Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Ecommerce
Disruptive Retail Trend Continues As Urbanara Secures €3.5m From TA Venture (via TechCrunch)
Gaming
Xfire Raises $3M To Expand Gamer Social Networking In Asia (via TechCrunch)
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Web/Content
Crowdfunding startup Crowdtilt gets its own investment (via VentureBeat)
Education
Quipper Raises $3.6m For Its Fun Take On E-Learning (via TechCrunch)
More funding news…
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Social Media
Rakuten Leads Investment in Pinterest
Web/Devices
Electric Imp Raises $7.9M From Redpoint & Lowercase Capital To Power The Internet of Things (via TechCrunch)Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Web/Content
TechStars alum Mocavo grabs $4M to help you find your ancestors (via VentureBeat)
Lenddo Raises $8M To Use Online Reputation For Lending In Emerging Markets (via TechCrunch)
More funding and acquisitions news…
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Healthcare
Simplee Secures $6 Million Series A Led by The Social+Capital Partnership
Web/Content
Personalized Music Video Service Cull TV Acquired By Twitvid, CEO Departs (via TechCrunch)
Advertising/Marketing
Market Research Startup EyeTrackShop Raises $3M (via TechCrunch)Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Web/Content
After 5 Years Of Bootstrapping, Behance Nabs $6.5M From USV, Jeff Bezos, Dave Morin & More (via TechCrunch)
Gaming
Zynga acquires Wild Needle casual game maker for an estimated $3.8M (via VentureBeat)
Enterprise
SaaS For SMBs: InsightSquared Picks Up $4.5M From Atlas, Bessemer, Salesforce and NextView (via TechCrunch)
Web/Content
Pandora Competitor Senzari Raises $1 Million From 500 Startups & Angels To Fund Global Expansion (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Twitter Buys Personalized Email Marketer RestEngine To Deliver Best Tweet Digests (via TechCrunch)
More funding news…
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Advertising/Marketing
Ex-AdMobbers nab $6.5M to build cross-platform cookies (via gigaom)
Web/Content
Mozilla & Knight Foundation Invest $1M In Crowdsourced Translation Startup Amara (via TechCrunch)
Samsung buys streaming startup mSpot to take on iCloud and Google Play (via VentureBeat)
More funding and acquisitions news...
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Web/Content
Leap Motion pulls in $12.75M for 3D interaction tech (via VatorNews)
ThingLink Acqu-hires Pixboom To Double Down On Fashion (via TechCrunch)
Update: Ze Frank raises $200k to kickstart his media empire (via gigaom)
More funding and acquisitions news…
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Ecommerce
Gumroad raises $7 million to help people sell anything they create (via VentureBeat)
Mojo Motors Fuels Up for Expansion with $3 Million in Funding for Used Car Buying Platform
Sweet Tooth Secures $2.25M in Seed Financing
More funding and acquisitions news…
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Ecommerce
Priceonomics Raises $1.5 MM, Users Unfazed
Gaming
Scalify raises $2M to build networking for better online game worlds (via VentureBeat)
Mobile
Facebook buys Glancee, another app to beef up its mobile side (via VentureBeat)
This week’s early-stage funding announcements:
LifeStreet Media – $66 million (Venture)
CareZone – $13 million (Venture)
LaFourchette – $10.5 million (Venture)
Misfit Wearables – $7.6 million (Venture)
Appthority – $6.25 million (Series A)
Pair – $4.2 million (Seed)
Newvem – $4 million (Series A)
Signpost – $3.75 million (Series A)
Orderbird – $3.5 million (Venture)
Ruby Ribbon – $3 million (Seed)
AdInsight – $2.6 million (Series A)
MiiCard – $2.5 million (Seed)
Vungle – $2 million (Seed)
Evive – $2 million (Seed)
NetPlenish – $1.9 million (Seed)
Shadowrun Returns – $1.8 million (Kickstarter)
TidePool – $1.5 million (Seed)
Brit & Co. – $1.25 million (Seed)
Pindrop Security – $1 million (Seed)
Circa – $750K (Seed)
Wahooly – $750K (Angel)
Weathermob – $360K (Angel)
PlaySay – $250K (Seed follow-on)
InVision – $200K (Seed)
FreeAgent – Undisclosed (Venture)
Archify – Undisclosed (Seed)
# # #
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Advertising/Marketing
LifeStreet Media Announces $66 Million Investment From Nautic Partners
Web/Content
TidePool Raises $1.5 Million To Discover And Match Personalities From Photos (via TechCrunch)
Balderton Capital Invests In Web Backup Startup Archify (via TechCrunch)
More funding news…
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Web/Content
Where Klout Meets Kickstarter: Wahooly Lands Angel Round (via TechCrunch)
Zillow acquires RentJuice for $40 million (via MarketWatch)
Restaurant Reservation Service LaFourchette Sticks Its Fork Into $10.5M (via TechCrunch)
Mobile/Ecommerce
NetPlenish Mobile Shopping Service Launches, Secures $1.9 Million in Seed Funding
More funding and acquisitions news…Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Social Media
Yuri Milner, Dave Morin, SV Angel, CrunchFund And More Hook Up Pair With $4.2M (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Appthority Secures Funding to Rate Risky App Behavior
Vungle Raises $2 Million for Mobile Developers to Promote Apps Through Video Trailers
Berlin-based Orderbird Gets $3.5M For Its iOS-Based Restaurant Ordering Solution (via TechCrunch)
More funding and acquisitions news…
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Cloud
Newvem nets $4M to scan Amazon’s cloud (via gigaom)
Mobile
More funding news…
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Web/Content
All-Star Cast Invests 750K In Ben Huh And Matt Galligan’s Mobile News Startup Circa (via TechCrunch)
Social Media/Mobile
Weathermob Nabs Funding To Make Sharing Weather Reports More Social (via TechCrunch)
More funding news…
This week’s early-stage funding announcements:
Viddy – Undisclosed (Venture)
Locu – $4 million (Series A)
Singly – $7 million (Series A)
Chirpify – $1.3 million (Series A)
Parking Panda – $250K (Seed)
Path.to – $1.5 million (Venture)
WeVideo – $19.1 million (Series A)
Citrus Lane – $5.1 million (Series A)
Planet Daily – $5 million (Venture)
Ark – $4.2 million (Seed)
DITTO – $3 million (Seed)
Gopogo – $3 million (Seed)
Shape Security – $6 million (Series A)
AVOS – Undisclosed (Series A)Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Pre-Launch/Stealth Mode
YouTube co-founders raise Series A for AVOS (via VatorNews)
Web/Content
Viddy, the Instagram for video, raising $30M at a $300M+ valuation (via VentureBeat)Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Ecommerce
DITTO Secures $3M Round for Designer Eyewear eCommerce Site
Social Media
With $3M In Hand, Gopogo Launches To Let You Create, Share & Discover Location-Based Stories (via TechCrunch)
More funding news…
Company: Five1Eight Internet Media
Website: www.betbomb.com
Headquarters: Albany, New York
Founded: January, 2012
Founders: Patrick Gray and Eric Heidelmark
Investors: Privately funded
Employees: 8
Company Description: BetBomb.com is a free online betting site.
