Simply Hired hits profitability with new $4.6M
Simply Hired, a job listing search engine based in the Silicon Valley, announced today that it has crossed into profitability with a new $4.6 million in fourth-round capital from IDG Ventures and Foundation Capital. The company is also marking four consecutive quarters of positive cash… Continue Reading
Jingle Networks keys up $7.5M for directory assistance
Jingle Networks, the company that operates national telephone directory assistance (1-800-FREE-411), landed $7.5 million in a fourth round of funding, according to VentureWire. The Menlo Park, Calif. firm will add this sum to the $75 million in capital it previously raised from Goldman Sachs, Hearst,… Continue Reading
Social ad network Social Media gets funding boost, after strong year
Updated
Social Media, a new-fangled advertising network for applications on Facebook and other “social media” sites, has raised a second round of $6 million from IDG Ventures and existing investor Charles River Ventures.
While some have been skeptical of the value of advertising within social networks, Social… Continue Reading
Quova lets websites know where you are
Geolocation software developer Quova launched its new On-Demand service today, providing websites with the ability to pinpoint their users’ locations, and use this data to customize their content and applications.
The Mountain View, Calif. company gives businesses the tools they need to help their users find… Continue Reading
In a first, China removes profit repatriation tax for U.S. investor
For the first time, the Chinese government has exempted a U.S. venture firm from having to pay a hefty 10 percent withholding tax for repatriating profits, in a major move that could spur another major wave of U.S. investment in China.
Patrick McGovern (pictured here), head… Continue Reading
Free 411 service Jingle raises $13M
Jingle Networks, a provider of free telephone directory services, has raised $13 million in a third round of funding, according to VentureWire.
The service, called “1-800-FREE-411″, is pretty simple, and it’s completely automated: You dial a number, listen to an ad and then get the information… Continue Reading
How do you manage packs of proud VCs globally? You don’t, unless you’re IDG or DFJ
Many venture capitalists think of themselves as romantic swashbucklers, mixing raw intelligence with their bulging money purse to skillfully create companies of huge worth. Many of them are lone wolves that gather in regional packs because it’s more convenient.
So how do you harness of a… Continue Reading
Vaultus Mobile Technologies gets $6M for mobile application access
Vaultus Mobile Technologies is a software startup that helps businesses create mobile versions of their existing applications, allowing their employees to keep using them over their smartphones or other devices.
The company has several pre-packaged offerings that extend apps like sales and field services software onto… Continue Reading
Life sciences briefing: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008
TODAY’S HEADLINES:
Drug-screening tool maker IonGate Bio raises €4.6M (release)
Protein-drug maker Molecular Partners gets $5M up front in Centocor deal (PDF release)
ProtaGen takes in €1M for protein biochips (PDF release)
China’s Sundia MediTech, a contract research organization raises second round (release)
Vital-signs implant maker Transoma Medical sets IPO… Continue Reading
Mobivox raises $11M for yet another VoIP service
IDG Ventures Boston has led an $11 million first round of investment into Montreal, Canada company Mobivox, just the latest Internet telephone company that lets members make cheap or free phone calls around the world.
It lets members make calls to a number of countries free… Continue Reading
Telltale raises $6 million to blow up retail games model
Telltale, the San Rafael, Calif. company that makes interactive games, including Sam & Max, has raised $6 million in a second round of financing.
The three year old company is already profitable, having pursued a strategy of making games much more rapidly and cheaply than the… Continue Reading
Zing, the wireless music download service for digital players, raises $12.5M
Zing Systems, a Mountain View, Calif. company that provides wireless download access for mp3 or digital players, has secured $12.5 million of a planned $13.41 million third-round of funding, according to a regulatory filing cited by PE Wire.
IDG Ventures Boston was joined by return… Continue Reading
Mapbar, Chinese maping company, raises $10M
Mapbar, a Beijing mapping and local search company, has raised a total of about $10 million from venture capital firms IDG Ventures and WI Harper in two rounds.
The news was first reported by China Web2.0Review.
WI Harper led the second round of $5 million, with existing… Continue Reading
MySpace prepares ground campaign for China, carefully
MySpace is negotiating its entry into China with a venture capital group and a former China Netcom Group exec, according to the WSJ (sub required), a sign that it is relying on local help to avoid the expensive mistakes made by other U.S. companies in… Continue Reading
Jingle gets $30M to grow its free directory assistance service
(Updated below with comments from chief executive George Garrick)
Jingle Networks, a Menlo Park start-up which provides free phone directory assistance, has raised a whopping $30 million more in venture capital — upping the ante in what is now a crowded field.
This area has become popular… Continue Reading
Jingle gets $30M for free directory assistance
See our story here.
IDG to open new SF-based venture capital firm
Pat McGovern, chairman of the global media company IDG, said IDG will probably invest in a new San Francisco-based venture capital firm focused on local investments.
IDG has several regional venture funds, including China, Vietnam and Boston, and this latest effort in San Francisco will be… Continue Reading