Startups USA

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Zillow's Q2: revenue up to 116 percent to a record $ 15. 8 M Hits profitability

Leena Rao is currently working as a writer for TechCrunch. She recently finished graduate school Medill School of journalism at Northwestern University, where she studied business journalism and videography. From 2004 to 2007 she helped lead Congresswoman Carloyn Maloney advocacy and community relations in New York. She graduated from Columbia University in 2003, where it was ... ? Read More

Real estate listings site Zillow announced their first earnings as a public company today, after debuting at the NASDAQ in mid-July. Zillow showed record profits 15.8 million dollars in the second quarter to 116% for the year. Net profit for the quarter came in at $ 1.6 million, compared with a net loss of $ 2 million during the same period a year ago and a net loss of $ 0.8 in the first quarter of 2011. This quarter marked the company's first quarter GAAP profitability

Zillow saw record market revenues of $9,7 million, 269% for the year. Prime Minister agent subscribers, which contribute to market income, amounted to 13.385 on June 30, 2011, up to 180% of 4777 troops at the end of the second quarter of 2010. Display revenues increased 30% up to $ 1 million from $ 4.7 million in the second quarter of 2010.

Average monthly unique users, the company grew by 93% to 20.8 million records in the second quarter of 2011, compared with 10.8 million average monthly unique users for the same period in the year 2010. And July 2011 year marked another record traffic month with 23.2 million unique users of the Web sites and applications for mobile devices, Zillow in 98% increase from July 2010 onwards.

Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff said the first profit the company as a public company: "the second quarter was outstanding for Zillow record revenue, traffic and usage of mobile devices. It marks our first profitable quarter on the basis of GAAP net income and our fourth consecutive profitable quarter, based on adjusted EBITDA.We are extremely pleased with our progress and rapid growth, however, we believe that we have only scratched the surface of our capabilities. "

Profitability for the company is a big deal, considering that while incomes grew at Zillow, the company takes the loss of each quarter during the last three years.

Zillow, which originally filed its S-1 in April, currently contains over 100 million United States homes, including homes for sale, houses, apartments and houses are not currently on the market. Zillow launched the mortgage market in 2008, and subsequently expanded in rentals and mobile. According to Experian Hitwise Zillow.com is the third most visited real estate website in the United States and received 5.36% of visits to the estate in March 2011, at 53 percent compared with March 2010 year.

Zillow, Inc. developed and operates Zillow.com, one of the leading online real estate market is dedicated to helping homeowners, buyers, sellers, renters, real estate agents, mortgage professionals, property owners and managers ...

View the original article here

Dwolla launches the "proxy" based on contactless mobile payments

Internet and mobile payment platform Dwolla has launched a new feature called "proxy", which allows users to send and receive cash based mobile payments based on their current proximity to another device. Technology bypasses the need for special equipment, such as square plastic dongles or NFC chip embedded in the phone, in order to make mobile payments.

Instead, this interface provides a simple way for users to find Dwolla in the vicinity of contacts and send them money, using only the mobile application itself.

Dwolla, not knowing is a company with a unique take on the digital payments. His vision is that consumers, not third parties, dictating how their payments network works. What does this mean for Dwolla and its users is a payments network that is not personal information. And most importantly, run Dwolla in this planned violation of cash from the market of electronic payments.

Dwolla in "proxy" Beta

With a new function "proxy" (Beta) Dwolla founder Ben Milne explained that the company expects to accomplish much in the same as NFC makes it possible, but without the need for expensive hardware. With NFC added security because you will have to be physically present to pay. The proxy uses the GPS for the same reason.

When you run proxy pulls mobile applications a list of those who are near you and able to accept payments, including nearby users and merchants.

And, like everything else does Dwolla proxies considers the security of users first. For example, you can control whether you want to be visible only to contacts or for a wider range of Dwolla users, you can control how much time you will be visible, and you can control the distance at which you visible with settings for 300 ft, 1 mile or 5 miles.

Proxy beta will initially be available in iOS and will roll out to other mobile platforms (Android, Windows phone) in the coming weeks. Beta is closed for now, but TechCrunch readers can to request immediate access here: https://www.dwolla.com/proxi/beta. there will be limited spots, so access on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Pros and cons of Dwolla

Proxy-this type of function that can be Dwolla in the territory of the "interesting idea" to become a more practical application. Secure, person-to-person (or people-to-business) mobile payments without high fees associated with PayPal, or need special equipment? Sounds good here.

The only drawback is that Dwolla does not directly connect to your own bank account in the same way that your debit card, which may confuse users for the first time, I don't understand, why are other financial institutions. Instead, the Dwolla has partnered with a group of Veridian, Veridian Credit Union branch in Waterloo, Iowa, and members of the Group (TMG) other financial and Credit Union service organization owned by Iowa credit unions and their members. Through these organizations, which borrow in Dwolla in the user accounts, people can send and receive money from their own bank accounts.

While Dwolla is an easy to use, this is hardly available for use throughout the world, so that your debit.

