A weekly roundup of must-read L.A. tech investments and acquisitions.
Flipagram
$70 million
Type: Equity
Location: Century City
Investors: Sequoia Capital led the Series B round, with participation from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Index Ventures
Description: Flipagram’s app lets people quickly edit together photos and videos on their phones into sequences that can be shared within the app and on social media. In conjunction with the financing, Flipagram has closed a slew of licensing deals with major record companies, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. The app company boasts 33 million active users and had raised a $4 million seed round in 2013.
Related: Flipagram Stitches Together $70 Million Funding Round
Realty Mogul
$35 million
Type: Equity
Location: West Los Angeles
Investors: Sorenson Capital led the Series B round with participation from Canaan Partners.
Description: Through its website, Realty Mogul crowdfunds debt and equity for commercial real estate investments. Financing can be arranged for deals on all manner of properties, from residential investment properties to office buildings. Investors are required to contribute $10,000 at a minimum to the pool. Realty Mogul said it has financed 240 properties valued at more than $500 million since its inception in 2013.
Related: Crowdfunder Realty Mogul Raises $35 Million
Omaze
$9 Million
Type: Equity
Location: Santa Monica
Investors: FirstMark Capital led the Series A round and with participation from Tornante Co. (Michael Eisner’s investment firm), Vayner/RSE, Dave Gilboa (Warby Parker), Dave Leyrer (Boulevard Capital), CrossCut Ventures, FFVC and Adam Press.
Description: Omaze’s platform helps charities run online fundraising contests, usually built around bidding to spend time with celebrities. Auctions include bidding for a seat at the taping of Jon Stewart’s last show as host of “The Daily Show” or time riding around in a tank with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The company had previously raised a $1 million seed round.
HopSkipDrive
$3.9 Million
Type: Equity
Location: Downtown Los Angeles
Investors: Upfront Ventures led the seed round, with participation from FirstMark Capital, Maveron, BBG Ventures and Joanne Wilson
Description: HopSkipDrive is a car-sharing app that parents can use to have their children picked up and delivered. Drivers are background checked, have to have five years of childcare experience and must go through a driving certification process. Parents can track their kids as they are ferried around town and can confirm pickup via the app.
Related: HopSkipDrive Carpools Parenting and Tech
AirMap
$2.6 Million
Type: Equity
Location: Santa Monica
Investors: Undisclosed
Description: The mapping company provides information on Federal Aviation Administration-controlled airspace, for example around airports and helicopter pads, to drone pilots and those developing drone apps. The mapping service also outlines certain voluntarily obeyed no-fly zones over private property and points out other areas to avoid, such as hospitals and theme parks. AirMap is used by several drone filming companies and an industrial drone service company.
Related: AirMap Raises Funding for Drone Airspace Map
Adshare
Undisclosed amount
Type: Equity
Location: Los Angeles
Adshare acquired Primo Media
Description: Adshare of Los Angeles has technology that identifies copyrighted music and audio on YouTube videos and helps intellectual property owners claim the advertising dollars generated from that content. New York’s Primo Media represents Latin music artists to online advertisers. By vertically integrating with Primo Media, Adshare is expanding its core offerings beyond technology into advertising.
Related: Adshare Buys Latin Music YouTube Network
Hyphos (Yeti)
Undisclosed amount
Type: Equity
Location: West Los Angeles
Hyphos was acquired by JA Partners, Seattle’s Edgewater Ventures and other undisclosed private investors
Description: To keep place-discovery app Yeti alive, the founders of its parent company, Hyphos, have sold a majority stake to a private investment group. Yeti is often used as a travel companion, helping users find interesting sightseeing spots as they visit new cities. Hyphos wouldn’t disclose user numbers, but said Yeti has users in 120 different countries. The company had previously raised $875,000 in seed funding and the acquiring investment group will likely inject some cash into the firm.
Related: Yeti Acquired by Investment Group
Technology reporter Garrett Reim can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @garrettreim for the latest in L.A. tech news.
