Tag Archives: venture capital

The next Hollywood-produced blockbuster: A start-up

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As hollywoodtechnology and entertainment become more closely aligned, more big names in the film and television industries are launching Silicon Valley-like accelerators—short-term programs that include mentorship and education for start-ups—to get early looks at up-and-coming businesses.

Time Warner’s Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros., along with Disney, have launched accelerators in the past few years, and more are on the way, giving entrepreneurs who focus on the entertainment space a potential head start as their businesses begin to gain traction.

Read more at CNBC.com

Next Year’s Top 20 Startups

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During the first nine months of 2012, venture capitalists closed just shy of 2,700 deals with entrepreneurs, investing nearly $20 million, according to the National Venture Capital Association and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Not surprisingly, the bulk of the top deals (those boasting investments of $25 million or more) are in the software category, but biotech and medical devices/equipment are both putting in strong showings this year.

Here’s a look at the startups that landed the most venture capital funding through the end of the third quarter — and are now poised to be the hottest young tech companies of 2013.

Read more at CNBC.com

10 Hot Indian Startups

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In America, Silicon Valley is ground zero for startups. In India, it’s Bangalore.

The city in the southern region of the country is not only the hub of India’s technology sector, it’s also among the 10 most preferred cities globally among entrepreneurs, according to the Startup Genome Project. And Mumbai, along the country’s west coast, is number 20.

Read more at CNBC.com

Secrets of Venture Capitalists

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There is no game with higher financial stakes than the one venture capitalists play every day.

A ceaseless flood of hungry entrepreneurs are constantly knocking on the door, seeking funding to help their business advance to the next level and succeed. The most frequently used word in the VC vocabulary is “no” but the real trick to the job is figuring out when to say “yes”.

Read more at CNBC.com

Opinion: Rovio $1.2B Valuation Push Ruffles Some Feathers

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[Is Rovio’s Angry Birds really more valuable than Grand Theft Auto? Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris argues that Rovio’s recent push for a $1.2 billion valuation is “somewhat ridiculous.”]

The absurdities of today’s venture capital market – and of investors hoping to ride those coattails to wealth – are multiplying at a staggering rate.

And the reported recent push by Angry Birds developer Rovio to seek funds that would value the company at $1.2 billion could indicate the bubble that has been building for some time in the tech space is reaching a dangerous size.

Read more at Gamasutra

Getting A ‘Big Break’ at SXSW Harder Than Ever

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The annual South by Southwest gathering has plenty of success stories to crow about, but getting a big break here is harder than ever these days.

The show, dubbed “geek spring break” by some, has grown beyond its music and film roots to become a gathering spot for venture capitalists and some of the biggest stars in the tech world. But as it has grown, it has become more difficult for startups to turn heads.

Read more at CNBC.com

Playcast raises $10 mil in expansion bid

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As interest revs up in the cloud gaming world, venture capitalists are doubling down.

Playcast has raised $10 million in a Series B funding round to help it expand its ongoing rollout of services to telecommunications companies and cable television providers. MK Capital, a Chicago/Los Angeles-based venture fund specializing in digital media, and JVP, a leading Israeli venture capital firm focused on media, technology and content, led the round.

Read more in Daily Variety

Interview: Playcast Raises Additional $10 Million For Cloud Gaming

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With $10 million in new venture capital, Playcast tells Gamasutra editor-at -large Chris Morris how it’ll compete with cloud gaming services like OnLive indirectly, by providing a standardized service that can be integrated into any number of set-top boxes.

Playcast may not be the most familiar name in the video game world, but it’s one that’s certainly turning the heads of venture capitalists.

The cloud gaming company has raised $10 million in a Series B funding round to help it expand its ongoing rollout of services to telecommunications companies and cable television providers. The company previously raised $2 million in funding in 2009.

Read more at Gamasutra