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As per SEC filings, CustomMade in Cambridge, MA has raised $4M in funding. CustomMade.com is the first online peer-to-peer marketplace connecting shoppers with skilled artisans who create unique luxury custom goods including furniture, cabinetry and jewelry.
As per SEC filings, Cloze in Cambridge, MA has raised $1.2M in funding from Greylock, Kepha Partners, & NextView Ventures. Cloze's mission is to help you find a better path through your network so you don’t just make a connection, you make the right connection — a lasting connection. Cloze brings together your lifetime's worth of email, business connections, social networks, and address books into a single useful view without adding more work into your day. They make your address book automatic, available in the cloud and easily searchable on any mobile device or computer.
As per SEC filings, TipTap in Cambridge, MA has raised $1.5M in funding. TipTap is a social discovery website. It employs a unique psychology-based approach to match users from around the world who discover and share the things they love. Participants learn about their personality, tastes, and preferences, which also allow for highly personalized experiences by providing the criteria to connect them with other like-minded individuals.
As per SEC filings, Nara in Cambridge, MA has raised $3.6M of a planned $4.5M round of funding. Nara (doing business as Ava, Inc.) is a personal web and platform that leverages proprietary technology enabling you to personalize and uncover your own Dynamic Digital DNA. With Nara, you don’t have to jump from web site to web site looking, analyzing or reading all those endless reviews for that great restaurant, shopping venue, entertainment outlet or hotel that matches your sensibility, style, taste, preferences or aspirations. Instead, Nara does this all for YOU, twenty-four hours a day and much more.
As per SEC filings, NovaPlanner in Cambridge has raised $425K in funding towards a $1M fundraise. NovaPlanner is an online assistant that automatically organizes and communicates the entire course schedule from teachers' to students' planners.
Boundless Learning in Boston has raised an $8M Series A round of funding. The round was led by new investor Venrock and included previous investors - NextView Ventures, Kepha Partners, Founder Collective, and SV Angel. Boundless is reinventing the textbook, where they turn textbooks into an interactive and engaging experience with videos, instant search, highlighting, notes, and more.
Abine, Inc., a leader in online privacy protection for consumers, announced its acquisition of the popular Google Sharing privacy service. Developed by renowned security expert and web engineer Moxie Marlinspike, GoogleSharing anonymizes users’ Google searches, preventing the search giant from gathering personal information about consumers’ search histories.
The changes to Google’s privacy policy, which go into effect today, will allow Google to begin connecting search activity to a user’s profile that spreads across the company’s more than 70 properties. If users are logged into any Google accounts and are using its services, the company will be able to create a profile for them filled with an alarming amount of information that includes every search they’ve run, email they’ve sent or received, video watched on YouTube, conversation had on GChat, and more.
Memrise, a Techstars Boston 2011 startup, is announcing today that it has closed a $1.05mm round to develop their online learning platform. A distinguished roster of investors are on board, including Avalon Ventures, Balderton Capital, Matt Mullenweg's Audrey Capital and Lerer Ventures. They're joined by a host of angels including Nabeel Hyatt, former head of Zynga Boston, Jeff Hammerbacher, former head of data at Facebook, and Bill Warner, founder of Avid.
Aereo (formerly Bamboom Labs), a new Internet based television solution for consumers, announced $20.5 million in Series A financing led by IAC (Nasdaq: IACI). Previous investors, including FirstMark Capital, First Round Capital, High Line Venture Partners, Highland Capital Partners and select individuals, participated in the round, bringing Aereo’s total funding to approximately $25 million. IAC Chairman & Senior Executive, Barry Diller, has joined Aereo’s Board of Directors.
Today, Aereo provides an easy to use, proprietary remote antenna and DVR that consumers can use to access network television on web-enabled devices such as smartphones and tablets, and through internet TV solutions such as AppleTV and Roku. Aereo’s members will have access to all of the major networks including CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, CW and PBS, as well as other local channels and will have the ability to store up to 40 hours of programming through their Remote DVR. No cords or cable required.
Aereo has offices in NYC & Boston.
BoardProspects, the online professional community dedicated to building better boards, today announced that it has secured $650,000 in seed funding from several angel investors. BoardProspects will apply the capital to accelerate development of its platform that connects individuals and organizations—prospects and boards—while providing educational resources and tools to improve boardroom service.
InnoCentive, Inc., the pioneer in open innovation and crowdsourcing, today announced its acquisition of UK-based OmniCompete Limited. Best known for its annual Global Security Challenge, OmniCompete has executed nearly two dozen high-profile Challenges throughout its history in the areas of security, energy, healthcare, and cloud computing. Adding to InnoCentive’s recent successes in Grand Challenges – awarding a winner for the $1 million Prize4Life Challenge and the partnership with Life Technologies for its multi-million dollar Life Grand Challenges program – this acquisition further establishes InnoCentive as the global standard for high value competitions and Challenges whose solutions have far-reaching consequences in the areas of human health, public safety, education, the environment, and energy.
As per SEC filings, Currensee in Boston has added $2M more to their $4M Series C round of funding (total of $6M for Series C). Currensee is an alternative investment service that gives investors unique access to the world currency markets,
OwnerIQ, the inventor of Ownership Targeted media and developer of one of the most advanced Real-Time media buying platforms in the industry, announced today that it has acquired leading on-demand shopper marketing technology platform DiJiPOP in an all-stock deal. Founder and former CEO of DiJiPOP, Ji Kim, joins the OwnerIQ team as the VP of Business Development, Media Solutions.