By Patrick Gray, co-founder
Product Overview
BetBomb.com is all of the excitement of betting on your favorite sports teams with none of the gamble. Players can make picks against real spreads, lines, and totals for both major league and college sports. This includes: Major League Baseball, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Basketball Association, as well as NCAA football and basketball. We have plans to include other sports in the near future. The service is absolutely free and players compete for terrific prizes. BetBomb.com strives to be the greatest, most professional, totally free, and most importantly, completely legal, betting site on the Internet.
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Web/Content
Ex-HuffPo leaders’ stealth video startup Planet Daily raises $5M (via gigaom)
People search engine Ark grabs a $2.4M seed round (via VentureBeat)
More funding news…
A Q&A with Hoppit founder and CEO Steve Dziedzic. The New York City–based company was founded in early 2011 and recently had its public launch.
SUB: Please describe what Hoppit is, and the value proposition you bring to local restaurant and bar discovery.
Dziedzic: Hoppit is an ambience search engine for restaurants and bars. Whereas other applications enable you to search only by cuisine and food, Hoppit enables you to search by ambience. You can select atmospheres such as ‘Cozy & Quaint’, ‘Classy & Upscale’, ‘Swanky & Posh’, ‘Hipster’, ‘Romantic’, and, my personal favorite, ‘Mad Men’. You can also search for places that accommodate your guests, including business colleagues, friends, family, or your ‘two-year-old’. You can even specify various details such as ‘Exposed Brick’, or ‘Fireplace’. You can’t do that on any other site.
SUB: Who are your target users?
Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Social Media
Parking Spot Finder Parking Panda Raises Seed Round, Expands To D.C. (via TechCrunch)
With $1.5M From Adecco, Path.To Wants To Be The EHarmony For Jobs In Silicon Valley And Beyond (via TechCrunch)
Marketing/Advertising
More funding news…Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Mobile
Now That’s An Investor List: Viddy Backed By Biz Stone, Shakira, And Jay-Z’s Roc Nation (via TechCrunch)
Finance/Investment
OrbiMed Launches $222 Million Fund Focused on Israel Life Sciences
More funding news…
This week’s early-stage funding announcements:
TheComplete.me – $1.22 million (Seed)
BitRhymes – $1 million (Angel)
Threadflip – $1.6 million (Seed)
12Society – Undisclosed (Seed)
InXile Entertainment – $3 million (Kickstarter)
Coursera – $16 million (Venture)
Cherry – $4.5 million (Series A)
CircleUp – $1.5 million (Seed)
AdSafe Media – $10 million (Venture)
Blur Group – $2 million (Angel)
Alt12 – $1.26 million (Seed)
TransferWise – $1.3 million (Seed)
Pebble – $4.2 million+ (Kickstarter)
Lifecrowd – $5 million (Series A)
Treehouse – $4.75 million (Venture)
Struq – $8.5 million (Series A)
Duetto – $2.1 million (Seed)
Wander – $1.2 million (Venture)Today’s technology early-stage funding and acquisitions news roundup:
Web/Content
Travel Data Startup Duetto Raises $2.1M From Trinity, Marc Benioff, Many More (via TechCrunch)
Pre-Launch/Stealth Mode
Wander Wins $1.2M From Rob Go, SV Angel, Google Ventures, SoftTech And Others (via TechCrunch)This week’s early-stage funding announcements:
Rover.com – $4.3 million (Series A)
Koupon Media – $4.5 million (Series B)
Beamit – $2.4 million (Seed)
Crashlytics – $5 million (Series A)
Sefaira – $10.8 million (Series A)
SocialKaty – Undisclosed (Series A)
WalkMe – $1 million (Venture)
OneID – $7 million (Series A)
KULA Causes – $1.1 million (Angel)
TalkTo – $3 million (Series A)
CrowdOptic – $500K (Debt)
My1login – $1 million
A Q&A with Tealium co-founder Ali Behnam. The San Diego, California–based company was founded in 2008.
SUB: Please describe what Tealium is, and the value proposition you offer to the enterprise.
Behnam: Tealium is a provider of tag management solutions for the enterprise. Over the last decade, as online marketing has matured, we’ve seen an explosion in the number of web page tags that digital marketing vendors—web analytics providers, affiliate marketing companies, etc.—require customers to embed on their web sites. Over time, these tags have grown out of control. The average enterprise web site today has 30-to-40 different vendor tags on their web properties. Deploying and managing these tags have become a huge burden both for marketing and IT. Tealium provides marketers with a simple way to add, modify and edit these tags on their own through an easy-to-use web interface. No longer do they have to rely on overburdened IT departments to implement their online campaigns. The benefits are huge across the organization: reduced IT costs, increased marketing agility and performance, improved site speed, and better privacy protection.
SUB: What are your target markets?
This week’s list of Angel, Seed and Series A funding announcements:
Polar Mobile – $6 million
BuzzDoes – $750K
Fantasy Shopper – $3.3 million
Mykonos – $4 million
OneSchool – $750K
Endorse – $4.25 million
955 Dreams – $3.25 million
drchrono – $2.8 million
Shoply – Undisclosed
Olery – $1 millionDear StartUp Beat Readers,
While the site is technically not "blacked out", StartUp Beat joins the chorus of thousand of other web sites protesting SOPA and PIPA legislation by conducting an editorial black out and not posting any new stories today. Instead, we're linking to a very insightful article by Mashable's Lance Ulanoff about the possible consequences of SOPA:
SOPA Will Take Us Back to the Dark Ages
...and a "take action page" from Google:
https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/
SOPA would negatively affect countless web sites, and indeed permanently alter what we have come to know (in most countries) as a free and relatively open Internet. For small sites like StartUp Beat in particular, it could be devastating....
...StartUp Beat will be back with new stories tomorrow, but in the mean time, consider what legislation like SOPA could mean for all of us.
Thank You,
Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
This week’s list of Angel, Seed and Series A funding announcements:
Thumbtack – $4.5 million
Tealium – $1.1 million
Cinemacraft – $900K
Kwaga – $1.55 million
AppTap – $4 million
This week’s list of Angel, Seed and Series A funding announcements (the first of the year!):
Trapit – $6.2 million
Piazza – $6 million
Coursekit – $5 million
GrabCad – $4 million
Aisle50 – $2.6 million
Seismic Games – $2 million
IFTTT – $1.5 million
RJ Metrics – $1.2 million
Spool – $1 million
Nimble – $1 million
LockerDome – $750K
NumberFire – $650K
Buyosphere – $325K
Blippar – Undisclosed
Today’s technology funding and acquisitions news roundup…
Since the launch of Apple’s Siri virtual assistant, AI apps have garnered a lot of attention…and funding. That list now includes Trapit, an AI-based personalized search and web organizing tool, which announced today that it has raised $6.2 million in Series A funding. Both Siri and Trapit originated from the same AI collaboration between DARPA and SRI. The project was originally known as CALO—“Cognitive Assistant that Learns and Organizes”—and looks like it could be the next step in the evolution of search and web browsing.
