SlideRocket has made the move to expand its customer base by entering the Google Apps Marketplace. SlideRocket specializes in streamlining the presentation process, enabling professionals to incorporate clear communication and stunning visuals into their work. The company’s platform works with Google Docs to convert information into vibrant and high quality presentations.
San Francisco based therapeutics company Limerick BioPharma has announced it has seen positive results for a Phase 1a trial for LIM-0705, a compound being developed to be administered alongside tacrolimus, a treatment used to block the rejection of transplanted organs that also produces toxicities in the pancreas, brain, and kidneys. LIM-0705 prompts the body the body to pump tacrolimus out of vulnerable cells in the body while maintaining its effect against tissue rejection.
Remote systems management leader LogMeIn has given smartphone users yet another reason to love their mobile devices with its latest innovation that enables iPhone users to remotely manage their PCs and Macs from their devices, including all the files and applications on them.
Wireless communications company SiBEAM has just closed a Series D funding round worth $36.5 million. Foundation Capital led the financing alongside US Ventures Partners and New Enterprise Associates. Lux Capital and Hatteras Funds also participated as new investors while Best Buy Inc and Cisco contributed equity investments.
Posterous, one of the most thoughtful and creative sites on the Internet that I’ve come across in a long time, has closed a round of Series A financing worth $4.4 million. The funding was provided by Redpoint Ventures and Trinity Ventures with participation of angel investors SV Angel, Founder Collective, Lowercase Capital, XG Ventures, Brian Pokorny, and Aydin Senkut.
Solar power project developer Recurrent Energy and SunLink Corporation are a step closer to bringing online the country’s largest municipal solar installation, as SunLink has announced that it has shipped a roof module mounting solution to be used at the Sunset Reservoir in San Francisco, California.
For my next car, I planned on buying one that was more fuel efficient than most, probably a hybrid of some sort. With all the recent car recalls, a couple of which involved hybrids, I’m a bit on the fence about which one to go with when I do decide to buy. It’s for this reason that Transonic Combustion’s latest technology caught my eye. The TSCi Fuel Injection system will offer drivers greater fuel efficiency alongside a decreased carbon output.
TimeBridge, a web application scheduling service, has released its latest product, MeetWith.Me, which is designed let its users post, publish, or socialize their availability with the hopes of allowing for seamless scheduling of meetings. The company also released a widget for LinkedIn that lets its users view LinkedIn profiles from inside the TimeBridge Meeting Room. TimeBridge’s newest products will let users plan their schedules with greater ease and achieve a higher level of productivity than was previously possible.
As if the iPhone wasn’t great already, Vlingo has introduced a new App that makes Apple’s miracle phone even better than it already is by enabling it to take voice commands for some of its key functions.
The latest version of Vlingo’s App comes after high demand was expressed for the program to be able to do more functions than was previously possible. In response to the large number of requests, Vlingo designed the new version with six key aspects in mind. The new App allows users to send emails by speaking the name of the recipient, subject, and message. Text messages can also be sent in a similar fashion. Naturally, phone calls can also be made through the voice recognition technology, so users don’t have to worry about having their hands free.
The ability to collaborate online is a vital aspect of telecommuting or working out of the office. Talking in real-time through instant messaging improves efficiency and can save companies a lot of money. Socialtext 4.0 is no exception to the rule, allowing employees across an entire company to interact with anyone else.
As if online gaming wasn’t popular enough, social gaming site Hi5 is gearing up to draw in even more players with the introduction of Facebook compatible APIs (application programming interfaces), enabling game developers to distribute their games on Hi5’s site and make the site the largest to support OpenSocial and Facebook compatible APIs.
The explosion of blogs and other social media on the Internet has posed a significant challenge to many organizations, which often must devote considerable resources towards sifting through mountains of information. It’s for this reason that NetBase has had its hands full in helping companies manage their searches in an affordable manner. To keep up with the demand for their services, NetBase recently closed a round of Series C financing worth $9 million led by Altos Ventures and Thomvest Ventures.
With thousands of Apps available for the iPhone, the miracle device can help its users complete thousands of everyday tasks. Now, iPhone owners can use their smartphone devices for decorating too, as Art.com has released a free App that provides easy access to a wide range of art work and even helps potential art buyers get a feel for what their homes would look like should a purchase be made.
SolarCity’s success appears to be as reliable and undeniable as the sun from which it generates power, as the company has announced it has secured even more funding to fuel its work to make solar power common place. This time, the funding comes in the form of $90 million from the U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation, a division of U.S. Bancorp. This will be the third collaboration between USBCDC and SolarCity, totaling $190 million in projects in 2009 and 2010 across three separate funds.
Electricity industry experts are keen to say that there is no silver bullet to solving California’s energy demands, but rather the answer lies in diversifying power sources. Renewable energy projects, such as the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility set to be built in the Mojave Desert, will undoubtedly be a key component of the solution.
Automotive giant Toyota is struggling to reclaim its reputation as a producer of quality cars, and anyone watching traditional media can tell you that most of what is being said is usually negative. Toyota is countering much of the trash talk being spewed by the pretty talking heads on TV by launching its own branded channel on TweetMeme. The channel is called Toyota Conversations and it helps readers find the top stories on Twitter that relate to the embattled auto giant. It also features links to a number of sites on the Internet, including the official Toyota site.
VentureLoop is excited to announce the launch of LoopTwo, a professional services arm that will provide outsourced recruiting, human resources, and social media marketing to venture-backed companies. The unveiling of LoopTwo will allow us to provide a more comprehensive solution for growing portfolio companies. Our consultants have worked for some of the most recognized companies in the world, including Apple, Cisco, Microsoft, Google, Intuit, Yahoo, Electronic Arts, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Amgen, Genentech and many more.
In response to the massive earthquake that struck Chile, money transfer site Xoom.com is offering fee-free transfers when sending money to Chile from the U.S. and most other nations. Those interested in sending transfers can do so from the Xoom website through March 8, 2010 by entering coupon code AYUDACHILE.
Check out the new website design for our client, First Round Capital. FRC is always pushing the envelope with unique designs and features for their site. The new site features a Facebook Newsesque stream of content for tweets, blog postings, events, jobs, and more. It gives a real-time view of happenings at FRC in several facets of their activities for the firm, their partners, and their portfolio companies.
The United States Food and Drug Administration has granted Diagnostic Hybrids emergency use authorization for its D3Ultra 2009 H1N1 Influenza-A Virus ID Kit, a tool specially designed to detect the virus. The kit will be used on patients who exhibit influenza symptoms and who previously tested positive for Influenza-A. Emergency use authorization allows the kit to be used in light of a lack of effective alternatives.
The United States Department of Energy has agreed to provide $1.37 billion in conditional loan guarantees to BrightSource Energy as the company is continuing work on its Ivanpah Solar Electricity Generating System, a 400 megawatt complex in the California Mojave Desert that will produce enough power to run 140,000 homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 400,000 tons annually.
Mobility management company Visage Mobile has announced it has secured $4.5 million in Series B funds from Worldview Technology Partners, ATA Ventures, Vesbridge Partners, and Emergence Capital Partners. New investor Qualcomm Ventures also joined in the funding which will be used to fuel product development, go-to-market strategies, and services that will help companies take control of their mobility budget and manage employee usage of smartphones.
The city of Los Angeles is taking big steps to reduce its waste and encourage environmentally friendly practices, partnering with recycling incentive program RecycleBank to reward households for adopting recycling habits instead of simply throwing all waste in the trash. The free pilot program is being made available to 15,000 single-family homes along selected routes in the city and is meant to increase recycling rates and help participant realize savings through responsible practices. The program is part of a larger goal to achieve zero waste output in the city.
This week has been a big one for Entrepreneurs and Venture Capitalists, as Intel led the effort to revitalize startups with a pledge of $3.5 billion in funds to spur innovation and job hires. Congress is getting in on the act, too, and their participation is more than welcome. Senate Democrat John Kerry and Senate Republican and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Richard Lugar announced they are cosponsoring legislation to revitalize American venture capital by helping immigrant entrepreneurs secure visas into the country.
After a lot of rumors and much hype, Bloom Energy has finally launched not only its website but also an energy source called the Bloom Energy Server, a patented solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that is clean, reliable, and more cost effective than alternatives. Bloom states that the Server will enable companies to produce their own energy onsite.
Streaming video is a lot closer to becoming a mainstream reality, as retail giant Walmart has made a major push into the market with the acquisition of VUDU, a leading provider of streaming video. The deal is expected to close within a few weeks. VUDU is built into a number of HDTVs and Blue-ray players, and this latest deal with Walmart makes it more likely than ever that streaming TV could become a common media service in the U.S. and around the globe.
Google has issued a grant worth $2 million to The Wikimedia Foundation which the Foundation plans to use to support its operational costs, such as investments in technical infrastructure to support its traffic and capacity demands. The money will also be employed to make Wikipedia even more accessible than it is already.
Software R&D services company GlobalLogic has acquired Cubika, a prominent Argentine based software development firm, with plans to merge Cubika’s workforce with GlobalLogic’s global presence and Velocity platform to create a major new hub for software research and development.
The economic recession hit the entire world like a ton of bricks. Silicon Valley has also struggled due to a shrinking pool of investment funds. The region is about to see a major revitalization, though, as Intel Capital has announced plans to revitalize venture capital and the innovation it fosters with an investment of $3.5 billion in United States companies. 24 other leading VC firms will join Intel in the effort.
Menlo Ventures has led a round of funding worth $25 million in online advertising technology company YuMe. Accel Partners, BV Capital, DAG Ventures and also Khosla Ventures joined in the funding. As part of the agreement, Shawn Carolan of Menlo Ventures will join the board of directors at YuMe.
Ahura Scientific unveiled its latest product this week, the TruDefender FT version 1.2, a Chemical ID system capable of detecting more than 7,500 different substances. The TruDefender FT will help law and safety officials detect a number of dangerous or illegal substances that include industrial chemicals, narcotics, and pharmaceuticals.
Brightcove unveiled a major breakthrough this week in offering quality video while on the go, with the introduction of the Brightcove Mobile Experience for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 at the Mobile World. The new player will offer a superior and adaptive video viewing experience across multiple smartphone devices.
Gaming company Zynga is one of the most well know names in the online gaming industry, and with very good reason. The company’s flagship title FarmVille is the biggest and latest craze to take Facebook by storm. Zynga is extending its reach even further now, with the opening of Zynga India in Bangalore, the company’s first office outside the United States.
Hoping to save money on office space, equipment, and other costly items, many companies have turned to telecommuting and virtual workspaces as a means of reducing their operating budgets. At the same time, many of these companies still seek to enable their employees to collaborating in real-time. To meet this need, PBworks developed Voice Collaboration, which allows users to make conference calls with a single button click and without all the arduous planning ahead.
Loopt, the social media App that lets people follow the movements of their friends around town, has teamed up with food and wine review site Tasting Table to offer Loopt users daily reviews of local restaurants, bars, and wine stores. The agreement makes Loopt the first mobile service with access to Tasting Table’s business recommendations.
Travelers might have to contend with rising baggage check prices and a lack of a bill of rights that could see them from wasted hours spent on the tarmac, but they can look forward to saving some money thanks to collaboration between airfare tracking site Yapta.com and KAYAK.com, the world’s largest travel site.
ZeaChem, a developer of biorefineries seeking to make renewable fuels a reality, announced it has made a major step forward in bringing biofuels to the market with the production of a bio-based acetic acid at a purity level that could be marketed as salable. Acetic acid is a building block in the creation of cellulosic ethanol.
It’s not exactly news, but cloud computing is increasingly becoming the preferred method to operate and store information for many business. As it should too, as it offers workers greater flexibility with work space and equipment and helps companies free themselves of expensive IT equipment and the space required to store it, not to mention maintenance costs. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. At least that seems to be what cloud storage company, Backupify, is finding, as many of its customers want cloud storage but still want the assurance of controlling their own backup copy.
On the go professionals have a new tool in their arsenal that will help them optimize their productivity without any of the extra headaches, maybe even a few less, as Quickoffice Connect, a mobile office platform, lets users access their work regardless of time or location. Quickoffice Connect is the collaboration between Quickoffice and content providers including Box.net, Dropbox, Apple MobileMe, and Google Docs that will let users manage files on multiple storage services through a single and easy-to- use application.
Sunnyvale based solar cell maker Calisolar has made a major move to strengthen its position in the renewable energy market with the acquisition of Canadian based 6N Silicon, a silicon supplier to not just Calisolar but also others in the solar industry. Calisolar acquired 6N through a stock-for-stock transaction and the deal will see 6N Silicon operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Calisolar.
HipLogic has announced it will help operators and mobile handset OEMs customize the standard Android user interface, making it easier to address challenges such as customization, rising data consumption, and brand differentiation. For consumers, the interface will offer greater versatility and a much richer experience when using their Android devices.
While print media advertising continues to become less and less profitable, nobody can knock advertising during the Super Bowl. Even Google bought air time during the celebrated sporting event. Leading online vacation rental site HomeAway also made an attempt at cashing in on the massive audience of viewers, and it seems to have paid of big, as the site’s number of unique daily visitors shot up by over 500 percent the following day.
In celebration of everyone’s favorite day for celebrating love, eHarmony is offering a helping hand to singles looking to find a little bit of companionship, with a chance to communicate with potential matches from February 11-15, 2010.
Bowdoin College of Brunswick, Maine has recruited archiving leader Mimosa Systems to tackle its growing email archiving and storage needs. The college is pleased with the results, as Mimosa's NearPoint reduced the school’s overall Exchange email server storage by 50 percent.
