On behalf of the entire Pluggd.in team, we wish our readers, their families Eid Mubarak.
Enjoy your holiday – go out, meet people, have fun.
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Intel Capital Invests in Shufflr, The Social Recommendations Engine for Videos
Bangalore based Shufflr.tv (read our earlier coverage : Social Recommendations Comes to Videos from Shufflr) has raised Series A from Intel Capital. Shufflr’s video discovery platform on the cloud aggregates video from several sources and combines machine aided and social discovery engines to help users find video they like.
Video Recommendations by shufflr
Shufflr will soon be available on smartphones, tablets and TVs, providing continuity of video experience from one device to another. The investment from Intel Capital will help the company expand its development team and marketing efforts.
Intel Capital has announced $77mn investment across 18 companies spanning 11 countries.
Here are two guest articles by Rajnish (Founder of Shufflr):
Facebook Ads vs Google Adwords – A Comparison
Review: YouTube Leanback (TV Like Experience)
Link to full article
I2I Innovation Challenge – 2-3 Dec
This comprehensive program is designed to improve the business skills, business plans and presentation skills of local media and IDM companies and to help them to connect with and raise money from potential investors. During the two-day, intensive, hands-on workshop, participants will develop the key elements of their business strategy, business plan, financial model and investor presentations. The second day of the workshop will includes a pitching session – I2I Innovation Challenge, where participants will pitch to a panel of local investors who will evaluate and provide feedback on their plans.
This is organised by Expara and supported by the Media Development Authority of Singapore.
What can pitching companies get?
1. Total cash and prizes worth S$10,000
- Guaranteed minimum S$1,000 in cash to top three pitching companies
- Up to S$3,000 worth of intensive mentorship for each of the top three pitching companies
2. Fast-track application for up to S$55,000 in i.JAM micro-financing
Intensive coaching and mentoring
Companies will receive up to 20 hours of intensive coaching and mentoring services (I2ICM). I2ICM services will include:
1. Business planning, financial modeling, forecasting and valuation
2. Investor presentation development and investor presentation coaching
3. Financing and fundraising advisory
4. Business advisory
All participants will receive a copy of the 2010 edition of the Media Entrepreneur’s Guide to Singapore, the definitive resource for media entrepreneurs looking to raise funding for their business in Singapore.
Workshop Details
When: Thursday-Friday 2-3rd December 2010
Time: 9am-5pm
Where: Gallery Hotel, Kenzo Room
Fees: SGD 750
After MDA subsidy (early bird = registration before 21st November):
Students: SGD 50 (Early bird: SGD 30)
Entrepreneurs: SGD 160 (Early bird: SGD 99)
Corporates: SGD 300 (Early bird: SGD 225)
Link to full article
Enhancing Success of Mobile Investment – 25 Nov
The Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SVCA) is organising a panel discussion with successful industry players in the mobile technology space to share their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in mobile investment. This event is supported by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA).
“An introduction to mobile technology investments and the role in investing in mobile technology to enhance your chances of success.”
Speakers
Mr Benjamin Joffe
Benjamin is the Managing Director of +8* | Plus Eight Star, a Beijing-based consultancy focused on ‘Innovation Arbitrage’, bringing proven best practices and strategic advisory from and about the advanced Asian markets of Japan, Korea and China to clients worldwide.
Mr Michel Birnbaum
Michel is a general partner at iGlobe Partners Pte Ltd. He has over 25 years of operational and advisory experience to technology companies, with his background in Investment Banking, Venture Capital/Private Equity and industry. He has managed close to 30 IPOs, follow-on debt/equity financings as well as M&A and Private Placement transactions. His wealth of experience in the technology sector serves him in good stead as an invaluable advisor to iGlobe’s investments.
Dr. Lai Kok Fung
Dr KF Lai is co-founder and chief executive officer of BuzzCity, one of world’s leading mobile media companies in the development and marketing of mobile services and entertainment to a global audience.
Established in 1999 in Singapore, BuzzCity’s business focuses on two distinct audiences: the newly connected emerging middle class in developing markets and the blue collar sector in developed regions.
Event Details
When: Thursday 25th November 2010
Time: 11.30 AM
When: Marriott Hotel Singapore, Legacy Suite, Level 2, 320 Orchard Road, Singapore 238865
Fees:
SVCA Members and Partners* – S$10.00 per pax
Other – S$100.00 per pax
*Eligibility for Partners rate: Government Agencies, Portfolio companies of IDA, MDA, Spring, BANSEA and TiE
Link to full article
50 Millions Users, Sina To Launch Weibo.com For Its Microblogging Service
Instead of using the word ‘microblogging’ (in Chinese, means Weibo), Sina.com held its first China Weibo Developer Conference today. The message Sina wants to deliver is quite clear:
- Sina is the leader in Chinese microblogging market;
- Sina’s microblogging service is now the leading Platform which opens to third parties;
- Sina is the inventor of Chinese microblogging which is called Weibo and it is opening a new era in Chinese social media. Weibo.com will be launched soon, the ambition is obvious.
Sina should be proud of its Weibo product as figures explains everything,
- By end of October, 2010, Sina Weibo’s users have reached 50millions and 25 millions miniblog (tweets) published per day;
- Public launched at 28th August 2009, Sina Weibo only took 66 days to attract 1 million users; It reached 10 millions users at 28th April 2010, then 30 millions users at 28th August 2010. In past 2 months, Sina Weibo acquired another 20 millions users; Now 50 millions users in total.
- Young generation is now big fan of Weibo. 47% of its users are under the age of 22, and 57% of the active users are female.
