PACIFIC EPOCH — Apr 26 — Chinese online match-making website Love21cn.com received 40 million Yuan from three of the co-founders of private education company New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (Nasdaq: EDU): Xu Xiaoping, Wang Qiang and Qian Yongqiang. A March 2007 report said Love21cn would receive a US$10 million from Qiming Ventures. Qian Yongqiang also invested in Love21cn in 2003.
The full article was originally published at Pacific Epoch, but is no longer available.
PACIFIC EPOCH — Apr 26 — Chinese online match-making website Love21cn.com received 40 million Yuan from three of the co-founders of private education company New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. (Nasdaq: EDU): Xu Xiaoping, Wang Qiang and Qian Yongqiang. A March 2007 report said Love21cn would receive a US$10 million from Qiming Ventures. Qian Yongqiang also invested in Love21cn in 2003.
The full article was originally published at Pacific Epoch, but is no longer available.
PAID CONTENT — Mar 22 — Quantcast has secured $5.7 million from The Founders Fund and Revolution Capital. The company is headed by Konrad Feldman, the former CEO of SearchSpace. Quantcast's website allows anyone to view audience reports on hundreds of thousands of websites. The company collects data by partnering with advertisers, publishers, ISPs and advertising networks.
The full article was originally published at Paid Content, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: I've started to quote Quantcast data. Also, Compete.com data. It's best to look at competitive intelligence data across at least a couple of competitive intelligence providers before drawing conclusions on valuations and strategic decisions.
PAID CONTENT — Mar 22 — Quantcast has secured $5.7 million from The Founders Fund and Revolution Capital. The company is headed by Konrad Feldman, the former CEO of SearchSpace. Quantcast's website allows anyone to view audience reports on hundreds of thousands of websites. The company collects data by partnering with advertisers, publishers, ISPs and advertising networks.
The full article was originally published at Paid Content, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: I've started to quote Quantcast data. Also, Compete.com data. It's best to look at competitive intelligence data across at least a couple of competitive intelligence providers before drawing conclusions on valuations and strategic decisions.
PRESS RELEASE — Mar 2 — Shanghai-based Meta4 Group Ltd., which operates WorldFriends Networks, (private label multi-lingual personals sites, 200 sites, 1 million members, offices in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Hong Kong), raised US$2.5 million in venture capital funding from industry veterans including the co-founders of Lavalife.com, Nicholas Paine and Bruce Croxon. ~17 years ago, together with two other partners, they invented telephone personals, and grew Lavalife to US$90 million revenues. Nicholas Paine is Meta4 Group's Executive Chairman. Partner sites include: So-net (Japan), Eigotown (Japan), Japan Zone (Japan), Japan Guide (Japan) and China Times (Taiwan).
The full article was originally published at ADDPR, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: The Asian internet dating conference will be in Shanghai in May. Last year CEO's of Bharat Matrimony, YeeYoo, Baihe and other leading Asian sites were present. Small crowd, very high quality. I recommend attending it this year…and spending the ensuing weekend enjoying Shanghai. It's at the Four Points Sheraton in Shanghai, which is reasonably priced. Check out sidestep.com for the best pricing.
PRESS RELEASE — Mar 2 — Shanghai-based Meta4 Group Ltd., which operates WorldFriends Networks, (private label multi-lingual personals sites, 200 sites, 1 million members, offices in Shanghai, Tokyo, and Hong Kong), raised US$2.5 million in venture capital funding from industry veterans including the co-founders of Lavalife.com, Nicholas Paine and Bruce Croxon. ~17 years ago, together with two other partners, they invented telephone personals, and grew Lavalife to US$90 million revenues. Nicholas Paine is Meta4 Group's Executive Chairman. Partner sites include: So-net (Japan), Eigotown (Japan), Japan Zone (Japan), Japan Guide (Japan) and China Times (Taiwan).
The full article was originally published at ADDPR, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: The Asian internet dating conference will be in Shanghai in May. Last year CEO's of Bharat Matrimony, YeeYoo, Baihe and other leading Asian sites were present. Small crowd, very high quality. I recommend attending it this year…and spending the ensuing weekend enjoying Shanghai. It's at the Four Points Sheraton in Shanghai, which is reasonably priced. Check out sidestep.com for the best pricing.
REUTERS — Feb 13 — Match.com has secured Love21CN.com , one of China's biggest online dating service providers, as its main target for a potential stake purchase or business partnership. eHarmony is also looking at potential partners in China. In November, China.com said it would team up with Meetic for business promotion. Meetic in July also launched a localized Chinese site called "Mi Tang," or "Sweetie" in English. A Meetic-led venture capital consortium is also expected to invest $20 million in Yeeyoo. iResearch expects the Chinese online personals market revenue to grow by ~60% annually to 653 million yuan ($84.21 million) by 2008. MySpace will launch in China within months. GSR Ventures and U.S. fund Mayfield jointly invested $2 million in "Baihe" — "Lily" in English — in late 2005. In December, Baihe began charging 1,980 yuan per person for its high-end "Golden" service. Most Chinese dating sites are free.REUTERS — Feb 13 — Match.com has secured Love21CN.com , one of China's biggest online dating service providers, as its main target for a potential stake purchase or business partnership. eHarmony is also looking at potential partners in China. In November, China.com said it would team up with Meetic for business promotion. Meetic in July also launched a localized Chinese site called "Mi Tang," or "Sweetie" in English. A Meetic-led venture capital consortium is also expected to invest $20 million in Yeeyoo. iResearch expects the Chinese online personals market revenue to grow by ~60% annually to 653 million yuan ($84.21 million) by 2008. MySpace will launch in China within months. GSR Ventures and U.S. fund Mayfield jointly invested $2 million in "Baihe" — "Lily" in English — in late 2005. In December, Baihe began charging 1,980 yuan per person for its high-end "Golden" service. Most Chinese dating sites are free.
TECH CRUNCH — Feb 7 — Jobster, which has raised nearly $50 million in venture capital, is making a dramatic business model shift starting tonight, by making all job listings free (and much more). Their goal is to do what PlentyOfFish is doing to Match.com. Jobster hopes to make a large dent in Monster's billion dollar a year revenue stream. FULL ARTICLE @ TECH CRUNCH
Mark Brooks: Jobster burned through a lot of money, lost out to Monster, laid staff off…and gone free. Is 'free,' really the way to go? How duplicatable is the PlentyofFish business model? Your comments please.
TECH CRUNCH — Feb 7 — Jobster, which has raised nearly $50 million in venture capital, is making a dramatic business model shift starting tonight, by making all job listings free (and much more). Their goal is to do what PlentyOfFish is doing to Match.com. Jobster hopes to make a large dent in Monster's billion dollar a year revenue stream. FULL ARTICLE @ TECH CRUNCH
Mark Brooks: Jobster burned through a lot of money, lost out to Monster, laid staff off…and gone free. Is 'free,' really the way to go? How duplicatable is the PlentyofFish business model? Your comments please.