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$12.8m for 5%? LinkedIn rings up cash

Interesting funding round - after OpenBC/Xing went public the response from LinkedIn. A postmoney valuation of $250m translates into roughly €194m. (Marketcap Xing today €175m). A valuation of "more than $250m post money", which would imply the $12.8m bought roughly 5% of the firm.

Even more interesting is the involvement of the European Founders Fund, graduating from its usual funding of copycat, erm, silicon valley business models transplated to Germany to a rather later stage involvement with a more mature silicon valley story. Well LinkedIn does need help in Germany ;-)

Via: VentureBeat » LinkedIn raises $12.8M to build out professional network

LinkedIn, the networking site for professionals connect, has raised $12.8 million in venture funding.

The venture capitalists, Silicon Valley’s Bessemer Venture Partners and the European Founders Fund (EFF), an internet focused firm, placed a value of more than $250 million on the Palo Alto company, after the investment.



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January 29, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I was wondering what happened to Chandler, the Über-PIM

Via the always readable Joel on Software, a riff on project management that could just as well apply to deal structuring as programming software. Speaking about the long delayed, over budget and still not finished Chandler project, Mitch Kapor's stab at a revolutionary PIM:

"Well, I don’t know about you, but I can’t code “revolutionary.”

Says it all really.

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January 24, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Norman Foster - Green is cool

One of the best talks of Monday, Norman Foster was making the point that architecture can and should play a big role in making the earth a greener place. Why? Because a good 66% (40% buildings and 26% transport infrastructure) of the worldwide energy output is consumed by buildings of some sort. Well an architect would say that wouldn't he ;-) Then he showed us some
examples of his work going back over nearly 40 years that were energy efficient and extremely forward looking for the time. Also, although I have visited the Reichstag, I had no idea of its green credentials making use of geothermal energy, heatings with (recycled?) vegetable oil etc.

So while we won't save the planet by building 400 energy efficient airports as China appears to be planning, it will definitely be part of the solution.

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January 24, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

GlobalFinance Weblog

Burda promoted me to weblogger on my nametag, so now that's official ;-). GlobalFinance, my employer, however doesn't have a blog. In fact I can't think of any Ibank that has a weblog.

January 22, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

DLD Gaming Session

I'm taking the contrarian approach that the parallel social networking session looks interesting, but might not bring much new information.

Update: the games panel has not delivered just yet. I suppose seeing the demos of Crytek makes you realise why the games industry is a $92bn industry - I am constantly amazed at the quality and fidelity of even multiplayer online games.

Just now Guntram Graef of Anshe Chung Studios is speaking. It's quite funny how daintly he describes how his wife got started (roleplaying all sorts of activities, consult valleywag for what they really mean ;-). However property speculation is where the real money got made and now they are a full service consultancy for businesses to work in Second Life. They are even building a  campus for a church, to worship online. The mind boggles.

One of the big issues to emerge from multiplayer online games is what people call the production values, that is objects, structures etc that are created by users. Second Life being the best example of being practically nothing but a platform for such content.  I think it's great for people to be more productive and creative in that way. Never quite sure what is the right business model to hang off that, or indeed a fair one. However what was clear from the discussion is that this has a long way to go. In particular if you think that production values don't just extend to objects but also social structures (guilds etc), playing your own role in that. And then you could have derivatives of that - while people play, intrigue, fight or complete quests, why not open it up to spectators? I wonder what your person rights are for a film script of your latest heist in Eve online? Or a DVD of the greatest WoW battles told like a story?

The other thing I really liked in the panel was the demo of Flock, a student project at the Utrecht School of Arts. It's a cloaborative game where 5 people standing on small platforms have to jointly direct a flock onscreen. YOu can only succeed, go faster etc if your teamwork is good. I would love to use it as a recruting tool ;-)

January 22, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

DLD has started

With a rather loud intro by image metrics. They make an amazing software that can translate the face of an actor on to an arbitrary face (it's rather like having a different skin for an actor), fully animated and very convincing. Actually very convincing at second glance but nonetheless. They were pretty pleased with themselves, I guess that's hollywood style. I wonder if they will end up making more money of the films than their clients ;-)

Next up Luc Besson, who comes over as very friendly and he does irony, which rather overtaxed his German interviewer. He will release a film next week that combines real and animated action (Arthur). It took seven years - perhaps with image metrics he will be able to do the (already announced) sequels in a fraction of that. Anyway, whatever image metrics can come up with in the end the story rules, at least that what the creators would have you believe.

He also makes a strong case for local state film finance, arguing that this is the most cost effective way of promoting your country. That's a better pitch than most I guess.

January 22, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Kyrill stops trains, planes, automobiles

Last night I had to go to from Munich to Chiemsee. I got the last train out, regional trains were already canceled. We stopped a few times but I thought nothing more of it. When I left the train in Prien I heard the head conductor say to his colleague in the train station: "Look, a green light, we can go a bit further". Whoa.

January 19, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack