Summer can be a slow time in San Diego, but its startups have stayed busy. Read on for news of recent financings, plus upcoming opportunities to connect with the local tech community.
—Ezoic, a startup that developed software for web publishers that uses machine learning techniques to personalize layouts and ad placements for site visitors, raised $33 million to further develop its technology. Sageview Capital, an investment firm with offices in Palo Alto, CA, and in Greenwich, CT, was the lone investor that participated in the deal.
Based in Carlsbad, in northern San Diego County, Ezoic launched its platform in 2011. Six years ago, it raised $5.6 million in a round led by London-based venture capital firm Balderton Capital. The company, which has about 100 employees, also has offices in London and the UK’s Newcastle.
—Oska Wellness, which sells a device that uses pulsed electromagnetic field technology to treat chronic pain relief, raised a $5.5 million seed financing round from a group of individual investors. The startup markets the device as a drug-free alternative to managing chronic pain. All of the participants in the funding use Oska’s Pulse device, according to the company.
Investors in the round include Les Cross, the former CEO of medical device company Alphatec Spine (NASDAQ: [[ticker:ATEC]]), and T. Denny Sanford, a South Dakota businessman and philanthropist who has donated millions to organizations in the San Diego region, including the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, National University, UC San Diego, and the San Diego Zoo. Oska says it will put the money toward sales, marketing, distribution, and product development.
—Trust & Will was recently featured on Entrepreneur Magazine’s new Elevator Pitch show. Spoiler alert: The startup, which offers digitized estate planning, raised $250,000 at a valuation of $8 million. Last year, the company raised an initial financing round of $2 million. Watch the episode here; Trust & Will CEO Cody Barbo’s 60-second pitch starts around minute 13.
—The University of San Diego is putting on an event at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday for people considering its new web development program, which it offers through Thinkful, an online coding bootcamp. Intended for people in San Diego who are considering pursuing a job in technology, the free event will feature a panel of people from tech companies including Qualcomm (NASDAQ: [[[ticker:QCOM]]), Lytx, Intuit (NASDAQ: [[ticker:INTU]]), Instructure (NYSE: [[ticker:INST]]), and LinkedIn. The USD program, which costs $10,500, is offered through its Division of Professional and Continuing Education. Register for the event here.
—UC San Diego startup hub the Basement is hosting its annual Summer Innovation Showcase at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The free event will feature demos by the startups in The Basement’s incubator programs. Register for the event here.
—Applications are open for startups that want to vie for a spot on stage at the 13th annual John G. Watson Quick Pitch Competition, the region’s biggest such yearly contest. Winners will receive a cut of $75,000 in prize money. The competition, slated for Oct. 29 at Qualcomm’s Irwin Jacobs Hall, is being jointly hosted by Tech Coast Angels, Connect w/ San Diego Venture Group, and Cox Business. Twenty startups will be selected as semi-finalists from among all applicants; 10 will make the cut as finalists. Deadline is Aug. 23. Apply for the contest here. General admission is $85. Register to attend the event here.
