Demo 08 – Web 2.0 Start-up Launch Conference

Posted on 30. Jan, 2008 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized   and has   0 Comments

The last couple of days I’ve been in Palm Dessert California at the Demo 08 – the start-up launch conference. This is my first time at Demo and it won’t be the last. The mix of new companies and solutions is a fantastic barometer of the industry.

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MITX Event: Funding your Web 2.0 start-up

Posted on 23. Jan, 2008 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized   and has   0 Comments

Tuesday morning’s event was held at the offices of K&L Gates at the State Street Financial Center in Boston. This was a great event not only for Web 2.0 entrepreneurs but for business professionals of all kinds.  The venue was nearly full, which is impressive for a Tuesday after a long weekend. The key message was that a business needs to provide a unique solution to a problem, with the right team and market conditions and be able to communicate and network with investors. The panel discussions and Q&A from the group provided some valuable pointers for entrepreneurial folks ranging from those with back-of-the-napkin ideas to an established companies looking to take it to the next level. (more…)

Steve Jobs 90 Minute Keynote in 60 Seconds

Posted on 16. Jan, 2008 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized   and has   0 Comments

Veronica Belmont has created a killer summary of the Steve Jobs keynote at Macworld.

Finally a social network site that can help you find stuff to do locally

Posted on 11. Jan, 2008 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized   and has   0 Comments

Have you ever tried to find something to do by searching on Google. You can easily learn to speak Klingon or look at photos from Singapore but finding some place to get a bite at 1AM isn’t likely. Zync is a new start-up that has a solution. Focused on lifestyle activities Zync employs patent pending algorithms that find like-minded people based on your ratings, profile, and a number of other factors, and make suggestions of local activities you might like based on those people’s opinions. We wrapped that core concept with social networking functionality that enables you to receive opinions from your trusted friends.
I met Brad Rosen the founder and CEO at an MIT Enterprise Forum event. The challenge is to get enough people using the system so that the database becomes rich enough to accurately match member personalities. Its kind of a catch 22 in the sense that if the members that join early will not get nearly as good of results as when the site has reached critical mass; which in turn may result in dissatisfied users and a less relevant database. Good examples are sites like Jobster and Naymz where they have provided great tools and functionality but the lack of members and activity lessen their ability to engage members.
I’m going to keep an eye on Zync, I think it has potential to be a long lasting Web 2.0 site and provide significant value. A search engine that helps us find all the local best kept secrets. Have you found any sites that give you a good idea of what’s going on locally?

MITX Event: Seeding your Web 2.0 Start-up

Posted on 10. Jan, 2008 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized   and has   0 Comments

Join us on January 22nd, from 8 to 10am at the State Street Financial Center in Boston for an exciting event: Seeding your Web 2.0 Start-up. Click here to register

Web 2.0 startups are fast becoming an integral part of every company’s online strategy. Web 2.0 products, which include those facilitating user participation, podcasting, social networking and blogging, have become integrated into all aspects of business. This allows a continual interaction between brands and consumers, companies and clients.

Many of these web-based startups require smaller levels of capital. VCs, who previously may not have funded any companies for less than $3M, want to be involved. For example, larger cap firms are offering seed investments such as “Quick Start” loans for $250K and programs for entrepreneurs coming out of college offering $7.5K to $15K grants. The benefits of getting even small amounts of VC money are huge. It allows startup companies to recruit top-level talent while raising money for future rounds of funding.

Seed money IS coming into New England and IS going toward web 2.0 and emerging technology companies. Find out how to get your piece of this pie.

About the MITX/K&L Gates Legal Series
The MITX/K&L Gates Legal Series covers legal issues related to the interactive and technology industries.  Over the course of 2007, this series will address important aspects of employment law, on line marketing and Intellectual Property.

K&L Gates, State Street Financial Ctr, One Lincoln Street, Boston