What Company is offering:
Dripbook is a community for artists that can express themselves visually, through photos. So you won’t be able to upload videos. This is reflected in the genres that are featured on Dripbook, which consist of areas of expertise like photography, illustration, street art, and interior design. When you sign up for a Dripbook account, you can indicate your area of expertise, or sign up as a viewer, which allows you to simply enjoy the work showcased on the site without the necessity of an online portfolio.
How It works:
There’s a multiple file upload option, similar to Facebook, but one neat thing about Dripbook’s file upload is that you can go do other things on the site, like organize your album’s content, while you wait for your files to fully upload to your account.
For a portfolio’s books, users can leave comments, add it to their favorites or their shortlist (this lets you check out the artwork later without having to save it to your favorites folder), show or hide associated captions, and send the artist a private message. Dripbook will also keep track of your recent history. This, along with the shortlist, appear as mini feeds in your main menu for site navigation.
More at:http://www.dripbook.com/
Monday, October 15, 2007
The Mod Shop
What Company is About:
The Mod Shop,Maximum PC is launching a semi-social network online for modders to show off their designs and projects, this new site is heavy on contests in order to get users to publish their products and interact on the site.
Set up like an NCAA tournament, these contests operate as battles where you choose which mod you like better. The monthly tournament has a total prize pool of $2,000.
How It works:
As a registered user, you can post details of your products, which looks to include text, links and images, but not videos. The hope is that Mod Shop users will chronicle the progress of their projects, and the online community will become a hub for innovative ideas. So far there aren’t many ways in which this type of collaborative innovation can go down. Sharing and navigation on this site is pretty much a one-way road, and serves as little more than an online attraction that highlights a singular feature from the Maximum PC publication.
More at:http://www.modshop.net/
The Mod Shop,Maximum PC is launching a semi-social network online for modders to show off their designs and projects, this new site is heavy on contests in order to get users to publish their products and interact on the site.
Set up like an NCAA tournament, these contests operate as battles where you choose which mod you like better. The monthly tournament has a total prize pool of $2,000.
How It works:
As a registered user, you can post details of your products, which looks to include text, links and images, but not videos. The hope is that Mod Shop users will chronicle the progress of their projects, and the online community will become a hub for innovative ideas. So far there aren’t many ways in which this type of collaborative innovation can go down. Sharing and navigation on this site is pretty much a one-way road, and serves as little more than an online attraction that highlights a singular feature from the Maximum PC publication.
More at:http://www.modshop.net/
HowStuffWorks is the latest acquisition by Discovery Communications, for $250 million
What Company is About:
HowStuffWorks is an online reference tool with a reported 11 million users around the world and 3.8 million unique US visitors per month.
Why Its in News?....
because the reference site will be merged with Discovery’s video content, as well as its future programs. This is all in an effort to improve Discovery’s own websites, which are in need of an update and help building out vertically. HowStuffWorks was a well-funded company, raising a total of $125 million over three rounds, with investment from Carl C. Ichan, and international funding from venture companies in China and Brazil.
There’s a number of reference sites being acquired by traditional media companies as they look to leverage the existing networks for additional information to be incorporated into their ongoing programming and for their web presence. Lonely Planet, which produces content for Discovery as well, was recently acquired by the BBC.
About VCs deal:
HowStuffWorks is the latest acquisition by Discovery Communications, for $250 million. Included in the purchase are HowStuffWorks’ entire network of online properties, including a map database. While the map database doesn’t seem to be figured into the overall price of this particular acquisition, as it’s not yet profitable, this is Discovery’s largest online acquisition.
More at:http://www.howstuffworks.com/
HowStuffWorks is an online reference tool with a reported 11 million users around the world and 3.8 million unique US visitors per month.
Why Its in News?....
because the reference site will be merged with Discovery’s video content, as well as its future programs. This is all in an effort to improve Discovery’s own websites, which are in need of an update and help building out vertically. HowStuffWorks was a well-funded company, raising a total of $125 million over three rounds, with investment from Carl C. Ichan, and international funding from venture companies in China and Brazil.
