VatorNews

Mobile apps that work for the enterprise - Core Mobile

Michael Harries — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:58:57 -0800

Originally posted: http://blogs.citrix.com/author/michaelha/

Last night’s IIT Alumni event at Google was a coming-out party for the Core Mobile technology - one-touch instant access to the most relevant information. In large part, the company is the culmination of two previous IIT events exploring how the mobile device could be more effectively used. This is a grand vindication of these types of meetups with real, ... [Read more]

Groupon reports surprise Q4 loss; shares slammed 13%

Nathan Pensky — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:42:00 -0800

Daily-deal site posted stronger than expected revenue but overall losses, due to expenses

Daily-deal site Groupon surprised market-watchers Wednesday, by posting a loss in its first quarterly report since going public in November 2011. Analysts had expected Groupon to report its first profitable quarter since last year's IPO, and while revenue exceeded analyst expectations, Q4 net income was in the red. Groupon shares (GRPN) have subsequently dropped sharply in after-hours trading, over 13% to ... [Read more]

Two US startups break records for solar efficiency

Nathan Pensky — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:37:47 -0800

Alta Devices and Semprium each break record for different kinds of solar energy efficiency

Here's some good news for the environmentally conscious. Two startup companies, Alta Devices and Semprius, have each broken records in their creation of highly efficient solar energy initiatives. Each company make different kinds of solar panels, but both of them have posted record solar energy efficiency rates in the past few days. Alta Devices, based in Santa Clara, CA, announced ... [Read more]

Looking for love through the tangled interwebs

Krystal Peak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:33:00 -0800

From horses and gaming to boating and mustaches; there is a dating site for you

Modern-day matchmaking involves a lot more personality algorithms and pithy profile answers than little black dresses and pick-up lines. With more than 100 million singles floating around the U.S. looking for someone to share Valentine's Day with, there is a huge market for helping people find their match. Online dating sites have been around, in some capacity, since the ... [Read more]

Groupon to post first quarterly profit in two years

Nathan Pensky — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:50:00 -0800

Groupon shares slightly lower ahead of first report as a publicly-traded company

Daily deal site Groupon will be releasing its first earnings report since its tumultuous IPO last November, and analysts expect that the company will post its first profitable quarter in two years on revenue that's estimated to grow 170% from the same period last year. Analysts expect to see earnings of 3 cents per share on revenue of $473.1 million in ... [Read more]

Today's Entrepreneur: Dylan Bathurst

Kristin Karaoglu — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:00:00 -0800

No. 1 mistake: Focusing too much on networking, instead of building the product/company

Today's Entrepreneur is Dylan Bathurst, CEO and Co-Founder of Rumgr. Rumgr is an iPhone app that brings the garage sale experience to the palm of your hand. According to his VEQ Dylan is good at technology desig, team motivation and product management. Vator’s community is the home to entrepreneurs who embrace their passion and follow their dreams. Our profiles allow ... [Read more]

XYDO pivots to deliver auto-created email newsletters

Bambi Francisco Roizen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:00:00 -0800

From consumer-focused to company-focused provider of emails and news

Often business models or products take shape over time, after many trial-and-error attempts to find something that really takes off with customers. In the case of XYDO, which launched as a challenger to Flipboard and news readers back in 2010, that Aha! moment came about two months ago when the start-up decided to send out daily briefs filled with relevant news ... [Read more]

Vonage released mobile app to compete with Skype rates

Krystal Peak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:54:00 -0800

Those looking to save some money on international calling might want to use the new Vonage app

Calling people in other countries was once an expensive, confusing and low-quality experience but technological advances have chipped away most of the problems to make it quick, clear and easy on almost any device you could imagine. The telcom company, Vonage has just announced the launch of a mobile application that allows people to make low cost calls to anyone ... [Read more]

TastemakerX lands $1.8M before launch of mobile app

Krystal Peak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:29:00 -0800

The new startup gains Baseline, AOL, True Ventures and others to support "fantasy football" of music

A yet-to-be released Silicon startup called TastemakerX has already announced a $1.8 million round of funding for its social application. This first round of funding for the music service came from investors such as Baseline Ventures, AOL Ventures, True Ventures, and a handful of others angels. Since the application has not rolled out yet, there is a fair amount of ... [Read more]

First Round leads $1.75M round in Schoolfeed

Bambi Francisco Roizen — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0800

Founder of RockYou's new start-up, with 7M members, announces funding; readies for new round

Like most people, every so often I get friend requests from people in my past. And, while I don't mind "friending" them, I'm not the type to reminisce. I didn't even go to my class reunions. It's not that I don't want to "friend" old friends. It's just I can't keep up with my ever-growing family, friends and colleagues. It's ... [Read more]

