Economic Development News

The New York Times has named Pasadena as one of its 52 places to visit in 2024! Pasadena was placed amongst other locations such as Paris, Quito, Vienna and Brasilia. The Times lauded Pasadena's natural beauty, hiking and biking trails, the Norton Simon Museum and Pasadena Playhouse as well as hot new restaurants among reasons our great city is a top destination.

Vogue provides an insider's guide highlighting Pasadena's unmatched charm. Vogue recognizes Pasadena's great restaurants, cute coffee shops and diverse shopping, from high-end stores to small businesses and boutiques. The guide recommends various wellness and beauty shops, salons and spas, and encourages visitors to see the Norton Simon Museum, Huntington Library and Gardens and Pasadena Playhouse.

Arthouse chain Landmark Theatres has signed into a long-term lease agreement with the Playhouse 7 movie theater in Pasadena. Located at 673 E. Colorado Blvd., the seven-screen, 1,300-seat venue will reopen under the Landmark banner this summer.  Read more...

In its debut on Glassdoor’s list, which is based solely on the input of employees, JPL appeared at No. 12 among large U.S. employers. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been named one of the Best Places to Work in 2022 among large employers in the U.S., ranking No. 12 on Glassdoor’s Employees’ Choice Awards list honoring 100 employers. This marks JPL’s debut on the awards list, which is based solely on anonymous and voluntary reviews posted by current and former... continue reading »"JPL Named Among ‘Best Places to Work in 2022"

As the clock was running out on 2021, L.A. County was poised to get another publicly traded company: Pasadena-based solar technology firm Heliogen Inc. On Dec. 31, Heliogen was set to start trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HLGN, the product of a special purpose acquisition company deal that valued the company at $2 billion. Three days earlier, on Dec. 28, the board of the SPAC, Kennesaw, Ga.-based Athena Technology Acquisition Corp., approved the merger... continue reading »"Solar Energy Company Heliogen Set for New Year’s Eve Debut on NYSE"

The Tech Tribune staff has compiled the very best tech startups in Pasadena, California. In doing our research, we considered several factors including but not limited to: Revenue potential Leadership team Brand/product traction Competitive landscape Additionally, all companies must be independent (unacquired), privately owned, at most 10 years old, and have received at least one round of funding in order to qualify.  Read more....

Amazon is officially entering the race to develop a quantum computer, joining U.S. and Chinese rivals in the quest to harness the properties of nature’s tiniest particles into computing power far surpassing existing machines. Amazon will base its quantum team at a new center on the campus of Caltech in Pasadena, Calif., which officially opens this week. Caltech described it as the first “corporate-partnership building” on the university’s campus, showing “Caltech’s interests in bringing fundamental science to the marketplace.” The... continue reading »"Amazon joins race for quantum computer with new Caltech center"

In a project seeking to advance the field of robotic mobility, scientists at Caltech have unveiled a bipedal robot fitted with propellers with an unusual gate that lies between walking and flying. The Legs Onboard Drone, or LEONARDO, made its appearance in a paper published Wednesday online in Science Robotics, and also featured on the cover of the journal’s October issue. “Part walking robot, part flying drone, the newly developed LEONARDO — short for LEgs ONboARD drOne, or LEO for short —... continue reading »"Pasadena Researchers Unveil Unique Robot That Can Skateboard, Walk a Slackline"

The biotech sector in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley got a jolt of energy earlier this month. Pasadena City College’s Keck Biotechnology Program has received a renewal grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state’s stem cell agency, worth more than $3 million over the next five years. The “Bridges to Stem Cell Research and Therapy” grant will allow PCC to continue its mission of educating the next generation of stem cell lab technicians and researchers. “This renewal of CIRM’s support reaffirms... continue reading »"$3 million Grant Renewal Drives Stem-cell Research in PCC’s Keck Biotechnology Program"