Xobni raises $7M to battle Outlook’s email overload

Xobni raises $7M to battle Outlook’s email overload

Xobni, a plug-in that tries to improve email organization in Microsoft Outlook, has raised $7 million in a second round of venture financing.

Xobni’s most prominent feature is an inbox sidebar that shows profiles of people you’re corresponding with. By making related content (phone numbers, past messages, files exchanged, and more) immediately accessible, Xobni helps you avoid fruitless or time-consuming searches through giant piles of email; Microsoft founder Bill Gates (somewhat hyperbolically) called it “the next… Continue Reading

Speed-dating site WooMe raises $12.5M more, enjoys $41M valuation

Speed-dating site WooMe raises $12.5M more, enjoys $41M valuation

WooMe, a video speed-dating site whose claim to fame is a speedy, no-frills interface and the ability to attract people who would never touch a traditional dating site (it calls itself an “introductions platform”), has raised a fresh round of capital to continue expanding.

NewTeeVee had the scoop on the funding news, however its report said the company was valued at $30 million after the money, and had a deal with MTV, both of which… Continue Reading

WooMe, searching for the needle in the dating haystack

WooMe, searching for the needle in the dating haystack

If you had a minute to speak with someone over a live video connection, could you decide whether you would date them? That’s the question for WooMe, a startup aiming to bring the world of speed dating online.

It launches a testing version today, but will open for all in a couple of months.

Unlike most other dating sites, users don’t have to answer dozens of questions or fill out an application form. Nor will they be… Continue Reading

Jott raises $5.4M for voice-to-text

Jott raises $5.4M for voice-to-text

Jott, the convenient voice-to-text service we reviewed favorably in March, has raised $5.4 million in its latest round of financing.

Jott, of Seattle, allows you to call a number, record a message, and then have that message translated into text and e-mailed to you or one of your contacts.

Bain Capital of Boston led the round with money from its new early-stage fund. The round included previous investors Draper Richards, Ackerley Partners and Atomico.

Founder and chief executive… Continue Reading

The new behavior advertising upstarts: Aggregate Knowledge and Wunderloop

The new behavior advertising upstarts: Aggregate Knowledge and Wunderloop

The eye-opening performances claimed by new behavioral advertising start-ups Aggregate Knowledge and Wunderloop are sure to grab the attention from online retailers and publishers.

Take the little announcement by the nine-month-old Menlo Park company Aggregate Knowledge yesterday at DEMO: It drove more than 20 percent of all of the holiday purchases at major discount retail site Overstock.com. Considering that the annual revenue of Overstock is in the range of $700-800 million, our rough estimate is that Aggregate… Continue Reading