There’s a number of reference sites being acquired by traditional media companies as they look to leverage the existing networks for additional information to be incorporated into their ongoing programming and for their web presence. Lonely Planet, which produces content for Discovery as well, was recently acquired by the BBC.
About VCs deal:
HowStuffWorks is the latest acquisition by Discovery Communications, for $250 million. Included in the purchase are HowStuffWorks’ entire network of online properties, including a map database. While the map database doesn’t seem to be figured into the overall price of this particular acquisition, as it’s not yet profitable, this is Discovery’s largest online acquisition.
More at:http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Venture Report
According to the Exit Poll report by Thomson Financial and the National Venture Capital Association, venture-backed companies racked up $8.63 billion in disclosed value exits in the third quarter of 2007. Through the first three quarters of the year, venture-backed companies have yielded $23.3 billion in value, topping the $21.8 billion in all of 2006 and the $20.5 billion total in 2005.
A similar report — the Quarterly U.S. Liquidity Report — released by Dow Jones VentureOne, put that number even higher with $10.5 billion in M&A transactions and $662.5 million raised through initial public offerings.
According to the Thomson/NVCA Exit Poll, the third quarter logged 67 M&A deals. Of that number, only 34 had a disclosed value, totaling $7.7 billion: a 104% increase from the year-ago quarter, when 41 disclosed deals rang up $3.8 billion in value. Additionally, the average disclosed acquisition value was at its highest level since the fourth quarter of 2000.
Tech buyouts were the most prolific, as 45 deals with disclosed values garnered approximately $3.8 billion, while life sciences and other sectors accounted for $1.2 billion and $2.7 billion of the total dollar volume, respectively.
The slow summer months followed by a volatile stock market in September chocked off what had been a hot venture-backed IPO market. Only 12 companies went public, raising $945.2 million in the third quarter, a significant drop-off from the prior quarter when 25 offerings raised $4.1 billion.
The largest IPOs of the quarter were Masimo Corp.'s $202.6 million offering in life sciences and Athenahealth Inc.'s $113.2 million issue for the tech sector. Athenahealth has gone on to become one of the best-performing IPOs of the year, gaining 88% from its offering price.
In spite of the recent slowdown, the profits that venture firms are reaping on IPOs of their portfolio companies appear to be rising, as the public markets are putting increasingly higher valuations on VC-backed offerings, according to John Taylor, vice president of research at the NVCA.
"The valuations of companies able to go public is quite strong. In 2005 the median IPO valuation was $203 million; in 2006 it rose to $255; and for the three quarters of this year it's $365 million," said Taylor. "The median we're looking at now is higher than any year on record; it's actually higher than the median valuation at the height of the [tech] bubble for the full year."
Part of that rise can be attributed to self-selection, as Sarbanes-Oxley makes it harder for smaller companies to go public. But on the flip side is the rebound in IT spending in corporate America.
"IT was in the doldrums until around 2003, so we have a lot of companies that only really started selling products in 2003-2004 and are now are coming into their maturity," Taylor continued. "There is an increasing supply of these companies that are at the point in their maturity cycle where they're good candidates to go public."
In addition to the rising valuations, there is a huge number of venture-backed companies poised to go public. The NVCA reports that there are currently 72 venture-backed companies in registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, while the VentureOne report said that in the third quarter another 46 venture-backed companies (including 22 healthcare companies) filed to go public, further setting the stage for a blockbuster fourth quarter.
A similar report — the Quarterly U.S. Liquidity Report — released by Dow Jones VentureOne, put that number even higher with $10.5 billion in M&A transactions and $662.5 million raised through initial public offerings.
According to the Thomson/NVCA Exit Poll, the third quarter logged 67 M&A deals. Of that number, only 34 had a disclosed value, totaling $7.7 billion: a 104% increase from the year-ago quarter, when 41 disclosed deals rang up $3.8 billion in value. Additionally, the average disclosed acquisition value was at its highest level since the fourth quarter of 2000.
