A weekly roundup of must-read L.A. tech investments and acquisitions.
Atom Tickets
$50 million
Type: Equity
Location:
Investors: Lionsgate, Walt Disney Co. and Twentieth Century Fox
Description: Atom Tickets is a movie ticketing app. The company’s investors see the app as a way to fill unsold theater capacity. The app can be used to purchase tickets and concessions, as well as invite friends to specific movie showings. Atom Tickets also provides movie reviews, trailers and movie summaries. Launched in 2014, the app is available on Android and iOS, but only in select regions. The company is gearing up for a national rollout later this year.
Related: Atom Tickets Raises $50 Million from Studios
WEVR
$25 million
Type: Equity
Location: Venice
Investors: HTC, Samsung Ventures, Evolution Media Partners, Madison Wells Media, Orange, Digital Garage, AME Cloud Ventures, Boldstart Ventures, Scott McNealy and Ross Levinsohn.
Description: Founded in 2010, WEVR produces virtual reality content and has developed a virtual reality publishing platform, which plays content for a variety of virtual reality headsets including Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive and Oculus Rift. The cash infusion will be used to accelerate development of WEVR’s virtual reality viewing software named Transport, and to co-produce and promote original virtual reality content.
Related: Virtual Reality Startup WEVR Raises $25 Million
The Bouqs
$12 Million
Type: Equity
Location: Venice
Investors: The Series B round included investors Quest Venture Partners, Azure Capital Partners, KEC Ventures, Enspire Capital, Draper Associates and funds from crowdfunding platform OurCrowd.
Description: Founded in 2012, The Bouqs Co. is an online flower delivery company. The company sources its flowers from farms in the United States, Ecuador, Colombia and Costa Rica. In July, the company began offering same-day flower delivery sourced from local florists. The investment will be used to expand its farm-direct supply chain, local florist networks and to increase the company’s 40-person staff by about 25 percent in the next several months.
Related: The Bouqs Raises $12 Million
OpenMethods
$5 Million
Type: Equity
Location: Los Angeles
Investors: Kayne NewRoad Ventures Fund and NewRoad Capital Partners
Description: OpenMethods software allows customers to contact companies by several channels, including email, chat, text, social media and phone. Customer service centers can then use the software to track customer messages and organize a response. The firm’s goal is to help complex customer service centers manage their workflow more efficiently and provide a cheaper option than custom-built software. The investment will be used to enhance OpenMethods’ software and to push growth through new sales and marketing efforts.
Related: OpenMethods Raises $5 Million
Deluxe Entertainment Services Group
Undisclosed
Type: Business unit sell off
Location: Burbank
Buyer: Adstream
Description: Deluxe Entertainment Services Group of Burbank has sold off its AdServices unit, which develops television content management software, to London’s Adstream. The sale price was undisclosed, but was an “eight figure deal,” said Adstream. The Deluxe Adservices unit was bought for its customer base and trusted brand, said Adstream Global Strategy Director Ian Wheal. Adstream’s cloud-based software helps brands, creative agencies and publishers collaborate around large digital media files as the content is passed around, edited and then ultimately distributed.
Related: Deluxe Sells Its Ad Management Software Unit
Technology reporter Garrett Reim can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @garrettreim for the latest in L.A. tech news.