As more and more companies are turning to the cloud for their storage demands, the need for increased security is drumming up a lot of business for firms like Veracode, a leader in cloud-based application risk management. The latest sign of the company’s success comes in the news that Veracode’s revenues grew by nearly 300 percent from 2008 to 2009.
Streaming media and DVD rentals by mail have taken a big bite out of the profit margins of video rental stores, leaving many of them with no choice but to close numerous stores and in some cases, close up shop permanently. Netflix, on the other hand, is experiencing nothing but success, forging deals to bring its streaming content to gaming consoles as well issuing as an announcement on the Official Netflix Blog that states the movie service has reached an agreement with LG Electronics that will see Netflix streaming software embedded directly in broadband-enabled HDTVs.
Phytel has secured $14.2 million in a round of funding worth that was led by Polaris Venture Partners, Caris, and LAH Investments. Phytel plans to use the new funds to further product development initiatives that are aimed at helping doctors improve the care they are able to offer their patients.
Dell is moving to expand its presence in the systems management market with the acquisition of KACE, a leading systems management appliance company. The purchasing details have not been disclosed. KACE provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of numerous midsized organizations, including those that work in government, healthcare, and education.
CardioInsight Technologies recently closed a round of Series B funding worth $6 million in a funding round led by Draper Triangle Ventures and Case Technology Ventures. Company Management and Dr. Michel Haissaguerre, a leading international electrophysiologist, also took part in the funding.
I consider myself an avid texter, and lately, I’ve become quite the tweeter too. What changed me into an active participant of these forms of social media was making a switch to the iPhone. It wasn’t the device in particular, but rather the “qwerty” keyboard that makes typing much more efficient. The simplicity of communicating ideas in 140 character messages is a driving force behind platforms like Twitter. The popularity of Twitter thanks to the ease of its use is why I see great success for Bubbly, which lets users post voice messages similar to written posts, essentially serving as a voice message counterpart to Twitter.
Motricity, a mobile data solutions provider, filed on Friday for an IPO of up to $250 million. The company plans to use the funds as working capital, which could include acquiring other products or businesses.
Vivox, a market leader in voice services for online gaming and social networking, has raised a round of funding worth $6.8 million to continue the growth of its presence and rich services in the ever expanding online voice market. The funding was provided by IDG Ventures, Benchmark Capital, Canaan Partners and GrandBanks Capital. As part of the deal, Phil Sanderson of IDG Ventures will join Vivox’s board of directors.
TuneWiki, a leading destination for all things music on the web, is set to expand and enhance its services after receiving an investment of an undisclosed amount from Motorola Ventures, Motorola’s strategic investment division. Benchmark Israel, Intellect Capital Ventures, HillsVen Capital, and Novel TMT also took part in the funding.
After the devastation that over took Haiti, charities all around the planet have scurried to raise funds to help people, with many of them turning to social media and other technologies to increase their pool of donors. All kinds of nonprofit groups are using online software from Convio to create fundraising campaigns that specifically target Haiti.
Hoping to foster innovation and the next generation of great thinkers, First Round Capital and Mayfield Fund are working together to sponsor an Entrepreneurs Helping Entrepreneurs Raffle, aimed at giving a bright new group of inventors the chance at mentoring sessions with top names from the technology world.
Fate Therapeutics has received a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office for its work on induced pluripotent stem cell technology. Fate holds exclusive rights to commercial fields, including drug discovery and therapeutic purposes. Fate foresees the potential to develop treatments to stabilize and prevent neurological diseases like Parkinson’s, ALS, and Alzheimer’s.
Social game giant Zynga is finally making its break into the massive market of Microsoft consumers, as the company announced an agreement has been reached with MSN Games that will let users play Farmville on the site through Facebook Connect. The deal marks the first time Farmville can be played on a dedicated game destination and stands to recruit millions of new customers for Zynga.
Navigenics got a huge boost of confidence today with the investment of $18 million in Series C financing led by The Procter and Gamble Company alongside Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers and Mohr Davidow Ventures.
Yelp has announced that Elevation Partners has agreed to invest $25 million in the company, which will help the local search site expand its US market position and accelerate its growth in Canada and Europe. Yelp will also continue development of innovative mobile applications. The investment will see Marc Bodnick of Elevation Partners join Yelp’s board of directors.
California and the “Governator” are leading the nation in the big push towards a green economy and environmentally friendly policies. The move is meant to revitalize the state’s economy and keep it at the front of technological development and profitability, and it seems to show great promise, as The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has selected Picarro, a leading developer of gas analysis technology, to provide seven gas analyzers to help the state measure greenhouse gases.
Dave Asprey has joined Trinity Ventures as the firm’s new entrepreneur-in-residence, bringing with him more than 17 years of experience in strategic planning, product management, and also corporate & business development.
