The city’s digital technology minds launched 220 startups in 2012. 100 companies secured funding of at least $1 million, with digital media and marketing being the fastest growing sectors.  43 companies were acquired, more than any previous year. [SEE INFOGRAPHIC AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE].

“2012 was another record-setting year for digital technology companies in Los Angeles,” said Tony Pritzker , Partner, The Pritzker Group and Board Member, Built In L.A. (www.builtinla.com). “The spotlight on the Los Angeles digital technology economy is shining bright, as government, media, large corporations, major universities and investors from around the country are taking notice — and now we have the data to prove it.”

Startups get strong support

Built In L.A.’s 2012 Digital Startup Report confirms what local leaders have been thinking: L.A.’s tech startup scene is erupting with growth, and it’s not just Santa Monica. “This is a direct result of an incredibly strong ecosystem dedicated to supporting emerging technology companies,” said Gil Elbaz , CEO, Factual and Board Member, Built In L.A.

Investors notice

The activity in Los Angeles attracted more than 170 investors to fund the city’s digital companies in 2012. ”Los Angeles has developed into a city that every investor must watch,” said Mark Suster, General Partner at GRP Partners. “Our startup economy is thriving and the companies we are producing are among the nation’s leaders in video, digital media, fashion, marketing, FinTech and gaming.”

2012 success story

The fashion industry attracted the largest funding, with 22% of the investment going to fashion-focused digital technology companies. JustFab was the top fundraiser, raising $76 million to further develop its fashion site.

“2012 was a key year for JustFab as it cemented the brand as the leader of this exciting industry of online subscription fashion.  The funds we raised last year gave us the ability to scale our business on a global level, which is now thriving in four countries and will continue to expand this year,” said Adam Goldenberg , Co-CEO of JustFab.

[INFOGRAPHIC]

Inspired by the entrepreneurial revival in a city built on transportation, San Francisco-based Uber Technologies Inc., one of the hottest tech companies in the country, today announced the launch of its on-demand luxury car service in Detroit’s fast-growing tech hub.

Uber.com provides affordable luxury transportation through an efficient technology-centered approach. Using a smartphone app and real-time GPS technology, clients are able to request a car that arrives within minutes, with no need to waste time paying cash or waiting for a credit card to be processed, as the fare is automatically paid for through the account on file with the app. The payment fee even covers the tip, eliminating all need for cash.

“This is an opportune time to open shop in Detroit,” said Uber Launch Specialist Chan Park. “We are very excited about playing a role in Detroit’s transformation by bringing our innovative technology that revolutionizes the way people get around, with convenience and in style.”

Uber was founded by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp in 2009, was rated Fast Company’s “2013 Most Innovative Company in Mobile,” and has rapidly expanded to more than 29 cities internationally today.

“Our technology allows customers to move around the city easily and empowers our local partner transportation companies to expand their customer base,” said Park, adding that Uber offers variable pricing based on distance as well as traffic conditions for luxury sedans and SUVs.

“You don’t have to worry about any unknowns when you call for a car,” Park said. “With Uber you know when and how you are going to get picked up because you can watch your driver coming toward you on the map interface. There is even a rating system that allows you to see the quality of the driver.”

Detroit Ventures Partners, a venture capital firm that invests in seed and early-stage technology companies, helped recruit Uber to downtown Detroit and brokered the company’s lease in Rock Ventures’ M@dison Building.  The decision to expand their business to downtown Detroit was made just hours after Uber executives saw the opportunity emerging in the nation’s fastest-growing urban core.

“It is exciting that an innovative technology platform like Uber is coming downtown to join a growing, young and energetic environment – and that they made the decision so quickly and without hesitation,” said Detroit Ventures Partners’ Managing Partner Josh Linkner. “The M@dison will provide them with an open, collaborative space where they will be able to continue to create a thriving, growing tech business.”