And finally while Dwolla fee is not outrageous, they are present. Dwolla has a flat 25 cents for a fee, regardless of the amount of the transaction. It's less than PayPal 30 cents for a Commission. There is also no additional percentage of the amount of the transaction, even if one is now PayPal charges 2.9% for additional deals for $ 3000.

Dwolla currently has 40000 users with transactions for users of the high volume of deals and transactions B2B, represents the largest value of the dollar. The company will be rolling out more technology during the month of September, so stay tuned.

Dwolla provides free Web-based software platform that allows users to send, receive and solicit funds from any other user. Dwolla the maximum transaction cost is 25 cents per. ..

View the original article here

Friday, September 2, 2011

Blue for Facebook, sure looks like the following color tint.

MG Siegler at TechCrunch to write for the 2009 year. It covers web, mobile, social, big companies, small companies, almost all. And Apple. A lot. Prior to TechCrunch it covers different technologies beats for VentureBeat. Originally from Ohio, mg attended the University of Michigan. He previously lived in Los Angeles, where he worked in Hollywood and in San Diego where ... ? Read More

Sometimes you need to test outweigh in total secrecy. I will take color Director Bill Nguyen shares this belief. Over the past two days, his Facebook stream was filled with some seemingly bland picture. But they're not soft-they are all pictures of the tests. And they all sent a new application called "Blue".

I don't know much about the app, but I was able to dig up a little bit of information — including the logo above. Basis of name alone, I think it would be pretty safe to assume that this is at least one of the new projects, color Labs team is working on after the color itself have fizzled out.

And there's a bit more hinting at this time of the next draft colors — namely, many developers listed on blue Facebook application page on color (and number work for Apple, and where Nguyen worked until color Labs). Currently, the application has 29 monthly active users in the list.

A bit more: it seems that they settled on the name "blue" recently after using code-named "TestJckJck" (seriously) for several weeks. You can find this Facebook application here, again with several color/Apple as developers.

Nguyen TestJckJck testing on your profile for awhile now. Blue certainly has a better ring to it.

Right now my guess is that Blue is the new mobile applications with deep links in Facebook photos. It's interesting because Facebook can work on their own standalone app in this regard. Nick Bilton reported earlier today that Facebook is preparing a number of photo filters for use in mobile applications. This can all be linked in any way.

Another thing: the URL for the blue "contains bluecolor for Facebook".

Update: we confirmed with several sources that blue really will be the next app colors.

Color is a social application for photos. You take photos and then the photos appear on the fly with other photos in your proximity. You can see ...

View the original article here

AliveCor transforms mobile devices in low cost heart raises $ 3 million.

Robin Wauters is currently staff writer for TechCrunch and lead editor of Virtualization.com. In addition to its activities, professional blogging, he is an entrepreneur, the organizer of the event, from time to time the Council consultant and an angel investor, but most importantly champion full launch. Wauters lives and works in Belgium, a tiny country in Europe. He can often be found from his home or ... ? Read More

AliveCor, developer of the low-budget electrocardiograms (ECG) recorder that works in conjunction with a variety of mobile platforms (including iPhone, iPad and Android devices), delivered $ 3 million in series A financing, the company announced this morning.

Funding round was led by Barril & company along with Qualcomm, through its venture investment arm, Qualcomm Ventures, and the Oklahoma Foundation for life sciences.

AliveCor the size of a credit card wireless device can make iOS and Android smartphones and tablets in low cost heart monitors, which can be used by patients and doctors and other medical professionals in clinical conditions. Watch the video below for a demo version of the iPhone.

Notice that the device is not for sale, but-AliveCor products have not yet been cleared as a medical device in the United States. It is also unclear exactly how much it will cost but earlier coverage of Wall Street Journal mentioned a price of $ 100.

The company said that it now will use the capital to complete the clinical studies are currently in the center of Oklahoma University of medical sciences, to carry out the necessary regulatory approvals and equipment for the commercial launch of its recording an ECG.

AliveCor has developed a device that will transform any Smartphone in Recorder quality clinical electrocardiogram (ECG).

View the original article here

Smart Money pours 1.5 million dollars in the ditch

Eric Schonfeld is currently working on TechCrunch co-editor. He joined in 2007, and based in New York. Schonfeld oversees editorial content site, selects and edits guest posts, conference program helps Disrupt and CrunchUps, produces some TCTV shows and daily writes in his blog. He is also the father of three. ? Read More

Smart money pouring into the ditch, running tech ad, founded by the former right media CEO Mike Walrath, and brothers John and Noah Goodhart. Ron Conway of SV Angel caused 1.5 million Australian dollars tour, along with founders Fund, vast enterprises, Lerer ventures, founder collective and first round capital. Walrath and brothers seed company Goedhart previously with 3 million dollars from their financing car WGI group.

The ditch is trying to create new ways to measure the effectiveness of online display ads. Their first product is to display the ads search engine just search display ads in such a way that people in this industry, you can easily see which campaigns are working online for different brands. Today the ditch also launches new brand analytics product that measures attention, based on mouse hovers and a chart.