Today’s technology funding and acquisitions news roundup…
Early-stage funding announcements today were led by ‘Groupon for groceries’ daily deals site Aisle50, which has closed a $2.6 million funding round. It’s the latest niche entry in the daily deals business, but it may be one of the more useful of the bunch everybody need to shop for groceries (unless you’re wealthy or can convince someone to do it for you) everyone’s life. The company was founded in June of last year.
Today’s technology funding and acquisitions news roundup…
Today’s funding announcements are all about companies that help the end user make the web work better (or more personally) for them. A good illustration of this is IFTTT, a startup that helps users pull together various web services and social media functions into one sharing and saving interface. The company announced today that it has raised a $1.5 million Seed round. The name stands for “if this then that”…and I love the URL for its “About” page: http://ifttt.com/wtf.
Today’s technology funding and acquisitions roundup…
And we’re off and running in 2012 in technology funding and acquisitions! Philadelphia-based BI software provider RJ Metrics has raised $1.2 million in Seed funding. It’s particularly notable because the investors include at least one customer (check out the story on TechCrunch). The company was founded in 2009.
Mobile image recognition and augmented reality platform Blippar also closed a Seed round, amount not disclosed. Qualcomm Ventures led the round for the UK-based startup, which was founded in 2010. The Blippar platform is intended mainly for enhanced mobile advertising (at least for now). Pretty cool technology.
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor,
This week included some notable acquisitions and at least one giant funding round. Gaming hardware and accessories startup Razer raked in a whopping $50 million for the new year. Other notable funding announcements included Appconomy’s $10 million Series A, and Eventasaurus’s Angel round—notable because the company has perhaps the best name of any new startup this year.
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor,
So, the flow of funding and acquisitions announcements this week killed my (unoriginal) theory that the holidays would result in a slowdown of F&A activity in the tech sector. Startups and later-stage companies representing a wide swath of technology categories geared up for the new year with new funding rounds, including cloud-based presentation software make Prezi’s $14 million Series B, ‘service’ network TaskRabbit’s $17.8 million Series B, and online merchant lender Kabbage’s $12 million round. See below for a full list of this week’s Seed and Series A announcements.
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
Things have slowed down a bit in technology funding and acquisitions, presumably because of the holiday season, but this week still featured several notable, mostly later-stage deals. There were, however, also some early-stage funding announcements of note, highlighted by online health community HealthTap’s $11.5 million in Series A that included Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors (see below for the full list). Notable acquisitions this week included gaming startup Red Robot Labs picking up UK-based games studio Supermono and Lattice Semiconductor’s acquisition of custom mobile device solutions provider SiliconBlue.
Continue reading "The week in tech startups, December 9, 2011…" »
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor,
It’s official—the holiday season has started, and with it the stream of new funding announcements has begun to slow. This week included seed and Series A announcements from a small, but interesting, group. They included $800K in Angel funding for New Orleans-based group decision-making startup VoteIt and medication search engine Diagnosia’s undisclosed seed round.
StartUp Beat this week featured Q&As with online shopping reviews site Trustpilot and data interoperability platform Flow, a Featured Startup Pitch from Proformative—a social networking tool specifically for corporate executives, and a Thanksgiving Day guest column from Charlie Born of Plimus about how startups are using the cloud and best practices for getting the most out of cloud-based tools.
Continue reading "The week in tech startups, November 25, 2011…" »
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor,
Recent pessimism about the market for tech IPOs may have been quieted this week with Angie’s List’s successful debut in the public markets and Yelp’s filing. And don’t forget about Groupon, which has traded at a healthy clip after significant questions about its business model in the lead-up to its recent IPO. The week also saw a significant number of seed and Series A funding announcements—defying in many respects pundits who have recently sounded an alarm about a dearth of early-stage funding in technology. There are numerous perspectives to the funding issue, but suffice it to say that the tech startup sector continues to shine brightly in the midst of a painfully long global economic downturn.
Continue reading "The week in tech startups, November 19, 2011…" »
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
This week was highlighted by a slew of early-stage funding announcements in the range of 500K to several million dollars (see a full list below). On the acquisitions front, Google made waves with its acquisition of two companies clearly aimed at bolstering its Google+ offering and competing with Facebook in social media—in-site search company Apture and social contacts organizer Katango.
Continue reading "The week in technology startups, November 11, 2011…" »
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor,
This was a news week dominated by global economic news and of the worldwide growth of the Occupy movement. But while things continue to look dour on the economic front, the tech sector saw another vigorous week of funding and acquisitions announcements, mixed with negative news about Groupon’s pending IPO and serious layoffs at fellow deals site BuyWithMe. The sector increasing looks like a bad deal (sorry, I had to go there).
Speaking of Groupon, StartUp Beat this week featured a guest column about the decline of the daily deals juggernaut by David Galvan, president of online appointment platform Schedulicity. We also featured Q&As with social games startup Crowdpark, restaurant technology provider Ordr.in, and a Featured Startup Pitch from Internet security startup KnowBe4.
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
It was a week that saw some big funding announcements in the tech sector, some news about Q3 funding trends that could be positive or negative depending on your perspective, and the continued growth of the cult of Siri (see the Siri song on YouTube). The funding highlight of the week was no doubt Dropbox’s $250 million funding round, just because of its sheer size. The personal cloud storage startup has now raised a total of $257.2 million in outside funding. Also notable was CouponCabin.com’s $54 million round. The coupon site was founded in 2003, and claims to have generated $500 million in online retail sales for merchants in that time.
StartUp Beat this week featured Q&As with web infrastructure platform NGINX, database platform DataStax, advanced language translation site MyGengo, and online identity management service Vizibility.
Seed and Series A funding announcements this past week:
Continue reading "The week in tech startups, October 22, 2011…" »
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
It was another week of compelling tech startup news that ends with long lines at Apple Stores for the iPhone 4S debut and with Microsoft closing its purchase of Skype. There were also rumblings on various technology blogs and news sites that venture funds that focus on early-stage startups are struggling to raise funds. But the Seed and Series A funding announcements continued to flow—here’s the roundup:
Wave Accounting – $5 million
MovableInk – $1.3 million
DuckDuckGo – Unspecified
Crashlytics – $1 million
Udemy – $3 million
LocalResponse – $5 million
Stickery – $500K
Kiwi Create – $2 million
NGINX – $3 million
Spree – $1.5 million
StartUp Beat this week featured Q&As with mobile polling app Floop, Wi-Fi cloud-based video monitoring service Dropcam, and ride-sharing service Zimride, along with a Featured Startup Pitch 0from new car shopping site Web2Carz.
