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Today’s funding and acquisitions roundup:
Web Content
Google Ventures Invest In HomeAway At $1.4 Billion Valuation (via TechCrunch)
Cloud Computing
Cloud Computing Startup Nomadesk Raises $7 Million To Support US Expansion (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
Carbonflow raises $4.2M to streamline carbon emissions trading (via DealsBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Cybersecurity
Endgame Systems Raises $29M, Debuts Web-Based Malware Detection Service (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
ReadyForZero Raises $260K To Help Cleanse Consumers Of Credit Card Debt (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
AppToU gets $1.8M for mobile application startup (via DealsBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Cloud Computing
Cleversafe Raises $31.4 Million From Motorola, VC Firms And … The CIA? (via TechCrunch)
RingCentral Rings In Another $10 Million From Khosla, Sequoia (via TechCrunch)
Enterprise Software
uCirrus Raises $4 Million For Datastream Processing Software (via TechCrunch IT)
Web Content
Makeup Discovery Service BirchBox Raises $1.4 Million Seed Round (via TechCrunch)
Former StubHub Execs Raise $2.5M For Ticket Management Software Company (via TechCrunch)
Company: 1SaleADay
Website: www.1saleaday.com
Headquarters: Brooklyn, NY
Year Founded: 2006; website launched in 2007
Founder: Ben Federman
Investors: Self-funded
Employees: 40
Company Description: 1SaleaDay offers unheard of discounts on name brand electronics, watches, jewelry, toys and wireless gear. Deals last just 24 hrs!
By Ben Federman, Founder
What is 1SaleADay.com?
1SaleaDay.com offers rock-bottom daily deals on electronics, watches, family products and jewelry with unheard-of deep discounts up to 90 percent off retail on products that are only available for just 24 hours. The site is the largest independently-owned daily deal site in the world, and wields tremendous buying power to offer outrageous deals to more than 350,000 daily site visitors on everything from high-end GPS units and digital cameras to pearl necklaces, luxury watches and even housewares and games. As a special surprise, the company clears out its inventory with its Chunk o’Junk Deal that features a box full of items randomly selected from past deals—for just $10. Customers never know exactly what they’re going to get, but Past Chunk o’Junk deals have included laptops, MP3 players, GPS units and even a 42-inch TV.
Founder’s Story
I founded the company as a Milwaukee native with no more than a high school equivalency degree after having joined the military as soon as I turned 18. My inherent belief in doing what’s right for my fellow man and the discipline gained during my combat experience fueled my entrepreneurial spirit. I launched 1SaleaDay.com from my living room, where I also stored inventory until I ran out of room and had to move product to a generous friend’s house. With no financial backing beyond a handful of credit cards, I started the company at 25 years old. Now, at 27, I own three other deep discount sites, employ 40 people and have a healthy revenue stream that last year allowed the company to donate 50 percent of its profits to charity.
Business Model
1SaleaDay.com leverages incredible buying power to offer customers the steepest discounts available anywhere, attracting throngs of Internet shoppers and allowing the company to generate revenue based on volume rather than markup. Where other online retailers might carry hundreds of SKUs and a 50-100 percent markup, 1SaleaDay carries just five products each day, at single-digit markup. No deal makes an appearance on the site unless it is hands-down, no questions-asked the best deal available anywhere. Driven by this commitment, 1SaleaDay.com has earned the trust of hundreds of thousands of customers who make the site their first web stop of the day.
Current Needs
1SaleaDay.com is always on the lookout for great products that manufacturers/distributors need to move in high volume without hurting their market price. Since the product is only up for just 24 hours, this safeguards against search indexing and comparison shopping.
The company is also on a mission to build greater awareness. To keep prices so low, 1SaleaDay.com does absolutely no paid advertising and relies solely on word-of-mouth exposure from its loyal fan base to help spread the word. The profitable company is currently considering outside investment offers, but not actively seeking capital funding.
