APPAREL
Sole Technology Inc. in Lake Forest appointed Esmail Mawjee interim president, a new position. Mawjee, who most recently served as strategic adviser at Active Ride Shop in Rancho Cucamonga, will be responsible for the overall operations of the company and report to owner and Chief Executive Pierre-Andre Senizergues.
AUTOMOTIVE
Hyundai Motor America in Fountain Valley will let prospective buyers in the L.A. and OC areas book test drives for the 2017 Elantra through Amazon’s Prime Now service and check out the sedan at local dealers. The pilot program runs Aug. 20-21 and Aug. 27-28.
FINANCE
NarrativeWave raised $1.2 million in Seed C funding, bringing its total funding to $3.2 million. The software startup is part of San Juan Capistrano-based Frost Data Capital. NarrativeWave provides “situational intelligence” for the industrial internet.
Irvine-based loanDepot.com LLC received $150 million in term debt financing. The nonbank residential lender declined to disclose the source of the funds. It said in a news release that it will use them to buy technology, develop products and retain certain loan assets.
MANUFACTURING
Costa Mesa-based Mocean Holding Company LLC was acquired on undisclosed terms by SNC Technical Services in Puerto Rico. SNC Technical’s chief executive said the deal is the first of many transactions to help diversify its products and client base. Mocean makes uniforms for first responders and private security employees. SNC Technical makes tactical and protective uniforms for the U.S. military.
MEDIA
Los Angeles Times Community News announced that the Daily Pilot, Huntington Beach Independent and Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot will merge on Sept. 7 to cover coastal OC. The paper will keep the Daily Pilot name and continue publishing Wednesday through Sunday.
The parent organization of the Orange County Register named Carlos Aviles editor of its three Spanish-language weekly newspapers and associated digital media—ExcĂ©lsior in Santa Ana, La Prensa in Riverside, and ImpactoUSA in Torrance. He joins Southern California News Group after a stint as editor of La OpiniĂłn, a Spanish-language daily newspaper published by ImpreMedia LLC in Los Angeles, and replaces Sandra Baltazar MartĂnez, who joined University of California-Riverside’s internal communications department.
NONPROFITS
The Newport Coast nonprofit organization Crystal Cove Alliance named Alix Hobbs president and chief executive effective. She most recently was president and CEO of environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay in Santa Monica. The alliance is the official nonprofit partner of Crystal Cove State Park that focuses on preserving the cultural, natural and historic resources of Crystal Cove.
SERVICES
Santa Ana-based Allied Universal was scheduled to launch autonomous robot products at an unveiling event in Irvine. The K5 and K3 will provide real-time video and audio surveillance with a human interface.
Welocalize Inc. acquired Irvine-based Global Language Solutions on undisclosed terms. The translation and interpretation services company, which posted $20.7 million in revenue last year and employs about 100, will remain in Orange County. Its founders plan to retire by the end of the year after the transition period, according to the company. The 22-year-old firm, which also has an office in Hungary, will keep its name for now.
STARTUPS
OCTANe in Aliso Viejo will work with California Life Sciences Association, which has offices in several cities, on statewide advocacy and programs for supporting OC life sciences companies. OCTANe helps develop local technology and life sciences companies. CLSA is a trade organization that represents life sciences companies statewide and nationally.
TECHNOLOGY
Former interim chief executive of Irvine-based Ubiquity Inc., which is transitioning from media to augmented and virtual reality, was slapped with civil fraud charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission and criminal fraud charges by the Department of Justice. Nicholas Mitsakos is accused of securities and wire fraud in connection with a San Francisco-based hedge fund he created and manages. Regulators allege he misrepresented the fund’s performance and the amount of assets under management.