I never thought I could be more surprised by Twitter than I have been watching its role in Iranian politics, until now. Sure, Twitter’s great to use to overthrow governments, but now it looks like you can use Twitter to quit your job. That is exactly what Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz did today, tweeting “Today’s my last day at Sun. I’ll miss it. Seems only fitting to end on a #haiku. Financial crisis/Stalled too many customers/CEO no more” As resigning goes, Schwartz has set a new bar for terminating one’s employment with boldness, humor, and originality. Sun definitely won’t be able to accuse him of not vocalizing his notice. I can’t wait to see what’s up next for Twitter.
Tracking down where you came from and putting together a family tree is about to get a lot easier, as MyHeritage.com has greatly expanded its global family network by acquiring the German based OSN (Online Social Networking) Group.
Industry giant IBM is stepping up to help the medical industry improve its services and performance, with that acquisition of Initiate Systems, a leader in data integrity software that helps healthcare providers and the governments to access patient data in a timely and cost efficient manner. Initiate also helps the government manage information across numerous departments as to give patients an overall better experience.
Motricity, a mobile data solutions provider, filed on Friday for an IPO of up to $250 million. The company plans to use the funds as working capital, which could include acquiring other products or businesses.
Flixster and The Hollywood Reporter have teamed up to offer the public greater insight into the entertainment industry, including real-time insider news. The deal will mean that we will all have even deeper access to the goings on of our favorite stars, with more news, reviews, photos, videos, and moviegoer opinions.
Social business software and learning systems company OutStart has released its latest social software for business called OutStart Participate 2010. The software-as-a-service (SaaS) supports popular social media models and rich collaboration in a secure, management environment.
People are constantly striving to save money almost as much as they seek to save time. We often do this by conducting our business over email or through telecommuting. Although video conferencing is a popular way to meet, it often requires users to have specific software or technology that is sometimes expensive or bulky. Dimdim has provided an answer to this problem, though, giving students, professionals, and anyone seeking affordable and easy-to-use conferencing over the Internet. Most people will agree that free is often the best price.
Data consulting and storage company GlassHouse Technologies has filed for a $75 million IPO and plans to have Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse serve as its underwriters when it comes to the NYSE. The company has raised $72 million in funding from backers including Sigma Partners, GrandBanks Capital, Kodiak Venture Partners, Paladin Capital Group, Jafco, Cisco Systems, Montagu Newhall Associates, Shiprock Capital and Dell Computer. GlassHouse’s headquarters are located in Framingham, Massachusetts.
The introduction of the iPad this week was the hottest news in the Tech world, and it offers consumers an entirely new option for their electronic entertainment. They also have a chance to enjoy superior video entertainment as Transpera, a leading mobile video delivery and ad network, has announced their ability to provide video advertising and content for the new touch screen device.
The entire world is anticipating the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and when they settle in and glue themselves to their televisions for two weeks, they’ll have Omneon to thank in part, as the company has been selected to provide storage, processing, a high-speed content distribution platform to support the live HD production workflow and to streamline delivery of all Internet and VOD content during the Olympics from February 12-28, 2010.
Intelligent surveillance company 3VR Security has reached an agreement to integrate with the SureView Systems’ Immix management platform for video surveillance/CCTV, intrusion and fire alarms, access control and VoIP audio. It is a big leap forward in providing better security, as it allows for instant viewing of events that trigger an alarm to Immix and also allows for alerts for specific actions captured by 3VR’s video analytics. The platform represents a huge leap towards seamless real-time monitoring.
Owning a web page is the cornerstone of having a presence on the Internet. In a virtual environment, having a vibrant and attractive site is the key to drawing in viewers and getting increasing site traffic. It’s for this reason that NameMedia upgraded its online publishing platform called SmartName.com, making it more user friendly and offering more options to site developers to make their domains easy to navigate.
When it first came to market, Skype changed the way many people interacted, offering its users the ability to see each other while at the same time carrying on a conversation from anywhere they could connect to the Internet. Video conferencing has taken a major step forward, though, with the launch of ViVu’s VuRoom plug-in for Skype.
Mobile phone users have another option to turn to manage the media on their phones, as doubleTwist and T-Mobile have reached an agreement that will see doubleTwist banners in their retail stores and also have the doubleTwist software come pre-installed on some Android devices.
Web risk assessment company Cenzic has expanded its “No Website Left Behind” program to cover any non-profit raising money to help the victims of Haiti. The program is meant to help organizations identify vulnerabilities in their Internet applications.
Linden Lab, creator of the extremely popular virtual world Second Life, has named Bob Komin as its new Chief Financial Officer. Komin will handle all financial responsibilities, human resources, legal and administrative functions globally. Komin will report to CEO Mark Kingdon.