Tech buyouts were the most prolific, as 45 deals with disclosed values garnered approximately $3.8 billion, while life sciences and other sectors accounted for $1.2 billion and $2.7 billion of the total dollar volume, respectively.
The slow summer months followed by a volatile stock market in September chocked off what had been a hot venture-backed IPO market. Only 12 companies went public, raising $945.2 million in the third quarter, a significant drop-off from the prior quarter when 25 offerings raised $4.1 billion.
The largest IPOs of the quarter were Masimo Corp.'s $202.6 million offering in life sciences and Athenahealth Inc.'s $113.2 million issue for the tech sector. Athenahealth has gone on to become one of the best-performing IPOs of the year, gaining 88% from its offering price.
In spite of the recent slowdown, the profits that venture firms are reaping on IPOs of their portfolio companies appear to be rising, as the public markets are putting increasingly higher valuations on VC-backed offerings, according to John Taylor, vice president of research at the NVCA.
"The valuations of companies able to go public is quite strong. In 2005 the median IPO valuation was $203 million; in 2006 it rose to $255; and for the three quarters of this year it's $365 million," said Taylor. "The median we're looking at now is higher than any year on record; it's actually higher than the median valuation at the height of the [tech] bubble for the full year."
Part of that rise can be attributed to self-selection, as Sarbanes-Oxley makes it harder for smaller companies to go public. But on the flip side is the rebound in IT spending in corporate America.
"IT was in the doldrums until around 2003, so we have a lot of companies that only really started selling products in 2003-2004 and are now are coming into their maturity," Taylor continued. "There is an increasing supply of these companies that are at the point in their maturity cycle where they're good candidates to go public."
In addition to the rising valuations, there is a huge number of venture-backed companies poised to go public. The NVCA reports that there are currently 72 venture-backed companies in registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, while the VentureOne report said that in the third quarter another 46 venture-backed companies (including 22 healthcare companies) filed to go public, further setting the stage for a blockbuster fourth quarter.
E-mail specialist M3 Technology Group raised $6.5 million
E-mail specialist M3 Technology Group raised $6.5 million in expansion funding from Charlotte, N.C.-based Frontier Capital in the first outside equity investment in the five-year-old company's history.
The new investment will allow M3TG to expand new deployments and ongoing service of enterprise class e-mail systems featuring customized access, security and reliability features.
The new capital gives Charlotte-based M3TG a post-money valuation of $21 million and is expected to be the final outside equity the company will raise.
M3TG founder and CEO Michael Byrnes said the company has been profitable since its inception in 2002 and that he has rebuffed previous offers of expansion capital in favor of internal growth. But the company currently has annual sales of about $12 million, and Byrnes said he saw an opportunity to accelerate growth with additional capital as more companies require customized e-mail deployment and maintenance.
"When we started, we saw that e-mail was the heartbeat of any corporation and saw an opportunity to put a laser focus on that," Byrnes said. "Because it has become so mission critical, more companies recognize that it has to be up 100% of the time and has to be monitored for security and reliability."
Andrew Lindner, managing partner of Frontier Capital, said the firm had been following M3TG since its formation. Frontier was attracted by the capital efficiency the company demonstrated in building sales above $10 million and saw opportunity to bring capital and management experience to maintain growth, which has averaged around 50% annually.
"As e-mail systems get more complex when you add mobile devices and they become even more critical, companies increasingly need somebody to manage systems," Lindner said. "We like their scrappiness in getting to where they are on bootstrap financing, but this capital will allow them to hire bodies ahead of the curve and to build out the management team, and with extra cash on their balance sheet they can be more disciplined in the customers they take on and on pricing."
Byrnes said M3TG currently has about 100 employees, with operations throughout the U.S. and Europe, and he said there would be no need to make acquisitions for geographic expansion. He said the company will use the new money to fund product development initiatives, to expand its professional and enterprise services teams and to boost sales and marketing.