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
It was a week where all other tech news was overshadowed by the passing of one of the pioneers of technology and a true Silicon Valley legend. RIP Steve Jobs.
Seed and Series A funding this week:
mobeam – $4.9 million
Cloudbot – Undisclosed
Keek – $5.5 million
ReportGrid – $750K
GetApp.com – $1.1 million
Enterproid – $11 million
HiGear – $1.3 million
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
It was a week that included rumors that Facebook was going to begin charging members because “it was even on the news,” and controversy between two of the largest tech blogs that included accusations of pay-for-play. But even as VentureBeat and TechCrunch feuded, the technology sector continued to produce a dynamic stream of acquisitions and new funding. They included TechMediaNetwork’s $33 million, Tumblr’s $85 million in additional funding, Blekko’s $30 million round, and real-time parking tracker Parking In Motion’s Series A. Acquisitions for the week were highlighted by Seamless picking up MenuPages and claiming to now have the “most comprehensive restaurant listings across 50+ cities,” and Salesforce’s $50 million acquisition of Assistly.
Continue reading "The week in tech startups, October 1, 2011…" »
Featured Startup Pitch: Assistly wants to make customer support more social
Editor’s Note: Once in a while, StartUp Beat re-runs Featured Startup Pitches from the past based on relevant news or to revisit a cool startup that has continued to build momentum. Today we’re re-running one from almost a year ago from Assistly founder and CEO Alec Bard. Assistly announced last Wednesday that it had been acquired by Salesforce.com for approximately $50 million. Check out the business and the strategy that successfully led to the company’s acquisition...
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.
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
Internet giants dominated tech news this week. Of course, Facebook’s announcements at F8 were the big headlines late in the week. Will the new Facebook be something unprecedented, or will they become the next AOL (the adjective “walled garden” has come up quite a bit over the last day or so). Google was in the news for perhaps a less positive reason—as the subject of an inquiry by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust. It included Chairman Eric Schmidt’s appearance in front of the committee, where he was grilled by Senators that in large part seemed to demonstrate a glancing understanding about how the Interwebs work. Perhaps more alarming for Google, though, were the accusations leveled against the company by Yelp and Nextag, among others, that Google rigs its search results. It’s complicated—stay tuned on this one. Finally, HP made waves by giving the boot to Leo Apotheker and hiring former eBay head and California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman as CEO. Good luck, Meg—and you thought running for governor was frustrating.
But tech startups also made a collective splash. If nothing else, the sheer number of funding and acquisitions announcements on a weekly basis continues to be impressive. Highlights included Lookout Mobile Security’s $40 million and JustFabulous’s $33 million Series A.
Continue reading "The week in tech startups, September 23, 2011…" »
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
It’s the day after President Obama’s big jobs speech, and if anyone needed encouragement on the prospects for the U.S. economy, they need not look any further than the tech startup sector. If the flood of funding and acquisitions announcements is any indication, there is no trace of further slowdown in tech. And you know what they say, “what’s good for tech is good for America” (I have no idea if anyone has ever said it, but we all know it’s true).
The most significant news of the week was Google’s acquisition of restaurant review guide Zagat. Once again, Google makes an unexpected, bold and innovative move (reference its YouTube acquisition for the best example of this). Google is a strong player in local for sure. Look out Yelp and other local reviews sites. GE made GreenTech news this week, investing $22 million in energy efficient building maker Project Frog. Other notable funding announcements included an eye-popping $200 million for vehicle transaction data publisher TrueCar and an additional $20 million for medical office innovator One Medical Group.
Continue reading "The week in startups, September 9, 2011…" »
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
It was a week that began with the east coast of the U.S. picking up and drying out from Hurricane Irene, and it ended with the dour economic news that zero net jobs were added to the economy last quarter. But the tech startup sector continued to churn out new funding and acquisitions news, albeit at a slower pace than previous weeks (chalk that up to a busy news cycle, Irene and the winding down of summer). IBM was particularly active, with two acquisitions in two days. On Wednesday big blue announced that it had picked up intelligence and investigation management software firm i2, and followed it up with the acquisition of risk management analytics company Algorithmics for a whopping $387 million. It may not be that sexy, and it may have different owners and a different form than the past, but IBM continues to be relevant.
Continue reading "The week in tech startups, September 2, 2011..." »
By Brian Kovalesky, StartUp Beat Editor
On a week where natural disasters, an unnaturally bad economy, an almost unthinkable retirement (to some, at least) and a run on HP touchpads dominated the headlines, there was still some significant news in the tech startup world.
The biggest news of the week was arguably two new IPO filings: from online video platform Brightcove and social commerce platform Bazaarvoice (watch the spelling). According to the filings, Brightcove hopes to raise up to $50 million, while Bazaarvoice is aiming for a whopping $86 million. Who knows if this is a good sign for a faltering economy, but these filings certainly suggest some overall confidence in the health of the public markets in light of the recent turbulence.
By Brian Kov
alesky, StartUp Beat Editor
It was a week that saw harrowing ups-and-downs in global markets, and talk of economic doom-and-gloom. But it was generally business-as-usual for technology startups. The theme of the week was acquisitions, led by Google’s Motorola buy…and then HP’s massive $10 billion acquisition of software firm Autonomy. But some smaller names got into the act as well, proving that (at least some) nimble tech startups may have a brighter outlook on the economy than Wall St. and the punditry.
Perhaps the most notable buy was Chegg’s acquisition of homework help site Student of Fortune (which gets this month’s “Best Name” award). But startups Evernote and HubSpot also opened up their wallets to bolster their product lines. Finally, daily deals startups continued to make news in their quest to compete with Groupon with deals site BuyWithMe’s acquisition of Scoop St. (what’s with the names of these daily deals sites?). In funding news this week, highlights included Chinese luxury brands shopping site Xiu.com’s $100 million round, and cloud-based video licensing platform Thought Equity Motion’s $25 million..it’s a tough sector to play in, but having an additional $25 million helps.
If you haven’t already, check out Jim Anderson’s guest column here on StartUp Beat about Spotify and the freemium business model for music. And check out this week’s StartUp Beat Q&As with with the CEOs of decision making and comparison engine FindTheBest, the ‘Priceline for pet service providers’—Pet It Forward, and SMB ecommerce platform BigCommerce.
Check back on Monday for a new week of featured startups and startup news!
TribeHR is an SaaS application that enables social human resources management for small-and-medium sized businesses. The Waterloo, Ontario–based company was founded in 2009 and closed a $1 million funding round in late July.
SUB: Please briefly describe what TribeHR is, and the value proposition you offer small-and-medium sized businesses.
Fung: TribeHR is the first truly social human resources management software for small and medium business. The SaaS-based solution is designed to engage employees and managers in the HR process, minimize stress and automate a number of internal procedures that save time and money.
SUB: Who do you consider to be your competition?
Company: BurstPoint Networks
Website: www.burstpoint.com
Founder: Tom Racca, president and CEO
Headquarters: Westborough, Mass.