L’Oreal USA is proud to announce the open call nominations for the 2^nd annual L’Oreal USA Women in Digital “NEXT Generation Awards” and the opportunity to be one of three honorary recipients. L’Oreal USA Women in Digital is an initiative that focuses on women working in digital marketing, technology and IT functions. The program offers opportunities for women entrepreneurs to address the beauty industry with technology created by women that engage connected female consumers.

“As the world’s leading beauty company, L’Oreal has the opportunity to make a difference and to support women in technology,” said Rachel Weiss, Vice President, Digital Strategy and Innovation at L’Oreal USA and Chair of L’Oreal USA Women in Digital. “Through the L’Oreal USA Women in Digital Program, our mission is to revolutionize the digital space and path-to-purchase by continuing to support rising female entrepreneurs in technology and innovation that will shape the next generation of the beauty industry.”

In 2013, the L’Oreal USA Women in Digital program will award three women-led companies with the opportunity to pilot their technology with L’Oreal brands; to be introduced to investors and executives; and receive mentorship from Advisory Board members and program partners.

“At L’Oreal we believe in entrepreneurship – Identifying and partnering with digital technologies designed by women, for women, matches our passion for beauty and progress. These technologies help contribute to the development and marketing of innovative consumer products to directly address our consumers, who are primarily women,” stated Marc Speichert, Chief Marketing Officer at L’Oreal USA.

For this year’s “NEXT Generation Awards”, L’Oreal USA Women in Digital is looking to recognize best-in-class women-operated companies that can help the program engage with CONNECTED CONSUMERS with the following objectives for L’Oreal USA (one or more):

• Create a digital experience helping beauty shoppers choose and purchase beauty products in mass retailers, hair salons, online or at beauty counters and specialty stores.
• Leverage and gather data to help us acquire new customers across our portfolio of brands.
• Provide us with a new channel for customer acquisition or loyalty for beauty customers across all digital platforms, mobile and emerging technology.
• Able to create technology to help diagnose and recommend beauty regimens for skincare analysis, makeup and hair color trials driving to online or in-store purchase.
• Any disruptive technology that we may not even know about today!

Final nominees and winners will be selected using a scorecard judged by a panel of L’Oreal USA executives, venture capital partners, and L’Oreal USA Women in Digital Board of Advisors.  The honorees will be announced and celebrated at a private invitation-only event attended by digital industry leaders, investors, L’Oreal top executives and press.  Recipients also receive: airfare, two nights’ accommodation, and an itinerary introducing them to investors, L’Oreal executives and strategic partners.

The entry period is open through May 20 ^th on www.lorealwomenindigital.com. Additionally, through the L’Oreal Next Lab, all nominations will be considered for future partnership to continue its support of female owned and co-owned technology companies.

Salesforce.com and leading European venture capital firms including Notion Capital, Octopus Investments and MMC Ventures, today announced the €5 million Innovation Challenge—a new competition for European start-ups building enterprise cloud apps on the Salesforce Platform.

The €5 million Innovation Challenge is designed to inspire the next generation of start-ups in Europe to develop and deliver innovative new enterprise apps on the Salesforce Platform. Eligible start-ups will be invited to present their ideas to professional investors at a series of Innovation Challenge pitch events throughout Europe hosted by salesforce.com from September to November 2013.

The winning start-ups will have the opportunity to negotiate with the participating venture capital firms for seed funding to jump-start a new business or for a Series A investment to accelerate growth of an existing business. Winners will also be able to build, package and sell their apps on the Salesforce AppExchange, the world’s leading business apps marketplace.

“London is brimming with tech talent which is breeding a wave of innovative start-ups with the potential to grow fast. Salesforce.com‘s Innovation Challenge presents a fantastic opportunity for London’s silicon entrepreneurs to take their business to the next level of success,” The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said.

