News Highlights
We don’t only report the news, we make the news. Our news highlights and archive here.
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Paystand Signs Deal with Japanese Financial Firm JBC
Santa Cruz based financial startup Paystand created a B2B solution that will give corporate customers an end-to-end digital payment platform. JBC, a large scale Japanese and Korean financial services firm recently signed on with Paystand. This is major step for the up-and-coming business and is an important progression toward Paystand’s innovative use of blockchain technology.
David Haussler - 2020 Santa Cruz Works Titan of Tech
One of this year’s Titans of Tech honorees is David Haussler, Scientific Director of the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute. David was kind enough to spend some time with Santa Cruz Works a couple weeks ago to make a video about his journey and discoveries in biosciences.
Golden Shovel Agency Breaks Ground in Santa Cruz
I recently met with Aaron Brossoit, CEO of the Golden Shovel Agency (“GSA”). Aaron recently moved to Santa Cruz to support existing clients, find new clients, and to enrich his work-lifestyle experience.
Uber’s plan to launch an air taxi service in 2023 just got a boost from Joby Aviation
Uber’s ambitious plans to launch an urban air taxi service just got a lift from a secretive, well-financed startup. The ride-hailing company said it would join forces with Joby Aviation
Happy Holidays from Santa Cruz Works
It has been a heart-warming and prosperous year for Santa Cruz Works. Our deep-hearted appreciation to this unique community for all the support. Our achievements, your accolades…
HERBST's Design for Pattern Wins Edison Gold and Good Design
Local design company HERBST is known for their design of the Buoy. In collaboration with Pattern, HERBST created the award winning Edison Gold and Good Design hardware solution.
Chris Miller Launches Santa Cruz DeepRacer Meetup Group
The AWS DeepRacer platform brilliantly made Machine Learning approachable by gamifying the learning process. DeepRacer is a 1/18th scale autonomous racing car with an onboard computer, camera, and a growing list of sensors such as Lidar and stereoscopic vision.
The 2019 State of Startups by First Round
Welcome to the fifth edition of State of Startups. What started as an experiment in 2015 has since become a treasured tradition at First Round. It's now the industry's largest dataset on what it’s like to run a startup with 3,600+submissions and 190,000+ data points.
Local Businesses Lost Thousands to PG&E Shutoffs
Local businesses suffered through lost business and unexpected expenses during Pacific Gas & Electric’s power safety shutoffs in October 2019. With little hope of reimbursement, diverse industries, especially hospitality and gastronomic institutions are facing financial repercussions.
City’s Innovative GO Santa Cruz Program Reports Strong Response from Downtown Employees
The results are in and they show strong support for the City’s new GO Santa Cruz Program. The initiative, launched October 1, aims to provide downtown employees with commute alternatives to single-occupant car trips. Since launch, 830 of 4,000 downtown employees (20.8 percent) have registered through the online portal for the program.
Digital NEST is $12,816 away from hitting the goal of raising $50,000!
The Codiga Family challenged Digital NEST this December to raise $50,000. To date, we have raised $37,184 in just 3 weeks!
Universal Audio Partners with Levi’s® Music Project and Stax Music Academy on “Song Lab”
This August, Universal Audio partnered with Levi’s®Music Project and music icon Justin Timberlake to outfit the Stax Music Academy in Memphis, Tennessee with a suite of world-class recording equipment.
Part 6: Why Santa Cruz? Tech On Purpose
In this final article of our six part series, writer Julia Sinn exposes the unique social entrepreneurship of the Santa Cruz tech community.
Important Update on the Future of Inboard Technology
On October 2, 2019, Inboard Technology’s Board voted to enter into an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC) agreement with the firm Sherwood Partners.
The Pathway to Tech Careers in Santa Cruz County
Like many cities around the world, Santa Cruz has seen significant job growth in tech over the past decade. In this article we discuss the organizations and pathways for the next generation of tech workers.
Talkin' Success Documentary Series on Entrepreneurship
What is success for entrepreneurs? A Santa Cruz based independent production company created an inspiring documentary series that chronicles the entrepreneurial journey of several West Coast businesses.
Neal Saiki's new Venture...
Neal Saiki, the founder of Zero Electric Motorcycles, has just revealed that after 3 intense years of R&D he has developed a revolutionary electric bicycle motor that is half the weight and twice the efficiency.
December Company Spotlight Breakfast - It's a Wrap
Thank you as always to all that came out to the December Company Spotlight Breakfast hosted by Capital One & Strahle Legacy Planning Law. And congrats to the raffle winners!
Google-Looker Deal May Not Close This Year
When Google announced its acquisition of Looker in June, it said it expected to close the transaction by year-end. But that may not happen, given this week’s development.
Ventana Surfboards featured in Latest Shopify Masters Podcast
In this episode of Shopify Masters, you’ll hear how David Dennis balances his career at Microsoft while running Ventana Surfboards, the key components of running an impactful sustainable business, and how Instagram drives most of their sales.

