Month: April 2006
Social Networking Site 900 Seconds Gets $6.5 Million Funding
PAID CONTENT — Apr 21 — Stealth social networking service 900 Seconds is based in Palo Alto, CA and run by a former Epinions marketing director. Investors include Trinity Ventures and Sutter Hill Ventures.
Mark Brooks: After News Corp. picked up Myspace (and accoutrement companies) a little VC feeding frenzy has ensued. Valuations are very rosy for niche dating sites and (viral) social network startups. The market will follow the same trajectory as online dating sites with many niche sites being formed around geographic areas, interests and next generation (read, web 2.0) functionality.
Sisterwoman.com Launched
The full article was originally published at Marketing Vox, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: Great target market. I signed up to peruse the site. They ask for address as part of the sign up process and then ask me, 'how many girlfriends do I want to communicate on a regular basis.' Part 3 of the terms and conditions; they reserve the right to charge for services in the future. Once I sign up I'm able to access the entire community. Not much network integrity here. Anyone can join, view profiles and hook up. I join two groups only to find that of ten membeer profiles that I click on, none of them have entered profile info. Ah well. This target market is still looking for a social network. ;-) Who wants to take on iVillage?
AOL Preparing ‘Something’ In Social Networking
Mark Brooks: I wonder if they’ll see the wood for the trees. The top social networks have been started by small teams of young programmer-entrepreneurs, so far.
Matchguam.com Launched
Hooking Up in the Information Age – Mobile dating
WIRELESS WEEK — Apr 15 — In 2004 Webdate Mobile launched with U.S. Cellular. Several months later Match.com Mobile got on deck with Cingular Wireless and Sprint. Lavalife signed Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. Webdate has since launched with Boost Mobile and Sprint Nextel and Webdate CEO Abe Smilowitz says he's pleased with the amount of revenue being generated. Mark Brooks, editor of onlinepersonalswatch.com, estimates there are currently fewer than 1 million mobile daters, compared with 5 million users of mobile flirt applications. He draws a distinction between mobile dating applications – which typically feature photos, profiles and the ability to send messages back and forth – with simple social networking applications that let users flirt via texting. "Mobile dating applications are focused more on getting people together," Brooks says. "There's far higher adoption of chat, because it doesn't require much of an application. That's a very different animal than mobile dating." Most are available for a flat monthly rate of $4.99. Match.com spokeswoman Kristin Kelly says 42% of MatchMobile customers are 18 to 25 years old, 81% are between 18 and 35. Webdate Mobile gives customers access to Webdate's database of 6 million profiles. "It's seamless. Mobile and online are virtually the same. That's been our approach and continues to be our approach," abe says. Osmak doesn't see much future for Bluetooth-enabled matchmaking, mainly because no billing systemis in place for such transactions. And if having Bluetooth-enabled phones is the only thing the individuals have in common, what's the point? "The real value is in finding suitable people, not just people," says Brooks.
24 Hours on Craigslist
FILM CRITIC — Apr 2006 — In certain parts of the country, the word "Craigslist" requires no additional explanation. In other regions people will look at you, baffled about what you could be talking about. It's responsible for the decline of newspaper classified advertising. People use it to find apartments, sell stuff, find jobs, and make love connections. 24 Hours on Craigslist is documentary about the Craigslist phenomenon.
The full article was originally published at Film Critic, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: Craigslist is one of the great viral stories of web 1.0.
Facebook Gets Another $25M
RED HERRING — Apr 19 — Privately held Facebook received $25 million in its second round of venture financing to help expand features for sharing information. Greylock Partners led the round. Meritech Capital Partners also participated, joining existing investor Accel Partners and angel investor Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal. The company, based in Palo Alto, California, has now raised $38.2 million. The site now boasts over 7 million users and is the seventh-most-trafficked site on the web (comScore) and has 72% of fulltime American college students on its network. Two-thirds of users visit the site daily. Facebook has deals in place with Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel, and Verizon Communications for its mobile service.
Mark Brooks: Facebook is in a strong position for the future because of its focus on the most influential and illusive market segment. Traditional media are losing the 18-35 segment and want to claw it back. Watch the landgrab. Facebook turned down an offer for $750 million recently (Vivendi).
Hooking Up in the Information Age – Mobile dating
WIRELESS WEEK — Apr 15 — In 2004 Webdate Mobile launched with U.S. Cellular. Several months later Match.com Mobile got on deck with Cingular Wireless and Sprint. Lavalife signed Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon. Webdate has since launched with Boost Mobile and Sprint Nextel and Webdate CEO Abe Smilowitz says he's pleased with the amount of revenue being generated. Mark Brooks, editor of onlinepersonalswatch.com, estimates there are currently fewer than 1 million mobile daters, compared with 5 million users of mobile flirt applications. He draws a distinction between mobile dating applications – which typically feature photos, profiles and the ability to send messages back and forth – with simple social networking applications that let users flirt via texting. "Mobile dating applications are focused more on getting people together," Brooks says. "There's far higher adoption of chat, because it doesn't require much of an application. That's a very different animal than mobile dating." Most are available for a flat monthly rate of $4.99. Match.com spokeswoman Kristin Kelly says 42% of MatchMobile customers are 18 to 25 years old, 81% are between 18 and 35. Webdate Mobile gives customers access to Webdate's database of 6 million profiles. "It's seamless. Mobile and online are virtually the same. That's been our approach and continues to be our approach," abe says. Osmak doesn't see much future for Bluetooth-enabled matchmaking, mainly because no billing systemis in place for such transactions. And if having Bluetooth-enabled phones is the only thing the individuals have in common, what's the point? "The real value is in finding suitable people, not just people," says Brooks.
eHarmony Takes 47,000 SF Office
GLOBE STREET — Apr 14 — eHarmony has signed a five-year lease for more than 47,000 SF in Pasadena. The lease is worth ~$8 million over five years.
The full article was originally published at Globe Street, but is no longer available.