The StartUp Beat: 3/9/07
-Geni.com raises $10 million – Business 2.0 reports that Los Angeles-based social genealogy site Geni.com has raised another round of funding, giving the company a nearly $100 million valuation, after only about two months since launch. Here’s the article: Geni raises another $10 million
-“The Pitch” by StartUp Beat – We’ve added a new section, called The Pitch, where executives at local tech startups pitch their companies directly to StartUp Beat readers. It’s basically an opportunity for startups to submit an article that outlines the business model, introduces the product line(s) and the people behind the company. Founders and executives at early-stage companies don’t often get the chance to really outline their vision in the media (usually because they’re lumped into stories with other companies), and the goal of The Pitch is to present this opportunity. It should be noted that The Pitch is not a “pay-for-play” section – the featured companies are selected based on factors like innovation, financial backing, apparent strength of business model, etc. The first company featured is Santa Monica-based Answerbag. Check it out at: startupbeat.com/thepitch
-SoCalTech reported yesterday that Movie Gallery, which owns the Movie Gallery, Hollywood Video and Game Crazy video rental chains, has purchased Burbank-based MovieBeam. More details at SoCalTech: Movie Gallery Buys MovieBeam