“The explosion of growth in Europe’s enterprise app market is fueling innovation across the region. Salesforce.com is excited to join forces with leading European venture capital firms to launch the Innovation Challenge and reward Europe’s top entrepreneurs and enable them to accelerate their innovation and time to market,” salesforce.com EMEA Chairman, Dr. Steve Garnett, said.

“The European enterprise app market has reached a tipping point and we see the Salesforce Platform as a key enabler for start-ups with a great idea to build a revenue-generating business in record time,” said Chris Tottman, Partner, Notion Capital. “We are excited to see the potential investment opportunities within the vibrant European start-up community.”

“This is a unique opportunity for innovative start-ups in the enterprise app market here in Europe to receive commercial support to allow them to compete on a global stage,” said Luke Hakes, Principal, Octopus Investments. “The Salesforce Platform provides an unrivalled launch pad for innovative companies looking to tackle the enterprise market.”

“MMC is pleased to be supporting the Innovation Challenge. The Salesforce AppExchange is an increasingly important channel to market for enterprise app companies. As an investor, having direct access to the best of these new software companies is a very exciting opportunity,” MMC Ventures Investment Director, Jon Coker, said.

The demand for enterprise apps presents a lucrative opportunity for developers and entrepreneurs.  According to a new study conducted by the Centre of Economic Business Research (Cebr), the demand for enterprise cloud apps is expected to attract 159% more cloud developers in Europe over the next five years, with the enterprise cloud app economy projected to generate £2.6 billion in revenue, an increase of 206% by 2018.

Forrester Research Inc. has highlighted Flybits, a Toronto-based startup company, as the number one context-aware tool for its emerging cloud and context-aware middleware solution.

Anthony Mullen’s report, “Emerging Touchpoints Require a Marketing Mind Shift,” encourages marketing professionals to increase corporate investments in innovative practices and procedures in areas such as customer experience, analytics, IT and product design — all of which the Flybits framework addresses.

To address the problem of information overload on mobile devices, Flybits unifies the mobile user experience across multiple channels, creating a cohesive mobile presence for a company’s communication needs. Rather than introducing heterogeneous mobile channels to users, all relevant information can be structured within Flybits Zones — semantic-driven, rule-oriented geo-fences.

The Flybits Activity Recognition Engine (FARE), processes and disseminates information to users in real-time by creating these zones and then processes the contextual parameters surrounding each individual, automatically crafting a customized experience. The platform allows businesses to have real-time and direct engagement with their mobile customers through an intuitive and easy-to-use web portal, which does not impose significant infrastructure or integration costs. As part of the portal, the Flybits Analytics engine generates reconfigurable and customized analytics for companies using a proprietary mobile sensing technology

“With the help of our partners, we are creating Zones for every location on earth using our mapping engine, building a spectrum of relevance for mobile users. Every participating company can have a significant mobile presence and deliver relevant content to a broad spectrum of users with varying interests and requirements,” says Dr. Hossein Rahnama , Flybits’ founder and CEO. “Flybits leverages the sensing capabilities of mobile devices, serving customized and timely information to each user in manageable volumes through an intuitive mobile interface.”

“Forrester’s recognition of the Flybits platform positions the company as a leader in the development of innovative, emerging context-aware technology that will drive the ubiquitous use of mobile devices,” says Dr. Raphael Hofstein , president & CEO of MaRS Innovation.

The endorsement follows the 2012 MIT Technology Review‘s identifying Rahnama as one of the world’s top innovators under the age of 35 (TR35) based on his work on the Flybits platform. In December 2012, The Smithsonian also referred to Rahnama as one of the Top 6 Innovators to watch in 2013 because of his work on Flybits.

Gucci Timepieces partnered with Myspace, to create an online community for the new GUCCI SYNC, a timepiece made for a connected, young music-loving audience.

The GUCCI SYNC Myspace profile taps into the site’s sleek new platform, focused on music and discovery by featuring a special Myspace-produced GUCCI SYNC video, which depicts real-world connections based on music and the creativity inherent in youth culture. The profile will also feature a multimedia mix of dynamic artists.

