Skype is finally free — eBay settles with Skype co-founders, clearing way for buyout
EBay has settled with the founders of Skype, clearing up some nasty lawsuits that had stood in the way of a Skype acquisition. Now the Internet phone company to be sold to a consortium of investors that includes Skype’s co-founders.
Private equity firm Silver Lake Partners leads the investor group, and is joined by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, as well as Skype founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis.
As… Continue Reading
Nice timing: Netbook OS startup Jolicloud raises $4.2M
Jolicloud, the company created by Netvibes founder Tariq Krim to build an operating system for netbook computers, just announced it has raised $4.2 million in a first round of venture funding.
As you may have heard, Google announced last night that it’s preparing Chrome OS, its own operating system for netbooks (the smaller, cheaper alternative to laptops), so this is both a good time (yay netbooks!) and a bad time (uh-oh, Google’s coming after you) to… Continue Reading
Skype cofounders seeking $266M for their Atomico Ventures fund
Skype cofounders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis are raising $266 million for their new fund, Atomico Ventures, within the year. This timeline — expedited by placement agent Probitas Partners — requires limited partners to provide a minimum of $13.3 million.
Based on Grand Cayman island (a conveniently tax-neutral locale), the early-stage venture capital fund will focus on “disruptive” consumer-facing startups in Europe, according to its web site. The dynamic duo of Zennström and Friis has had… Continue Reading
Roundup: Adobe’s product launches, Joost, eBay-Skype charge, and more
Here’s an (updated) summary of the latest action:
–Adobe launches online-offline media player, and Share. Other applications launch using Adobe’s AIR
–Microsoft launches Office Live WorkSpace
–Joost officially launches its online TV service
–Skype makes earn-out. EBay takes $1.43 billion impairment charge for Skype, and co-founder Zennstrom steps down.
–Facebook to let you group your friends
–Findory shuts down
Adobe launches new online-offline media player, and lots more – Adobe’s new player lets you watch Flash videos whether or not you’re connected to… Continue Reading
The new video players: Kyte, DimDim
There are a ton of “video player” companies out there, and they’re starting to blur.
It takes a lot to impress these days. A video player in 2007 should be able to upload any video file — from your desktop or from the Web — and then have it run from any Website from a widget.
Just when we thought innovation was running out, we hear about Kyte, a video player that allows live video and… Continue Reading
Weatherbill, weather insurance company, raises round
We recently pointed to Weatherbill, a weather insurance company. It has since launched, with funding from New Enterprise Associates and Index Ventures.
A number of other indivduals have invested, including del.icio.us founder Joshua Schachter, Skype founder Niklas Zennstrom (through his Atomico fund) and Howard Morgan (idealab and First Round Capital), as well as others who declined to be named, according to Techcrunch.
(First posted 1/18)
Jott raises $1 million to covert voice from mobile phone into text
Jott Networks is a new Seattle startup that allows anyone with a cell phone to convert their voice into text and have it delivered via e-mail. See John Cook’s story here.
It has raised $1 million in seed funding from Ackerley Partners, Draper Richards and a group led by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom.
The Venice Project — a Skype for TV
The Skype co-founders Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom signed an accord with eBay when their company was acquired.
Under that accord, they can not use Skype peer-to-peer technology to launch another business in the telephony area. So that leaves video.
And once you’ve got entrepreneurship in your blood, you go out and do it again, right? That’s why they’ve launched the Venice Project, their latest company, focused on making Internet TV a reality for the masses.
Om Malik… Continue Reading