Year Founded: 2010
Employees: Fewer than 50
Company Description (in 140 characters or less): “BurstPoint, a provider of video communications solutions, helps customers leverage video to communicate with constituents anytime, anywhere.”
By Tom Racca, president and CEO, BurstPoint Networks
Product Overview
Most organizations today have not yet leveraged video to its fullest potential and still do not realize the benefits of doing so. However, with the video and telepresence industries growing exponentially, the opportunities for companies to utilize this technology are virtually limitless. Cost and complexity are two major misperceptions of enterprise video that attribute to its lack of adoption, and we have made it our mission to prove these notions false.
BurstPoint’s flagship product, the BurstPoint Video Communication Platform (VCP), is an end-to-end video content management and distribution system that allows organizations to easily and effectively take advantage of the power of video by combining the elements to create and capture, edit and publish, distribute and deliver, and consume high-definition live and stored video content into a single, integrated platform. The BurstPoint VCP is designed to support small deployments and to cost effectively scale as needed, allowing companies to reach 10 people or tens of thousands with concurrent video streams.
Company: Red Foundry
Website: www.redfoundry.com
Founders: Jim Heising, CEO, and Ron Franczyk, Chief Software Architect, Andrew Newman, CTO
Headquarters: Chicago
Year Founded: 2009
Employees: 14
Investors: I2A Fund and OCA Ventures
Company Description (in 140 characters or less): “Red Foundry is a complete solution for building and managing mobile apps, combining limitless creativity with business agility.”
By Jim Heising, co-founder and CEO
Product Overview: Red Foundry is a complete solution for building and managing mobile apps. Our unified platform enables everything from stunning content-based mobile apps to powerful enterprise solutions, while reducing the mobile app development cycle from months to days. We currently support mobile app development on iOS, including iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, and this summer we will release our Android solution for Android phones and tablets.
Playmatics is a gaming company that focuses on deeply engaging interactive experiences. The company recently began designing and building the “Shadow Government” mobile social game—a large-scale reality-based concept, and raised $1 million for the project. Playmatics, based in New York City, was founded in 2009.
SUB: Please briefly describe Playmatics—what is the value proposition that you bring to the gaming market?
Wallace: One way Playmatics occupies a unique space in gaming is through our incredibly strong focus on quality design. My co-founder, Nick Fortugno, is an award-winning game designer. He’s been playing and designing games for most of his life and was the original designer behind the first “Diner Dash” game. That game went on to became a mega-hit, played by millions, responsible for generating an entirely new gaming genre, namely “time-management” games.
This strong design focus is most recently recognized in another Playmatics-designed game, which recently won a prestigious CableFAX award. This game is called “The Interrogation” and it is focused around AMC’s popular “Breaking Bad” series. This same game was also nominated for an award at SXSW Interactive. Recognition like this really validates where we are heading.
Continue reading "Q&A with Playmatics co-founder and CEO Margaret Wallace" »
Company: Stoke
Website: www.stoke.com
Headquarters: Santa Clara, Calif.
Year Founded: 2004
Founder: Vikash Varma
Investors: Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia Capital, NTT Docomo
Employees: 80
Company Description (in 140 characters or less): “Using Stoke’s breakthrough mobile broadband infrastructure technology, operators can transform their offerings for the new generation of connected device user.”
By Vikash Varma, Co-Founder, President & CEO
Product Overview
The introduction of the iPhone and similar ‘superphones’ has changed the mobile broadband world dramatically. Mobile network operators are competing more fiercely with Internet properties and each other for consumer attention, but meanwhile the avalanche of data is overwhelming their infrastructure and destroying profitability. Operators can’t go on simply buying more and more traditional, high cost core network equipment to fulfill this need. There is an urgent requirement for innovation in the mobile broadband network.
In response to this market need, Stoke has custom-designed its SSX platform and application suite. The offering addresses the explosive growth in mobile data usage in multiple ways, based on a unique architectural approach that delivers exponential improvements in efficiency, flexibility and cost. It is expressly built for 4G/LTE and future mobile networks, but today is also deployed to improve the performance and ROI of 3G networks. For this reason, Stoke describes its offering as a ‘transformation platform’
Continue reading "Featured Startup Pitch: Stoke-improving the mobile data experience" »
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Cloud Computing
Box.net Raises $48 Million to Take on Enterprise Software Giants (via Mashable)
Mobile
Storific raises $200k from Kima Ventures to let customers order in restaurants via iPhone (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
GOGII Nabs $15 Million To Win At Social Messaging (via TechCrunch)
Syncapse Scores $25 Million for Full-Service Social Media Management (via Mashable)
Web Content
WebMediaBrands Buys Another Blog: Twittercism (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
BookRenter raises $40M for textbook rentals (via DealsBeat)
GreenTech
Energy Efficiency Startup Transphorm Emerges From Stealth, Raises $20 Million From Google Ventures (via TechCrunch)
Phononic Devices Raises $10 Million To Turn Heat Waste Into Energy (via TechCrunch)
Mobile/Gaming
Exclusive: Grey Area Raises $2.5 Million To Turn Your City Into A Game (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Mobile
Paydiant Throws Its Hat Into The Mobile Payments Ring, Raises $7.6 Million (via TechCrunch)
Web Content/Finance
Caplinked Raises Cash to Bring Entrepreneurs and Investors Together (via gigaom)
IT/Chips
A $679M deal: CSR and Zoran merge to create consumer chip powerhouse (via VentureBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
RoundPegg Raises $1.27 Million To Be The eHarmony For Jobs (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Vitrue Raises $17 Million For To Help Brands Manage Social Media (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
TuneUp adds another $2M to clean up your music (via MediaBeat)
Benchmark Capital Bets On Super-Quiet-Stealth-Shhhh ccLoop (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Social Media Management Firm Vitrue Secures $17 Million in Funding (via Mashable)
Finance
Lendio Helps Small Businesses Secure Loans, Raises $6 Million (+ 500 Free Invites) (via TechCrunch)
Wonga raises £73m in Series C funding to double-down on massive UK growth (via TechCrunch Europe)
Online Video
Next New Networks SEC Filing Pretty Much Confirms YouTube Buyout (via TechCrunch)
FeeFighters is a credit card processor marketplace for small- and medium-sized businesses. It was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Chicago.
SUB: What is the value proposition FeeFighters brings to the market?
Fayman: Business owners are some of the busiest people you'll find. When it comes to picking a credit card processor, they want to pick the provider with the best rates and customer service, quickly. Unfortunately, the credit card processing industry makes this increasingly difficult with hidden fees, unreadable contracts, and terrible customer service.
FeeFighters makes the process of choosing a merchant account provider as easy as shopping for a plane ticket. In minutes, business owners can choose the best deal on credit card processing with a reverse auction marketplace that saves the average business owner 40 percent on credit card processing.
SUB: How does the service work?
