Monday, May 1, 2006Muze Buys LoudEye's US OperationsMuze, a New York-based provider of digital content, has acquired certain assets of Seattle-based Loudeye in an $11M deal, the firm announced. Muze, which is fully owned by San Diego-based venture capital firm Enterprise Partners, said that it will use the acquisition to offer turn-key, fully hosted music download and subscriptions, along with a 30-second music sampling service. Muze said that the transaction closed on April 30th. The deal includes Loudeye's encoding services, music samples servi (More info...)
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Interview with Matt Ridenour, TherMark HoldingsMy interview today is with Matt Ridenour, CEO of TherMark Holdings, which just announced a venture round from the Tech Coast Angels and Pasadena Angels last week. Matt is also Managing Director of Momentum Venture Group, an interesting, equity investor and accelerator to the venture market, that invests equity and helps build up teams for companies in order to make them fundable by angel or venture investors. I talked with Matt last week about TherMark, and also a bit about how Momentum fits int (More info...)
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Imagine Communications Gets $9.2MSan Diego-based Imagine Communications said today that it has received $9.2M in venture invesment from Carmel Ventures and Columbia Capital. The new company, which has headquarters in Cardiff-by-the-Sea and R&D in Israel, said that it is developing personalized television platforms for the broadband industry. The company also said that it will show its products in June at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo.
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Napster Makes Service FreeLos Angeles-based digital music service Napster today said that it is launching a new, free, ad-supported online music service. The firm said that it will allow users to listen to Napster music online for free, instead of requiring users to sign up for its monthly service fees The firm will continue to make its premium music services available, and will link the free web-based service with its premium services. Napster said that it will allow users to listen to free, full-length songs and albums (More info...)
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Fox Interactive Acquires Newroo, kSolo.comLos Angeles-based Fox Interactive Media has acquired two, early stage Web 2.0 Internet service companies. Fox Interactive said that it completed the acquisition of NewRoo, a developer of a search tool for blogs, and kSolo.com, a user-generated music rating service. Financial terms were not disclosed. kSolo.com, which calls itself "the Ultimate Online Karaoke Experience" allows users to record their own songs and submit them for user ratings. NewRoo is a tool that scans the web and allows users t (More info...)
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Autobytel Loses CFO, Taps Retained Search FirmIrvine-based Autobytel has lost its CFO, saying that it has hired Heidrick and Struggles to conduct a CFO search for the company. Autobytel said that existing CFO Mike Schmidt is expected to transition from the position upon completion of the search. Autobytel said that Schmidt intends to leave the company to pursue other opportunities nearer to his home in Northern California. Schmidt was named CFO in May of 2005. Autobytel provides automotive marketing services through a number of online autom (More info...)
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Buy.com Goes Into TravelAliso Viejo-based Buy.com has launched a new, travel store, in a new relationship with Travelocity. Buy.com said that Travelocity will provide Buy.com customers with travfel offers, promotions, and travel deals. The deal extends Buy.com's services from consumer products into booking travel and lodging. Financial terms were not disclosed. Travelocity said that Buy.com's customers represented a great fit for the company.
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EVDB Names CEOSan Diego-based web event calendar firm EVDB has named a new CEO, announcing this morning that it has hired Jordan Glazier as head of the firm. Glazier joins the company from eBay, where he was General Manager of eBay's Computers, Consumer Electronics and Business & Industrial businesses. EVDB, which operates Eventful.com, a Web 2.0 community calendaring service, is backed by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Pierre Omidyar's Omidyar Network, and angel investors. Founder Brian Dear will remain as Chairma (More info...)
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