1SaleaDay – www.1saleaday.com
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Mobile
Pelican Imaging Snaps Up $10 Million In Series B Funding (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
Zuberance turns word-of-mouth into $8M of new funding (via SocialBeat)
Viator Buys Online Private Tour Guide Network OurExplorer.com (via TechCrunch)
Trend.ly lands $1 million to discover what’s trending online in realtime (via TechCrunch Europe)
Cloud Computing
Cloudera Raises $25 Million in New VC Money (via GigaOm)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Social Media
Facebook investor Mail.ru files for $876M IPO (via DealsBeat)
HeyStaks grabs $1.4M to let friends collaborate in online search (via DealsBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
GigaOm raises $2.5M, claims 10,000 Pro subscribers (via MediaBeat)
Offers.com nabs $7M in first-round funding as online coupon sites battle (via VentureBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
“Zappos of China” OkBuy.com grabs $17M to go shoe shopping (via DealsBeat)
Spanish Group Buying Site Groupalia Lands Another $7 Million (via TechCrunch)
Unsubscribe.com Raises $2.1 Million To Help People Get To InBox Zero (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Mobile gaming news: Intel invests in OpenFeint (via GoMoNews)
Enterprise Software
IBM Buys Financial Governance Software Company Clarity Systems (via TechCrunch)
Gaming
Intel and The9 invest $8M in social game platform Aurora Feint (via VentureBeat)
Advertising
Fastclick Founder Is At It Again, Raises Seed Funding For Connexity (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Poptent raises $3M for new social network for crowdsourced video (via VentureBeat)
ShopSocially Nabs $1.1 Million Series A, Lets You Shop Socially (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
On the GreenBeat: Tesla opens Fremont factory, SiOnyx raises $12.5 million (via GreenBeat)
We all know that unemployment still hovers around nine percent nationwide, despite talk of an overall economic recovery. A recently-launched startup, Tischen (www.tischen.com), is taking on 
unemployment head-on with the tagline “Ridding the World of Unemployment.” Beyond the hype, though, this is a pretty cool approach to what is actually a site that connects freelancers and contractors with clients. It gives individual service providers multimedia webpages that essentially serve as super-resumes. The basic service is free, and even includes a calendaring service and a web-based form for job requests. New York City-based Tischen was founded in July of this year and has been funded by its founders so far.
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Hotel Room Auction Startup Off & Away Raises $2 Million From Madrona (via TechCrunch)
kaChing Gets $100M under Management and Gets All Wall Street with a New Name (via TechCrunch)
Goby Raises $2.5 Million For Activity-Driven Search Engine (via TechCrunch)
Betterfly Buys Music Instructor Listings Site Teachlist (via TechCrunch)
A startup once again, Kontiki raises $10.7M to give each company its own YouTube (via DealsBeat)
SkillSlate grabs $1.1M to find local service providers (via DealsBeat)
Gaming
EA Buys ‘Angry Birds’ Publisher Chillingo For $20 Million, Doesn’t Get ‘Angry Birds’ (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
On the GreenBeat: MBA Polymers raises $25M, Solar Components gets $2.8M (via GreenBeat)
Marketing
Real-Time Marketing Service Optify Raises $6.1 Million (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Honestly? People-review site Unvarnished gets a better name — and funding (via DealsBeat)
StockTwits raises $4M more for real-time investor community (via DealsBeat)
Hotel Room Auction Startup Off & Away Raises $2 Million From Madrona (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
Tendril acquires GroundedPower, raises $23 million (via GreenBeat)
On the GreenBeat: Boeing will test Chinese biofuel, ClearEdge raises $10 million (via GreenBeat)
Driving Down The Cost Of Solar, 1366 Technologies Raises $20 Million (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Stealth Android Enterprise Startup 3LM’s $1.5 Million Seed Round And 3 Laws Of Mobility (via TechCrunch)
PricewaterHouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association have released their quarterly report on VC funding in the U.S. The big takeaway is that funding from venture capitalists has dropped 31 percent quarter-to-quarter. These reports get a lot of attention, and in the past they’ve been an indicator of sorts of economic health and the entrepreneurial climate. This has been especially true for sectors like technology that have traditionally garnered large amounts of funding. The big question now is what significance do these numbers have in a slowly-recovering economy? In an overall climate in which VC investment is being frowned upon by many entrepreneurs, do fluctuations in VC activity really matter that much? The entire report can be found here: MoneyTree Report.