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
1000Memories Raises $2.5 Million to Help Digitally Memorialize Loved Ones (via Mashable)
ThingWorx Scores $5 Million To “Connect The Web To The Real World” (via TechCrunch)
Online Marketing
Constant Contact Buys Social CRM Startup Bantam Live For $15 Million In Cash (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Solvate Raises $4 Million For Talent Search Engine (via TechCrunch)
IndexTank, a New Startup, Offers Hosted Search as a Service (via gigaom)
Songkick Raises $2 Million To Help People Track, Catalog Live Music (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Mobile Tag Raises 6.6 Million Euros For Marketing Solutions Based On NFC tags, 2D And 1D Barcodes (via TechCrunch)
GetJar Snags $25 Million As It Looks to Ride Android Growth (via gigaom)
Video-calling app Tango raises $8.7M (via DealsBeat)
Cloud
Coupa Raises $12 Million To Help Companies Spend Smarter (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Mobile
Research In Motion Acquires Professional Contact Manager Gist (via TechCrunch)
Cooliris Goes After Group Photo Sharing on Mobile with New Funding (via Mashable)
Motorola Buys 3LM, Chases Corporate Buyers of Android Phones (via gigaom)
IT/Data Management
HP Acquires Data Management And Real-Time Analytics Company Vertica (via TechCrunch)
Finance
Intel Invests $26 Million In CloudMade, Kaltura and Others (via TechCruch)
Web Content
Cooliris Gets $9.6 Million From Kleiner Perkins And Others, Releases New Version Of LiveShare Photo Sharing App (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Slacker Radio Raises $3 Million, Plans to Launch On-Demand Near SXSW (via Mashable)
eCommerce
Zipzoom Raises $2.2 Million To Help Connect Shoppers And Local Businesses (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Siine Lands $880,000, Aims To Change The Way We Type On Touch-Screen Keyboards (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Career and Workplace Community Glassdoor.com Raises $12 Million (via TechCrunch)
Slacker Raises $3 Million To Equip More Phones, Cars With Personal Radio Service (via TechCrunch)
Gaming/Social Media
Social Gaming Network Raptr Raises $15 Million; Hits 6 Million Users (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Career and Workplace Community Glassdoor.com Raises $12 Million (via TechCrunch)
Advertising
uKnow Raises $500,000 Seed Round, Hires About.com Co-founder (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Gaming
Visa approves this transaction: PlaySpan for $190M (via GamesBeat)
Social Media
Socialware Lands $3 Million To “Put Social Networks To Work” (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
Gevo, A Branson-Backed Biofuels Maker, Goes Public And Nets $95.7 Million (via TechCrunch)
Online Video
Mitch Kapor Leads $600,000 Angel Round In Video Transcription Startup SpeakerText (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
LOC-AID Raises $13 Million For Location-Based Services Platform (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Advertising
Meebo Acquires Ad Targeting Company Mindset Media (via Mashable)
Mobile
HTC Invests In OnLive: Game Streaming To Phones Coming Soon? (via TechCrunch)
SurfKitchen Bought by Teleca (via Mobile Marketing Mag)
Telephony
Freespee Raises €1.1M For Its Call Tracking And Pay-Per-Call Solution (via TechCrunch Europe)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Huffington: AOL Merger Will Help HuffPo's 'Massive Expansion' (via PCMag)
Telecom
ipadio secures £1m investment to take phone-to-web audio into businesses (via TechCrunch Europe)
Mobile
Antenna Acquires Mobile Internet Software Company Volantis (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Online Video
Chinese Online Video Company PPLive Raises A Whopping $250 Million (via TechCrunch)
IT/Security
HoneyApps Raises $1 Million For Security Management Software (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
LOC-AID Raises $13 Million For Location-Based Services Platform (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Confirmed: Hipmunk raises $4.2M to “de-agonize” flight search (via DealsBeat)
GreenTech
Earth Aid Raises $4 Million For Home Energy Management Platform (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Storify Raises $2M From Khosla Ventures To Blend Social Media With Storytelling (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Mobile
Mobile Health Startup Massive Health Gains $2.25 Million (via TechCrunch)
Finance
BillGuard Raises $3M To Track Hidden Fees, Billing Errors On Credit Card Bills (via TechCrunch)
Mobile/Advertising
Verve Wireless Acquires Mobile Ad Technology Company Deconstruct Media (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
OkCupid Acquired by Match.com for $50 Million (via Mashable)
Instagram Raises $7 Million, Hits 1.75M Members (via Mashable)
Finland’s Applifier Grabs $2 Million In Funding (via TechCrunch)
GraphEffect Raises $2 Million To Increase Brand “Likes” On Facebook (via TechCrunch)
Cloud Computing
Exclusive: SolidFire Raises $11 Million For ‘Next-Gen’ Cloud Storage Platform (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Nokia Leads $8 Million Funding Round For Voddler, The ‘Netflix Of Scandinavia’ (via TechCrunch)
Wanderfly Raises $1 Million For Social Travel Recommendation Engine (via TechCrunch)
Seesmic To Target Enterprise Users With $4 Million Investment From Salesforce (via Mashable)
Stock Photo Company Fotolia Pumps $750,000 Into Stock Music Site AudioMicro (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
Tale of Two Cities: Citigroup Commits $40 Million To Financing SolarCity Projects (via TechCrunch)
Online Video
Online video skeptic Mark Cuban invests in Web video company Revision3 (via VentureBeat)
Mobile/Advertising
Offermobi Raises $1M For Performance-based Mobile Advertising Platform (via TechCrunch)
Online Marketing
Peter Jackson Raises $2 Million To Go After Cause Marketers At The Experience Project (via TechCrunch)
Advertising
Chango Raises $4.25M To Bring Search Targeting To Display Ads (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Quepasa, The Facebook For Latinos, Buys Social Game Developer XtFT For $4 Million (via TechCrunch)
Cloud Computing
Aria raises $20M to handle online billing for large companies (via DealsBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Online Video
AOL Europe Acquires Branded Video Network goviral For $96.7 Million (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
LibreDigital Raises $4 Million For Digital Reading Technologies (via TechCrunch)
Mobile/Advertising
Mobile advertising: Motricity is buying Adenyo (via GoMo News)
Cloud Computing
Exclusive: KIT digital Acquires KickApps, Kewego AND Kyte For $77.2 Million (via TechCrunch)
Telecom
Intucell Raises $6M Amid Telco Transformation (via gigaom)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Referral Platform Zferral Acquires SaaS App Store Cloudomatic (via TechCrunch)
Cloud Computing
Task Management Startup Cohuman Raises $600K (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
eCommerce/Social Media
Storenvy Finds A Number Of Impressive Buyers For Its $1.5 Million Round (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Exclusive: Lockerz Acquires Social Photo Sharing App Plixi (Formerly TweetPhoto) (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
Yandex Acquires Single Sign-In Service Loginza (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Social Media