Ditch wants to replace the press as a valid measurement of the effectiveness of online advertising. According to Jonah Goodhart only 8% of Internet users account for almost 85% of all display ad clicks. As I wrote in a previous post on the moat:

"Part of the problem with digital advertising," said Walrath, that we think we know what happens with the announcement and makes its success. Right now, you have all the clicks and conversions. Walrath thinks the industry measuring the wrong things: impressions and clicks at one end to another. Big brand advertisers care more about attention.
The ditch is a proxy for attention. It can generate heat map where people hover their mouse over the ad, and where they click and ... Ditch offers these Analytics heatmap brand advertisers to help them determine which display ads are the most interesting and give them the tools to fix the ones that don't work.

The next step is to test different versions of the same ads to see which ones to draw attention to the marketers can iterate faster and fine tune messaging as marketers search already. Ditch plans to create a market for ad designers to facilitate brand advertisers to create multiple versions of the ads and test them rigorously.

The ditch is a free search engine for display ads. The ditch also offers heatmap analysis and resources for creative. Online ads tend to be temporary: apparent from the second and went ...

Investor, Advisor and founder of start up and expansion stage companies. Previously the founder, President and CEO of right Media Inc. Walrath founded right media, Inc., (formerly right media, LLC) in ...

View the original article here

Thursday, September 1, 2011

MakerBot is 10 million dollars in funding from Foundry group, Angels

Devin Coldewey is a Seattle-based writer and photographer. He wrote for the TechCrunch network since 2007. Some posts, it would like you to read: the perils of externalization of knowledge | Generation I | Surveillant society | Select two | Frame war | Custom manifest | Our great sin his personal ????-coldewey.cc. ? Read More

MakerBot industries, maker of home 3D printers, today announced the $ 10 million in financing a number of investors, mostly from the Foundry group. Also during the tour included Bezos expeditions, true ventures and RRE, along with a dozen or so Angel investors.

The company started in 2009, with about 75,000 $ starting capital, and then put together and sold approximately 5200 their compact construction machines. We've seen them in action at the very first disrupt NYC TechCrunch, and since they were commonplace in this blog. MakerBot Brad Feld just added them to the Council and now hiring.

Hardware facilities is difficult to load, but the founder of the Bre, thinks that we will see many hardware startups in the next few years. Although services and software, typically offer faster scaling and therefore more immediate benefits, there is a place for devices and accessories in the world, especially if they are unique. MakerBot to impress, but competition from the manufacture of postal services like Shapeways barrier for entry into their self-powered 3D printing world is still quite high. Home business is changing and competitors (don't tell imitators) will see the possibility of a brute-force attack on the MakerBot in design and offer more speed, materials, etc.

Nevertheless, the possibility to get the size of a microwave rapid prototyping machine to thousands of dollars is one of these characters once, when we, as a rule, unfair play. It's absolutely amazing that this is possible, in the first place, but the realities of business may not allow it to grow rapidly, tech industry, as a rule, find interesting.

More information on financing, as well as links to various Angels involved can be found for the MakerBot's blog.

Financial organizations:
FOUNDRY GROUP

Foundry group is a venture company focused on investing in early stage information technology, Internet and software startups. Their passion is working with entrepreneurs to give birth.

MakerBot industries company of Brooklyn based creates the 3D printers available, open source software.

View the original article here

Forkly introduces the mobile space App soon stuffed taste

Remember last year when it seemed like all makes location-based mobile applications? One of the original players in the space, Brightkite, eventually got overshadowed by new competitors. Now two of its founders came back with a new mobile launch, and once they enter a space that is quickly getting crowded: food.

In particular, Brady Becker and Martin may have just launched Forkly in the app Store. Although we are aware of the company almost a year and know what they are doing for a few months, it took quite long to get to that point. Now here: application for exchanging information and identifying food and drink.

If this sounds familiar it's because you've heard of Foodspotting, loads the application picture popular food that now there are a million. Or maybe you have heard about the new "Nosh, Instagram food" from the founder of Google voice that started recently. Only two competitors. There are many others and believe me, many others, coming in short order.

But to its credit, Forkly looks very solid. Unlike Foodspotting, which focuses primarily on photography, Forkly focuses more on ratings (Nosh focuses on both). You can "like" element, "love", say it is "good" or "not for me". Forkly then uses this information to create "taste graph" for each user. Then this is used to serve other elements that you can.

Or you can see the new items, served to you in a social channel. And you can easily point out a few things to note, that you "want it". And you can write short reviews, etc.

There is also a game that users become "influencers" to recommend foods and drinks, which others like.

Forkly also rationally offers tools for bloggers, food, restaurants and brands to use the service immediately bat. This may ultimately key features of the stand-out in space. You can read more about in this post.

So Forkly will be in a position to do something that cannot be Brightkite sectional red-hot field? Given that half of the competition is not even started, it's too early to say. Being early doesn't help in the location (in fact, it can be argued that accepted and Dodgeball, which eventually led to the creation of Foursquare, it is still too early), but it could here as startups race to earn the most products and ratings in their systems.

You can find Forkly in the App Store here.

Forkly makes it ridiculously easy to match your taste buds with food and restaurants around you. Capture and use your tastes and dining and Forkly will help you ...

View the original article here