"Over the past two years, we have experienced phenomenal and consistent growth. In the process, we have become a go-to partner for some of the most trusted and influential technology companies in the world," Byrnes said. "With this round of funding, we will be able to add more resources to enhance our innovative technology processes, build out our operations and increase the testing and implementation of new technology solutions that continue to improve the way our communications information is stored, secured and delivered."
More at:http://www.m3tg.com/
The new investment will allow M3TG to expand new deployments and ongoing service of enterprise class e-mail systems featuring customized access, security and reliability features.
The new capital gives Charlotte-based M3TG a post-money valuation of $21 million and is expected to be the final outside equity the company will raise.
M3TG founder and CEO Michael Byrnes said the company has been profitable since its inception in 2002 and that he has rebuffed previous offers of expansion capital in favor of internal growth. But the company currently has annual sales of about $12 million, and Byrnes said he saw an opportunity to accelerate growth with additional capital as more companies require customized e-mail deployment and maintenance.
"When we started, we saw that e-mail was the heartbeat of any corporation and saw an opportunity to put a laser focus on that," Byrnes said. "Because it has become so mission critical, more companies recognize that it has to be up 100% of the time and has to be monitored for security and reliability."
Andrew Lindner, managing partner of Frontier Capital, said the firm had been following M3TG since its formation. Frontier was attracted by the capital efficiency the company demonstrated in building sales above $10 million and saw opportunity to bring capital and management experience to maintain growth, which has averaged around 50% annually.
"As e-mail systems get more complex when you add mobile devices and they become even more critical, companies increasingly need somebody to manage systems," Lindner said. "We like their scrappiness in getting to where they are on bootstrap financing, but this capital will allow them to hire bodies ahead of the curve and to build out the management team, and with extra cash on their balance sheet they can be more disciplined in the customers they take on and on pricing."
Byrnes said M3TG currently has about 100 employees, with operations throughout the U.S. and Europe, and he said there would be no need to make acquisitions for geographic expansion. He said the company will use the new money to fund product development initiatives, to expand its professional and enterprise services teams and to boost sales and marketing.
"Over the past two years, we have experienced phenomenal and consistent growth. In the process, we have become a go-to partner for some of the most trusted and influential technology companies in the world," Byrnes said. "With this round of funding, we will be able to add more resources to enhance our innovative technology processes, build out our operations and increase the testing and implementation of new technology solutions that continue to improve the way our communications information is stored, secured and delivered."
More at:http://www.m3tg.com/
Zuzzid allows users to share their insurance experiences
What Company is About:
Zuzzid allows users to share their insurance experiences, good and bad, it provides a way for them to hold insurance companies a little more accountable.
How It works:
Registered users on the site can not just rant but also rave, as well as ask questions and learn from the collective experiences of others. A comparison feature totals all the bad and good comments about each particular company, presenting a quick ranking of where they all fall. A price engine, meanwhile, uses collective data to predict what a particular user will have to pay for a particular type of insurance.
The site is aimed at consumers just in the UK, and it’s actually run by UK-based insurer Norwich Union—which is also among the many companies rated. That slightly covert affiliation helps explain why the site doesn’t feel like a genuine grassroots one would—there is no “About Us” section to speak of, for instance—and suggests at least the potential for less-than-pure intentions. But it’s a great model for opinion-sharing sites in any number of like areas. For the companies being discussed, such sites could also make customer surveys obsolete with their wealth of information about the real word of mouth. Web-savvy entrepreneurs: which other industries can you unleash transparency tyranny on?
More at: www.zuzzid.co.uk
Zuzzid allows users to share their insurance experiences, good and bad, it provides a way for them to hold insurance companies a little more accountable.
How It works:
Registered users on the site can not just rant but also rave, as well as ask questions and learn from the collective experiences of others. A comparison feature totals all the bad and good comments about each particular company, presenting a quick ranking of where they all fall. A price engine, meanwhile, uses collective data to predict what a particular user will have to pay for a particular type of insurance.
