March 3, 2025

		

Jorge Mercado

Jorge Mercado is a staff writer with the Business Times. His beats include technology, agriculture, cannabis, energy and the environment, and higher education.


| Monday, November 30th, 2020

Well Health closes $45M venture round

Health Care & Life Science, left

Well Health, a Santa Barbara-based telehealth software firm—and one of the fastest-growing companies in the region—recently closed a $45 million funding round.

| Tuesday, November 24th, 2020

QAD reports slight revenue dip, big earnings jump

Banking & Finance, Earnings, Latest news, South Coast, Technology, Tri-County Economy, Tri-County Public Companies

Profits at Santa Barbara-based software firm QAD hit $3.2 million in the third quarter of 2020, up from $125,000 in the same quarter of 2019, the company announced Nov. 24. QAD had earnings of 16 cents per share, up from just 1 cent per share a year earlier. “We made significant progress toward our long-term Read More →

| Monday, November 23rd, 2020

Sonos earns $18.4M in 3rd quarter, but still shows a loss for the year

middle, Technology

Santa Barbara’s smart speaker darling Sonos has strong quarter

| Monday, November 23rd, 2020

Kate Farms secures $51 million round to finance expansion

Agribusiness, Latest news

Plant-based meal replacement company nets $51 million investment.

| Friday, November 20th, 2020

Vandenberg advocates vow to keep fighting

right, Technology, Tri-County Economy

Advocates of Vandenberg Air Force base as the headquarters for the U.S. military’s new Space Command say they’re not giving up, despite the omission of the Lompoc-area base from the list of finalists for the site. The U.S. Air Force announced its finalists on Nov. 19. The six locations are in New Mexico, Nebraska, Florida, Read More →

| Tuesday, November 17th, 2020

California moves up a notch in tech rank

Technology

California earned a No. 3 ranking in the 2020 Milken Institute State Technology and Science Index, moving up one spot from the last report in 2018 and finishing behind No. 2 Colorado and No. 1 Massachusetts. The Milken Index uses 105 metrics to determine each state’s science and technology capabilities relative to opportunities for job Read More →

| Monday, November 16th, 2020

LaunchPoint EPS develops electric flight systems in Goleta

right, Technology

LaunchPoint EPS is yet another Goleta-based tech startup with hopes to advance its game-changing technology.