Nabbr nabs $2.6M for social network marketing
Nabbr, a Chicago firm that specializes in digital marketing and widget development, brought in $2.57 million in a second round of funding from Allen & Co., Avalon Ventures and undisclosed others. The company has typically focused on widgets that market music on social networks but says it would like to diversify into other types of entertainment going forward. It has already produced apps used to advertise the films Iron Man and Mamma Mia. In the… Continue Reading
Roundup: IT budgets dying on the vine, Chrysler’s electric cars, a cure for the bees, and more
Datamonitor points to IT budget freeze — Major sector analyst Datamonitor says that half of IT organizations around the globe will cap spending levels next year.
Chrysler to roll out electric cars — Car maker Chrysler will unveil a line of electric cars to its dealers next week, according to the Wall Street Journal. The large car company has not previously shown off any electric vehicles.
Bee well — Remember when some researchers were blaming mobile phone signals for colony… Continue Reading
Facebook: Investors still pumping money into social networking applications
There has been speculation recently that investors are no longer putting money into social networking application companies. That is not the case.
Today at the f8 conference, Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said that more than $200 million in funding had already been invested in third-party applications to date. He announced that Flixster, a movie review application (and site), has just raised $6 million from investment bank Allen & Co. and other investors. Last night,… Continue Reading
Wireless startup Fon raises $9.5M
Fon, a Spanish startup hoping to build “the world’s largest wireless community”, has raised $9.5 million in a third round of funding, according to TechCrunch.
Coral Capital Management led the round, with participation from British Telecom, Google, Allen & Co., founder Martin Varsavsky’s Jazzya and Joi Ito’s Digital Garage. Varsavsky says he’ll use the new funding to launch Fon in Russia, and to release a new version of the company’s Fonera router.
We covered the company last… Continue Reading
SpinVox raises whopping $100M+ for voicemail to text conversion
SpinVox, a London company that converts your voicemail into text, has raised more than $100 million to expand quickly by signing deals with large telecom carriers around the world — an apparent land-grab.
The amount of cash is significant, and a sign that SpinVox wants to sign up carriers before competitors such as Nuance or other emerging players, such as Jott or Simulscribe get there first.
Its SpinVox’s third round of capital, and investors include GLG Partners,… Continue Reading
Payscale raises $10.3M more to deliver salary info online
PayScale, a Seattle company that provides information about salary levels for specific jobs over the Web, said it has raised $10.3 million more in financing from SAP Ventures, the venture capital arm of software giant SAP.
Also participating in the round were Corporate Executive Board, Allen & Company LLC and previous investors.
We wrote about the company here.
Cellerant Therapeutics raises $4.4M for stem-cell therapeutics
Cellerant Therapeutics, a San Carlos, Calif. developer of stem cell therapeutics for things like sickle cell disease treatment, has raised $4.4 million in a second round financing. It was reported by VentureWire (sub required), which cited a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Cellerant previously raised $25 million towards its Series B funding, having last added $9 million to the round in September 2005. Before that, the company also raised a $10 million funding in May 2003…. Continue Reading
eBay buys StubHub, online ticket reseller, for $310M
StubHub, an online site for reselling tickets to events, has been acquied by eBay for $310 million, minting the latest Silicon Valley millionaires in co-founders Jeff Fluhr and Eric Baker.
The controversial company has grown steadily, badgering eBay’s business for years. About 30 professional and college sports teams encourage fans to StubHub as a sort of safe haven in the reselling market, even as the New England Patriots have sued the company, saying it is encouraging… Continue Reading
MySpace founders shortchanged, Yahoo’s binge over, Timebridge, Mashery, FON, Workday
The round-up of crucial stuff in Silicon Valley:
Did MySpace’s Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson get shortchanged? — VentureBeat has heard that MySpace, the biggest success of the Web 2.0 wave so far, in terms of users, wasn’t such a great a hit for the co-founders. Word is, Chris DeWolfe ended up with a mere $5 million, even though the company was sold as part of Intermix for $580 million. We haven’t been able to confirm this… Continue Reading
Ads, ads everywhere: SpotRunner, Rhythm get big $ infusions
Updated
The advertising revolution continues, in both the Internet and wireless worlds.
Spot Runner, the internet start-up that gives advertisers an easier, cheaper way to insert their ads into local TV programming, has raised $40 million more in backing.
And Rhythm NewMedia, meanwhile, has soaked up $18 million more in venture capital, to claim a stake in the other sexy ad area right now: inserting ads in wireless video clips.
This is a lot of money for… Continue Reading
Roundup: FON’s gambit, Obvious, Zachary’s blog, Vox & more
Roundup in Silicon Valley:
FON exploits opportunity to stir up WiFi interest in San Francisco — Search engine company Google is having a heck of a time getting “crazy nut job” local SF residents to agree to its plans for a city-wide WiFi project. So while big Google is stymied, another company, FON, is hoping to slip under the regulatory radar with a grassroots campaign: Offering hundreds of its La Fonera wireless routers at an event it… Continue Reading
Roundup of best Silicon Valley news: YouTube, FON, Ning & more
Catching up:
YouTube is making $7.5 million a month –Everyone has been guessing whether YouTube is profitable, given the high costs it faces hosting all its videos. This guy says YouTube is doing $7.5 million a month in ads, and is profitable.
FON, the company that wants to encourage people to share their WiFi routers, having problems? — The general manager of US division has left. We’re beginning to think this Fon idea my be too clunky to fly…. Continue Reading