BlueKai raises $10.5M to help sell consumer data
BlueKai, which runs a marketplace where advertisers can buy data about online shoppers, has raised $10.5 million in a second round of funding.
The Bellevue, Wash. startup allows shopping sites that have collected data about your interests and activities to sell that information to advertisers. Done… Continue Reading
Music blog network Buzznet lays off 10
Buzznet, a social network of music and celebrity-related blogs, cut its staff by 10 to refocus efforts on its more popular products in the poor economy. For this reason, the Los Angeles-based company actually has plans to increase headcount in sales, editorial and engineering divisions,… Continue Reading
WebVisible buys Adapt for search marketing management tools
Ad management software provider WebVisible announced yesterday that it bought Adapt Technologies, a company that makes applications used to automate search marketing campaigns. The amount of the deal has not been disclosed. Both companies serve their technology to mid-size companies looking to bring in revenue… Continue Reading
Wireless network provider WiChorus may end funding at $18M
WiChorus, a provider of wireless network hardware and software, may be calling it quits on VC backing following an $18 million third-round of funding, reports VentureWire. Raised to cushion the downturn, the new financing exceeded the round’s goals, and will be used to grow the… Continue Reading
Envia raises $3.2M for lithium ion batteries
Envia Systems, a company that provides energy storage services via lithium ion batteries, took $3.2 million in first-round funding from Bay Partners and Redpoint Ventures. The Hayward, Calif.-based firm hopes to integrated its technology into cleantech applications, particularly electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in… Continue Reading
Maxim Integrated acquires Mobilygen for video compression
Surveillance semiconductor company Maxim Integrated Products announced that it will buy private video chip maker Mobilygen for an undisclosed amount. The large public company hopes the acquisition will provide it with the compression technology it needs to make analog security cameras compatible with digital streaming,… Continue Reading
Roundup: IT budgets dying on the vine, Chrysler’s electric cars, a cure for the bees, and more
Datamonitor points to IT budget freeze — Major sector analyst Datamonitor says that half of IT organizations around the globe will cap spending levels next year.
Chrysler to roll out electric cars — Car maker Chrysler will unveil a line of electric cars to its dealers next week,… Continue Reading
Roundup: MySpace to launch music service, Wall Street firms crumble and more
MySpace to launch free digital music service – MySpace Music sounds interesting, but it may not quite live up to Fortune’s declaration that it “promises to be the most significant roll-out of a digital music service since Apple’s iTunes.” Since you have to purchase songs from… Continue Reading
Mobile search and ad company Jumptap raises $26 million more
Mobile search and advertising company Jumptap has raised $26 million in a fourth round of funding led by AllianceBernstein, with all previous investors participating.
The company has positioned itself as an alternative to Google’s search and ad services for mobile devices. The largest carrier in… Continue Reading
Game maker Giant invests in Chinese social network 51.com
Scores of cities in China have more than a million people, and 51.com has beat out its rival social networks to be the most popular in many of them, even if it’s not the most popular in cultural centers like Shanghai and Beijing. It faces… Continue Reading
Redpoint to put up to $13M into Answers Corp.
Ask is a successful company, so why not Answers, too? To help hedge its bets, publicly-traded Answers Corp. (NASDAQ: ANSW) has inked an agreement for up to $13 million from Silicon Valley VC firm Redpoint Ventures, with $6 million being delivered immediately.
Answers runs a two… Continue Reading
Even more Ruby on Rails investment: Heroku gets $3M
San Francisco startup Heroku has been rolling out tools to help developers build, deploy and scale web applications, and it has gotten some pretty positive buzz in the process. But that’s just the beginning, says co-founder James Lindenbaum. Heroku has now raised a $3 million… Continue Reading
Lead-gen site Leadpoint raises $6M, doing fine despite economic downturn
LeadPoint, a site that provides online lead-generation tools for advertising buyers and web publisher sellers, has raised $6 million in a round led by Silicon Valley Bank Ventures, with Redpoint Ventures participating.
Los Angeles-based LeadPoint calls itself “the first and largest leads exchange” marketplace on the… Continue Reading
Advanced Power Projects, for power plant efficiency, takes first funding
A new startup that promises to make new and existing power plants run more reliably and produce less greenhouse gas emissions has received an undisclosed amount of funding by Bay Partners, Sequoia Capital and Redpoint Ventures.
Advanced Power Projects has a technology called the Simplified Combined… Continue Reading
WebVisible, an interactive ad company for local markets, gets $12M more
WebVisible, a company that focuses on interactive advertising in local markets, said it has received $12 million in second round of funding.
The funding was led by Sutter Hill Ventures and included existing investor Redpoint Ventures.
The Irvine, Calif. company offers a software that manages interactive… Continue Reading
Archetype Media, a social media advertising services company, raises $4.12M
Archetype Media Inc. handles a range of advertising services within social networks, designed to help traditional advertisers reach these users.
The West Hollywood, Calif. company has raised $4.12 million in Series A funding in a round led by Redpoint Ventures.
Sparkplay Media gets funds for MMO game with social networking ties
Full-scale massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) are generally built by giant studios, not venture-funded startups, but Sparkplay Media is one of the few exceptions, with an upcoming game called Earth Eternal.
The game will come with its own distinct Web 2.0 angle, though — the ability… Continue Reading
Microsoft gobbles up Danger, maker of the Sidekick mobile software
Microsoft Corp has agreed to acquire Danger, a Silicon Valley company that makes the software for the Sidekick and other mobile devices, for an undisclosed amount.
Danger has worked away for ten years on its device software, and recently filed for an IPO, which we termed… Continue Reading
Rebel Monkey, a casual game developer, raises $1M
Rebel Monkey is a New York-based casual gaming startup founded by Nick Fortugno, the lead designer of the original Diner Dash, and Margaret Wallace, former head of Skunk Studios.
The company is so far keeping its plans close to its chest, saying only that it plans… Continue Reading
Mobile services suite Mig33 raises $13.5 million, grows around the world
We last covered Mig33, an integrated mobile service that’s been growing fast around the world, back in May when it raised $10 million.
Then, Burlingame, Calif.-based Mig33 had gained four million subscribers in less than 18 months, by offering an integrated mobile download application that includes… Continue Reading