Crowd Factory Raises $6.5 Million For Social Marketing Applications (via TechCrunch)
Investment Network eToro Scores $8.3 Million From Spark Capital, Others (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
Mangrove Smells Opportunity in Small Businesses, Backs SohoOS with $1.75M (via TechCrunch)
Mobile/Advertising
Smaato gets $7M vote of confidence from Singapore (via GoMoNews)
Cloud Computing
Sensr.net Raises $1.5 Million Cloud-Based Video Monitoring Platform (via TechCrunch)
Advertising
ignitAd Raises $2 Million, Debuts Self-Service Ad Optimization Solution (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Google Buys Voice Messaging Application Developer SayNow (via TechCrunch)
Google To Buy fflick for $10 Million [REPORT] (via Mashable)
Startup Graphic.ly Raises $3M for “Bonus Features” for Comic Books (via Mashable)
MyPublisher Acquires Digital Scrapbooking Startup How Fast Time Flies (via TechCrunch)
India’s Largest Online Couponing Site, SnapDeal, Raises $12 Million (TCTV) (via TechCrunch)
Travel Planning Startup NileGuide Acquires Local Recommendation Site 10Best (via TechCrunch)
Fanboy Email Newsletter GeekChicDaily Raises $1.5 Million (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
Solar Universe Raises $7 Million To Franchise Solar Installation (via TechCrunch)
Advertising
Celtra Raises $5 Million For Rich Media Mobile Ad Technology (via TechCrunch)
Online Video
Confirmed: Orange acquires 49% of DailyMotion for €59 million, rest to follow (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
appMobi Closes $6M To Improve Mobile App Technology (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Daily Deal Aggregator Monster Offers Raises $10 Million In Equity Financing (via TechCrunch)
After Buying EUFreelance.com, Freelancer.com Acquires Freelancer.de (via TechCrunch)
Mobile/Online Video
Video Monetization Startup Auditude Gains $11 Million In Funding, New CEO (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Space Exploration
Move Over, Rover: Next Giant Leap Gets $1 Million Grant To Build Hopping Moon Landers (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Grapple Mobile Wants You To Know They Did Not Raise $10 Million (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Facebook Billionaire Eduardo Saverin Leads Qwiki’s $8 Million Round (via TechCrunch)
Gaming/Social Media
Social Gaming Company Kabam Raises $30 Million, Plans Acquisitions (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
GreenTech
Scientific Conservation Raises $15.6 Million To Help Cut Energy Waste In Commercial Buildings (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
RightNow Acquires Natural Language Search Company Q-go For $34 Million (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Mobile
Kony Solutions Raises $19.1 Million For Mobile Application Platform (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
With $2 Million In Fresh Funding, FanBridge Buys DamnTheRadio (via TechCrunch)
Exclusive: Entertainment News Company TheWrap Acquires ItsOnTheGrid.com (via TechCrunch)
Appcelerator Acquires Web App Development Suite Aptana (via TechCrunch)
Travelmatch Debuts Travel Search Engine With Backing From Lastminute.com Founder (via TechCrunch)
Populis, the “European Associated Content”, acquires blog network Blogo for €6m (via TechCrunch Europe)
Cloud Computing
Cloud Archiving Startup Sonian Raises $9 Million From Amazon, Webroot And Others (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Cloud Computing
NoSQL: GraphDB Maker Sones Raises Millions To Expand Cloud Computing Business (via TechCrunch)
Finance
OpenGamma secures $6 million Series B to power open source for financial markets (via TechCrunch Europe)
Web Content
Songmaster Purchases iVideosongs Assets (via TechCrunch)
E-Commerce
Kabbage raises $6.65M to kick-start online sellers with a cash advance (via DealsBeat)
Finance
Benchmark raises $425M fund — but top firm loses partner who made it famous (via VentureBeat)
Web Content
SNAP Interactive Raises $8.5 Million For Social Dating Applications (via TechCrunch)
Stealth Milewise Raises $1.5 Million To Help People Cash In On Reward Programs (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
ShopSocial locks down $1.2M for “commerce as a social service” (via DealsBeat)
GreenTech
SoloPower wins $20M loan for $340M solar manufacturing plant in Oregon (via GreenBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions roundup from across the web:
GreenTech
GE To Buy Lineage Power, Makers Of Green Data Center Equipment, For $520 Million (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
Sococo grabs $4.2M to build a collaborative online office (via DealsBeat)
TripIt Bags An ExIt – Acquired By Concur For Up To $120 Million (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Advertising
Ad network Adknowledge raises $200M to pursue acquisitions (via VentureBeat)
GreenTech
Irish gas supplier invests $2.6 million in tidal power (via VentureBeat)
Web Content
Online Fashion Community Fashiolista Raises $500,000 From Atomico (via TechCrunch)
Strava raises $3.5M to track cycling data for hardcore performers (via VentureBeat)
FeeFighters Raises $1.6 Million To Be The BillShrink For Business Services (via TechCrunch)
IT/Security
Covertix Raises $1 Million, Helps Companies Secure Sensitive Data (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Advertising
Digital Audio Advertising Company TargetSpot Lands $8 Million (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Paper.li Raises $2.1 Million For Social News Curation, Hits 2 Million Users (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
GreenTech
ECOtality Secures $10 Million Investment from ABB (via EON)
Finance
BREAKING: Holtzbrinck Ventures and HarbourVest closes €117m early stage fund (via TechCrunch Europe)
Social Media
What’s online influence really worth? For Klout, $8.5M (via DealsBeat)
Web Content
Restaurant Reservation Startup VillageVines Raises $3 Million (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
SCHAD secures $4.2 million led by m8 Capital for its plant mobile monitoring technology (via TechCrunch Europe)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Biotech
Johnson & Johnson Leads $9 Million Investment In Personal Genetics Startup 23andMe (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
Film site MUBI pulls in $2.4 million to socialise cinema buffs (via TechCrunch Europe)
Personal Raises $7M From Steve Case And Others To Help Consumers Protect Their Digital Data (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
CloudMade accelerates its location platform by buying OneStepAhead (via MobileBeat)
Advertising
Media Buying Platform Centro Rakes In $22.5 Million (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Telephony
Skype acquires Qik in expansion into live video (via VentureBeat)
Web Content
French Groupon clone Bon-Privé scores €1.5 million to conquer more French territory (via TechCrunch Europe)
Movie And TV Show Recommendation Engine Jinni Raises $5 Million (via TechCrunch)
Gaming
Gaming Site OMGPOP Raises $10.1 Million, Plans Acquisitions (via TechCrunch)
IT/Data Management
Clickfree Brings Total Funding To $33 Million With Intel Capital Investment (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
China’s LDK Solar takes $33 million stake in Solar Power (via GreenBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Mobile/Advertising