Constant Contact®, Inc. (NASDAQ:
CTCT), the trusted marketing advisor to more than 450,000 small
organizations worldwide, has acquired privately owned CardStar Inc., the
leading loyalty platform that helps shoppers stay connected to their
favorite merchants. With over two million users, Boston-based CardStar
is a leading developer of mobile applications that extend the use of
loyalty cards and mobile coupons among consumers. The acquisition marks
the latest milestone in Constant Contact's evolution from an email
marketing company to the leading provider of online marketing tools that
help small businesses create and grow customer relationships. Financial
details of the transaction were not disclosed.
As per SEC filings, PlatformQ in Needham, MA has raised $2.4M in funding. PlatformQ is a digital media company that is a leading producer of virtual events -- bringing attendees, thought leaders, and product and service providers together in a revolutionary interactive environment.
As per SEC filings, Krush in Cambridge, MA has raised $4.5M in funding. Krush is a web platform where brands activate their fanbase to predict demand for upcoming lines and force multiply sales each season.
GrabCAD in Cambridge, MA has raised $4M in a Series A round of funding. Investors included Matrix Partners and Atlas Venture.
GrabCAD is an online community where mechanical engineers can share their talent, expand knowledge, find a dream project and work with tools and features that make life better.
As reported by the Boston Business Journal, Fundraise.com has raised $1.2M in funding. Atlas Venture participated in the round of funding. Fundraise.com is an online fundraising platform.
Vistaprint N.V. (Nasdaq: VPRT), a leading online provider of professional marketing products and services to micro businesses, and Webs, Inc., the popular, do-it-yourself suite of websites, Facebook Pages and mobile presence solutions for small businesses, today announced the companies have entered into a definitive agreement in which Vistaprint will acquire Webs for $117.5 million payable at closing. The consideration will be paid through a combination of cash and restricted shares. This acquisition is in line with Vistaprint’s recently announced strategy to be more proactive in its evaluation of acquisition opportunities that will help lay foundations for future growth.
According to SEC filings, Punchbowl in Framingham, MA has increased their round of funding to over $1M. Punchbowl had a previous SEC filing back in September that included an initial round of funding posted at $580K.
Punchbowl is the company behind the Punchbowl.com, which helps consumers plan parties from start to finish with ideas, online invitations, favors, gift registries, photo/video sharing, and more.
Zipcar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIP) , the world's leading car sharing network, today announced the exercise of its option to purchase a majority ownership interest in Barcelona-based Catalunya Carsharing S.A., known as Avancar. The company operates a fleet of vehicles throughout the cities of Barcelona and Sant Cugat del Valles.
The transaction is expected to be completed in early 2012, and builds on Zipcar's initial equity investment in Avancar in December 2009. With this transaction, Zipcar increases its percentage ownership in Avancar to a controlling stake of 60 percent.
As per SEC filings, CityVoter in Cambridge, MA has raised $1.6M in funding. CityVoter runs "best of" contests and promotional events for media companies and advertisers. Founded in 2005, CityVoter works with leading media companies such as SF Chronicle, Fox Television, vh1, and more.
As per SEC filings, BiddingForGood has raised $2.2M in funding. BiddingForGood is a charitable e-commerce company that connects fundraisers, shoppers and businesses. Online auctions powered by BiddingForGood have generated over $130 million for nonprofit organizations and schools.
According to SEC filings, Daily Grommet in Lexington, MA has raised $950K towards a planned $1.15M in funding. Daily Grommet is an online marketplace and the birthplace of Citizen Commerce, a movement that gives people the information and tools to support products that align with their own values. It's a powerful new way to discover, share, and sell consumer products.
RunKeeper has raised $10M in funding led by Spark Capital, along with Revolution Ventures and OATV. RunKeeper is a mobile application that makes tracking your workouts fun, social, and easy to understand so that you can improve the quality of your fitness.
CustomMade.com, the first online peer-to-peer marketplace connecting shoppers with skilled artisans who create unique luxury custom goods including furniture, cabinetry and jewelry. CustomMade today announced it has secured $2.1 million in a Series A round of financing. The funding was led by First Round Capital and Google Ventures with participation from Founder Collective, Launch Capital, NextView Ventures, and Andrew McCollum, former co-founder of Facebook, and David Tisch of TechStars New York City, among other investors. CustomMade also announced new site features.
RapidBuyr, the daily deal site catering exclusively to small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) with deep discounts on B2B products and services, today announced it has acquired Los Angeles-based B2B weekly deal site BizDeals.com.
As per SEC filings, Fotonauts in Cambridge, MA has raised $1.5M in a round of convertible debl. Fotonauts operates an online photo encyclopedia website called Fotopedia.
As reported by Scott Kirsner of his Innovation Economy blog, Shopximity in Cambridge has raised an undisclosed Series A round of funding from US Venture Partners, Valhalla Partners, and General Catalyst. Shopximity is a stealth mode startup founded by Sim Simeonov. According to the report, Shopximity will provide a new model for value-based marketing model with a focus on web and mobile advertising.
According to reports by Betabeat, Gilt Groupe is in the final stages of acquiring BuyWithMe. BuyWithMe is a daily deals site that has raised three rounds of funding totalling $30M. Matrix Partners is an investor in both companies.