The Daily Start-Up: Can Business Networking Software Really Be Free?
August 4, 2011 by admin
Filed under Lingerie Events
Top stories in today’s VentureWire:
Art by Mike Lucas
Ever since Mark Zuckerberg and his co-founders created Facebook Inc., more companies are making software that works like the social networking phenomenon, but with a business twist. While start-ups Jive Software Inc. and Yammer Inc. are proving there’s corporate demand for this service, their business models expose a debate over whether business customers should pay for software, as they’re accustomed to, or use a free Web-based service that encourages them to upgrade. VentureWire reports on the state of business networking software.
Philo Media Corp., which recently pivoted from a social TV check-in service to a way for entertainment studios to spread advertising to consumers across social media, has been acquired by LocalResponse Inc., an advertising platform that aggregates public posts and check-ins. Philo had raised an undisclosed amount of funding from DFJ Gotham Ventures, Eniac Ventures, North Bridge Venture Partners and Stephen Lambert, a television producer whose credits include “Wife Swap,” “Faking It” and “Secret Millionaire.”
Also in today’s VentureWire: After receiving the green light from the FDA for its high-tech treatment for baldness–a robotic system to transplant individual hair follicles–Restoration Robotics Inc. said it has raised a $41 million Series C round that it expects to carry it to profitability…Brightsource Energy Inc., which is currently in registration to go public, is now ready to substantially increase the power output of its solar projects by adding storage capability…and Tudou Holdings Ltd. unveiled estimated terms of an initial public offering of 6 million American depositary shares as the Chinese video-website owner aims to raise proceeds to fund growth efforts.
(VentureWire is a daily newsletter with comprehensive analysis of all the investments, deals and personnel moves involving start-ups and their venture backers. For a two-week trial, click here.)
Elsewhere around the Web:
Can New York ever rival Silicon Valley? The New York Times asks several local venture capitalists and entrepreneurs for their opinion on what the city needs to compete with the West Coast. Angel investor and entrepreneur Chris Dixon also weighs in separately on his blog.
Start-up CEOs — maybe you should think twice about raising that fourth round of funding. Altos Ventures’ Ho Nam analyzed more than 60 companies from his firm’s portfolio to find out when VCs decide to make a CEO change. He found that if a company needed four rounds or more, the replacement rate was 85%.
Venture firm Alsop Louie Partners’ latest associate is a 20-year-old Stanford student. Meet Ernestine Fu, whom Forbes profiles as an “all-star entrepreneur.”
Silicon Valley isn’t exactly known for its style, so we think GQ’s list of the “15 Worst-Dressed Men of Silicon Valley” is a bit unfair. It’s also odd because, as Fortune’s Dan Primack points out, six of those on the list don’t actually live in Silicon Valley. But that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to look at the slideshow.
