The funding came from Mission Ventures and Okapi Ventures. Leo Spiegel of Mission Ventures and Marc Averitt of Okapi Ventures have joined the firm's board as part of the funding. San Diego-based Transaction Wireless announced this morning that it has raised $2.25M in a Series A funding. According to the firm, it is developing mobile infrastructure for relationship marketing, including mobile POS and mobile gift cards.

Nirvanix is backed by European Founders Fund, Intel Capital, Mission Ventures, Valhalla Partners, and Windward Ventures. San Diego-based Nirvanix, a provider of storage-as-a-service, said Tuesday that the firm's technology is being used by video delivery firm Ooyala. According to Nirvanix, Ooyala is using Nirvanix to help its customers store and manage HD-quality video.

Networks in Motion is venture backed by Mission Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, and Sutter Hill Ventures, and provides local search software for such services as AAA Mobile on Sprint, Verizon Wireless and Alltel; Verizon Wireless' VZ Navigator; and YellowPages.com Mobile, among others. Irvine-based location-based services (LBS) firm Networks in Motion said this week that it has hired on a new Vice President of Engineering at the firm. Networks In Motion said that M.

SodaHead is venture backed by Mohr, Davidow Ventures, Mission Ventures, the Tech Coast Angels, and angel investor Ron Conway, and has raised $12.7M in venture funding since its launch in September of 2007. Los Angeles-based online social question and answer site Sodahead.com said today that the firm has reached more than 1 million registered users at the site. Sodahead.com, which operates a web site where users can ask and answer questions, share opinions, and network with other users, said that it has now recorded more than 5 million votes and 8 million comments

The round was led by Mission Ventures, and also included Bessemer Venture Partners. Venice Beach-based Access 360 Media, which operates an out-of-home advertising network, said today that it has raised $8M in a Series B funding round. Access 360 media operates a content-based network of programming for physical retailers, focused on the youth market.

The company is venture backed by Clearstone Venture Partners, Mission Ventures, the Pasadena Angels, the Tech Coast Angels, and others. Pasadena-based LeisureLink has signed on a loyalty and incentive company, Destination Rewards, as part of its travel services, the firm said earlier this week. LeisureLink, which provides online distribution and marketing of vacation lodging, said that it will offer consumer rewards and loyalty programs that can be used for vacation travel and merchandise.

The firm is venture backed by Austin Ventures, Centennial Ventures, Mission Ventures, and Sevin Rosen Funds. San Diego-based Slacker, which operates an online personalized Internet radio and associated hardware players, told its users today that it has rolled out a new, lower price offering. The firm said its new "Radio Plus" service will allow for ad-free, unlimited song skipping for $3.99

The firm is venture backed by Mission Ventures, Selby Ventures, and the Tech Coast Angels; the firm's technology is a result of CIA-funded research efforts at USC. Pasadena-based Big Stage Entertainment , which develops 3D avatar technology, said today that it has partnered with video game company GGL Global Gaming, to provide free game content on its web site. According to Big Stage, the deal will allow users on the site to insert the firm's 3D avatars into game photos and videos.

Big Stage is backed by Mission Ventures, Selby Venture, and the Tech Coast Angels. Pasadena-based Big Stage Entertainment, which is developing 3D avatar technology, said today that it has opened up its proprietary 3-D facial modeling system to third parties. According to the firm, it will make its technology available via a program called PortableYou, to enable third parties to integrate the technology into video games, virtual worlds, web sites, mobile applications, and more.

Pasadena-based Big Stage Entertainment , the venture-backed startup which is developing photo-realistic avatar technology, has exited its beta and officially launched its site. BigStage is venture backed by Mission Ventures, Selby Ventures, and the Tech Coast Angels, and is based on research from the University of Southern California; the firm's CEO, Phil Ressler, was formerly a venture capitalist at Clearstone Ventures, and the firm was co-founded by Jon Snoddy and Jon Kraft, who also helped co-found music service Pandora. The firm said the official launch will allow users to create what the firm calls an "@actor" -- a 3D avatar which can be inserted into movie and TV clips, music videos, still images, and elsewhere.