Gucci Timepieces & Jewelry seeks to champion emerging talent and will collaborate with Myspace to help promote new artists via a specially curated list of musicians. Artists highlighted within the GUCCI SYNC profile will contribute to the SYNC music mix, as well as serve as ambassadors for the watch.

The watches are available in two sizes, XXL (46mm) or large (36mm), GUCCI SYNC comes in four colors: white, red, black and blue. Each colored dial displays Gucci’s iconic interlocking ‘GG’ symbol. The Gucci logo is etched around the stainless steel case at 9 o’clock and also appears on the dial at 12 o’clock.

Hypster.com is currently working to increase their international presences by translating the site to accommodate multiple languages. With Russian translations already complete and planning to be launched next week, Hypster staff says, this is just the beginning. “Our mission is to help our users create the greatest collection of music playlists in the world; we want to be the place where you discover new music and make the whole thing fun and easy to do,” says CEO and Director of Sales, Jim Larkin .

With hopes to launch a version of the site in Spanish in the near future, Hypster hopes to continue to share their mission across borders and language barriers.

Hypster.com is one of the world’s largest online music communities. With its genesis half a decade ago, Hypster has grown to accommodate 4.8 million music fans. The site allows its users to discover, create, organize, enjoy and share music. As a member of the Hypster.com community, you can create your own personal listening experience by building playlists for every genre, activity and occasion all in an arena that requires no downloading or payment.

Acquired in January 2012 by BaronsMedia.com, Hypster has become more than just a music player for your blog. It has up to date music and cultural news, radio stations with nearly 30 genres to choose from and featured playlists where one can hear the major chart toppers as well as up and coming headliners. What sets Hypster apart from other similar music sites is the fact that your playlists are completely commercial free. It gives its users options and flexibility, so they are not locked down to a certain type of player or playlist.

Hypster is best known for its Tumblr Music Players, of which they offer six different options without a limit to how many songs they can hold. The site also includes video options with which one can display music videos or album cover art. These players are not just limited to Tumblr; they are compatible with most major blogging sites including Blogger and WordPress as well as your own personal sites.

Callaway Golf Company launched a social media networking campaign in partnership with LinkedIn. The application, which lives on www.CallawayHitTheLinks.com, introduces a modern approach to the long-held tradition of networking on the golf course. Within the app, golfers designate an ultimate foursome using their LinkedIn network of professional contacts, and submit the group for a chance to win a golf “business” trip that includes a custom club fitting at Callaway’s California headquarters and a round of golf.

“We are disrupting the traditional influence models in golf because golfers’ expectations about how they experience brands has changed dramatically,” said Harry Arnett, SVP, Callaway Golf. “This partnership and concept are exciting because no other company has used LinkedIn’s API in this way before, and we’re using it to connect passionate golfers. It furthers our commitment to being the most transparent, most connecting, most engaged brand in golf.”

The experience begins with users logging into the application via LinkedIn Connect, which then generates a recommended foursome through an innovative use of LinkedIn’s API (application programming interface). The three connection types created from the API within the foursome are:

• The Company Insider: Someone within the user’s company. The API seeks out a golfer first, but if one isn’t available, then the person with the most appropriate title is selected.
• The Business Contact: Someone in the user’s network and industry that the user has the most connections in common with.
• The Golfer: To find the passionate golfer in the user’s network, the API references attributes such as interests and group membership. The person with the highest number of connections in common will be selected.

Participants can also “mulligan” out the recommended connections and handpick their foursome by browsing their professional network. The first 1,000 participants will receive a dozen Callaway HEX Chrome+™ balls, the Company’s newly released, fastest Tour-level golf ball.

