USAA revs up online car dealership Zag
Zag, the online car-buying platform known for its transparent upfront and guaranteed pricing, just landed $37.4 million in strategic capital, most of it coming from financial services goliath USAA. Different from other car transaction sites in that it connects consumers with about 2,000 certified dealers, Zag says its mission is to improve the car-buying experience for the average consumer as much as possible.
And with sales climbing steadily (130 percent since December 2007), Zag appears to… Continue Reading
Blurb raises $5M for self-publishing software
Blurb. Inc., developer of free downloadable software that lets anyone lay out and print their very own book, announced today that it nabbed $5 million in third-round funding to continue building its feature BookSmart tool, according to peHub. Backers in this round included Canaan Partners and Anthem Venture Partners, both of which contributed to the $14 million the company raised prior. The San Francisco-based company also received $2.5 million in venture debt from Hercules Technology… Continue Reading
Social shopping site ThisNext draws $5M
[update 2/5: The company said it will "in the next couple weeks" close an unspecified venture debt funding, Chief Executive Gordon Gould told VentureWire. ]
Social shopping has proven to be a popular concept lately, with a number of companies offering varying ways for shoppers to network with others have similar tastes to their own.
ThisNext’s take gives shoppers a way to comment on products they like, moving them up and down in the popularity rankings. The… Continue Reading
Buzznet, yet another social network, raises $6 million
You might think that by now, VCs would use business plans from new social network companies as kindling.
But Hollywood-based Buzznet, a network devoted to allowing indie music fans to bond over the bands they love, has raised $6 million in its second round of funding from Redpoint Ventures and Anthem Venture Partners. It was valued at more than $20 million, post-investment.
The site is different than music networking sites such as Last.fm . Instead of… Continue Reading
Pulse Mobile, offering mobile messaging with 3D avatars
Pulse Mobile, a San Francisco company that lets you send mobile messages with an animated avatar, has raised $7 million in a second round of financing.
It is aimed for 14 to 24 year olds, but even old folks can have fun with this. There’s nothing your girlfriend or wife will like more than a “I dig you” message from a pig with a Japanese accent.
The service launched in December on Cingular in the U.S., and… Continue Reading
Xyratex acquires Ario Data assets at loss?
Xyratex, a U.K.-based maker of data storage systems, said it will acquire some assets and employees from San Jose’s Ario Data Networks for an undisclosed sum.
Ario’s storage product focuses on RAID, Blade and Bridge technologies.
VentureWire (sub required) suggests the sale was made at a loss, but we haven’t confirmed this:
After pumping $44 million into Ario Data Networks Inc. and seeing it through a recapitalization, the company’s VC investors decided to bow out by selling off… Continue Reading