Zoopla, the UK’s most comprehensive property website, has reportedly entered into an agreement with Real Estate Disposition Corporation that will see the company launch an auction service, with the first auction featuring around 150 repossessed homes for four days from February 11. Agents will be offered 0.25% commission. Zoopla only plans to feature properties sold by agents, lenders, and developers. Private sellers won’t be allowed to participate.
E-signature solutions company DocuSign has added top talent to its management team, with Keith Krach joining the company as chairman of its board of directors. Steven R. King will also become the company’s new president and CEO. The industry veterans join DocuSign as the company’s client list is growing by leaps and bounds, increasing over 300 percent in 2009 over the same time the year before.
HipLogic has closed a round of Series B funding worth $7 million, which the company plans to use to deploy and further develop its mobile application platform. Existing investors Benchmark Capital and Stage 1 Ventures took part in the funding alongside new investors Bay Partners, Accrue Sports, and Entertainment Ventures. Neil Sadaranganey of Bay Partners will join the HipLogic Board of Directors.
Email management company, Mimecast, is planning to increase research and development as well as expand its global footprint, as the company has closed a Series B funding round worth $21 million led by Index Ventures and Dawn Capital. Mimecast experienced triple digit growth the last three financial years in light of the recession, demonstrating great resiliency and a growing demand for affordable email management.
For anyone trying to keep up on current events or spread thoughts and ideas, Twitter has become invaluable, instantly letting people connect with each other in an arena that is altogether unregulated and out of the reach of governments and other organizations. It’s for this reason, and many more, that Seesmic Look is a must have for the every journalist or avid Twitter user.
Venture capital firm, Mayfield Fund, has made a major move to strengthen its ability to help entrepreneurs flourish with the addition of Sean Moriarty and Rajeev Chawla, industry veterans who will help Mayfield to spot emerging trends and potential business opportunities as Entrepreneurs in Residence.
Rixty plans to expand its popular cash-based payment system for online entertainment on the news that the company has raised $1.24 million in a funding round led by Javelin Venture Partners with participation by Accelerator Ventures, First Round Capital, Freestyle Capital, Nueva Ventures, Soft Tech VC, and others. Rixty will also expand its customer base and publisher network.
Whether you’re an executive assistant or just a frequent online shopper, a lot of people know how convenient it is to be able to do all your shopping and errands online. It’s great pay for bills and purchases online, but it isn’t always easy to keep track of it all and do it as quickly as possible. Billeo is a great tool to manage purchases and keep track of spending patterns and bills, something any frequent buyer or office manager can appreciate.
Thermo Fisher Scientific has reached an agreement that will see the company acquire Ahura Scientific for $145 million in cash, plus potential earn out payments based on performance in 2010. The deal will close during the first quarter of 2010.
India’s largest social network, SMS GupShup, has raised $12 million in a round of funding led by Globespan Capital Partners with participation of Charles River Ventures and Helion Venture Partners. The company will use the new funds to expand its world presence and launch new features like Mobile CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions to corporate brands and businesses. The company now accounts for 5% of all text messages in India.
Tesla Motors is celebrating the opening of its new Chicago store by offering free test drives of the Tesla Roadster starting January 21st and continuing through the weekend. Tesla is the only auto maker that currently produces highway-capable electric vehicles.
Working through subsidiary, Pacific Venture Capital, PG&E Corporation and solar technology company SolarCity have announced $60 million in tax equity financing for solar installations for U.S. homes and businesses. The investment will be funded by PG&E and is expected to allow SolarCity to install over a thousand solar systems to business and homeowners through their SolarLease and Power Purchase Agreement financing options.
The world of video games has becoming increasingly interconnected in the past couple of years, as mobile phone technology has advanced to the point that they can now support a wide range of games that are rich in content and strategy. This has led many game titles to expand their presence from PCs and gaming consoles and created a number of games for mobile phones that continue and even expand on story lines. Gaming publisher Hands-On Mobile is the latest company working to bridge the stories between the multiple platforms by creating a mobile counterpart to the console title The Saboteur.
Ember Corporation has gotten a big vote of confidence in its low-power wireless mesh networking technology, as Wellington Financial pledged $5 million in financing to give the company more working capital to continue its growth.
In another push to disseminate the use of renewable energy technology, FloDesign, a company developing wind turbine technology, has raised $34.5 million in a funding round led by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. The Series B funding also saw participation by Technology Partners and VantagePoint Venture Partners.
Netflix and Nintendo of America have announced an agreement that will see owners of the Wii gaming console who are also Netflix members gain the ability to stream thousands of movies and TV shows over high speed Internet directly to the television sets.