Extole pockets $10M for social marketing platform

Krystal Peak — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:00:00 -0800

Shasta joins Northwest, Redpoint, Trident in funding consumer-to-consumer marketing

The consumer-to-consumer social marketing platform, Extole announced Wednesday that it has secured a $10 million Series C round of funding. This latest round was led by Shasta Ventures with participation from the three existing firms: Norwest Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures, and Trident Capital. The company's total funding is now $22 million. Extole is focused on helping companies of all focuses ... [Read more]

Pivot3 lands $23M in funding to expand sales, marketing

Bambi Francisco Roizen — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:28:50 -0800

Samsung Ventures leads round for the provider of virtual servers and shared storage

Pivot3 announced early Wednesday that it's raised $23 million in funding, led by Samsung Ventures, with participation from past investors, including Focus Ventures, InterWest Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Mesirow Financial, Northleaf Capital Partners and Silver Creek Ventures. The new funds brings Pivot3's total funding to more than $100 million. Austin, Texas-based Pivot3, which was founded in 2003 and has 500 customers, ... [Read more]

Amazon to announce video subscription service this week

Nathan Pensky — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:11:21 -0800

Only one day after Netflix gains a new competitor in Redbox/Verizon deal, Amazon adds another

Looks like more bad news for Netflix. This week Amazon will announce the launch of a subscription online streaming video service, according to one report citing inside sources. This comes only one day after a similar report broke that Verizon and Redbox would be teaming up to create their own online video streaming service. Amazon has been busy of late ... [Read more]

Cable TV remains most popular election news source

Nathan Pensky — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:31:00 -0800

Online election news leveling off, all other news media formats except cable TV in decline

Even though it seems everyone is online 24/7, when it comes to politics and elections, cable wins out. A new study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press show that cable television remains the most-watched source of 2012 Presidential election news. With the November election coming up, news sources are widely covering the election beat. However, ... [Read more]

Klout acquires Blockboard for localized, mobile focus

Krystal Peak — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:33:00 -0800

The popular social influence index uses some of $30M funding on a San Francisco neighborhood app

Just weeks after securing a substantial $30 million round of capital, the social influence index Klout has acquired a neighborhood interaction application called Blockboard. The San Francisco startup, Klout uses the interactions that people and brands have on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and YouTube to let them know how effective they are in communicating on certain topics ... [Read more]

Dwolla pockets $5M for mobile credit card services

Krystal Peak — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:34:16 -0800

Union Square, Village, Thrive and others invest in a flat-fee service for credit card transactions

The credit card alternative, Dwolla, has announced Tuesday that it raised a $5 million Series B round for its Des Moines, Iowa-based startup. The fee-free payment network that was created as an alternative to the pricey fees that come from taking PayPal or credit card fees, received this funding in a round led by Union Square Ventures with participation from ... [Read more]

Apple in talks with Canadian carriers for iTV?

Nathan Pensky — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:24:00 -0800

Talk is swirling that two Canadian telecommunications carriers have their hands on the iTV prototype

Get ready for Apple's iTV, because it's coming. Last year, we wrote about how one analyst expected that 2012 would be the year Apple unleashed its potentially disruptive updated television property on the world. Now, according to anonymous inside sources, the company is reportedly in talks with Canadian telecommunications carriers to release their Apple iTV. Rogers Communications and BCE, Inc. ... [Read more]

Spreecast makes its video player embeddable

Bambi Francisco Roizen — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:47:00 -0800

The social video platform, founded by Stubhub founder Jeff Fluhr, now accessed across the Web

We already gave you an example of the Spreecast embedded player at Vator Splash SF last Thursday, when Jeff Fluhr, founder and CEO of Spreecast, gave a live demo of the player on VatorNews while giving his keynote presentation. Now the San Francisco-based start-up, which is a social video platform that lets people broadcast together, officially announced Tuesday that its ... [Read more]

Spongecell snaps up $10M for interactive Web ads

Krystal Peak — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:46:00 -0800

WIth an Internet filled with advertisements, Spongecell is using Flash, video to increase the clicks

The rich-media Web advertisement company, Spongecell, has just announced a $10 million Series B round of funding Tuesday. The New York City-based company received this new capital led by Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. Spongecell is behind the growing interest in making the Web banner ads that usually just populate a page but are easily, mentally censored out by the savvy ... [Read more]

Ignite Games is building the iTunes of online racing

Krystal Peak — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:54:00 -0800

Securing an additional $5M, the PC-based racing game Simraceway plans to improve driving accuracy

Ignite Game Technologies has raised an additional $5 million in its Series C round of funding for its Simraceway online racing world and its accompanying PC-based steering wheel. This brings the company's total funding to $17.5 million. Investors in the new round (who are also existing investors) include Steve Bellotti, Bill Budinger Jr., and Dave Marrs. San Francisco-based Ignite ... [Read more]