PitchBig launches gamified matchmaking service for startups and investors

PitchBig  hopes to be a startup’s new best friend and the next greatest networking site for finding venture capital.

The service, which launched today, lets startups create a company profile free of cost to attract investors. Likewise, investors can use the site to quickly locate and vote on innovative ideas and companies. The site claims to filter out bad businesses, simplifying the time-consuming research process for both entrepreneurs and investors.

“About a year and a … Continue Reading

Obama calls on Congress to pass bill aimed at helping startups

A day after showing his techno savvy with an appearance in a Google+ hangout, President Obama is calling on Congress to pass new legislation that would aid startups, and put them at the center of an agenda, “Startup America,” focused on creating new jobs.

“The president has made small businesses and particularly start-ups a key aspect of his economic growth agenda because he understands how much the newest and fastest-growing small businesses drive job growth … Continue Reading

Game-like restaurant app MOGL raises $10M for a mixed bag of loyalty & charity

MOGL, a customer loyalty platform that’s all about psychology and game mechanics, has raised its second institutional round of funding.

The $10 million round brings the startup’s total amount of venture capital raised to $12.4 million. The new funding round was led by Sigma Partners, with participation from Austin Ventures and Avalon Ventures.

Naturally, the new cash will be used for hiring and bringing more features to the platform. I know, we’re shocked, too.

“We’ve … Continue Reading

Want to teach someone to code? Codecademy’s got an app for that

Codecademy, the white-hot startup that teaches even total novices how to code, has launched a new tool: Creators lets anyone create a course on Codecademy and teach technology to over a million budding developers.

“We’re going from being a content company (creating courses) to becoming a platform for others to create courses,” said Codecademy co-founder Zach Sims in an email to VentureBeat.

“This is probably the biggest announcement we’ve made yet.”

Codecademy started out offering … Continue Reading

Silicon Valley and Colorado companies — Do you sizzle? (Reminder)

Just a reminder to Silicon Valley- and Colorado-based companies: VentureBeat is joining up with two great venture capital firms to offer feedback on your product.

Yes, there’s something in it for VentureBeat. We’re on the prowl to find the most exciting products to write about (eventually, when your product is ready), and also to invite to launch our upcoming DEMO conference. The next DEMO takes place April 17-19 in Silicon Valley.

And yes, there’s something … Continue Reading

VBWeekly: Sh*t startup people say

Watch out! There’s some adults-only vocabulary in Startup Land.

For this week’s video show installment, we decided to deliver a very special VBWeekly addressing the dangers of myopia and jargon.

Also, we decided to slay what’s left of the “Sh*t People Say” meme.

Since we get a lot of press releases, talk to a lot of VCs and entrepreneurs, and live the dream ourselves as startup employees, who better to skewer the startup community than … Continue Reading

Startup incubator just for teens is picking its next class

Hey kids: If you’ve got a great idea for a startup, we know a guy who’d love to help you out over the summer.

The Teens In Tech incubator started last year as a way for ambitious, bright teenagers to accelerate their business and app ideas.

This year, the Teens In Tech gang is welcoming a second class and is taking applications now.

Last summer, six teams went through the incubation process. Nine out of … Continue Reading

Silicon Valley companies: Get feedback from VentureBeat and Kleiner Perkins

If you’re based in the Bay Area, and are building the next tech product that will change the world, consider joining me for a feedback session with one of the city’s most respected venture capital groups, Kleiner Perkins.

Kleiner has offered to give feedback to your idea before it comes to market, including on your technology, business model and go-to-market strategy. And if there’s a fit, we can also discuss your launching opportunities at DEMO … Continue Reading

The 14 hottest Chinese tech-startup clones of 2011

Cloning or copycatting ideas, companies, and products is nothing new in China. Westerners, especially Americans, loathe cloning; it hurts their pride and is an insult to their creativity and hard work. The Chinese, however, love it. It comes as second nature and presents a grand opportunity to seize a massive market potential.