Besides efficiency, probably the most important feature a consumer looks for in a PC or laptop is compact size. We all remember how popular Apple’s line of iBooks were when they came to the marketplace. IronKey and Lockheed Martin have gone a step further, though, with the IronClad USB flash drive, which is described as a “PC on a Stick.”
Labor-on-demand provider, CrowdFlower, has reported the closing of a round of Series A funding worth $5 million led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Trinity Ventures. CrowdFlower improves the efficiency of companies by using machine learning algorithms to provide quality control to crowdsourcing. The new funds will allow the company to expand its global presence and range of client solutions.
eBay buyers have a new option to use when completing their online transactions. Paymate has announced that it has reached an agreement with the Internet auction site giant that will see buyers using Paymate services covered under Ebay’s Buyer Protection Policy.
Visual Mining had an amazing year in 2009, despite the dismal economic climate. The business intelligence dashboard and data visualization solution provider reported record sales, growth, and profitability, all good signs that the country is indeed emerging from the great recession.
Fundraising through text is proving to be only one successful form of fundraising for Haiti earthquake victims, as gaming company Zynga has reportedly raised over $900,000 with the help of their popular social media game FarmVille. Farmville made a special announcement to its players on January 18th telling them they could help Haitian earthquake victims through the popular social media game.
In a move aimed at converting consumers to the future of voice communication technology, XConnect is offering users a free three-month trial of a new peering service that offers high-definition voice services, foreseeing that consumers will see the immense superiority it offers over older technology.
SlideRocket has made the move to expand its customer base by entering the Google Apps Marketplace. SlideRocket specializes in streamlining the presentation process, enabling professionals to incorporate clear communication and stunning visuals into their work. The company’s platform works with Google Docs to convert information into vibrant and high quality presentations.
San Francisco based therapeutics company Limerick BioPharma has announced it has seen positive results for a Phase 1a trial for LIM-0705, a compound being developed to be administered alongside tacrolimus, a treatment used to block the rejection of transplanted organs that also produces toxicities in the pancreas, brain, and kidneys. LIM-0705 prompts the body the body to 
Remote systems management leader LogMeIn has given smartphone users yet another reason to love their mobile devices with its latest innovation that enables iPhone users to remotely manage their PCs and Macs from their devices, including all the files and applications on them.
Wireless communications company SiBEAM has just closed a Series D funding round worth $36.5 million. Foundation Capital led the financing alongside US Ventures Partners and New Enterprise Associates. Lux Capital and Hatteras Funds also participated as new investors while Best Buy Inc and Cisco contributed equity investments.
Posterous, one of the most thoughtful and creative sites on the Internet that I’ve come across in a long time, has closed a round of Series A financing worth $4.4 million. The funding was provided by Redpoint Ventures and Trinity Ventures with participation of angel investors SV Angel, Founder Collective, Lowercase Capital, XG Ventures, Brian Pokorny, and Aydin Senkut.
Solar power project developer Recurrent Energy and SunLink Corporation are a step closer to bringing online the country’s largest municipal solar installation, as SunLink has announced that it has shipped a roof module mounting solution to be used at the Sunset Reservoir in San Francisco, California.
As if the iPhone wasn’t great already, 
The ability to collaborate online is a vital aspect of telecommuting or working out of the office. Talking in real-time through instant messaging improves efficiency and can save companies a lot of money. 
As if online gaming wasn’t popular enough, social gaming site 
The explosion of blogs and other social media on the Internet has posed a significant challenge to many organizations, which often must devote considerable resources towards sifting through mountains of information. It’s for this reason that 
With thousands of Apps available for the iPhone, the miracle device can help its users complete thousands of everyday tasks. Now, iPhone owners can use their smartphone devices for decorating too, as 
Electricity industry experts are keen to say that there is no silver bullet to solving California’s energy demands, but rather the answer lies in diversifying power sources. Renewable energy projects, such as the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility set to be built in the Mojave Desert, will undoubtedly be a key component of the solution.
