4 Tech Start-Ups Take the Floor in Long Beach
Four technology start-ups financed by entrepreneurs Jan and Bob Davidson have relocated to a Long Beach office building where they share back-office functions. But don’t call it an incubator.
“They are not looking to make a business of starting companies in order to take them public,” said Jack Allewaert, chief executive of Aquirex, the newest of the four ventures.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Aug. 3, 2000 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday August 3, 2000 Home Edition Business Part C Page 3 Financial Desk 1 inches; 27 words Type of Material: Correction
Futurekids--Futurekids, an operator of 2,000 computer learning centers in 75 countries, was incorrectly identified as a start-up in a Heard on the Beat column Wednesday. It was founded in 1983.
The move allows the companies to save money. They share management information system functions and telephone services. And, because they occupy an entire floor, they obtained a better lease deal by bargaining together. The companies moved into the building near Cal State Long Beach last month.
Jan Davidson, a former teacher in Torrance, and her husband, Bob, founded Davidson & Associates, an educational software company best known for its Math Blaster program. The couple sold the company in 1996 for $1.2 billion to CUC International, now called Cendant Corp.
The start-ups, peppered with former employees of the Davidsons, focus on technology and education. Besides Acquirex, a year-old business-to-business Internet company uniting schools with suppliers, the start-ups are:
* Neurosmith, an educational toy company known for its Music Blocks preschool toy.
* Brilliant Beginnings, a publisher of multimedia child-development guides for parents.
* Futurekids, an operator of 2,000 computer learning centers in 75 countries.
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Denise Gellene can be reached at denise.gellene@latimes.com, and Marla Dickerson at marla.dickerson @latimes.com.
