Finance

Exciting times in the Southern California tech community. K5Launch announced a new accelerator program that provides promising technology startups with a three-month intensive accelerator program for entrepreneurs in Southern California. K5 aims to create a network of support and mentorship along with access to capital where people can build on creative ideas with the help of successful business people, and connect with investors to get their concepts off the ground.

Can you feel it folks? Cause I can. Excited to announce MuckerLab, a new startup accelerator and member of the TechStars Network, launched today in L.A. It’s a three-month program providing its selected startups with $21,000 in seed funding, plus the typical incubator benefits like shared office space, legal assistance, infrastructure and hosting, and mentorship from a network of advisors.

That’s right Startup Angelinos! If you thought that the startup community here was starting picking up, well its about to get a boost from The Startup Foundation. Startup Weekend, a global grassroots network of entrepreneurs and leaders, announced an initiative in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation that will lead to the creation of vibrant startup communities in cities across the nation. Called the Startup Foundation, the program is a grassroots initiative that helps cities build and establish ecosystems that will support more high-growth entrepreneurs, startups, and ultimately, jobs.

Its that time again! The race to get your SXSWi panel to as many votes as possible so that you will be selected to present at the coming 2012 SXSW. For those who may be living under a rock and have no idea what SXSWi is, its five days of presentations and panel discussions from some of the biggest thought leaders in Interactive digital media space.

When tickets went on sale over a month ago, we expected the regular ticket sales cycle, however we were more than surprised when Startup Weekend LA sold out in 6 hours! That’s right… just about the same amount of time it takes to sell out a Radiohead show at the Forum. When LASW kicked off Friday evening at Coloft, we had over 100 on the wait list and countless requests from others to join the event — even folks sneaking in and pitching (without a ticket).

Welcome to the accelerated version of Startup Weekend. I dropped in to check out the contest a few times during the competition and the environment was uplifting and exciting. Brought back fond memories of my weekend at Startup Weekend. walking around seeing coders buried deep into code, focused on completing their product before the clock expired.

Still unsure about your weekend plans? Well for all the coders out there why not take your chances at $4k! This Sunday BetterWorks his hosting Coloft Hackfest in Santa Monica, CA,and what better way to spend your weekend then with an amazing group of individuals from your local Southern California Tech scene.

Big news in the tech gaming industry with Zynga’s official filing of their S-1 with the SEC. With last week’s valuation rumors ranging in the dozen billion range, the company has officially filed for a $1 billion IPO and is estimated to be worth more than $15 billion. Zynga has best been known for mega…continue reading.

The best part about being a writer who covers startups is seeing revolutionary ideas take shape from their infancy.  To examine disruptive technology and prognosticate on the effects on society as a whole is fascinating.  What makes this even more exciting is I am out of the echo chamber of Silicon Valley.  In fact, I…continue reading.

The message was clear, beware of false prophets when dealing with your young and budding startup.  This particular evening, we attended the LeanLA meet-up located at Coloft, a swank professional co-op/work space in the heart of Santa Monica, known as the epicenter of the LA startup scene.  The venue was lined with vibrant and inviting…continue reading.