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dot.LA Weekly Update

We're back!

July 14, 2023

What a whirlwind of a month it’s been. To give you all a quick peek under the hood at dot.LA, we’ve been hard at work building a new editorial strategy, setting up systems, and speaking to many of you, our readers. This week marks the first edition of our new venture deals focused newsletter, the dot.LA Weekly Update.

Going forward, we’ll use this newsletter to cover funding rounds for companies based in Los Angeles as well as investments made elsewhere by venture funds based here. We’ll also include some other interesting facts and a quick summary of what’s been going on in the LA venture and tech scene. If there are other topics you want us to cover, fill out our survey and let us know. If not, read on!

- Wil Chockley, CEO

P.S. If our newsletter ends up in your spam or promotions tab, please move it into your inbox, so you don't miss anything!

🔦Spotlight

LA-based gaming startup, Gardens, has leveled-up with an impressive $31.3 million in funding! 💰🎮🕹️

With alumni from popular games like Skyrim and Journey, Gardens has caught the attention of heavy hitters such as Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. To kick-start fundraising, Gardens presented a playable prototype behind closed doors, after that Lightspeed Ventures and other investors, came running:

  • Stephen “Slim” Lim, co-creator of Valorant

  • Nate Mitchell, co-founder of Oculus

  • Dreamhaven, co-founded by Mike Morhaime, founder of Blizzard Entertainment

  • V Pappas, chief operating officer at TikTok

  • Seth Sivak, vice-president of development for World of Warcraft

Gardens also added former Microsoft chairman John Thompson and former Sony Computer Entertainment America president and CEO Jack Tretton.

While they're keeping their debut game under lock and key, Gardens aims to create an online fantasy adventure that combines RPGs, MMOs, and action-adventure goodness. It's like mixing all your favorite flavors into one epic gaming smoothie! The game also aims to foster cooperation among players while allowing for PvP (Player versus Player) and conflict, offering a dynamic and evolving experience.

- Nick Conner, Head of Business Operations

🤝Venture Deals

LA-based Startups

  • Gardens, a young development gaming studio, raised $31.3M in a Series A round led by Lightspeed Ventures and Krafton - learn more

  • Apex Space, a satellite bus manufacturing startup, raised $16M in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz - learn more

  • Voice.ai, a real-time AI speech modulation startup, raised $6M in a funding round led by M13 and Mucker Capital - learn more

LA-based Funds

  • Clocktower Ventures has invested in Steadily’s $28.5M series B. Steadily is a landlord insurance startup - learn more

  • Struck Capital has invested in Verifiable’s $27M series B. Verifiable is a health care credentialing and compliane automation startup - learn more

  • Upfront Ventures has invested in Clair’s $25M equity round. Clair is an advance payment fintech for frontline gig workers - learn more

  • Bonfire Ventures led Upp.’s $10M seed round. Upp. is disrupting how retailers market and sell their products online - learn more

  • Bonfire Ventures led Alvys $6.3M seed round. Alvys is an end-to-end operating platform for middle mile logistics - learn more

  • Fika has invested in OneAdvisory’s $4.3M seed round. OneAdvisory is a Miami-based Wealth tech startup - learn more

  • Moonshots Capital led Proteus’s $4M seed round. Proteus Space is disrupting a dinosaur industry with software and additive manufacturing - learn more 

  • Crosscut Ventures has invested in TheySaid’s $2.1M seed round. TheySaid is a customer-led market intelligence startup - learn more

📅LA Tech Calendar

Thursday, July 13th

Friday, July 14th

  • Stargazing Lecture🗽 - Tired of down-to-earth Friday nights? Extraterrestrial Stargazing, lectures, and Q&A are here to change that!

  • Tech Happy Hour🗽 - Tired of extraterrestrial Friday nights? Come to this down-to-earth meetup for code and cocktails!

Monday, July 17th

  • LA Film & Web3 Meetup Monday Pizza Party🗽 - 90 second intros, networking, and expert speakers for entertainment and Web3 worlds at Bodega wine bar…say less!

  • Astronomy on Tap🗽 - Take a break from the normal 9 to 5 and enjoy talks, Q&A, trivia, and live music…all astronomy themed of course!

Tuesday, July 18th

  • Nerd Nite - Enjoy a TED Talk, while having a beer with friends and colleagues!

Wednesday, July 19th

  • Startup Arena - Apply to pitch on stage, attend pitch school, and hear from an investor panel in this all day event which concludes with L.A. Tech Happy Hour!

Wednesday, July 26th

Other events to add to the calendar

🗽 - Free

Have an awesome event coming up? Reach out to be featured on next week’s Newsletter!

⚒️Open Roles

Are you a tech firm, startup, or VC with open roles? Reach out to be featured on next week’s Newsletter!

🌍Around The Internet

LA-based marketing startup, Assembly, wasted no time adding threads to its capabilities. 🕸️💹😅

Assembly AI helps you instantly convert your content into a LinkedIn or Twitter post (and Threads). If you were pulling your hair out over one more platform to market over, let Assembly assemble your content for you!

📙What We’re Reading

  • LA Tech startup funding reached almost $100M in June - read more

  • The latest LA Venture Podcast from TenOneTen interviews Wes Nichols at March Capital - listen

  • PledgeLA and M13 announce ‘50 in 5’ call to support underrepresented founders - read more

  • Technical SEO for startups from Mucker Capital - read more

  • Behind the Brand features leaders at startups and VCs to highlight their unique perspectives on design, brand, and marketing - read more

  • FedNow instant payments are about to unlock fintech investment opportunities - read more

🙋‍♀️Key Hires

Want to reach 16,000+ Southern California founders, investors, and operators? Reach out to learn more about sponsoring or hosting an event with dot.LA