Another Dot Com

Online advertising companies are going through major consolidation. Big boys are buying online ad companies like there’s no tomorrow — Google buys DoubleClick, Yahoo buys the rest of Right Media, Publicis buys Digitas, AOL acquired a controlling interest in Adtech AG, WPP signed a deal to buy 24/7 Real Media, AOL gobbled up Boston-based mobile advertising startup Third Screen Media, etc.

Another clip from Vator.tv. This clip features Ezra Rolzen - He highlights the topic “how to avoid typical mistakes many startups make”.

A vid clip from Vator.com. The video captures Tim Draper’s (Draper Fisher Jurvetson founder) thoughts on being an Entrepreneur.

What gives you an unfair advantage? What sets you apart from the many potential “me-too” companies?

What is your business model?

What’s your short-term direction, and the specific milestones you are trying to reach?

LinkedIn, Palo Alto based Networking site, raises $12.8 million in funding headed by Bessemer Venture Partners and the European Founders Fund. The valuation given to LinkedIn is said to be around $250 million (WOW! Really?).

LinkedIn is profitable and has around 9 million users and is signing up new members at ~100k a week.

Meebo closed a round for $9mm earlier this week (led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson). Meebo is a meta instant messaging service that works across Yahoo, Google, MSN, ICQ, Jabber, And AOL IM. Most of their users are students (according to some reports) and Meebo has around a million registered users. Meebo does offer couple other interesting products - Meebo Maps and Meebo Repeater. If you want to check them out, here’s the link to Meebo.

Brightcove, a company that gives media outlets, content creators and other businesses a platform to deliver online video, has closed a 3rd round funding of $59.5 million. Wow! What’s their valuation? I’m thinking $500 MM?!?

According to VentureBeat report, Digg, the website that lets users rank stories by voting, has raised $8.5 million in fresh financing from existing backers. $8.5 million is a big number and I think Digg will be okay for couple of years. But, Digg better start making money or I see them looking for a buyer soon. At the end of the day, Greylock Partners and the Omidyar Network, investors of Digg, will make their money back.