Deal Radar 2008: Kosmix+Adify – Potential Google Challenger

Kosmix is a vertical portal startup. Founded in 2006 by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, founders of Junglee, this site aims at creating a ‘Home page for every topic’. Featured Kosmix sites are RightHealth, RightAutos and RightTrips focusing on health, autos and travel verticals. They have also been working on other verticals like politics, finance,

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This Week’s Highlights

In case you have missed them, here are the must-read pieces from this week: * Is Google Scared? * Facebook Woes Coming? * Qualcomm and Nokia Both Show Headroom * The Microsoft-Yahoo! Battle Plan (Forbes) * Vertical Travel Ad Network CEO Cree Lawson (Interview) * Microsoft, Masterful Maneuverings * Cadence Crashes. Now What? * Interdigital:

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Is Google Scared?

Why this charade, if not? In a “Pot calling the kettle black” statement, Eric Schmidt whimpered that Microsoft’s Yahoo bid is anti-competitive. My poor little Google, let me rock you and soothe you … Here’s an excerpt from last week’s analysis on Google’s earnings: “Revenue on Google’s site stood at $3.12 billion, up 58% y-o-y.

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Microsoft to Rescue the Yahoo Damsel in Distress

Yahoo!’s vulnerable situation was bound to bring out acquisition offers, and Microsoft has been sniffing at the company for a year (see the letter from Ballmer to Yang in the WSJ). I was hoping against hope that Private Equity would step up to the plate, recognizing the leverage opportunity, but it has not happened.

Vertical Travel Ad Network CEO Cree Lawson (Part 4)

SM: How big is the market? How do you calculate TAM? What is your business model? CL: We’ve reviewed a great deal of research on how large the market is for online travel advertising and very specifically banner advertising on travel websites. Forrester says that online travel advertising is an $8-billion-a-year industry in 2007, growing

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Time For Private Equity At Yahoo

Predictably, Yahoo (Nasdaq: YHOO) posted a 23% drop in its 4Q07 profit and forecasted 2008 revenues that were below the Street’s expectation. The stock was down over 10% in after-hours trading. The market cap has eroded to the tune of $25 Billion in the last two years. So how do we play the stock going

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Vertical Travel Ad Network CEO Cree Lawson (Part 1)

In the world of entrepreneurship, a universally accepted doctrine is doing more with less. In this case study series, I bring you an entrepreneur who has done exactly that. Cree Lawson, founder and CEO of Travel Ad Network (TAN), is our guest this time, and will share his story with all its blood, sweat and tears.

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Deal Radar 2008: Zappos Wants to be Amazon When it Grows Up

You have heard me talk about the verticalization of the web. Here’s a good example of a brand built on that premise. Zappos.com is the #1 online footwear retailer. Apart from retailing around 1,100 well known brands of shoes, boots, sandals, and athletic footwear, it also retails accessories including socks, wallets, belts, designer handbags, and

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