Follow the Money
Perspectium raised an $8 million Series A round to support expansion of its data services platform and sales and marketing activities directed at growth. Perspectium has developed data integration solutions for enterprise, helping customers integrate, monitor, and troubleshoot data while keeping the data in the hands of the owner. The funding round was led by San Diego-based TVC Capital and is the first outside money the company has raised since its founding in 2013.
CureMatch Announces Free Service for Children with Cancer
A few weeks ago we told you about CureMatch, a local biotech startup that analyzes genomic data from cancerous tumors and identifies the most effective treatment for that cancer. The company has now announced that they will be offering their service to children with cancer free of charge. “I have four children, and children are the ones with the most life to lose,” said Blaise Barrelet, cancer survivor and CEO of CureMatch. “Pediatric cancer is devastating. When a kid has cancer, it’s like the whole family has cancer. We don’t want these families to struggle financially, so we are offering our report to them at no cost.” The company also announced that other patients will only pay $1,000 for a treatment report. The analysis from CureMatch does not include the genomic testing of the tumor. Patients would have to use one of the third party providers for that and then share the information with CureMatch for the analysis.
A Seismic Shift in Office Culture
Named one of Inc.’s Best Workplaces of 2017, local startup Seismic is now getting some national attention from the business magazine in this primer on the company’s culture. Seismic is one of the companies in Southern California creating Silicon Valley-like office vibes. Seismic’s Nicole McGuire said, “It’s the same kind of casual environment, very flexible workplace, snacks and games — we’re mimicking that same Silicon Valley tech company, just on a smaller scale down here in San Diego.”
UCSD Opens First Virtual Reality Lab for Students
The first of its kind at an American university, UCSD has just opened a virtual reality lab. The lab was created specifically to serve undergraduate students who take courses in software programming for virtual and augmented reality. “Other universities may have labs that serve faculty and graduate students doing research in the field of virtual reality, and they may have a few VR systems for research use only,” said CSE Chair Dean Tullsen. “But to our knowledge, the VR Lab is the first designed primarily for undergrads learning how to create VR content.” The lab was two years in the making. It is equipped with 25 standalone systems combining an Oculus Rift head-mounted display, two controllers for navigating inside VR environments, a computer workstation equipped with a high-end graphics card, various peripherals, and a custom-made breakout box for plugging in and unplugging cables.
Pivots and Opportunities
San Diego Startup Week and Environmental Business International are hosting a Green Pitch Slam for Sustainability Entrepreneurs during Startup Week on Thursday, June 22. Applications are open to all stages of green entrepreneurs that have a product, app or business that is ready to be pitched to investors. Applications are due this Thursday, June 8.
The Sharkette Tank is still open for companies who want to pitch at the GeekGirl TechCon on Saturday, June 17. They are looking for local San Diego founders (female or male) who want to pitch their company in front of celebrity judges and industry leaders.
Be There or Be…
- Startup and Tech Mixer
Thursday, June 15, 6–9 p.m., Hotel Indigo, Level 9 Rooftop Bar, 509 Ninth Avenue
Hosted by Silicon Beach Young Professionals and Google - San Diego Startup Week
June 19–23
Tags: Blogs, CureMatch, Offices, Startup Buzz, UCSD, Virtual Reality