- Sina Weibo is now a platform. Over 300 Weibo applications are developed by third parties, and acquired 15 millions users; Youku videos are played on Sina Weibo 1.3 millions times per day.
We commented on Sina and MSN China’s partnership saying Sina is now quite aggressively re-positioning itself as an Internet platform not just a media. Sina Weibo is Sina youngest product but now definitely its one of the strongest selling point. At the opening speech, Sina’s CEO even announced a rmb 200 million fund for Weibo developers or third parties. 50% of the fund is from Sina, five top VC (Sequoia, IDG, Innovation Works, Yunfeng Fund, DFJ) takes 10% respectively. Although it’s still a question how much Sina has earned from its Weibo, but Sina even revealed its revenue share structure, 70% will be given back to developers/thrid-parties.
over 2000 people showed up today in the conference and quite a few even came from Taiwan, Hongkong. Reports say Kaixin001, the most popular SNS in 2009 is developing its own microblogging service as its traffic has significantly drop down since Sina Weibo launch; We also met the founder of Plurk, the most popular microblogging service in Taiwan months ago in Singapore. He told my friend Thomas Crampton, the biggest thread for Plurk is now Sina Weibo. The interesting point is, there is almost no language barrier between mainland China and Taiwan, still it’s very hard to see an internet service from mainland China to dominate Taiwan market. Sina Weibo could be the first, soon!
Link to full article
HolidayIQ Merges Operations with Singapore based Wego
Bangalore basedHolidayIQ has announced merger with Singapore based Wego, a travel meta-search startup. 
Wego.com allows travelers to search for flights, hotels, packages, travel deals and travel research across 150+ travel websites (meta search) on a real time basis and shows latest pricing and availability of tickets.
HolidayIQ provides content related to vacation/travels and is in the process of expanding its coverage to international destinations for the benefit for India’s outbound travelers.
The combined entity has also completed a Series B funding round led by Tiger Global, the New York based growth capital fund (also an investor in Zynga).
Link to full article
The Bar Android Opens In Shibuya, Tokyo
Do you have Android mobile? Then let’s go to this bar! My friend’s @Kabayan opens the hangout “Bar Android” at Shibuya, Tokyo for Android users.
2F Udagawa-cho 37-14, Shibuya, Japan, 150-0042
There is a projector. And there are power supplies, so it’s not necessary for you to mind battery consumption.
Gingerbread Cookie! If you can understand it, you are an android user definitely! 
The bar operates 19:00 – 23:30 every Monday only. Drinks and snacks are all 500 yen. Japanese food set meal is 1,000 yen.
Kabayan’s comment;
Who can make a place where you meet with others who are interested in Android?
When I met several guys at a bar in Shibuya, I felt that Shibuya is ‘the place’. At that time, my friend introduced his friend who owns a bar in Shibuya. He was looking for idea to make his bar popular. So I told him my idea to give a concept for the bar.
I named the bar ‘Android’, because Android OS being used under many situations to connect people matches with the concept I want for my bar.
The bar space is not my own, but people who are interested in Android will support us, I expect.
Please come to the bar, have a drink and talk with me!
Fortunately, the bar doesn’t shut out people who are not Android users. I went there yesterday with my iPhone4
Please also check the followings.
Bar Android Twitter
@barandroid
Bar Android Facebook fan page
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shibuya-Japan/Bar-Android/127806547277395
(These are written only in Japanese at present, but English support is available.)
Link to full article
Wego merges operations with HolidayIQ and attains Series B funding
Wego, Singapore-based travel meta-search startup, announced today Series B funding round from Tiger Global and merger with Indian travel content site, HolidayIQ.com.
Tiger Global is a New York based growth capital fund and has invested in Zynga, and a Russian travel portal called Anywayanyday among others. Wego has previously received investment from News Digital Media, the digital media arm of Australia-based News Limited. The funding amount was undisclosed.
Wego was also one of the first startups to pitch at the first e27 event.
Here’s the complete release:
Wego.com and HolidayIQ.com Announce Merger; Close Series B Funding Round
Wego Pte Ltd, operators of the Singapore based travel search engine www.wego.com, and Leisure & Lifestyle Information Services Pvt Ltd, operators of the Indian travel content and community site www.holidayiq.com announce a merger of their operations.
The combined entity has also completed a Series B funding round led by Tiger Global, the New York based growth capital fund.
About Wego:
Wego.com allows travelers to search for flights, hotels, packages, travel deals and travel research across 150+ travel websites in the time that it normally takes to search just one. Wego searches travel websites in real-time so that the latest pricing and availability are shown. Travelers are then linked through to partner websites to book. Wego.com was founded in 2005 by former executives from Intercontinental Hotels Group (NYSE: IHG), Yahoo! (NASDAQ: YHOO), Priceline (NASDAQ: PCLN) and ZUJI. News Digital Media, the Australian digital arm of News Limited and part of News Corp (NYSE: NWS), provided Series A funding and remains an investor. For more information, please visit http://www.wego.com/about
About HolidayIQ:
HolidayIQ.com, based in Bangalore, India started operations in 2004. The website of the community, www.HolidayIQ.com, is the leading repository of information and content on vacationing in India and is in the process of expanding its coverage to international destinations for the benefit for India’s outbound travelers. HolidayIQ was founded by Hari Nair, a former partner of KPMG India.
For more information, please visit http://www.holidayiq.com/aboutus.php
Contacts:
Martin Symes, CEO Wego
martin@wego.com
Hari Nair, CEO HolidayIQ
hari@holidayiq.com
Link to full article