Peter Csathy to join Board of Directors of Preccelerator®, lead its investment strategy, and oversee anticipated investments
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles and CREATV Media Announce Strategic Alliance to Provide Comprehensive Service Offering to Digital Media and Technology Companies
SANTA MONICA, CA – JANUARY 24, 2017 – Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP, a leading Southern California business, technology and digital media law firm, today announced that it will expand its successful early stage accelerator, the Preccelerator®, to accept a larger group of digital media and technology companies, significantly expand benefits to incoming startups, and look to make strategic investments in these companies and others. Peter Csathy, Chairman of CREATV Media, a leading digital media strategic advisory and business development firm, will join the Board of Directors of the Preccelerator to lead its investment strategy and oversee anticipated investments.
“By partnering with Peter, we will grow the firm’s industry leading Preccelerator® into a full-service platform that not only mentors young companies, but also provides smart venture capital and paths to strategic business development and consulting via CREATV Media,” said Scott Alderton, Chairman of the Preccelerator and Managing Partner of Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP. “While the Preccelerator has seen a lot of success, we want to continue to foster the growth of our early stage companies. By adding more companies, formalizing our class structure, expanding benefits and providing initial seed capital, we will give them a greater shot at success. With Peter’s vast experience and industry leadership, he will lead the investment strategy for these companies.”
To date, the Preccelerator Program has graduated five classes with the majority of the twenty-two companies being accepted into larger accelerator programs and incubators or successfully raising their seed funding round. Stubbs Alderton & Markiles launched the first-of-its kind program to provide select start-ups with co-working space, education, networking, mentorship and sophisticated legal services, with the objective of helping grow a founder’s idea from business concept to a funded company. To apply to the Preccelerator, visit www.preccelerator.com/application.
“Stubbs Alderton’s reputation, entrepreneurial approach and shared vision in growing today’s digital media and technology market, what I call “Media 2.0”, is one of the many reasons we made this happen,” said Peter Csathy, Chairman of CREATV Media. “We deeply believe the growing convergence of content and technology is a worldwide addressable market that requires leading business and legal advisors who think “outside the box”, are deeply connected, move at entrepreneurial speed, and provide access to respected thought leaders and ultimately to smart capital. We aim to bring all of this to our collective client base, and to build CREATV Media and the Preccelerator as launchpad platforms for the world’s next digital media and technology stars.”
The partnership will also look to expand the overall service offering to clients – making available CREATV Media’s deep network of relationships and suite of business development and strategic advisory services and Stubbs Alderton’s deeply-rooted and expanding scope of legal services, led by Greg Akselrud, Chairman of the firm’s Internet, Digital Media and Entertainment practice, and Scott Alderton, Chairman of the Firm’s Venture Capital and Emerging Growth practice.
Stubbs Alderton also announced that Greg Akselrud would join the Board of Directors of the Preccelerator, that Louis Wharton, a law firm partner and current Director of the Preccelerator, would be appointed to President of the Preccelerator, and that Heidi Hubbeling, the law firm’s Director of Marketing and current Director of Operations for the Preccelerator, would be appointed to Chief Operating Officer of the Preccelerator.
About Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP is a Southern California based business law firm with robust corporate, public securities, mergers and acquisitions, entertainment, intellectual property, brand protection and business litigation practice groups focusing on the representation of, among others, venture backed emerging growth companies, middle market public companies, large technology companies, entertainment and digital media companies, investors, venture capital funds, investment bankers and underwriters. The firm’s clients represent a broad range of industries with a concentration in the technology, entertainment, videogame, apparel and medical device sectors. The firm’s mission is to provide technically excellent legal services in a consistent, highly-responsive and service-oriented manner with an entrepreneurial and practical business perspective. These principles are the hallmarks of the firm. For more information, visit https://stubbsalderton.com.
About the Preccelerator® Program
The Preccelerator® is a novel platform offered to select start-up companies out of the Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP Santa Monica office that provides interim office space, sophisticated legal services, education, networking, mentorship and $250,000 in usable perks from Google Cloud for Startups, Amazon Web Services, and HubSpot among others, with the objective of helping grow a founder’s idea from business concept to funded startup. The program also retains more than 50 active strategic mentors providing free office hours and discounted services, and provides over 50+ educational workshops and networking events each year. The expanded program will accept a greater number of companies in more formalized classes, depending upon where the companies are in their evolutionary growth, expand benefits to accepted companies, and will look to make strategic investments backed by strategic angel investors. To apply to the Preccelerator, visit www.preccelerator.com/application.
About CREATV Media
CREATV Media is a leading digital media and technology focused advisory, consulting and business development firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, New York City, Austin and Germany. The firm’s clients span the digital media and tech ecosystems – from the most innovative startups, to the most storied media companies and brands. The firm uses proven, proprietary methodologies – together with exclusive insights, access and market intelligence – to accelerate Media 2.0-related opportunities and transformational growth. The firm also frequently works with buyers and sellers to maximize M&A – positioning them to achieve the best possible outcomes, identifying potential targets and connecting them to key decision-makers, helping to structure and diligence potential transactions, and advising them every step of the way both pre and post transaction. The firm also organizes, programs and leads customized workshops, live events, pilot programs and start-up innovation labs and demo days. The firm’s ethos of fearless innovation is best summed up by its slogan “Media. Unboxed.” For more information, visit www.creatv.media.
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Contact:
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, LLP
Heidi Hubbeling
(310) 746-9803
hhubbeling@stubbsalderton.com
CREATV Media
Andrea Nunn
(323) 363-9932
andrea@creatv.media
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles’ client AllTrails, an online database of curated digital outdoor maps, has received a significant investment from Spectrum Equity, in connection with Spectrum’s acquisition of a majority stake in the Company, to help accelerate product development, add more trail content around the world and grow the Company’s user base. AllTrails was advised by Stubbs Alderton & Markiles while GP Bullhound served as financial adviser. Spectrum Equity was advised by Latham & Watkins. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles client Embodied, a robotics and artificial intelligence company, has raised $22 million in Series A funding to support its AI and robotics platforms for improved care and wellness. The investment is led by Calibrate Ventures and Jazz Venture Partners, and had participation from previous backers including Osage University Partners, Intel Capital, Grishin Robotics, and others.
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles client Kairos Ventures led a Series A funding round for PolyCera Membranes raising $9 Million. This round of funding will enable PolyCera Membranes, which develops and markets next-generation membrane technology for industrial wastewater treatment and process separation, to make immediate investments to build out its global manufacturing, R&D and sales capabilities. The Series A funding round was led by 
Stubbs Alderton & Markiles client Starship Technologies, a company developing small self-driving robotic delivery vehicles, announced this week that they have raised an additional $25 million in seed funding and have appointed Lex Bayer as Chief Executive Officer. The round includes follow-on investments from existing investors including Matrix Partners and Morpheus Ventures. Additional investors include Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, Skype founding engineer Jaan Tallinn, and former chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Gary Barber.
Louis A. Wharton is a Partner of the Firm and Director of the Preccelerator Program. Louis’ practice focuses on advising startup, emerging growth and middle market companies across a spectrum of industries in securities compliance, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters. He counsels clients in the technology, internet/e-commerce, pharmaceutical, apparel and entertainment industries, among others. Louis serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA), and previously served on the San Fernando Valley Bar Association Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of ProVisors’ Technology Group.
