In This Update:
• Media M&A Barely Up In Q1; Thanks, AOL
• Senior Executive Leaving Google
• Project Agape Raises $5 Million Second Round For Online Social Activism
• Avatars at House Hearing on Virtual World
• BlueKai Raises $3.2 Million For Marketing Data Exchange
• Adware Network Vomba Buys Rival WhenU
• Amazon Launches SMS Buying Service
• CollegeFanz Closes First Round Funding; More Than $2 Million
• Click Tactics Changes Name to ClickSquared
• Google Starts Letting Users Edit Documents Offline
Progress Partners is a Sponsor of AlwaysOn Venture Summit East to be held at the Four Seasons in Boston, April 7-9 – 50% discount on ticket offer, to sign up or for more information call (310)721-9451 or email: john@alwayson-network.com
Media M&A Barely Up In Q1; Thanks, AOL
PAIDCONTENT
The first quarter of 2008 is now history and it won’t soon be missed. But if you take a glance over your shoulder, media M&A totaled $13.4 billion in the just-ended quarter, 4.7 percent higher than $12.8 billion in Q107, according to a report from the Jordan Edmiston Group. Deal volume actually slipped to 202 from 207. Other data confirms a market that’s slowing down. Taken together, online media and marketing & interactive services deals fell to $5.4 billion from $6.4 billion, a decline of 15 percent. Elsewhere, two deals in the database information systems space-Getty’s sale to Hellman ($2.4 billion) and Friedman and Reed Elsevier’s acquisition of ChoicePoint ($4 billion)-accounted for almost half of the entire activity in the quarter.
Source>
Senior Executive Leaving Google
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Douglas Merrill, a vice president of engineering at Google, is leaving the Internet search company to become a president of digital at EMI Music, the recorded music division of EMI Group, according to an executive briefed on his move. Mr. Merrill is the second senior executive to leave Google in two months. In March, Sheryl Sandberg, who was vice president for global sales and operations, left to become chief operating officer at Facebook. Their departures, as well as those of several high-profile engineers and senior managers in recent months, are heightening concerns that as the company grows in size and its stock swoons, it risks losing a larger number of important employees.
Source>
Project Agape Raises $5 Million Second Round For Online Social Activism
PAIDCONTENT
Project Agape, a start-up focused on collective social action, has raised a $5 million second round from The Founders Fund, according to an SEC filing reported by peHUB. The Berkeley, CA-based company previously raised $2.35 million, for a total of $7.35 million. The site, which is still closed, is co-founded by Sean Parker, one of the principals of The Founders Fund. He was also previously at both Plaxo and Facebook. Also going after the same market is The Point, which has also raised over $7 million.
Source>
Avatars at House Hearing on Virtual World
REUTERS
The founder of virtual world Second Life sought to reassure U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday that the online community is able to police itself. Second Life founder Philip Rosedale and a handful of other virtual reality experts, testified at a House of Representatives hearing that was also attended by on-line personas, or avatars, portrayed on a video screen in the hearing room. “It is likely that virtual world activities are somewhat more policeable and the law somewhat more maintainable within virtual worlds,” said Rosedale, chief executive of Linden Lab, the company that runs Second Life.
Source>
BlueKai Raises $3.2 Million For Marketing Data Exchange
PAIDCONTENT
BlueKai, a marketplace for marketing data, has raised a $3.2 million first round from Redpoint Ventures, according peHUB. The company’s exact plans are a bit vague, as the site just says they’re building a marketplace out of their passion for polite and relevant marketing data. The Bellevue, WA-based company was started by Omar Tawakol, formerly of mobile searcher Medio and Revenue Science, according to John Cook at Seattle PI. Further adding to the confusion about what they’ve got going on, Medio says it will have some sort of business relationship with BlueKai, which should be announced soon.
Source>
Adware Network Vomba Buys Rival WhenU
PAIDCONTENT
Vomba Network has bought fellow adware operator WhenU, though both have been trying to keep the news quiet, according to MediaPost. One reason could be that while WhenU has received the equivalent of the Good Housekeeping seal in the form of certification from privacy advocate Truste, Vomba was delisted from the watchdog group’s whitelist in June. Truste is considering whether to drop WhenU’s certification as a result of the acquisition, which was completed a few weeks ago. Terms of the deal were not reported. Vomba cast off Truste’s certification when it decided to embark on some “new and creative” distribution models involving P2P, which is not recognized as an acceptable practice under Truste’s guidelines. Some of Vomba’s execs were connected to a company called Integrated Search Technologies, which was cited in an FTC complaint about three years ago for embedding adware/spyware within a site that lured users with the phony promise of free MP3 downloads. Whether the merger sullies WhenU’s otherwise clean image – or if Vomba can benefit from the association – remains to be seen.
Source>
Amazon Launches SMS Buying Service
TECHCRUNCH
Amazon has launched Amazon TextBuyIt, a service that allows Amazon customers to purchase items via mobile phone text message. To use the service, customers text the name of a product, its description, or its UPC or ISBN number to Amazon (262966). If Amazon stocks the item, the user will get the first two results sent to them. To purchase am item, users reply with 1 or 2 and are prompted for their email address and zip code. The service then calls the user and completes the checkout process using an automated voice system. Like regular Amazon orders, users can later track the item from Amazon.com. The service is free to use, however items that are available as “Deal of the Day” or have a “Gold Box Discount” will not be discounted when purchased through Amazon TextBuyIt.
Source>
CollegeFanz Closes First Round Funding; More Than $2 Million
PAIDCONTENT
Collegiate sports social net CollegeFanz has raised $2 to $5 million for its first round, according to the company. The company was founded by Bill Rasmussen, who was also behind the creation of ESPN. As we reported in September, the company’s launch was backed by PE firm The Musser Group with an investment that ranged from $500,000-$1 million. The company did not specify how much Musser ultimately contributed this time out, nor did it identify any other backer who participated in the current round. Aside from the usual social net features, CollegeFanz also has video streaming and other college sports related content. The network has nearly 5,000 communities in place for student and alumni participation. Every NCAA Division I, II, and III and NAIA college or university is included in the network.
Source>
Click Tactics Changes Name to ClickSquared
BOSTON BUSINESS JOURNAL
Click Tactics Inc. and Intrasight, which merged last September, said the firm has a new name to reflect its combined brand. The Waltham, Mass., company, now called ClickSquared, is a self-described relationship marketing services firm and provides marketers with the speed, flexibility and efficiency to create up-to-the-minute, accurate and relevant customer communications, according to a release. ClickSquared said the firm specializes in banking & financial services, cable & telecommunications, consumer packaged goods, retail and travel & hospitality.
Source>
Google Starts Letting Users Edit Documents Offline
NEW YORK TIMES
Google Inc
Source>
Tags: Amazon, AOL, Avatar, Boston, Brand, College, EMC, EMI, Facebook, Founders Fund, FTC, Google, Local, Music, P2P, Plaxo, Progress Partners, Seattle, SMS, U.S., Video