SuccessFactors and Adify make Business 2.0 “Next Net” list
Business 2.0 unveiled today its “Next Net 25,” a list of the Web 2.0 companies most likely to “break out of the pack.” We’re proud that two LaunchSquad companies, SuccessFactors and Adify, were included on this year’s prestigious list.
Both companies are on a roll. SuccessFactors has been growing by leaps and bounds and now counts more than two million users and 1,200 customers. Meanwhile, Adify just announced a major deal with Washington Post/Newsweek’s online business to provide the infrastructure for their new “sponsored blogroll” initiative.
Both companies have some more great stuff coming down the road so stay tuned…
ThinkEquity Partners acquired
San Francisco-based investment firm ThinkEquity Partners announced a merger this week with Panmure Gordon & Co., a publicly-traded brokerage firm based in London. We worked with the company in ’03-04 when they were first building out the firm and creating a new kind of research-driven investment bank focused on emerging markets.
We wanted to congratulate Michael Moe, Deborah Quazzo and everyone at ThinkEquity!
South by Southwest, Video and LaunchSquad…
Online video has been making a big splash as of late. The impact of video has grown quickly, and there is no shortage of examples to demonstrate the momentum of this growing trend. Companies of all sizes— from global brands to media companies and small businesses — are using Web video as a new marketing and advertising tool. It’s no longer just about user-generated content and sites like YouTube. Global advertisers are now embracing the lucrative appeal of online video as an engaging medium to reach their audience.
Last week, LaunchSquad client TurnHere, an Internet video studio, was nominated as a finalist in SXSW’s 10th Annual Web Awards. TurnHere is one of five finalists in the Film/TV category, which includes Arrested Development on MSN, Revver, TimeTrumpet and Very Funny Ads. It’s worth noting that TurnHere is one of two startups (with Revver) to be selected in this category, alongside much larger digital media companies.
The SXSW 10th Annual Web Awards are a part of the SXSW Interactive Festival, a five-day event that brings together pioneering digital media companies, entrepreneurs and technology visionaries to participate in a broad range of panels, hands-on exhibitions and keynote presentations to promote creative thinking and exchange of ideas. The event is held in conjunction with SXSWeek, March 9-17 in Austin, Texas. The Web Awards, which are a part of the Interactive Festival, uncover the best new Web sites in a variety of categories, and celebrate those who are building and implementing tomorrow’s online trends.
And the best part is YOU can also participate. Voting for the “People’s Choice” award is currently live and will be open until March 2nd. Please support TurnHere by logging on and casting your vote.
LaunchSquad clients NewsGator and Pheedo will also be speaking on a panel at SXSW entitled “RSS for Marketing.”
Adify at AlwaysOn Media
Larry Braitman, CEO of LaunchSquad client Adify recently spoke at the AlwaysOn Media conference on a panel called “Are There Chinks in Google’s Advertising Armor?” The panel was moderated by Bambi Francisco of MarketWatch and explored Google’s future as the dominant player in the advertising market. The general consensus was that while Google is the big fish, it’s a large pond and there’s room for players that can enable new ad models that give marketers choice and overcome the challenges of the one-size-fits-all ad network approach. Adify is enabling a new class of online ad network through a platform that helps publishers instantly define, assemble, merchandize and manage new, highly-targeted advertising offerings.
Check out a video archive of the panel, it’s the third one down.
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