Automotive giant Toyota is struggling to reclaim its reputation as a producer of quality cars, and anyone watching traditional media can tell you that most of what is being said is usually negative. Toyota is countering much of the trash talk being spewed by the pretty talking heads on TV by launching its own branded channel on TweetMeme. The channel is called Toyota Conversations and it helps readers find the top stories on 
VentureLoop is excited to announce the launch of 
In response to the massive earthquake that struck Chile, money transfer site 
The United States Food and Drug Administration has granted 
The United States Department of Energy has agreed to provide $1.37 billion in conditional loan guarantees to 
Mobility management company 
The city of Los Angeles is taking big steps to reduce its waste and encourage environmentally friendly practices, partnering with recycling incentive program 
After a lot of rumors and much hype, 
Streaming video is a lot closer to becoming a mainstream reality, as retail giant Walmart has made a major push into the market with the acquisition of 
Google has issued a grant worth $2 million to 
Software R&D services company 
Gaming company 
Hoping to save money on office space, equipment, and other costly items, many companies have turned to telecommuting and virtual workspaces as a means of reducing their operating budgets. At the same time, many of these companies still seek to enable their employees to collaborating in real-time. To meet this need, 
Travelers might have to contend with rising baggage check prices and a lack of a bill of rights that could see them from wasted hours spent on the tarmac, but they can look forward to saving some money thanks to collaboration between airfare tracking site Yapta.com and 
It’s not exactly news, but cloud computing is increasingly becoming the preferred method to operate and store information for many business. As it should too, as it offers workers greater flexibility with work space and equipment and helps companies free themselves of expensive IT equipment and the space required to store it, not to mention maintenance costs. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. At least that seems to be what cloud storage company, 
On the go professionals have a new tool in their arsenal that will help them optimize their productivity without any of the extra headaches, maybe even a few less, as 
Sunnyvale based solar cell maker 
In celebration of everyone’s favorite day for celebrating love, 
As more and more companies are turning to the cloud for their storage demands, the need for increased security is drumming up a lot of business for firms like 
Streaming media and DVD rentals by mail have taken a big bite out of the profit margins of video rental stores, leaving many of them with no choice but to close numerous stores and in some cases, close up shop permanently. 
Dell is moving to expand its presence in the systems management market with the acquisition of 
After the devastation that over took Haiti, charities all around the planet have scurried to raise funds to help people, with many of them turning to social media and other technologies to increase their pool of donors. All kinds of nonprofit groups are using online software from 
Hoping to foster innovation and the next generation of great thinkers, First Round Capital and Mayfield Fund are working together to sponsor an 
California and the “Governator” are leading the nation in the big push towards a green economy and environmentally friendly policies. The move is meant to revitalize the state’s economy and keep it at the front of technological development and profitability, and it seems to show great promise, as The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has selected 
I never thought I could be more surprised by 
Tracking down where you came from and putting together a family tree is about to get a lot easier, as 
Industry giant IBM is stepping up to help the medical industry improve its services and performance, with that acquisition of 
Social business software and learning systems company 
People are constantly striving to save money almost as much as they seek to save time. We often do this by conducting our business over email or through telecommuting. Although video conferencing is a popular way to meet, it often requires users to have specific software or technology that is sometimes expensive or bulky. 
The introduction of the iPad this week was the hottest news in the Tech world, and it offers consumers an entirely new option for their electronic entertainment. They also have a chance to enjoy superior video entertainment as 
The entire world is anticipating the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and when they settle in and glue themselves to their televisions for two weeks, they’ll have 
Intelligent surveillance company 
Owning a web page is the cornerstone of having a presence on the Internet. In a virtual environment, having a vibrant and attractive site is the key to drawing in viewers and getting increasing site traffic. It’s for this reason that 
When it first came to market, Skype changed the way many people interacted, offering its users the ability to see each other while at the same time carrying on a conversation from anywhere they could connect to the Internet. Video conferencing has taken a major step forward, though, with the launch of 
Mobile phone users have another option to turn to manage the media on their phones, as 
Web risk assessment company 
For anyone trying to keep up on current events or spread thoughts and ideas, Twitter has become invaluable, instantly letting people connect with each other in an arena that is altogether unregulated and out of the reach of governments and other organizations. It’s for this reason, and many more, that 
Venture capital firm, 
Whether you’re an executive assistant or just a frequent online shopper, a lot of people know how convenient it is to be able to do all your shopping and errands online. It’s great pay for bills and purchases online, but it isn’t always easy to keep track of it all and do it as quickly as possible. 
India’s largest social network, 
Working through subsidiary, Pacific Venture Capital, PG&E Corporation and solar technology company 
The world of video games has becoming increasingly interconnected in the past couple of years, as mobile phone technology has advanced to the point that they can now support a wide range of games that are rich in content and strategy. This has led many game titles to expand their presence from PCs and gaming consoles and created a number of games for mobile phones that continue and even expand on story lines. Gaming publisher 
In another push to disseminate the use of renewable energy technology, 
Besides efficiency, probably the most important feature a consumer looks for in a PC or laptop is compact size. We all remember how popular Apple’s line of iBooks were when they came to the marketplace. 
Labor-on-demand provider, 
eBay buyers have a new option to use when completing their online transactions. 
Fundraising through text is proving to be only one successful form of fundraising for Haiti earthquake victims, as gaming company 
In a move aimed at converting consumers to the future of voice communication technology,