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Doug Erickson 10/8/26 Doug Erickson 10/8/26

The Boring Billions: Why Santa Cruz Ventures Just Backed Farmblox

Santa Cruz Ventures adds Farmblox to its portfolio — a Santa Cruz–headquartered farm automation company that began in maple syrup and now guards California irrigation pumps against a copper theft epidemic.

Doug Erickson 7/21/26 Doug Erickson 7/21/26

From Maple Syrup to the Salad Bowl: Farmblox Brings Its Farm Automation Platform to Santa Cruz

Boston-born ag tech company Farmblox has relocated its headquarters to Santa Cruz, bringing a sensor-agnostic farm automation platform to the heart of California's specialty crop country — with ambitions well beyond the farm gate.

October 19, 2026

Is a Master's in Quantitative Economics on Your Radar? UCSC Wants to Hear From You

UC Santa Cruz's Economics Department is exploring whether its one-year MS in Quantitative Economics & Finance could serve working professionals in Santa Cruz County, and it's asking our community to weigh in.

October 16, 2026

Parallel Flight's Firefly Heads Down Under as Fire Seasons Go Global

La Selva Beach's Parallel Flight Technologies has tapped Australia's Drone Forge to distribute its Firefly heavy-lift drone across Asia-Pacific, just as wildfire seasons grow longer, larger, and less predictable on both continents.

October 15, 2026

From Santa Cruz to Nasdaq: Congratulations to West Coast Community Bank

A Santa Cruz success story reaches a major milestone on Wall Street, demonstrating how a community-focused bank can grow without losing sight of its roots.

Mixt & Co. Brings a Fresh Approach to Event Catering in Santa Cruz

Founded by longtime friends Lara and Natasha, the new Santa Cruz County business is bringing customizable grazing experiences to corporate gatherings, weddings and private celebrations.

Cruz Foam’s Rise and Closure Offer a Lesson in Product-Market Fit

After nearly a decade of developing sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging, the Santa Cruz startup has closed, with its intellectual property acquired by TemperPack. Former executive Toby Corey reflects on the challenges of building a business around promising technology and the lessons for other entrepreneurs.

October 14, 2026

Fitafter50: David Schutz Builds an AI Coach for Healthy Aging

After watching dementia reshape his father's life, David Schutz built Fitafter50 , an AI-enabled platform delivering personalized, bite-sized fitness and wellness guidance for people over 50. He will present at SCWorks New Tech on November 5.

10+ Paid Internship Opportunities Available for Santa Cruz County Young Adults

Local young adults ages can earn a paycheck and build real career skills through our AHSC Internship Opportunity Program, now in its second cohort and partnering with Cabrillo College.

Kharros Now Serves Both Sides of the Government Market, and Wants Introductions

Bootstrapped and cash-flow positive, Santa Cruz startup Kharros is now listed on the Pentagon's CDAO marketplace and running an autonomous BD engine for about 30 government-focused companies.