Santa Monica-based Bird Rides Inc., which has faced controversy in its home city, acquired a permit to operate in Portland, Ore., Techcrunch reports. The permit only covers a pilot program, which will run from now until November 20. To date, Bird has launched in roughly 30 cities and was banned for up to six months in Beverly Hills as of July 26. It will add approximately 200 scooters to the streets of Portland during its first week of the pilot program.
Congress Deliberating Reusable Rocket Bill
Congress is reconciling a bill that, if signed by President Donald Trump, would mandate the Air Force consider reusable rockets as viable options for launches instead of relying only on expendable rockets, ArsTechnica reports. If the legislation becomes law it could benefit reusable Hawthorne-based rocket pioneer SpaceX. SpaceX launched its first successful reusable rocket, the Falcon 9, in December 2015.
Cesppa Inc. Raises $1.5 Million Seed
White-hat hacking company Cesppa Inc. completed a $1.5 million seed round July 26, the Business Journal reports. The company is run by former Verizon Digital Media Services Inc. head of security engineering Joseph Melika and operates out of Cheviot Hills.