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
GreenTech
Update: Ice Energy raises a cool $24 million (via GreenBeat)
Social Media
Gamersband raises $500,000 for its geo-social network for gamers (via TechCrunch Europe)
Web Content
Sharethrough raises $5M to turn video ads into viral hits (via MediaBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
UberCab Closes Uber Angel Round (via TechCrunch)
StudyBlue Raises $3.6 Million For College-Focused Studying Platform (via TechCrunch)
Kabongo scores $1.1M to make reading fun for kids (via DealsBeat)
Social Media
Involver Closes $8 Million Series C For Its Social Media Marketing Platform (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Mobile Q&A Service ChaCha Raises $20 Million (via Mashable)
Company: Assistly
Website: www.assistly.com
Headquarters: San Francisco
Year Founded: 2009
Founder: Alec Bard, CEO
Investors: True Ventures and Social Leverage
Employees: 10
Company Description: Assistly is an elegant, web-based platform that makes customer support in a social marketing culture smarter, easier, and more affordable.
By Alec Bard, CEO
What Is Assistly?
Assistly is a hosted customer support platform that organizes and manages all of your customer conversations into a system that makes customer support efficient, fast, and effective. Assistly delivers the most current and relevant information about your customer requests to the right people in your organization and gives your teams intuitive and powerful tools to WOW your customers.
We understand that a sustainable competitive advantage is determined by your relationship with your customer. We help our clients embrace the customer-focused model, drive positive customer experiences, and build brand value.
So How Is Assistly Different?
- Listen to Your Customers IN REAL TIME
Assistly's help desk software collects and organizes all of your customer conversations into a single framework. This comprehensive, real-time view captures not only what customers are saying to you but also about you so you can intervene to manage your reputation and capitalize on "good buzz." As your support organization grows, this will keep your customer service agile and efficient.
- Manage All Your Customers in One Place
Assistly integrates traditional support channels (self service, phone, email, chat) with social media channels like Twitter and Facebook (coming soon) to give you a complete overview of all of your customer conversations. In addition, employees can see and manage a customer's account, order history, and more. The system prioritizes inquiries based on business rules you set up, so requests can be directed to and handled by the right people on your team.
- Efficiency through Automation
Assistly is focused on helping you retain and support your existing customers, particularly in high volumes. Today, even small and medium sized businesses might have millions of customers all over the world. Being able to service those customers requires a quantum leap in efficiency through automated tools. Assistly provides this. No matter how big your company gets, a single employee can handle thousands of customer inquiries and have a pleasurable working experience.
The elegant and agile knowledge base, macros, and business rules eliminate wasted motion. Your personnel can handle common questions quickly so they can focus on unique questions and deliver high-quality support where it matters most. When additional expertise is needed, anyone in the company can be pulled forward to participate. Support becomes an integral part of the corporate culture rather than a cost center.
360 Degree View of Your Customer
Assistly gives your support team access to your customer's entire support history at a glance—including data about your customers from your other systems (such as order history and account management)—enabling personalized, knowledgeable service tailored to their exact needs. In seconds, they can create and send tested, thoughtful answers to any question in the knowledge base and move on to wowing the next customer.
Assistly’s Goal is to WOW Our Customers
Our Payment Model Buoys a Customer-Centric Culture
Assistly has created a flexible, innovative pricing model that allows companies to have as many agents as they wish. Users simply pay by the hour of usage (in five-minute increments) for complete flexibility in the support environment. No costly licensing. More employees involved in crucial support and service. With Assistly all employees can participate in a culture of customer centricity.
Business Model
Assistly has an innovative payment system that makes it possible for all employees to participate in a culture of customer service. Monthly service fees are based on actual usage. Full-time agents can use the system for unlimited hours, and other employees participate hourly and pay usage fees only for the time they log.
