BlackArrow inserts ads for cable companies, raises $12M
BlackArrow, a San Mateo, Calif., startup, is offering a new technology to help keep TV advertisers happy.
The company, in secrecy until now, will announce tomorrow (Monday) that it wants to insert targeted ads into on-demand viewing by placing a piece of hardware between cable operators and consumers. Prior to the user watching an on-demand show, BlackArrow helps deliver a brief ad, tailored to the theme of the show and the user’s apparent preferences. For example,… Continue Reading
Yahoo buys sports network, Rivals.com
Yahoo is expected to announce tomorrow that it has agreed to acquire Rivals.com, an Web site focused on college and high school basketball, football and baseball.
The property, priced by unconfirmed reports at about $100 million, will be wrapped into Yahoo Sports, where it competes with ESPN.com, Foxsports.com and others. The New York Times has more details here.
Rivals, of Nashville, TN, had 1.4 million visitors in May, and was the 19th most visited sports site, according… Continue Reading
Wall Street welcomes WiMax, Clearwire has $600M IPO
Clearwire, the company that is building WiMax, a new wireless technology boosts the performance of wireless broadband, has raised $600 million in its initial public offering. It begins trading today.
Clearwire, of Kirkland, Wash., reported a net loss of $240 million last year, largely because it is building out its WiMax network, and has yet to start selling it. It remains a big risk. Sprint-Nextel plans to roll out a competing WiMax network next year, and… Continue Reading
UPDATE: Agiliance raises $6.5 million for yet another security co — but wait, this one’s different!
(Updated: Intel has also since invested in the company. The story below was written 10/10/06)
Agiliance, a Mountain View start-up that helps companies prevent breaches of their IT network security and compliance policies, has raised $6.5 million in a second round of funding.
Walden International and Red Rock Ventures led the investment.
We’ve seen so many of these sorts of security investments that we pressed Agiliance’s Pravin Kothari, founder and chief executive, and Anil Gupta, head of marketing,… Continue Reading
Intel, TPG invest $36.5M into Vietnam tech outsourcing co., FPT
Chip giant Intel and buyout firm Texas Pacific Group are investing $36.5 million in Vietnam’s largest software company, FPT.
Here is a good summary of the investment in today’s Mercury News. FPT offers a range of services, including back-end computing services, telecommunications and outsourcing to Japanese companies.
The investment reflects a growing confidence in the Vietnamese economy, which reported economic growth of 8.4 percent last year. Vietnam’s tech market, estimated to be valued at $800 million, is… Continue Reading
Emphany Systems, wireless sensor Co., raises $13.35M
Emphany Systems Inc. (we couldn’t find a link to Website), an East Palo Alto, Calif.-based developer of wireless sensor platform solutions, has raised $13.35 million in first-round funding, according to a regulatory filing cited by PE Week Wire. Backers include Sigma Partners, OVP Venture Partners, New Venture Partners and Intel Capital.