The site is aimed at consumers just in the UK, and it’s actually run by UK-based insurer Norwich Union—which is also among the many companies rated. That slightly covert affiliation helps explain why the site doesn’t feel like a genuine grassroots one would—there is no “About Us” section to speak of, for instance—and suggests at least the potential for less-than-pure intentions. But it’s a great model for opinion-sharing sites in any number of like areas. For the companies being discussed, such sites could also make customer surveys obsolete with their wealth of information about the real word of mouth. Web-savvy entrepreneurs: which other industries can you unleash transparency tyranny on?
More at: www.zuzzid.co.uk
e.l.f. where all cosmetics cost just USD1
What's The Idea Of Company:
Take a high-margin product like cosmetics, and cut prices by at least half. Now add online accessibility with customization, community and values. Throw in a pinch of demystifying expert advice, and you've got e.l.f., short for "eyes, lips, face."
Launched by New York-based JA Cosmetics roughly three years ago, e.l.f. appears to be turning the cosmetics industry on its ear.
How It Works:
All cosmetics cost just USD 1, and customers can create personalized profiles that generate product recommendations and customized looks. A "beauty secrets" section is filled with tips and expert advice, and a blog section fosters community and discussion. The site also supports the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), promising not to use animal testing on any products or ingredients.
e.l.f. currently ships only to US and Canadian addresses, but versions of the site have recently launched for both the UK and Australia. The company's products are also available in US stores, including Target and a variety of drugstores and convenience chains.
It also makes you wonder when the rest of the industry will wake up and realize that their customers have entered the 21st century—this isn't your father's consumer base! Online community, customization, values and, most of all, the clearcut bargain pricing: everything for a dollar. Time to copy this recession-proof recipe to other countries? Which segment of products can you sell for a euro, 10 yuan or 2 reais, in a thoroughly modern way?
More at: www.eyeslipsface.com
Take a high-margin product like cosmetics, and cut prices by at least half. Now add online accessibility with customization, community and values. Throw in a pinch of demystifying expert advice, and you've got e.l.f., short for "eyes, lips, face."
Launched by New York-based JA Cosmetics roughly three years ago, e.l.f. appears to be turning the cosmetics industry on its ear.
How It Works:
All cosmetics cost just USD 1, and customers can create personalized profiles that generate product recommendations and customized looks. A "beauty secrets" section is filled with tips and expert advice, and a blog section fosters community and discussion. The site also supports the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), promising not to use animal testing on any products or ingredients.
e.l.f. currently ships only to US and Canadian addresses, but versions of the site have recently launched for both the UK and Australia. The company's products are also available in US stores, including Target and a variety of drugstores and convenience chains.
It also makes you wonder when the rest of the industry will wake up and realize that their customers have entered the 21st century—this isn't your father's consumer base! Online community, customization, values and, most of all, the clearcut bargain pricing: everything for a dollar. Time to copy this recession-proof recipe to other countries? Which segment of products can you sell for a euro, 10 yuan or 2 reais, in a thoroughly modern way?
More at: www.eyeslipsface.com
Bizner an online bank for entrepreneurs ,just announced a new service BizBalance
What Company is About:
Bizner, which started in February as an online bank for entrepreneurs, just announced a new service. Bizner is the first bank in Europe to offer complete integration of banking and accounting, which it calls . The aim of this financial hybrid is to save customers the time and hassle of booking transactions twice.
How It Works:
Bizner developed BizBalance with Reeleezee, which creates of online accounting applications. By integrating Reeleezee's bookkeeping software with Bizner's online banking, entrepreneurs (or their accountants) no longer need to book outgoing invoices and incoming payments separately. Invoices are created in Reeleezee, and are automatically marked as paid as soon as money's in the bank. Same goes for incoming invoices and outgoing payments: users book an invoice to be paid, and a bank transfer is simultaneously set up and parked in a payment queue.
