la

Startups

“Faraday Future manages to keep its LA headquarters despite eviction threat, for the time being”

Faraday Future has avoided getting evicted from its Los Angeles headquarters — for the time being. The resolution comes as Faraday Future is once again strapped for cash. There, BXP Realty claimed that Faraday Future stopped making lease payments in December and that it owed $127,311.16. Faraday Future does not appear to have formally responded to the lawsuit, and in early March, a default order was entered. It’s unclear if Faraday Future still occupies the space.

Max Chen
April 3, 2024

Startups

Building Diverse Startups: The Impact of Plug In South LA in an Underserved Community

Derek Smith, the founder of Plug In South LA, grew up in southern Los Angeles and saw first-hand the frustration that stems from lack of economic development. And it’s why Smith’s ultimate goal for Plug In South LA is to smooth the way for Black and brown entrepreneurs looking to build tech startups and need help and guidance. “We really want to support those founders and entrepreneurs who can build businesses that can scale broadly,” Smith told TechCrunch. Smith sees a bevy of underutilized talent in areas like South LA. Vaughn Blake, a partner at Blue Bear Ventures, says he met Smith right after he launched Plug In South LA and was asked to participate on a panel during one of the early demo days.

Dylan Williams
March 3, 2024

Uncategorized

Waymo Begins Charging for Robotaxi Rides on LA and San Francisco Freeways

Waymo received approval Friday afternoon from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate a commercial robotaxi service in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Peninsula and on San Francisco freeways. Importantly, it opens up new territory for Waymo in one of the country’s largest cities and unlocks a route to the San Francisco Airport. Waymo has operated a commercial service 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the city of San Francisco since receiving approval from the commission in August. Waymo is also allowed to give people free driverless rides in parts of Los Angeles. Until today’s approval, it was not able to charge for rides in Los Angeles.

Kira Kim
March 1, 2024

CES, Robotics & AI

Jesse Lyu from Rabbit Makes a Leap to StrictlyVC LA, Landing on Leap Day

We’re announcing an exciting addition to our speaker lineup for StrictlyVC Los Angeles on February 29. Lyu is an entrepreneur renowned for his work in human-machine interaction. With rabbit, he leads a team dedicated to crafting intuitive experiences that redefine the way we interact with technology. Faraz Fatemi, partner at Lightspeed Venture PartnersFaraz joined Lightspeed as a Partner in 2022 and is focused on investments in consumer platforms. If you’re interested in learning how your brand can partner with StrictlyVC, head to our sponsorship form and someone from the team will respond shortly.