Ashton Kutcher invests in another Berlin startup, “Etsy for experiences” Gidsy
Gidsy, a new company from Germany, could be a way for you to make a few bucks from your more unusual talents.
Gidsy is a “marketplace for authentic experiences,” and it just landed a $1.2 million investment from a combination of Sunstone Capital, Index Ventures, Werner Vogels (CTO of Amazon), and the actor Ashton Kutcher.
Are you a dumpling expert, urban survivalist or DIY manufacturer? If so, Gidsy may be for you.
Gidsy’s founders were … Continue Reading
Russia’s startup climate: 5 steps away from primetime
Protests in Russia last week have dominated international news, and talking heads have been eager to explain how this is evidence of an increasingly divided and unstable Russia. Although the political response has not been as graceful as it could have been, the restraint the government has shown in regards to the protesters is encouraging, especially compared to how similar protests were met in Syria, Libya, or Egypt.
What is unfortunate, however, is that the … Continue Reading
Content discovery platform Outbrain doubles funding with $35M round
Outbrain, a company that focuses on recommending interesting content to readers, announced today that it has landed a massive $35 million in a fourth round of funding led by Index Ventures.
The company is now making greater strides in video and mobile web recommendations, and it says that the funding will help it to expand its reach across devices and various content types.
“There are other screens and devices where people consume their favorite content, … Continue Reading
3D printing sees more of New York with Shapeways’ new facility, $5.1M funding
3D printing company Shapeways is opening up its own production facility with a new $5.1 follow on of funding from Index Ventures and Union Square Ventures.
When I think of 3D printing, I am reminded of those old Sci-Fi shows where you entered an object of desire into a device to only moments later open a hatch and find it sitting there. 3D printing is just that, and allows anyone to choose or create a … Continue Reading
Kaggle raises $11M to make data science competitive, and Silicon Valley bigwigs are impressed
“Spec work” is a term of derision in the creative industries, applied to work that’s done for free to win a prize or a contract. But for some, the model has worked so well that Kaggle is applying the model to science.
The company’s hope is that the competitive spirit can produce new data analysis algorithms as well as it does logos and website designs.
Promulgated by sites like 99designs, the idea behind speculative work … Continue Reading
Ozon.ru raises $100M to become Russia’s Amazon.com — and postal service
Ozon.ru, the fast growing online retailer that calls itself the Amazon.com of Russia, has raised $100 million in new equity funding to fund an ambitious expansion that includes recreating the Russian postal service.
And Ozon.ru is experiencing such terrific growth — 36 percent growth in the first six months of the year, compared to the same period last year — that it’s beginning to think about an IPO, chief executive Maelle Gavet told me an … Continue Reading
Go Try It On is like having a panel of judges in your fitting room
Today Go Try It On, an iOS app and web site for giving and receiving opinions on outfits, announced its first round of funding, $3 million from Index Ventures, Len Blavatnik and Alex Zubillaga.
Advice apps that provide real-time feedback are popular this week. Opinionaided, an app for making decisions on the fly, received $4.3 million in a funding round yesterday. The idea may also feel familiar to anyone who has spent time using a … Continue Reading
Groupalia rakes in millions to help Europeans, South Americans find deals
Deals site Groupalia doesn’t do something new, but does it in a new place. The year-old consumer deals company has exploded onto the southern European and Latin American markets and is raking in millions.
The company scored two robust rounds of funding in five months, including a $26 million round today, close on the heels of a $15 million round in April.
Group buying is not just a Unites States phenomenon. Groupon entered Europe in … Continue Reading
Soluto raises $10.5 million for anti-frustration crusade
Soluto, winner of TechCrunch Disrupt New York 2010, has raised $10.5 million in a second round funding from Index Ventures. The company’s software specializes in the tangibly intangible: anti-frustration.
The free software detects the nerve pumping in your forehead by monitoring repeated actions or errors. Once it sees a pattern, it attacks the problem and prevents unnecessary coronaries.
Most interesting is what Soluto is doing with information received from user downloads. Data is collected anonymously … Continue Reading