While various forms of integration between banks and accounting systems already exist, most either require significant IT investments or, on a smaller scale, involve manual importing and exporting of data. By offering a integrated, online solution, Bizner claims customers will have a far better real-time insight into their finances. To access BizBalance, entrepreneurs need to sign up with both Bizner and Reeleezee. Bizner charges modest banking fees, and Reeleezee has a monthly fee of EUR 24.95–49.90, depending on a customer's transaction volume.
Bizner is an independent unit of Dutch Rabobank Group. BizBalance isn't the fledgling bank's only innovation: it works without branch offices or account managers, and enables customers to do most of their banking business without human intervention. Opening new accounts, acquiring bank guarantees or taking out loans: entrepreneurs use Bizner's self-service approach to get what they need from their bank, whenever they need it. One to look into if you sell financial products to SMBs in other countries.
More at:
www.bizner.nl
Bizner, which started in February as an online bank for entrepreneurs, just announced a new service. Bizner is the first bank in Europe to offer complete integration of banking and accounting, which it calls . The aim of this financial hybrid is to save customers the time and hassle of booking transactions twice.
How It Works:
Bizner developed BizBalance with Reeleezee, which creates of online accounting applications. By integrating Reeleezee's bookkeeping software with Bizner's online banking, entrepreneurs (or their accountants) no longer need to book outgoing invoices and incoming payments separately. Invoices are created in Reeleezee, and are automatically marked as paid as soon as money's in the bank. Same goes for incoming invoices and outgoing payments: users book an invoice to be paid, and a bank transfer is simultaneously set up and parked in a payment queue.
While various forms of integration between banks and accounting systems already exist, most either require significant IT investments or, on a smaller scale, involve manual importing and exporting of data. By offering a integrated, online solution, Bizner claims customers will have a far better real-time insight into their finances. To access BizBalance, entrepreneurs need to sign up with both Bizner and Reeleezee. Bizner charges modest banking fees, and Reeleezee has a monthly fee of EUR 24.95–49.90, depending on a customer's transaction volume.
Bizner is an independent unit of Dutch Rabobank Group. BizBalance isn't the fledgling bank's only innovation: it works without branch offices or account managers, and enables customers to do most of their banking business without human intervention. Opening new accounts, acquiring bank guarantees or taking out loans: entrepreneurs use Bizner's self-service approach to get what they need from their bank, whenever they need it. One to look into if you sell financial products to SMBs in other countries.
More at:
www.bizner.nl
EasyProjects.net. offers you project management solutions that will allow you to finish and manage multiple projects at once
What Company is Offering:
Easy Projects .NET is a product developed by Logic Software, Inc. - Toronto-based custom software development company.
Logic Software, Inc. is one of the leading custom software development and software outsourcing companies in its field. Some of the world's most successful Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) have relied on our company to complete their projects on time and within a budget.
How It Works:
EasyProjects.net. offers you project management solutions that will allow you to finish and manage multiple projects at once. EasyProjects software is easy to use so you won’t waste your time trying to figure out how the software works. EasyProjects software can help you manage any type of project you need to work on. EasyProjects has many features that help you and your company, such as, message boards, issue and request tracking, statistics and reports, email notifications, and more. When your company uses EasyProjects, all team members will be able to communicate and review the project. Be more productive with EasyProjects software.
More at:http://www.easyprojects.net/
Easy Projects .NET is a product developed by Logic Software, Inc. - Toronto-based custom software development company.
Logic Software, Inc. is one of the leading custom software development and software outsourcing companies in its field. Some of the world's most successful Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) have relied on our company to complete their projects on time and within a budget.
How It Works:
EasyProjects.net. offers you project management solutions that will allow you to finish and manage multiple projects at once. EasyProjects software is easy to use so you won’t waste your time trying to figure out how the software works. EasyProjects software can help you manage any type of project you need to work on. EasyProjects has many features that help you and your company, such as, message boards, issue and request tracking, statistics and reports, email notifications, and more. When your company uses EasyProjects, all team members will be able to communicate and review the project. Be more productive with EasyProjects software.
More at:http://www.easyprojects.net/
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