Startups

The Internet of Things, a movement to connect the physical and digital worlds to provide humans with an easier user interface for real-world life is becoming more real everyday, just before our eyes.
According to Cisco the number of connected “things” will balloon to 50 billion by 2020. 2020 seems like a decade away into space, however Motreal-based reelyActive, the winner os Startup World Competition, is doing just this.

You’ve identified a pain point. You’ve come up with a solution. You’ve thought through your offering—and it’s a winner. You’re ready for next steps. You’re ready to raise some funding.

Or are you?

Smart matching offline connections startup, At The Pool, has today launched a mobile app that is set to reinvent the way people connect and interact.
The new iOS app utilizes a contact list that’s organized by geographic proximity making it easy for people with like interests to connect through “shouts.” The app allows easy photo sharing, existing contact list, push notifications and geo-awareness.

Forget visits to random restaurants, myfab5 uses the power of the crowd to help you search for the best restaurant in town. The platform connects foodies to restaurants for a win-win situation for both parties.

Life is full of decisions. Do you want a cheeseburger or the taco? How about wearing Jordans or a pair of Converse? Which video was funnier? There are a gazillion questions we are asking ourselves. So who better to help you out then your friends and family? That’s where Bedloo comes in. Bedloo is a social media voting platform for those who want to find the right answer in life.

Bottom line is that you’re in business to make money. If your customers aren’t paying you, that’s a serious cash flow problem. If they’re slow to pay, that’s a problem as well. While late invoices are fairly common for many businesses, that doesn’t mean you can’t fight it. The key is process.

The University of Southern California has developed a reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship over the years. On Friday October 25th, this innovative spirit was put on display at the 2013 Student Innovator Showcase. In this yearly event put on by the Stevens Center for Innovation, 30 teams, selected from a pool of 70 applicants, presented their unique ideas to crowds of students, parents, and judges.

Be Great Partners, a Los Angeles technology incubator, has recently released a report on the startup community in LA and the information shows a positive growth for startups here in LA. Los Angeles is 3rd in the global startup ecosystem, behind Tel Aviv and Silicon Valley. 94 new startups have launched since January 2013 to June 2013 and the startup ecosystem has raised $500 million in funding in 2013 so far. The numbers are promising and even with some problems arising in LA’s startup community, LA has found ways to keep pushing through.

Valuation. You know you need one. Annually. What you may not know is that it really does matter who performs your valuation. There are a lot of valuation companies out there, so I know many entrepreneurs are tempted to just shop around until they find the lowest price, but this is a mistake.

Jamie Wong used to host friends and show them around New York whenever she was free. She has traveled a lot herself and has been to more then 35 countries. Her adventures made her somewhat of a travel consultant. Friends began going to her for advice whenever they were traveling, and she found herself planning vacations, honeymoons and more. Throughout all this planning, Wong found a hole in the the travel industry that needed to be filled and with her own travel planning experience, Vayable was born.