Assistly offers a 30-day free trial, with no contract or long-term obligation.
Assistly has received funding from True Ventures and Howard Lindzon’s new investment fund, Social Leverage. Advisors include Mark Cuban and David Liu.
Current Job Openings
Assistly currently has openings for several key positions, including: Customer Service Ninja, Ruby-On-Rails Engineer, Product Designer, Marketing Director, and Systems Engineer
Assistly – www.assistly.com
Today’s funding and acquisitions news from across the web:
Cloud Computing
New Relic raises $10M to sniff out underperforming cloud computing apps (via VentureBeat)
Mobile
Synchronica acquires iseemedia, raises $7 million (via GoMoNews)
xAd gets $4M infusion to expand its local mobile ad network (via VentureBeat)
Perhaps lost amongst the chatter about today’s announcement of the Facebook/Bing partnership was another Facebook announcement that will give a huge boost to online payments firm PlaySpan. The company will provide payment options for Facebook’s expanding online gaming platform, which is a big deal considering that the potential payments volume for PlaySpan through the world's largest social network is enormous.
Santa Clara, Calif., based PlaySpan was founded in 2006, and by focusing on gaming has since struck deals with thousands of gaming sites and virtual worlds. Its flagship product is UltimatePay, which basically offers users multiple payment methods for gaming sites. They also offer a pre-paid card available at retail outlets. They’re international too—the company’s service is currently available in 180 countries.
While obviously not an early-stage startup, PlaySpan has still been raising money—most recently an $18 million Series C, led by Vodafone Ventures and Softbank in August. Other investors include Easton Capital, Menlo Ventures, STIC and Novel TMT Ventures. More on the Facebook partnership, from TechCrunch: Facebook Taps PlaySpan’s UltimatePay To Offer 20 More Ways To Pay For Credits
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Mobile
Qualcomm Subsidiary Buys iSkoot, Which “Mobilizes Internet Services” (via TechCrunch)
Broadcom aims for LTE and WiMax 4G with $316M Beceem acquisition (via DealsBeat)
xAD Raises $4 Million For Local Mobile Advertising Network (via TechCrunch)
Inovisi Takes $30m Stake in Ozura World (via MobileMarketing)
GreenTech
On the GreenBeat: LED installer Redwood raises $15 million, smart grid’s Accent brings in $7 million (via GreenBeat)
Web Content
SeatGeek Secures A Deal With The Wall Street Journal And $550k In Funding (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
7 Degrees Raises $6.8 Million For Social Business Mapping Application PeopleMaps (via TechCrunch)
Gaming
Gamervision Scores $1.5 Million For Gaming Community And News Site (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Care.com Raises $20 Million To Connect You To Nannies, Babysitters And Caregivers (via TechCrunch)
FashionPlaytes Raises $4 Million For Tween Clothing Design Platform (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
On the GreenBeat: Enfinity acquires ClearPeak, Google invests in $5 billion wind transmission project (via GreenBeat)
Gaming
Japan’s DeNA buys iPhone game publisher Ngmoco for up to $400M (via GamesBeat)
Just when we think the big search engines (Bing, Google…maybe even Wolphram Alpha and Mahalo) have the market cornered, someone thinks up a new approach. That’s startup NowRelevant is all 
about. Basically, the site, which just came out of beta, links to the Internet Time Machine search directory, allowing information about a subject to be searched for the past 14 days. It is certainly a niche product, but no doubt useful. Because it’s so central to the functionality of the Internet, search just may be one of those products that never ceases to lead to innovation. Here’s more about NowRelevant.
