Startups | Internet Marketing Blog

Kiko dives into the Web 2.0 deadpool, business model AWOL

This week Web 2.0 startup Kiko put itself up for sale on eBay, after its founders seemingly became bored or disillusioned.

Kiko, which is priced at $49,999 (it has yet to attract a bid), is an online calendar built using Ruby on the Rails and claims about 40,000 users per month. Which, in case you are wondering, is a cost to the ‘business’. Kiko doesn’t appear to have any notable revenue streams.

by Chris Lake 18 August 2006 15:12pm 1 comment

Travelhiker launches community site for travellers

A new social networking site has gone live, providing user-generated information for holidaymakers and UK commuters.

Founded by 27 year old Oxford grad James Holmes, Travelhiker.com allows members to share photos, diaries and reviews, as well as to find companions for trips.

by Richard Maven 17 August 2006 11:25am 1 comment

Google Analytics now offers immediate access for all

Google Analytics will from today provide instant access for anybody that wants to open an account and start using the service to monitor visitor activity on their website/s.

The service, which is free of charge, provides comprehensive information on visitor behaviour to help webmasters better understand how their sites are being used and where users are coming from.

by Chris Lake 16 August 2006 12:35pm 1 comment

Netvibes gets new cash injection

In another indication of growing interest among VCs in Web 2.0 outfits, Netvibes has raised US$15 million in a round of financing led by existing backer Index Ventures.

The Paris and London-based start-up, which claims to have recruited five million users of its customisable Ajax home page, plans to use the funding to help it take on rivals such as Microsoft's Live.com and Pageflakes.

by Richard Maven 15 August 2006 11:21am 1 comment

UK Web 2.0 lack of startups

If you’re interested in the Web 2.0 scene in the UK, then you should take a look at Richard MacManus’ post, which gives a good run down of the local UK Web 2.0 scene, discussing some of them in a bit more detail.

I’ve looked at why the local scene is not as active, and offered one or two solutions that might ring true with a few people...

by Gareth Knight 14 August 2006 11:54am 1 comment

CrunchBoard launched with apparent initial success

Michael Arrington has launched the latest addition to the Crunch Network, CrunchBoard, which is a job board aimed at the tech savvy Web 2.0 crowd. Adds another player to the Web 2.0 job finding options...

by Gareth Knight 09 August 2006 11:40am 0 comments

Can the community create cash flow?

We’re all aware of how important cash flow is to any business, especially start-up tech businesses where cash flow equals food on the table… So how do the new raft of user generated content offerings plan to make their cash flow sustainable?

by Gareth Knight 08 August 2006 13:21pm 2 comments

Viacom fancies coy Bebo, and with good reason

This week’s Bebo acquisition rumour comes in the shape of Viacom, the also-rans in the MySpace courtship battle. With Bebo in no rush to sell, we don’t anticipate this latest industry gossip will become a reality anytime soon.

It is plainly obvious that Big Media Companies are now scrambling all of their M&A jets in search of social networking sites to buy. This was previously something that seemed a little bit like bandwagon jumping a few months ago, but now there is a real reason for it.

by Chris Lake 08 August 2006 12:44pm 1 comment

Beware the online behemoths?

There comes a time in every startup's life when you ask whether your bright idea will be stolen / pillaged / destroyed by a much larger 800–pound gorilla – where all you have effectively done is illustrate the potential of a market, enough at least for the gorilla to decide that he wants to eat, shoot and then possibly leave.

by Gareth Knight 03 August 2006 11:35am 1 comment