Terry Dry, President of Fanscape, Callaway Golf’s social media agency, said “LinkedIn is the perfect partner to create this experience. In addition to having our target demo LinkedIn users are already talking about golf, they’re creating golf groups and listing golf as an expertise to attract connections. In fact, Callaway is the most popular golf brand on the network and will be the first sporting goods brand to do anything of this scale on the platform. It’s a natural extension that provides value to all partners.”

For Callaway, the Hit the Links campaign follows an innovative “Tweet to Unleash” introduction of its RAZR Fit Xtreme™ driver earlier in the season. This Twitter-based product introduction used real-time social conversation to unlock product content, breaking ranks with traditional product announcements and marking a first for the golf industry. Additionally, the Company’s “Holiday Hit the Pin” sweepstakes on Pinterest was the first time a golf manufacturer had meaningfully connected with golfers on that medium, in this case by encouraging them to create a board with their dream bag of Callaway clubs.

The Callaway campaign with LinkedIn, called “Hit the Links,” runs until May 24, 2013.

Brainshark, Inc., the leading sales enablement platform provider, announced the launch of “SlideShark Broadcasting” – making presentations delivered from the iPad and iPhone accessible in real time to remote or in-person meeting attendees on their device of choice. Now, users of SlideShark – the award-winning app for viewing, presenting and sharing PowerPoints on iOS devices – can invite others to view their presentation as it’s being delivered live. Recipients, whether across the table or across the globe, can see the presentation on any Internet-connected computer, tablet or smartphone – viewing slides as they’re advanced, animations as they unfold, drawings and annotations as made by the presenter, and more.

Attendees can easily view live broadcasts of presentations via their Web browser – no downloads required. Presenters, meanwhile, maintain control over what content is delivered, when it’s delivered and the overall cadence of the meeting. At the meeting’s conclusion, they also receive detailed reports on audience viewing activity and attendance.

“So many of us have been in this situation: We’re about to give a presentation and learn that some people can’t attend in-person,” said Brainshark CEO Joe Gustafson . “SlideShark eliminates those barriers to information delivery – now providing a total meeting solution for mobile presenters. They have the unique ability to show and project PowerPoint decks with full fidelity using their iOS devices, and now can make it easy for everyone – especially those who aren’t in the room – to follow along. Broadcasting is another way we strive to make SlideShark a presenter’s best friend, and we’re excited about the benefits this brings to business users.”

Introduced a year-and-a-half ago, SlideShark has been downloaded more than 1.4 million times and is used by individuals and businesses in more than 140 countries. The app gives users the unprecedented ability to view and present PowerPoints on the iPad and iPhone with fonts, animations, graphics, videos and hyperlinks intact – while also serving as a business-class platform to distribute, track and manage content in the cloud.

“Our sales team is constantly on the road – with mobile reps relying on SlideShark to present to prospects and clients from their iPads,” said Mehgan Recker , senior manager for digital innovation and development at Stagnito Media, a publisher of leading magazines for food, gourmet and convenience store retailers, and provider of integrated marketing services. “Now, when reps learn someone can’t attend a meeting, they won’t have to scramble to email out the deck – hoping the recipient will follow along correctly. SlideShark Broadcasting lets our sales reps keep everyone in the loop, while enabling them to maintain control over their presentation delivery. It’s very intuitive to use – for presenters as well as attendees – and makes the app even more useful to us.”

Part of the newly released SlideShark version 3.0, SlideShark Broadcasting marries SlideShark’s ability to show PowerPoints properly on iOS devices – as well as its powerful features for mobile presenters – with several key capabilities in traditional desktop Web conferencing solutions as well. SlideShark Broadcasting is truly unique in enabling iOS users to present PowerPoint decks intact and broadcast them over the Web, while supporting animations too.

