After Raising A Boatload Of Kickstarter Cash, Diaspora Asks Users For A $25 Donation Each

  x You have successfully emailed the post.

Diaspora was supposed to be a breath of fresh air from Facebook's inaccessible take on privacy.

After the new social network startup successfully raised just over $200,000 on Kickstarter last year (smashing the $10,000 goal), it's pretty much fallen off the radar.

Now they've reached out to users via email to ask for donations, reports The Next Web:

“We’re not in this for the money. But today we’re asking for your help — some money — to keep building Diaspora*. Can you contribute $25 or any other amount you feel comfortable with?”

The Next Web responds perfectly to this request, saying:

Today’s email is quite clearly a last ditch attempt from the team to keep things running – a “what have we got to lose?” moment I imagine. But one look at what’s been built with the $178,000+ raised should tell you your money is better spent, or indeed donated, elsewhere.

Please follow SAI on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Dylan Love on Twitter.

x

To embed this post, copy the code below and paste into your website or blog.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Venture Capital Firms Just Had The Lowest Fund Raising Quarter Since 2003

Lisa Du | Oct. 10, 2011, 6:04 PM | 180 |   x You have successfully emailed the post. The venture capital industry is getting hit hard by the domino-effect of the turbulent economy and unpredictable market.

A total of 52 venture capital firms raised a combined $1.72 billion in the third quarter, according a new report out from Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association. The total is the lowest accumulation of funds since 2003; it is also a 52% drop from the third quarter of 2010 - which saw 53 firms raise $3.6 billion.

Part of the reason for the decline can be sourced to the bad IPO market. The weak economy is impeding the ability of venture capital-backed companies to go public, meaning less returns to venture capital investors. Most notably - Groupon delayed its IPO last month.

The San Jose Mercury News points out that only 18 companies went public this past quarter. Of the 18, five were venture capital-backed companies.

This also has ramifications for the economy as a whole, the Mercury News notes:

The answer could have implications far beyond the rarefied air of startups and venture capital, because successful IPOs typically have a broad ripple effect. Silicon Valley restaurateurs, landscapers and car salesmen stand to reap the bounty if a host of new companies make it to the public markets, lining the pockets of their employees along the way thanks to rising share prices.

Venture capital companies are considered a lifeline for American start-up industry, providing the monetary catalyst for many small projects to get off their feet. Now-famous companies had venture capital banking include Facebook, Twitter, Google and many more.

But it's not just the startups that should be worrying.

Please follow Clusterstock on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Lisa Du on Twitter.

x

To embed this post, copy the code below and paste into your website or blog.

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.