Science Inc. supports Linear Labs; Trellis completes $2 million seed round; Grindr privacy practices concern parent company.
Science Inc. Backs Electric Motor Developer
Santa Monica-based startup incubator and investor Science Inc. backed Fort Worth, Texas-based electric motor developer Linear Labs’ $4.5 million funding round finalized March 26. According to TechCrunch, Linear Labs has filed for more than 50 patents for its technology and been issued 21. Linear Labs’ electric motor is designed to be lighter, produce more powerful output, and increase electric vehicle range.
Grindr Parent Company Contemplates Sale
The Chinese parent company of gay dating app Grindr is in hot water. The U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment is concerned that Beijing Kunlun Technology Co. is collecting and storing unauthorized personal data from users of the Grindr app. Kunlun purchased West Hollywood-based Grindr in 2018 and had reported plans to take it public last August. Instead, Kunlun is now contemplating entering an auction process to sell the mobile app to “either a U.S.-based investment firm, or else one of its competitors,” according to The Verge.
Court records software developer Trellis Research Inc. netted a $2 million seed round, the company announced March 27. Trellis is headquartered in Mid-City and its funding round was by Okapi Venture Capital, based in Laguna Beach. Clutter Inc. Chief Executive Brian Thomas backed Trellis as an angel investor. Trellis Research is a graduate of Techstars LA’s 2018 accelerator program.
Tech reporter Samson Amore can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 556-8335. Follow him on Twitter @samsonamore.