Now, with the launch of SlideShark Broadcasting, users who are presenting via SlideShark on their iPad, iPhone or iPod touch can:

• Tap within the app to begin broadcasting their live presentations. Presenters each have a unique URL with their username that attendees use to join the broadcast.
• Invite attendees by email from within the app – either before the presentation starts or even during it – to simply click the link to join the broadcast. Presenters can also add additional information, such as a welcome message and conference call number, which will be visible to attendees.
• Prompt attendees to enter a unique security code, if desired, in order to ensure privacy for each broadcast session.
• Receive visual alerts when someone enters/exits a broadcast.
• Get an in-depth report on who attended the broadcast and for how long.
• Access additional detailed reports on the broadcast meeting itself – including how long it lasted, which presentations and slides were shown, how much time was spent on each slide and more.

Along with the launch of SlideShark Broadcasting, Brainshark is also announcing SlideShark Pro, a new offering that includes the broadcasting capabilities and provides an additional 1GB of storage for the user. SlideShark Pro account holders are able to invite up to 10 attendees to view each presentation they broadcast. Users of SlideShark Team Edition, the multi-user business version of SlideShark, can invite up to 25 attendees per broadcast. Free SlideShark users, as well as individuals withSlideShark Plus accounts, can try out the capability through May 31 at no cost – inviting up to three attendees to view each broadcast.

Additional new features available to all users as part of SlideShark 3.0 include the ability for presenters to:

• Draw on slides, using SlideShark’s new annotation capabilities. Presenters can draw attention to elements with a highlighter or pen – choosing from six different colors and three thicknesses. They can erase sections, as well as the entire drawing, and save their annotations for reference and/or future use. Annotations are also visible in real time during a broadcast.
• Take advantage of SlideShark’s laser pointer feature, when using the iPhone or iPod touch as a remote control to advance presentations delivered from the iPad.

“Sales enablement is a strategic priority for many organizations today, as they look at how to best equip sales teams to drive bottom line results,” said Edge Coble, research analyst within the sales enablement strategies practice at SiriusDecisions, a leading analyst firm focused on sales and marketing effectiveness. “Because sales reps are increasingly mobile and time-constrained, solutions that enhance productivity on the road are critical. In this regard, products such as SlideShark – that enable sales professionals to deliver powerful presentations from their mobile device at hand, loop in colleagues and prospects in remote locations, and get actionable data on presentation effectiveness – can help companies drive their business forward.”

To view a Brainshark presentation with more details on SlideShark Broadcasting, please see https://www.brainshark.com/brainsharkinc/broadcasting. More details are also available at www.slideshark.com.

Hotels.com is getting amped for a Twitter sweepstakes in the U.S. and Canada in celebration of the new Hotels.com TV advertisement featuring animated rock stars.

The new broadcast creative from Hotels.com, Travelin’ Band, follows a fictitious band on the road that looks to Hotels.com to book their hotel stays every step of the way through their overnight success. Smart, the friendly and ever-knowledgeable Hotels.com concierge escorts the band throughout their booking process where we see them book nearby last minute rooms via their Hotels.com mobile booking app.

Hotels.com Twitter followers can enter to win a $50 music gift card and a set of ear buds by simply tweeting to @hotelsdotcomusing the hashtag: #TravelinSweeps. One winner from the U.S. and one from Canada will be selected daily during the entry period in a random drawing of all entries received on that day.

“Time is a precious commodity for our consumers, and Hotels.com helps customers find the perfect hotel deal at the perfect place at any time via our mobile apps,” said Taylor L. Cole , APR, travel expert for Hotels.com. “Depicting the immediacy of getting a hotel in a fun situation like a band on the go helps bring this notion to life.”

Hotels.com designed this ad in partnership with Young & Rubicam Midwest to underscore the growing popularity and usage of mobile devices while traveling and to spotlight the company’s ultimate expertise—finding you the perfect place, every step of the way.

With the recent release of the new Windows 8 app, Hotels.com can now offer even more mobile customers access to almost 200,000 hotels worldwide in more than 25,000 destinations, more than 20,000 last-minute deals, more than 7 million user reviews and last-minute hotel rooms close to their location.

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