The “nerds will rule the world” trope was inspirational for kids like me in the 1980s, a cliche in the 1990s, an ascendant notion in the 2000s, and today it’s canon. Silicon Valley emerged as the nerds’ triumphant new world of possibility where glasses, acne, poor social skills and other comic stereotypes become irrelevant — brilliant ideas win the day on merit alone.
Southern California News
Afro Tech: Exclusive: Matt Barnes Becomes The Face Of HOPP, A Rideshare App Linking Users To Drivers Based Off Interests
Ball may be life but so is business!
From early days of playing basketball to now acting as partners on a new rideshare venture that will bring innovation to the states like never before, Ray Young and Khalid Taylor alongside former NBA player turned entrepreneur, Matt Barnes, are here to change the way you catch a ride from here on out.
Axios: The new tech hubs
A handful of fast-growing cities, including Miami, Orlando and San Diego, are claiming a bigger and bigger slice of America’s tech workforce.
Built in LA: Meet the Women Who Inspire LA’s Tech Leaders
Women in tech have to work harder than their male counterparts to earn the same opportunities and get the same level of recognition for their accomplishments. Naturally, it makes sense that the women they draw inspiration from overcame long odds to leave their mark on the world.
Built in LA: Fintech Unicorn Acorns Raises $300M Series F at $1.9B Valuation
Irvine-based investment app Acorns announced Wednesday that it raised $300 million in a Series F round led by TPG. The fresh investment sent the unicorn’s valuation soaring to $1.9 billion.
Times of San Diego: Tom York on Business: Carlsbad, San Diego Among Top 10 Places to Start a Business
File this item under the category “Not Too Shabby.” San Diego came in No. 3 and Carlsbad No. 9 on a list of the 100 best cities in the country for startups, according to a new study from a crowdfunding expert out of Denver.
Built in LA: Thatgamecompany Raises $160M to Take Its Signature Game to the Metaverse
Santa Monica-based gaming studio thatgamecompany (yes, that’s the actual name) announced Thursday that it raised a massive round of funding. The $160 million raise, led by TPG, will be used to help the company turn its most popular game, Sky: Children of Light, into a theme park-like metaverse experience.
Built in LA: Crexi’s Auction Platform Is a Big Deal for the Commercial Real Estate Industry — Literally
Going once. Going twice. SOLD…for $205 million?!
No, that number is not a typo. It’s online auction property sale of Beltway Business Park in Las Vegas, which set the record for the largest single-asset online real estate transaction in history. And it’s a big deal for the digital transactions provider Crexi — literally and figuratively.
Digital Journal: ETMA, Enterprise Technology Management Association Announces March Conference in San Diego, California March 23-25
With favorable timing as COVID cases decline, the Enterprise Technology Management Association, ETMA, members and guests look forward to its March 23-25 San Diego, California conference.
San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego’s Equip nets $58M for eating disorder telehealth platform, with backing from Katie Couric Media
San Diego startup Equip, which provides telehealth treatment for people with eating disorders, has raised $58 million in a second round of investment that includes backing from Katie Couric Media and soccer star Alex Morgan.
