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New Octane Head Plans to Beef Up Startup Booster

New Octane Chief Executive Bill Carpou is crafting a strategy to build awareness of the Irvine-based nonprofit; improve the development of early-stage technology and biomedical companies that use its programs; and bring outside investment into OC.

It’s an aggressive to-do list for the longtime consultant, who most recently ran a portfolio of underperforming companies he was charged with turning around as an executive vice president of a BlackStone Group subsidiary in Michigan.

“Having that experience opens the door to any number of VCs,” said Carpou, who took over the top post about a month ago following the departure of Matthew Jenusaitis. “I hope to build on that.”

Jenusaitis, who received high marks during his nearly six-year stint of turning Octane into a more influential player in linking young companies with investors, was recently named chief of staff at the UC San Diego Health System.

Carpou has already talked with interested investors from New York, Boston and Chicago in a whirlwind month filled with meetings with dozens of sponsors, board members, and local executives at breakfasts, lunches, dinners, coffee shops and conference rooms.

“It’s been a crazy month,” said the Laguna Beach resident. “I feel like I’m drinking out of a fire hose.”

Carpou wants Octane to stay more engaged with companies after they exit its Launchpad program and secure initial funding. He said those formative months are crucial to long-term viability.

“That’s an underserved market,” said Carpou, who also aims to improve Octane’s brand regionally and nationally.

When he received an initial call from Jenusaitis a few months ago piquing his interest in the positon, he said Octane intrigued him but that he didn’t know much about the organization, although he’s lived in OC since the late ’90s and travels in similar circles.

“I think there’s an enormous branding opportunity for Octane, as well as Orange County.”

Top Female Execs

Gina Mastantuono, Ingram Micro Inc.’s executive vice president of finance, and Broadcom Corp. Senior Vice President of Engineering, Maryam Rofougaran, were named two of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology in 2015 by the National Diversity Council.

Santa Ana-based Ingram is the world’s largest distributor of computers, software and other technology products, with annual revenue topping $46.4 billion. Irvine-based Broadcom is the world’s eighth largest chipmaker, with sales of more than $8.4 billion last year.

Fitness App Debuts

Irvine-based startup Pear Sports LLC and Lindora Inc. in Costa Mesa have developed an interactive iPhone app that monitors heart rate and provides real-time audio coaching and motivation to maximize workouts and performance.

The free Lindora Lean for Life! Fitness App offers a library of customized exercise plans for any fitness level and delivers stats on heart rate, calories burned, pace, and others metrics.

The companies aim to wring in revenue through in-app purchases.

The workouts are developed by Dr. Phil’s fitness consultant, Robert Reames, and​ Runners World columnist and author Jenny Hadfield.

Pear has a deal with Finish Line Inc. to distribute its wearable device among the Indianapolis-based company’s growing line of specialty running stores. It has raised about $9 million to date, including a $1 million investment from Irvine-based Vizio Inc.

Lindora, a Business Journal Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award winner in 2012, has more than $50 million in annual revenue. Newport Beach-based private equity firm Solis Capital Partners LLC and Irvine-based Innovate Partners acquired an equity stake in the company in February.

Innovate was founded by managing partner Robert Allison, Pear’s cofounder and chief executive.

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