A weekly roundup of L.A. tech company and product launches.
Toms: Shoe company Toms of Playa Vista, which donates a pair of shoes to impoverished children for each pair it sells, has launched virtual reality recordings of its shoe giveaways. The first so-called Virtual Reality Trip is of a voyage to a South American village. Interested viewers can go to a Toms coffee shop or retailer that carries its shoes, strap on a virtual reality headset and watch.
Mitu: Latin multichannel network Mitu of Santa Monica has launched an internal platform to discover, onboard and manage creators and influencers from social networks, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The company said it would use the platform to better understand audiences and monetize content.
Midroll Media: Podcast advertising network Midroll Media of Hollywood launched Howl, a $4.99-a-month subscription podcast platform. The platform comes with Comedy Central content as well as content from members of Midroll’s network, such as podcast “WTF with Marc Maron” and “Freakonomics.”
Yoroomie: Venice’s Yoroomie, an app that connects people looking for roommates, launched. The app allows people to locate nearby prospective roommates, message each other and share desired apartment features.
Galaxy DeskSite: Major League Soccer team the L.A. Galaxy has launched its own video app. The app features game highlights, postgame recaps, player and coach interviews. Video app company DeskSite of Irvine, which sells advertising on-behalf of a network of National Football League team apps, developed the app.
HTT: El Segundo’s Hyperloop Transportation Technologies announced partnerships with Oerlikon, Aecom and Hodgetts & Fung to provide technological and infrastructure support to the fledgling startup. HTT is made of about 400 “core team members” who work on the company’s hyperloop technology without salary in exchange for stock. HTT plans to start building a prototype on donated land in the Quay Valley in 2016 using money from an upcoming crowdfunding effort.
Technology reporter Garrett Reim can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @garrettreim for the latest in L.A. tech news.
