Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

Launches:
- Yahoo! launches Mixd for group texting
- InterActiveCorp launches Ask City
- Grockit launches: GMAT prep
- ClickStar is about to launch: currently playing movies via download

Fundings:
- First Coverage raises $5mm for investment coverage optimization software
- iSkoot raises $6.2mm from Khosla Ventures
- MusicPlusTV takes first round for music video content
- Apex Learning takes on $6mm for digital secondary school curriculum
- Five Star Technologies raises $7.1mm led by Morgenthaler
- Travelguru.com raises $15mm for online travel in India
- BiggerBoat takes on $2.5mm second round for entertainment search
- BitTorrent picks up $20mm
- Meraki gets less than $1mm from Google for indoor WiFi
- Azureus gets $12mm second round

Acquisitions:
- ITV buys online directory firm Scoot for $6mm

Other Stuff:
- Wal-Mart Launched Movie Digital Downloads
- Valuations of Private Companies are Robust
- HitWise supposedly up for sale: price tag of $350mm

Reading time: 1 – 2 minutes

Launches:
- AniBoom launches tomorrow: video site for original animated shorts
- Tuition Coach to launch tomorrow: helps families with college funding process

Fundings:
- RipCode gets $7mm for online video processing
- Takkle takes on a series A round for high school sports social networking
- WAYN.com brings in $11mm for travel social networking

Other News:
- Immigrants have founded 1 in 4 public VC backed companies in the US since 1990

Gadget O’ The Week:
- Rockridge Sound’s Tube Amp and Speaker Dock for iPod

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

Launches:
- Jangl now in beta
- MochiMedia Introduces Ad Network for Flash Games
- Agloco is now ready to rock

Fundings:
- AboutUs raises $1mm for wikis
- SeeSaw raises $10mm
- LifeLock announces $6mm first round for Identity Theft Protection
- Polar Rose raises $5.1mm series A for visual search tools
- Medio raises $30mm for mobile search
- Real Girls Media Network takes on $6mm
- YouSendIt raises $4.7mm

IPO Filings:
- Salary.com files for $50mm IPO

Acquisitions:
- Cisco picks up Greenfield Networks
- StumbleUpon (supposedly) looking for buyers: $50mm price tag
- Yahoo! buys Bix (congrats Dave and the Bix Team!)
- Akamai picks up Nine Systems
- VCs to Acquire Netsmart

New Funds:
- Sofinnova raises $375mm 7th Fund
- MHS Capital Partners raising $40mm first fund
- Red Zone Capital Partners raising $750mm for 2nd fund

Gadget O’ the Week:
- Home Pro Racing Simulator

Other News:
- VC Investing in China Picking Up
- GTCR Forms Acquisition Platform
- Commercial Bank forms for “Green” Ventures
- NewsCorp says MySpace is now worth $6 billion

To all the U.S. readers out there: Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your turkey and football. I know I will.

Reading time: 2 – 3 minutes

Web 2.0 Launchpad:
- 3B
- Adify
- Instructables
- In the Chair
- oDesk
- Omnidrive
- Sphere
- stikkit
- Venyo
- TimeBridge
- Turn
- Klostu

Launches:
- Like.com Image Recognition Search
- HitTail

Fundings:
- BlackArrow raises $14.75mm for non-skippable ads
- Brightcove seeking $55mm 3rd round
- Pluck raises $7mm
- SodaHead gets $4.25mm for adult social networking
- Mascoma takes on $30mm for possible gasoline alternative
- AboutUs, Inc. takes on $1mm for business wikis

Acquisitions:
- AOL acquires Relegence
- Zhongsou to acquire Ccoo.cn
- Answers.com acquires FAQFarm for $2mm
- Motorola acquires push e-mail firm Good Technology

New Funds:
- Valhalla Partners raises $260mm 2nd fund
- Benchmark Europe raises $500mm fund three

Other Stuff:
- VC Dilution Calculator

Gadget O’ the Week:
- Water-powered Battery

Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

Launches:
- Scrybe launches in beta
- Blake Ross of Firefox fame to launch Parakey
- PEHub launches

Fundings:
- MobiTV raises $30mm for mobile TV
- HiveLive takes $1.15mm for social networking
- Eefoof takes $225k first round for media sharing
- NebuAd raises $6.1mm for ad network
- KnowNow takes on $13mm for RSS-based biz info
- Spock raises $1mm for “people” search engine
- Topix raises $15mm
- Bunchball raises $2mm for flash games
- Powerset raises $12.5mm first round for natural language search
- Turn.com takes $18mm
- Zvents raises $7mm for events site

Acquisitions:
- Navteq to acquire Traffic.com for $179mm
- Text Link Ads bought by MediaWhiz

New Funds:
- Avrio Ventures, new VC fund, has first closing

Other News:
- Charles River launches innovative “angel” play

Google News:
- Google to sell ads for 50 major newspapers

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

Scary Gooooooogle News:
- Google releases personal search
- Google acquires JotSpot

Spooky Launches:
- Six Apart launches VOX
- Chinese Facebook Clone Formed
- MingleNow launched new bar/restaurant social networking site

Frightful Fundings:
- Tablus takes on a $16mm second round
- SkyRider takes on $12mm for P2P search
- Edgeio takes on an additional $5mm
- GotVoice takes a $3mm series A for web based voicemail management
- Synacor takes $17mm for Portal Content Distribution
- eyespot raises $3.7mm for online flash video editing
- MindCandy takes $7mm for online gaming
- Coveo takes on $6mm series A for secure enterprise search
- Music Blog Stereogum.com takes money from Bob Pittman’s Pilot Group
- eBuddy announces 5mm euros in funding
- iCopyright gets $2mm third round
- Maya’s Mom raises angel round
- vSocial raises $1.5mm
- TopTenSources raises $3.5mm and acquires blogniscient
- CardPricer.com raises $100k for baseball card pricing
- SpotRunner raises $40mm more
- Monitor110 gets $11mm third round
- eSnips raises $2mm for media sharing site

Ghostly New Funds:
- Novak Biddle raises $227mm 5th fund

Eerie Other News:
- Obvious Corp formed by Evan Williams: Buys (back) Odeo
- Adobe to invest $100mm in Digital Applications
- Conde Nast/Wired News acquires Reddit

Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

Launches:
- Hotsoup.com Launches
- crayon Launches

Fundings:
- WiSpry raises $13.5mm series B
- Right Media raises $45mm with Yahoo! leading the round
- iKobo receives $2mm: innovator in person to person online money xfer
- Vinfolio takes $1.6mm
- NComputing, Inc. closes $8mm series A
- spodradio raises $10mm series B
- Jingle Networks raises another $30mm for 1-800-Free-411
- Box.net gets $1.5mm and now has more than 500k users

Acquisitions:
- Adobe buys video editing and video blogging toold firm Serious Magic
- Logitech buys Slim Devices for $20mm

New Funds:
- Granite Global Ventures Closes $400mm Fund
- Bertelsmann forms $63mm VC fund

Interesting News:
- Craigslist revenues could reach $50mm in 2007
- U.S. Venture Capitalists invested $6.36 billion in Q3 2006
- The iPod turns 5

Cool Stuff O’ the Week:
- Schwinn’s new “retro” electric bikes