Ocarina Networks Secures $20 Million
Exciting news for our client Ocarina Networks who has closed $20 million in Series B funding. As we wrote when we started working with them last spring, Ocarina provides an online storage optimization and compression solution that allows companies to use existing storage more efficiently, delaying or altogether eliminating the need to buy new storage by reducing the space taken by file data up to 90%. In real terms: this means companies can store up to 10 times more data on disks and infrastructure that they already have in place. Net net, this drastically reduces capital and operational expenses for customers across a broad range of industries where explosive data growth is a major challenge
The round was led by JAFCO Ventures who were joined by previous investors, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Highland Capital Partners. The news was covered by the San Jose Mercury News, VentureBeat, the Silicon Valley Business Journal and VentureWire.
The amount of data being stored these days is growing at an exponential rate and is in turn proving very costly. As this phenomenon continues, optimizing and compressing storage is fast becoming a “must have” in order to contain costs and reduce storage footprints. Ocarina is a key player in the storage space for these reasons and this funding comes along with great momentum and customer wins in markets such as the life sciences and media and entertainment.
We all know it’s tough to raise money these days so we think this speaks volumes to the success and potential of the company and it’s team. Congratulations!
Next New Networks Launches Music Video Network
Never a dull moment at LaunchSquad even during a holiday week! Thursday marked the launch of Next New Networks’ newest online television venture: $99 Music Videos in partnership with Verizon FiOS. The new network pairs independent bands and talented filmmakers to produce music videos for less than $99 and in under 24 hours. The first “making-of-the-video” video kicked off with an original piece for La Strada, and upcoming guest talent includes indie bands Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard, Via Audio and Plushgun, among others.
This news reflects the new realities of the music video industry — online, inexpensive, quick — and places a premium on talent so that up-and-coming musicians can have videos made to their music that are creative, professional and entertaining. Dozens of outlets covered the launch including The Wall Street Journal, WIRED Magazine’s Epicenter Blog, Advertising Age, Billboard.com, Mashable, NewTeeVee, TVWeek and Idolator… just to name a few. The $99 music videos have been playing in constant rotation in our office this week and we can’t wait to see what’s next!
Our relationship with Next New Networks began in June 2007 with the launch of Barely Political, Obama Girl and the “I Got a Crush… on Obama” video. Next New Networks is on a roll, having just launched new tech comedy network Barely Digital and surpassing over 300 million views in 2008. LaunchSquad is working with a variety of Next New Networks properties, including Channel Frederator, TMI Weekly, Fast Lane Daily, Indy Mogul, ThreadBanger and Ultra Kawaii.
Offerpal Media Secures $15 million
It’s a big day for LaunchSquad client Offerpal Media, which has a monetization platform for social applications, online communities, social games, virtual worlds and mobile applications. The company announced $15 million in Series B financing this morning in a round led by D. E. Shaw Ventures with InterWest Partners and North Bridge Venture Partners. The news was covered by the New York Times, GigaOm, VentureBeat, and a Q&A by MarketingShift with CEO Anu Shukla.
Offerpal Media has seen significant momentum since its initial round of funding and launch in 2007. Today, the company works with more than 800 social Web publishers, including third-party applications on Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, hi5 and other leading social networks, as well as social gaming sites and virtual worlds such as WeeWorld, Acclaim Games, Aeria Games and many others.
3VR: The New Wave of Crimefighting
A typical scene in a 1990s crime flick: the camera zooms in on a security guard fast asleep on the job in front of a video surveillance monitor while the robber makes his getaway effortlessly. A subsequent scene shows security officials hopelessly sifting through mountains of VHS tapes trying to find the footage that will prove the criminal’s guilt.
It wasn’t long ago that this was standard protocol in the video surveillance industry. However, in 2001, a group of tech visionaries, PHD scientists and engineers formed 3VR Security to introduce a new and better way by creating what has been tabbed the “Google of video surveillance.”
One of our newest clients, 3VR is the pioneer of searchable surveillance; its solutions have been deployed at some of the largest financial, retail and government institutions worldwide to more effectively solve fraud, theft and other criminal activity. 3VR is doing for video what search did for the Web — organizing unstructured video data to drive smarter, more effective applications. Like Google for surveillance footage, 3VR’s technology allows security officials to run real-time video searches based on facial recognition, specific movements, objects, transactions and even colors.
We’ve been working closely with Founder and CEO Stephen Russell, a visionary in the world of physical security technology, to bring his unique voice to the conversation around security through his blog In Hard Focus, where he shares his insight on top stories and industry news ranging from San Francisco’s attempt at municipal surveillance, to new biometrics deployments and facial recognition research. Soon, we’ll also be launching the 3VR corporate blog, which will include executive insights, Q&As with industry leaders, videos, and company news.
We’re thrilled to be working with such a groundbreaking innovator in the world of physical security. No more VHS tape piles and effortless getaways; 3VR puts a whole new twist on the word “crimefighting.”