People outside of China often wonder why the Chinese love to copy things. The answer is that it’s the way they’re taught to … Continue Reading

VC investment rose 10% in 2011, & web companies grabbed the lion’s share

While the overall economy in 2011 was still on shaky ground, VCs continued to “make it rain” on startups in need of institutional funding.

According to data from Dow Jones, overall investment in newer companies showed a 10 percent year-over-year hike. For Internet companies, though, the increase was closer to 23 percent between 2010 and 2011.

VC investments in web and mobile companies (classified by Dow Jones as the consumer information services sector) added up … Continue Reading

Boston companies: Get feedback on Feb 14 from the best mentors in town

If you’re an entrepreneur based in the Boston area and are building the next big disruptive tech company, join us for a private feedback session with three of the top tech mentors in town.

VentureBeat is on a world tour. We’re prowling to find the most exciting products to write about and to invite to the upcoming DEMO conference. The next DEMO takes place April 17-19 in Silicon Valley.

The free pre-DEMO Boston session will … Continue Reading

Denver-Boulder companies: Get feedback from VentureBeat and Foundry Group

Are you in the Boulder, Colorado area and have the next big disruptive tech idea?

If so, you’ll want to apply to join a special meetup we are hosting with one of Boulder’s most respected venture capitalists, Foundry Group.

Basically, we’re offering awesome, free feedback about your idea.

Here are the details: We’re inviting 10 companies who plan to launch products soon to pitch their ideas to a few key members at Foundry as well … Continue Reading

CapLinked wants to modernize startup investment, takes money from new investors

CapLinked, the startup that wants to make it easy to invest in private companies, has just taken in a $500,000 round of from a new group of investors.

“Investing in private companies has depended on outdated technology for too long,” said CapLinked CEO Eric M. Jackson in a release this morning.

“Emails loaded with attachments, spreadsheets for tracking leads and clunky enterprise data rooms are straight out of the 1990s. CapLinked makes the process easier … Continue Reading

People-hiring service TaskRabbit acquires service-auctioning site SkillSlate

TaskRabbit, a San Francisco-based startup that lets you hire people to do simple tasks like wait in line to pick up your dry cleaning, has acquired SkillSlate, a New York-based startup that lets you auction your skills, services and time.

It’s a match made in heaven, and we wish these crazy kids the best.

The two services, while complementary, are not identical, so bringing the SkillSlate product and team into the fold will also allow … Continue Reading

Phorus introduces affordable wireless speaker system optimized for Android devices (exclusive)

Amid a panoply of massive electronics companies showing off next-generation technology at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, a little-known startup is hoping to make a splash with a new way to experience music in the home.

Los Angeles-based Phorus is introducing its PlayCast Speakers and PlayCast Receivers, two wireless home audio devices that will transform the home into an always-on, Android-powered entertainment space at a price point that will appeal to cost-conscious shoppers.

It’s the … Continue Reading

Student startups show off business solutions at Demo Enterprise

There’s money in the cloud, and some college students are already wise to the opportunity.

Three early-stage, student-led startups and one more-established startup hit the stage at the first-ever DEMO: Enterprise Disruption event this evening to show off their best efforts at reinventing the enterprise.

Teamitt describes what it does as combining people, processes and data to produce more effective results. It’s a sort of dashboard for enterprise resource planning that can give managers better … Continue Reading

Why women have a hard time raising money for startups, part 2 (video)

Every now and then, we hear from a female startup founder who says she’s having a hard time raising money. She can’t quite figure out if it’s her idea or her slide deck or — and no one wants to think this — if it’s simply the fact that she’s a woman pitching an idea to a roomful of male investors.

We recently invited Comcast Ventures‘ Amy Banse into the VentureBeat studio to discuss the … Continue Reading

Why women have a hard time raising money for startups, part 1 (video)

Every now and then, we hear from a female startup-founder who says she’s having a hard time raising money. She can’t quite figure out if it’s her idea or her slide deck or — and no one wants to think this — if it’s simply the fact that she’s a woman pitching an idea to a roomful of male investors.

Women 2.0 CEO and co-founder Shaherose Charania came into VentureBeat’s studio to chat about a … Continue Reading