At the start of 2017, it would have seemed overly optimistic to expect a similar outcome to the wild success that was the year of 2016. That caution turned out to be unnecessary, however, with local tech companies experiencing their best year-to-date.
Over the past 12 months, the team at Built In LA spoke with dozens of tremendously talented and knowledgeable individuals, learned about cutting-edge innovations and forged relationships with tech companies in LA and Orange Counties — and we had a blast doing it. With another new year coming up fast, here were our favorite tech stories from 2017.
How a summer project to help the family business turned into a $220M company
"I enjoy learning how entrepreneurs were inspired to launch their companies. How did they leverage their unique experience to identify a problem? How did they collaborate with their network or existing customers to develop a scalable solution?
This year, my favorite Built In LA article focused on the backstory of entrepreneur Ara Mahdessian, co-founder of ServiceTitan. It was wonderful to learn how Mahdessian set about solving a problem for his family business that evolved into a successful company — one that supports small business owners as well. What a fantastic way to carry forward the example set by his entrepreneurial family." — Sarah Aylward, senior content editor
The future of fun: How Two Bit Circus uses lasers, fire and tech to make sure you never grow up
“Fire, flare, fun. Those aren’t just superlatives of the company featured herein — they speak toward the level of innovation being done in the LA tech scene proper.” — Sammy Dewey, content manager
LA tech legends: How Oded Noy went from jazz trombonist to machine learning pioneer
“I was fortunate enough to be able to interview a lot of interesting people this year, but my conversation with ZEFR CTO Oded Noy really resonated with me, not just because of how passionate he was about supporting local business, but also how thoughtful he was. It wasn’t just the stuff pertaining to the article, either; I felt like I became a better person after hearing his outlook on life.” — John Siegel, staff writer
More than a hookup app: How Grindr for Equality harnesses its global reach to fight for LGBTQ rights
“I think my favorite article of 2017 was the Insider Spotlight we published featuring Grindr. When I first learned of the Grindr for Equality initiative, I really felt passionate about sharing the story. I was really happy Built In LA could highlight another side of a well-known tech company.” — Jacquie Barkett, director of business development
A seat at the table: How these 3 women got into engineering
“Hearing from women engineers in LA tech was really inspiring. While it’s still a small number, reading what these ladies had to say gave me hope that things are moving in the right direction.” — Maureen Liddy, account manager