Mobile Ad Network Millennial Media Raises $27.5 Million; Tripled Revenue In 2010 (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
YouSendIt acquires startups Attassa and Zosh to mix up document delivery (via MobileBeat)
Finance
Jeff Clavier’s SoftTech VC Raises $15 Million For New Fund (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
SoloPower Raises Another $51.6 Million To Make Flexible, Thin Film Solar Panels (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
X5 Music secures EUR 7m investment from Northzone to hit the States (via TechCrunch Europe)
TV Content Check-In App Miso Lands $1.5M From Google Ventures And Hearst (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
USA Today Buys Consumer Electronics Review Network Reviewed.com (via TechCrunch)
Ziff Davis Buys Tech Deals Site LogicBuy; Launches Ad Targeting Platform BuyerBase (via TechCrunch)
FitOrbit Gains $3.2 Million To Help You Lose Pounds (via TechCrunch)
Mobile/Telephony
GroupMe Scores $10.6 Million From Khosla Ventures And Others (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Scvngr grabs $15M more to locate challenges abroad (via Mobile Beat)
IT/Data Backup
Clickfree introduces hassle-free wireless backup for multiple computers (via VentureBeat)
Customer Service/Support
Assistly Scores $3 Million More For Fast Growing SaaS Customer Service Product (via TechCrunch)
Telephony
Avaya Buys Conference Phone Maker Konftel For $15 Million (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Advertising
About.com Founder Scott Kurnit’s Startup AdKeeper Raises $35M (via Mashable)
[x+1] Raises $10 Million From Intel Capital For Online Targeting Platform (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Groupon’s non-IPO raises $500 million, with $450 million to go (via DealsBeat)
Advertising
Image Space Media Raises $1 Million For In-Image Ad Platform (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Appconomy raises $1.5M to build enterprise mobile apps (via DealsBeat)
Advertising/Social Media
TextualAds Raises $650K For Facebook-Fueled, Targeted SMS Campaigns (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Flight And Hotel Price Tracking Startup Yapta Is Raising A $6.4 Million Round (via TechCrunch)
Mobile/Gaming
Stealthy Mobile Games Startup Wild Needle Is Raising $3 Million In Series A Funding (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Finance
Union Square Ventures Is Raising A New $200 Million Opportunity Fund (via TechCrunch)
Cloud Computing
Ifbyphone snaps up $8M to modify phone calls in the cloud (via DealsBeat)
Mobile
Zumigo Raises $420,000 To Help Jumpstart More Location-Based Applications (via TechCrunch)
Dashwire Raises Another $1 Million For Mobile Services Platform (via TechCrunch)
Gaming
Y Combinator-backed Humble Bundle sells $1.8M worth of indie games (via GamesBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
GreenTech
EnergySavvy Raises $1.1 Million To Match Up Green Contractors, Rebates And Homeowners (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
Video scanning provider 3VR raises $17M from heavy-hitting investors (via DealsBeat)
Zumbox raises $9.7M to kill the post office with a digital mailbox (via DealsBeat)
Mobile
Moblyng raising $10.9M to make mobile HTML5 games (via DealsBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Advertising
Tremor Media Coughed Up At Least $65 Million For ScanScout (via TechCrunch)
GreenTech
Smith Electric Vehicles U.S. Acquiring Its U.K.-based Parent Company For $15 Million (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
The Gifts Project Ties A Bow On A $1 Million Round For Social Group Gifting (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
To save your phone from hackers, Lookout raises $19.5M (via VentureBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Mobile
News Corp Sells Fox Mobile Group To Investment Group Jesta (via TechCrunch)
Marketing/Cloud Computing
Teradata Buys Marketing Automation Software Company Aprimo For $525M (via TechCrunch)
eCommerce
MMC Ventures Injects $2.32 Million Into Online Children’s Wear Retailer Alexandalexa (via TechCrunch)
Web Content/Social Media
Twitter acquires new personnel from Fluther (via CNET)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
GreenTech
Elevance Raises $100 Million More To Make Chemicals And Fuel From Plant Oils, Poultry Fat (via TechCrunch)
BlackRock leads $30 million round for biofuels company LS9 (via GreenBeat)
Gaming
StudioEX Raises $1.9 Million, Releases First Facebook Game “Galaxy X” In Beta (via TechCrunch)
NeoEdge raises $3M for ad platform for games (via GamesBeat)
Cloud Computing
Cloud Engines raises $15M to turn old hard drives into private cloud servers (via DealsBeat)
Web Content
6Wunderkinder Raises €500,000 To Build Slick Productivity Tool Called ‘wunderkit’ (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Dachis Group Makes Its Biggest Acquisition To Date, Buys Marketing Agency Powered (via TechCrunch)
Meebo closes $27.5M round to socialize the Web (via SocialBeat)
IT/Analytics
MeLLmo raises $10M for enterprise analytics on the go (via DealsBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Cloud Computing
Nasuni nets $15M to smooth sailing into cloud storage (via DealsBeat)
Web Content
Bleacher Report Raises $10.5M; Now Fifth Largest Sports Site (via TechCrunch)
Social Media
Mass Relevance Raises $1.7 Million For Brand-Focused Social Syndication Service (via TechCrunch)
IT/Data Networks
EarthLink Buys Telecom Services Company One Communications For $370 Million (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Members-Only Ticket Discounter ScoreBig Raises $8.5 Million (via digitalmediawire)
Kapitall raises $7.3M for online investments (via VatorNews)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Twitter Now Worth $3.7 Billion, Nabs $200 Million And Two New Board Members (via TechCrunch)
Mobile/Gaming
Pocket Gems fills its pockets with $5M from Sequoia for iPhone games (via MobileBeat)
IT/Customer Service
Spoken Communications gets $4M for call center voice recognition (via DealsBeat)
GreenTech
Sungevity raises $15 million to grow Internet-based rooftop solar leasing (via GreenBeat)
IT/Storage
Clustrix picks up $12M from Sequoia to treat database upgrade headaches (via DealsBeat)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
eCommerce
Need a gift for your kid? Alven Capital puts €2 million into Smallable (via TechCrunch Europe)
GreenTech
Soladigm Raises $30 Million More To Make Smart Glass For Green Buildings (via TechCrunch)
Security
Victrio Raises $5M (via Xconomy)
Web Content
8D World Raises $5.25 Million Series B Financing
IT/Semiconductors
AltoBeam Closed Series C Funding with USVP and Long-Term Investors
Marketing
Lead-Gen Startup Integrate Nabs $4.25M Series A from Foundry Group (via Mashable)
Cloud Computing
CloudBees Acquires Java Platform-as-a-Service Company Stax Networks (via TechCrunch)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Customer Support/Service
Remote Tech Support Company iYogi Raises $30M Round From Sequoia, Others (via TechCrunch)
Web Content
Hotelyo raises €1m angel round for its Vente Privée for luxury hotel deals (via TechCrunch)
Social Network For Gay Men Fabulis Rebrands To Fab.com, Raises $1.75 Million (via TechCrunch)
Mobile
Mobixell Secures $10m (via MobileMarketing)
Today’s funding and acquisitions news roundup from across the web:
Web Content
Viki rakes in $4.3M Series A from great VCs (via VatorNews)
IT-Storage
Nimble Storage Closes $16 Million in Over-Subscribed Series C