Thursday, June 24, 2010VidMe Gets Funding, Launches Private Video Sharing ServiceLos Angeles-based Vidme has launched its services this week, saying that it is offering a private video sharing service, and has gotten funding from Applied Minds and Will Hearst. The firm offers a service which allow users to share their videos with others, but which restricts forwarding, downloading, or otherwise allowing that video to be viewed by others. The service also includes a related, iPhone application. VidMe is founded and headed by Greg Siegel, who was previously a talent agent at t (More info...)
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On Ramp Wireless Takes $4.5M In Series BSan Diego-based On Ramp Wireless, a developer of wireless connectivity systems for connecting smart grid components and industrial sensing applications, has raised $4.5M in a Series B funding targeted at $18.0M. The funding was revealed in a regulatory filing earlier this month. No details on the funding were announced by the firm. The firm's Chairman is Don Telage, former Chief Operating Officer of Network Solutions; Douglas S. Rasor, formerly an exec at Texas Instruments, also sits on the boar (More info...)
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Insights and Opinions: Business Development Advice (for the online world)For our Insights and Opinions section today, we have a contribution from Jason Nazar, co-founder and CEO of Santa Monica-based Docstoc, an online site for sharing and finding professional documents. Jason is also well known for his work bringing together the technology community through his Startups Uncensored events.
I often get asked for advice on Business Development. I’ve spent most of my career in sales (or some sales like function), and here are my thoughts on how to be better wi (More info...)
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Caplinked Raises $350KLos Angeles-based CapLinked, an online startup developing software to help link entrepreneurs with their investors, has raised $350,000 in an equity investment round, according to a regulatory filing by the firm today. CapLinked's software helps entrepreneurs manage the information they give to their investors, including tracking milestones and documents, storing and exchanging documents, and handle to-do lists for building a business and managing funding efforts. The firm's CEO and co-founder i (More info...)
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Applied Semantics' Gil Elbaz A Backer Of Real Time Ad FirmGil Elbaz, one of the founders of Applied Semantics, the often unheralded Santa Monica-based creator of what is now Google's AdSense product, is one of the angel investors in San Francisco-based Triggit, a developer of a real time ad bidding platform, it was revealed today. Elbaz was one of a long list of angel investors who joined in a $4.2M, Series A funding for Triggit. Triggit's funding came from Spark Capital, Foundry Group, Angel investors Bret and Scott Crosby (Urchin), Asher Waldfogel (P (More info...)
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D2 Technologies Adds Full Skype SupportSanta Barbara-based D2 Technologies, which develops software development kits for the mobile communications market, said today that its mCUE product now has full support for Skype. The firm said that mCUE, which is used by OEMs to implement Android communications capabilities, now fully supports the SkypeKit SDK from Skype. The support allows Android mobile phone devices to connect directly into Skype's voice-over-IP services. D2's embedded software is used to shortcut development of voice-over- (More info...)
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uSamp Buys AOL UnitEncino-based uSamp, the online survey and panel firm headed by Matt Dusig, has acquired AOL's DMS Insights unit, the firm said today. DMS Insights, also known as Digital Marketing Services, Inc., provides market research and online research services. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed. According to uSamp, the buy will extend its panel reach to 2.7 million people. The acquisition follows a recent $10M Series C investment in uSamp led by OpenView Venture Partners earlier this week.
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eSolar Gets Focus In Solar IPO SpeculationPasadena-based eSolar, the solar thermal technology firm backed by Idealab, Google, and others, is being eyed as the next possible solar IPO in the pipe, according to GigaOm. Citing the Next Up! research report released yesterday on Santa Monica-based SharesPost, the report says that eSolar has an estimated valuation of close to $700M. The report says that eSolar has deals lined up which could bring it $185M per year by 2015. eSolar is heavily backed by Idealab, Google, Oak Investment Partners, (More info...)
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GumGum Grows Traffic, Targets Brand AdvertisersLos Angeles-based GumGum, the image licensing startup headed by Ophir Tanz, is hailing its traffic and customer wins this week, saying that it now is reaching 65 million monthly uniques, and has been signing up a number of brand advertisers for campaigns. The firm--which allows publishers to legally include celebrity and other photos, and share in ad revenue with the providers of those photos--said it has recently run ad campaigns from Sony Pictures, Jack in the Box, Universal Pictures, Curves, (More info...)
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Idealab Launches Feedback.comPasadena-based Idealab's newest company, Feedback.com, said today that it has launched an effort to help the gulf cleanup effort. Feedback.com said it has launched an online platform to allow businesses to gain feedback from their customers, and help protect their reputation on the Internet. As part of that service launch, the firm will donate 10 cents to the Greater New Orleans Foundation's new Oil Spill Fund every time a user provides feedback on any business, person, event, product or topic o (More info...)
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MultiFactor Raises $3.0MIrvine-based MultiFactor Corporation, a developer of single sign on and secure authorization software, reported today that it has raised $3.0M in a funding round. Source of the new funding was not disclosed, however, the firm said that Northland Capital Markets was the placement agent in the round. The firm said the funding brings its total raised to $11.0M. MultiFactor develops single sign on and authentication software for corporate networks.
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Slacker Adds iPhone iOS 4 SupportSan Diego-based personalized music firm Slacker said Wednesday that it has added support for iOS 4 for the iPhone and iPod touch. According to the firm, its Slcaker Radio application now supports multitasking for listening to music in the background, and is available for free. Apple just released its newest OS, which supports multitasking and minimizing of applications as background tasks. Slacker provides a customized music streaming service, and is venture backed by Austin Ventures, Centennial (More info...)
posted on Thursday, June 24, 2010(Full story)