $25 million in new funding to build its base of customers and enhance its signature collision avoidance system.
Times of San Diego: Tom York on Business: Israeli Earth Observation Firm Expands in San Diego
Israeli-based technology startup Asterra says it has moved its San Diego offices to larger digs on La Jolla Village Drive close to the Westfield UTC mall and UC San Diego campus. The earth observation company said in a news release that the move allows the company to continue its ongoing growth.
Built in LA: Yami Raises $50M Series B to Connect Shoppers to Asian Cultures
There truly is no place like home, but in a world where you can’t click your heels together three times to get there, clicking the “add to cart” button can bring home to you instead. Brea-based Yami was built to offer Asian Americans a quick way to access the comforts of home, from food items to household goods. The DTC marketplace has since grown in popularity with other American shoppers across the country, and Wednesday it announced its plans to expand its growing business with a new round of funding.
Community Partnership Chat: Beatriz Acevedo
Verizon’s Dr. Erica L. Jacquez discussed the importance of empowering the next generation of Latino leaders with Beatriz Acevedo, President of the Acevedo Foundation and Suma Wealth. In keeping with her father’s legacy, Beatriz works to create equitable access to capital, close the educational gap, and promote economic mobility and inclusion. Watch the full video to learn more!
San Diego Business Journal: Tech Coast Angels–SD Rebrands as NuFund
Tech Coast Angels–San Diego is changing its name to NuFund Venture Group. The rebranding, announced last week, is meant to better represent the group’s “national reach and fund-first model,” said Ashok Kamal, NuFund’s executive director and co-fund manager.
dot LA: This Week in ‘Raises’: Two Santa Barbara Cybersecurity Startups Seal Big Series Bs
This week in “Raises,” a pair of Santa Barbara cybersecurity startups raised sizable Series B rounds, while a Beverly Hills online learning platform hauled nearly $30 million (and rolled out a name change, to boot).
Venture Capital
Theta Lake, a Santa Barbara-based cybersecurity startup, raised $50 million in Series B funding led by Battery Ventures.
Afro Tech: Snoop Dogg, Timbaland, Gunna Invest In Yuga Labs’ $450M Funding Round, Bringing It To A $4B Valuation
Bored Ape Yacht Club non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have become popular in the Hip-Hop community. Throughout 2021, AfroTech shared reports on Timbaland, Lil Baby, and Future being fans of the collection. Recently, a few artists have invested in Yuga Labs — the Web3 firm behind Bored Ape. Snoop Dogg, Timbaland, and Gunna were a part of a $450 million seed funding round — led by a16z crypto — according to Music Business Worldwide.
Built in LA: Edtech Platform Emile Learning Raises $29.4M, Rebrands as Subject
LA-based edtech platform Subject is on a mission to become the “Netflix of education.” Except with Subject, don’t expect to find any filler content. Each class available on the platform is a fully accredited, rigorous educational experience.
dot LA: Jump Capital’s Yelena Shkolnik on the Convergence of Fintech, Content and Commerce
On this episode of the LA Venture podcast, Jump Capital’s Yelena Shkolnik talks about her work with crypto and the sometimes surprising ways in which commerce, content and fintech are converging. The firm operates a $350 million fund focused on writing $8 to $10 million checks to Series A companies. Shkolnik estimates her company leads about 70% of the rounds in which they participate.
