Local tech lifts 'Lady in the Lake' out the water

Newsletter for July 24, 2024

Michael Raphael and his team at the Owings Mills-based 3D scanning firm Direct Dimensions have been involved in hit movies like Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame,” “Deadpool” and “The Hunger Games.” Usually, the team has to haul their equipment to sets. But for the new show "Lady in the Lake," which is set in Baltimore, they got to work closer to home. You can learn about the company's involvement, plus how the Apple TV+ show contributed to the Maryland economy, below.

Plus, we have a roundup of regional funding-related news from the last month. One of the top points is that the Locust Point-based Under Armour is set to pay $434 million in a class-action settlement. More details on that below.

— Kaela, Technical.ly lead reporter in DC and Baltimore

The newly released series, based on The New York Times bestselling novel by Baltimore author and journalist Laura Lippman, generated more than $100 million for Maryland and looped in 2,456 local businesses, according to the Maryland Department of Commerce. Direct Dimensions was one of those companies.

Direct Dimensions' CEO and president Michael Raphael explained that his team scanned people and buildings for several different purposes — for example, to figure out camera angles and extend sets to look bigger on screen.

“We take things in the physical world, anything from big to little, and we digitize them or scan them and put them into the computer,” he explained to me.

➡️ Learn more about "Lady in the Lake" and Direct Dimensions' contributions here.

People who purchased shares in the apparel giant first sued the company in 2017, accusing it of misrepresenting its financial performance. The case was initially dismissed before later reopening after an SEC investigation.

Under Armour, while not admitting to wrongdoing, recently announced its intention to pay a $434 million settlement, Technical.ly editor Sameer Rao reports. The payout still needs approval from the US District Court for Maryland.

In other investment news, the American subsidiary of Belgium-based Cenergy Holdings is developing a facility in South Baltimore to manufacture components for offshore wind infrastructure.

➡️ Check out more in the latest Baltimore Money Moves report.

Do startup founders still need a lawyer in 2024, and have law firms' views of startups changed over the past 20 years? Yes…and yes.

Ballard Spahr partner Kim Klayman writes about the topic often; her guest posts are regularly some of Technical.ly’s most popular articles. Tune in at 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, July 31, as she joins Chris Wink on Builders Live to discuss her experiences with VC, private equity, family offices and corporate venture groups. The discussion should be useful not only for other startup lawyers, but anyone interested in content marketing in the innovation space.

➡️ Register to join us and ask questions live!

This sponsored blurb supports our journalism. Want to see your message here? Contact [email protected].

• There's no question that manufacturing significantly affects communities in both good and bad ways. Advanced manufacturing aims to move away from its predecessors' historic negative stigmas, like pollution. This industrial transition can kickstart equitable economic development, but it needs to be done right, writes Early Charm cofounder and executive officer Ken Malone. [Technical.ly]

• The Columbia construction company Harkins Builders created software to manage its projects. Now, it's selling that software, dubbed TeamBuilder, to bring in extra cash. [Baltimore Biz Journal]

• Gov. Wes Moore, along with several other Maryland political leaders, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. [Baltimore Sun]

• Aparna Sinha, a senior vice president at the Tysons Corner-headquartered Capital One and former Google executive, has been at the forefront of innovative tech for the span of her career. Right now, she leads the bank's AI and machine learning product development. Get the details on her career journey in our latest How I Got Here profile. [Technical.ly]

• How did Zac Blanchard oust incumbent Eric Costello in the 11th District race for City Council? He used the city’s public financing system, and the social media platform Reddit. to get his message out. [Baltimore Banner]

• The Maryland background check company Prembly merged with the Kenyan firm Peleza. [Baltimore Biz Journal]