Last month we Launched Los Angeles Tech and in the announcement we provide the Hot List for the first half of January 2009. When I drill down on that term, you can see why with posts like: Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals Lops A Third Of Company THQ Lays Off 100 Employees, Closes San Diego Office Citrix Cuts 10 Percent; Santa Barbara Hit And it's also interesting to see what geographies are being associated with "Layoffs" more often than others: Layoffs Woodland Hills Layoffs San Diego Layoffs Santa Monica Layoffs Los Angeles I guess this is a sign

Two Los Angeles-based venture firms, DFJ Frontier and Anthem Venture Partners , have invested in a Portland software firm developing online identification and single-sign in software. Anthem Ventures and RPM Ventures also participated, with Cremin, Anthem's Samit Varma, and RPM's Tony Grover all joining the company's board along with the funding. Tags: According to Portland's JanRain , it raised $3.25M in a Series A round led by DFJ Frontier's David Cremin. JanRain's software allows for single sign onto web sites, including using OpenID and other standards.

Los Angeles-based AdventureLink , a venture funded online adventure travel booking site, said Friday that it has appointed Jeff Dossett as the firm's Chief Executive Officer. AdventureLink is venture funded by Anthem Venture Partners, The Mailroom Fund, and Allegis Capital. Dossett was most recently at Yahoo!, where he was Senior Vice President of Audience Experiences for North America.

Los Angeles-based AdventureLink , the new adventure travel booking site run by Kelly Tompkins, announced this morning that it has acquired a competitor, Adventure Central . AdventureLink is also venture backed by Anthem Venture Partners and The Mail Room Fund. READ MORE>> ...Tags: Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. According to AdventureLink, the all-stock deal also included a new investment from Allegis Capital.

Jason Calacanis , CEO of Santa Monica-based Internet search site Mahalo , has signed on several angels for his new angel group, the Open Angel Forum - Los Angeles . Calacanis--who started the group as an outgrowth of his crusade against pay-to-pitch angel groups like The Keiretsu Forum--said in his blog today that he has signed up Matt Coffin , Sky Dayton , and Bill Woodward as members of his group. Coffin is the founder of LowerMyBills, Dayton is the founder of Earthlink, and Woodward is a venture capitalist at Anthem Venture Partners. Calacanis

Los Angeles-based Buzz Media , the online network of celebrity-focused web sites, announced today that it has inked a deal with OK! Buzz Media is venture backed by Focus Ventures, Anthem Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, Redpoint Ventures, and Sutter Hill Ventures. READ MOR Magazine. OK!

Los Angeles-based Buzznet , which operates a network of web sites focused on celebrities and pop culture, announced this morning that it has raised $12.5M According to the company, the funding round was led by Focus Ventures, and also included Anthem Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, Redpoint Ventures, and Sutter Hill Ventures. and will rename itself Buzz Media. Buzznet operates a network of music and celebrity focused web sites, including Celebuzz, Buzznet, the Superficial, SocialiteLife, What Would Tyler Durden Do, Stereogum, Idolator, Just Jared and Absolute Punk.

Los Angeles-based Buzznet , the venture-backed operator of a network of entertainment-focused social media sites, is making the rounds with a new feature on its Celebuzz celebrity web site this week. Celebuzz is one of a number of sites owned by Buzznet, which is venture backed by Interscope, Universal Music Group, Anthem Ventures, NEA, and Redpoint Ventures. The firm rolled out a "zoom" feature that allows users on the site to magnify celebrity photos on the site. According to the site, the new feature will allow its members to see closeups of things like their designer

Los Angeles-based AdventureLink , which operates an online booking system for adventure travel, announced today that it has raised a Series A funding for the firm. The funding came from Anthem Venture Partners and The Mail Room Fund. Amount of the investment was not disclosed. According to AdventureLink, its online booking system allows travel agents to book adventure travel opportunities in 164 countries.

Los Angeles-based Audyssey Labs, a sound equalization technology firm founded by a number of well known innovators in the audio industry, announced Tuesday that the firm's technology has been chosen by Volvo Cars. Audyssey is venture backed by Anthem Venture Partners. According to Audyssey, Volvo will use its MultEQ acoustical correction technology to calibrate new cars equipped with Volvo's top of the line sound systems. Financial impact of the deal was not disclosed.