Today’s funding and acquisitions news, from across the web:
UI
Light Blue Optics raises $13 million to turn any surface into a touch screen (via VentureBeat)
Web Content
FashionPlaytes Raises $4 Million For Tween Clothing Design Platform (via TechCrunch)
Web App Deployment Service AnovaStorm Secures $2 Million In Funding Committments (via TechCrunch)
Big news on the funding front today as tech stalwart Stewart Alsop and Gilman Louie raised another $98.6 million and added three new partners to their Alsop Louie fund. The San Francisco based investment fund previously raised $75 million and $20 million in earlier rounds, with which it made 15 initial investments. This is significant because the fund focuses on early-stage funding, a sector that was hit particularly hard during the credit crisis and recession. A closing of an early-stage fund this large may be a sign of good things to come for the larger economy. More on the news: Early-stage VC firm Alsop Louie closes second fund at $98.6M
Today’s funding and acquisitions roundup:
Web Content
More money for short links: Bit.ly raises $10M (via MediaBeat)
Cloud Computing
Proferi raises $6.4M to overthrow the old regime of enterprise software (via VentureBeat)
Funding and acquisitions news from across the web:
Web Content
Digital news startup Ongo raises $12M from major media publishers (via DealsBeat)
Mom-commerce Site EcoMom Banks $1.1 Million (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Involver grabs $7M more for social marketing platform (via DealsBeat)
Mobile
ISBX raises $750K to give cross-platform mobile apps a fighting chance (via DealsBeat)
This has got to be someone’s “cool company of the day.” Helios Interactive, a company that makes 3D displays and interactive platforms, today announced that it has nearly doubled its 
year-over-year revenue. Not bad for a company launched in 2008, during the depths of the recession.
The San Francisco-based company says that its work in the interactive platforms field includes augmented reality, gesture recognition, touch displays, multi-touch applications, auto stereoscopy, and mobile apps. Mike Schaiman, Helios Managing Partner and co-founder argues that the recent popularity of 3D movies is driving his company’s growth: “The emerging ‘3D economy’ is resilient, and while major challenges remain for businesses in the diverse sectors we serve, this has also been a time of immense opportunity. What this tells us is that true engagement appears to be recession-proof.”
Today’s funding and acquisitions roundup:
Social Media
Private online community Passenger snags $7.5M, new CEO (via VentureBeat)
Syncapse Raises $2 Million For “Social Media Technology” (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
Online ticket vendor Eventbrite shines with $20M infusion (via DealsBeat)
Gaming
ZeniMax Media raises $150M for more gory games (via GamesBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions roundup from across the web:
Hardware
If You Thought Revo-Round Was Wacky, Get This: They Just Raised $69 Million (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
Hipmunk Snags $1M from Kutcher, Mullenweg and More (via Mashable)
The Echo Nest Raises $7 Million For Music Personalization Platform (via TechCrunch)
Games
Zynga buys Bonfire Studios and sets up Dallas game studio (via GamesBeat)
Advertising
AppNexus Raises A Meaty $50 Million Series C For Realtime Ad Bidding Platform (via TechCrunch)
Software
Viewdle raises $10M for facial recognition “in the palm of your hand” (via MobileBeat)
Interesting article by Tom Tunguz of Redpoint Ventures in ExPostFacto today about the growing dominance of the top 10 websites on the web (article: Ramifications of web traffic concentration for startups). Tunguz asserts that the concentration of content and the corresponding ad views are making harder-and-harder for smaller upstart websites (for example, StartUp Beat) to compete. This is not a new argument but the evidence is compelling. What might the consequences be? Tunguz argues that smaller web competitors may turn to the mobile web—a valid alternative, particularly as mobile usage grows exponentially. The other consequence, Tunguz argues, will be growing consolidation in the content business.
Is the web still a viable place for content producers to operate? Clearly, innovation will always drive new technologies and new approaches to media. However, based on the increasingly growing power of big web-based companies (Google, Facebook, etc.), that are very willing to grow through acquisition, the PC-based web may not be the entrepreneurial haven it once was.
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
ClairMail Raises $13.8 Million For Mobile Banking Technology (via TechCrunch)
Siemens Buys SureGrid Amid Building Management Fever (via GreenTechMedia)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup, from across the web:
IT
Silver Peak Systems brings in $4.1M to optimize WAN systems for businesses (via DealsBeat)
