oDesk Challenge gives startups a staffing kickstart
oDesk, a site that helps companies recruit and coordinate online workers, has launched the oDesk Challenge, a program to help young startups piece together teams of staffers quickly and efficiently. It is promoting it today at TechCrunch50, a conference in San Francisco.
The first 20 venture-backed… Continue Reading
How-to video site 5min scores $7.5M for wider syndication
5min, a site that syndicates instructional videos to a host of other web sites reaching 200 million viewers a month, has raised $7.5 million in a second round of funding.
The 5min site itself has built a library of more than 100,000 short, professional-quality videos sorted… Continue Reading
Coskata looks to stimulus to finish commercial biofuel plant
Even though cellulosic ethanol maker Coskata just brought in $40 million in a third round of funding in November, it needs more to finish off its new commercial-scale plant — and the government stimulus package for biofuels looks like just the ticket.
Chief executive Bill Roe… Continue Reading
CaliSolar shines with $60M for photovoltaic cells
CaliSolar, a Sunnyvale, Calif. maker of solar cells has brought in $60 million in equity, rights and securities, reports VentureWire. This is a good amount for a company that just landed $101.8 million in November. It plans to use the new financing for a plant… Continue Reading
Jajah holds strong, dials up $2.8M to expand VoIP services
Jajah, a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) communication service, has taken in $2.75 million of an anticipated $5 million fourth round of funding, peHUB reports. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company provides service to millions of users, much like competitors mig33 and Jaxtr. Last April it… Continue Reading
Glasshouse IPO plans shatter
Glasshouse Technologies, an information technology consultancy specializing in data storage, just announced the withdrawal of its initial public offering due to poor market conditions — making it the third venture-backed startup to cancel an IPO in 2009. The Framingham, Mass. company originally filed in December… Continue Reading
Vehicle sharing service Zipcar brings plug-in hybrids on board
Zipcar, the Cambridge, Mass.-based company that allows users to rent cars online without ever speaking to an agent, has added plug-in hybrid vehicles to its San Francisco fleet. This is part of a national pilot program to increase public awarenss of new electric vehicle technology,… Continue Reading
Solar Power Partners takes on $32M for solar panel sales
Add another solar-as-a-service company to the list of those unfazed by the recession. Solar Power Partners, a Mill Valley, Calif. company that installs panels for commercial customers but retains ownership in order to sell the electricity from them, has taken on $32 million more in… Continue Reading
NextMedium sells off product placement assets to Newport Coast
NextMedium, provider of an online platform that allowed advertisers to get their brands into TV shows, movies and web videos, has sold its technology and other intellectual property to Newport Coast Investments. It had been a while since the company raised money, last bringing in… Continue Reading
South Korea’s Nurien raises $10 million for fashion-oriented virtual world
Nurien Software has been making a splash with its demos of virtual characters dressed as fashion models striding down runways in virtual fashion shows. This strategy has helped the company raise $10 million in a second institutional round of funding.
The funding suggests that investors are… Continue Reading
The termite’s blessing: ZeaChem finds more support
Poor termites. They’ll have no part in the ZeaChem facilities that may someday pump out millions of gallons of cellulosic ethanol, even though it’s the humble bug’s legacy that allowed it all to happen. Lakewood, Colo.-based ZeaChem has raised $34 million more for its process,… Continue Reading
SundaySky wants to turn web content into instant video
Israeli video production company SundaySky wants to help web sites repackage their content as video — whether as a means to promote sales, build out their communities, or communicate better with their audience. SundaySky says that turning site content into videos can be time consuming… Continue Reading
Provigent takes $10M for wireless chips
Chip maker Provigent received $10 million in fifth-round funding, all from Lightspeed Venture Partners, to develop chips for 4G cellular base stations and wireless applications. The funds will also be used to extend sales efforts globally — the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company is already active… Continue Reading
CaliSolar raises over $100M for planned “dirty” silicon cell factory
There’s a shortage of the pure silicon used to make solar cells, but Sunnyvale, Calif-based CaliSolar doesn’t care. There’s plenty of the less refined stuff — what’s called metallurgical grade silicon — that the company says it can use in its own proprietary cells to… Continue Reading
Applied Identity raises $10M for enterprise IT
Applied Identity, a San Francisco startup that improves enterprise IT security, has raised $10 million of a projected $15.3 million third round, according to Private Equity Hub, citing a regulatory filing. New investor ABS Ventures joined existing backers Bay Partners, Globespan Capital Partners, OVP Ventures… Continue Reading
Solar Power Partners reaches $100M in funding for renewable power sales
Another solar-as-a-service company, part of a growing industry that helps to install and operate solar panels, is ballooning in size. Solar Power Partners, a Mill Valley, Calif. startup that only had $6 million in funding a year ago, is announcing that it has reached $100… Continue Reading
Palo Alto Networks raises $27 million for next-generation firewalls
Palo Alto Networks is announcing today it has raised $27 million in a third round of funding for its firewall appliance business.
Lehman Brothers Venture Partners led the round while other investors included Globespan Capital Partners, Greylock Partners, and Sequoia Capital. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company will… Continue Reading
ODesk raises $15M to manage remote employees
Updated
Outsourcing technology startup oDesk has raised a $15 million third round of funding led by DAG Ventures.
Menlo Park, Calif.-based oDesk allows companies to hire technology “providers” like programmers and web designers, and it provides companies with the technology to monitor those remote employees. Chief executive… Continue Reading
Blackwave, says it has major storage improvement for video
updated
Blackwave, a video storage company that says it can store video seven to ten times more efficiently than other technologies, has raised $16 million more in a second round of financing. The company’s bold technology claims, however, can’t be verified just yet: It plans to… Continue Reading
Fortisphere, raises $10M for virtualization software
Fortisphere, a Glendwood, Maryland provider of software to manage virtualization of hardware in large companies, has raised $10 million in first round funding.
The round was co-led by Fairhaven Capital Partners and Globespan Capital Partners.
From the release:
“IDC predicts that the virtualization market will reach $11.7 billion… Continue Reading