Pulse2 Technology and Social Media News » meebo

Meebo Acquires Mindset Media

Amit Chowdhry — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:49:35 +0000

Online messaging service Meebo has acquired Mindset Media for an undisclosed amount. Meebo plans on using Mindset’s ad targeting technology to provide better services for their own clients. Meebo raised $25 million in Series D at the end of last year to expand their sales and marketing operations. Meebo was an existing Mindset partner before the acquisition took place. [Mashable]

Meebo Raises $27.5 Million In Series D

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 01:00:48 +0000

Meebo announced earlier this week that they have raised $27.5 million in Series D. The funding was led by Khosla Ventures with participation from Sequoia Capital, DFJ, Time Warner, and JAFCO. Meebo said that they plan on using the funds to continue expanding upon their platform. Thus far the company has raised $70 million total.

Meebo recently launched the Meebo MiniBar browser extension and now they reach 33% of U.S. Internet users. Meebo receives 71 million domestic unique users and 142 million uniques worldwide according to comScore based on November 2010.

[PEHub]

Meebo Raises $25 Million In Funding Led By Khosla

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 07:16:53 +0000

Web based instant messaging service Meebo.com has raised $25 million in funding. Khosla Ventures was the lead investor in Meebo and Khosla partner Gideon Yu will become a board observer.

This is Meebo’s Series D round of funding. Sequoia Capital and DFJ also participated in this round. This brings Meebo’s total round of funding to $60 million.

Vinod Khosla said that he is interested in how Meebo is making websites more social through their web-based toolbar. Meebo is introduced a new website check-in service on the toolbar soon.

Meebo makes money through ad-sharing deals with publishers. About 87% of their advertising partners in 2009 had returned in 2010. The Meebo Bar also has a 1% click-through rate.

[AllThingsD]

Even Though Meebo, Digsby, and Pidgin Exists, AOL Launches Web Version of AIM Based On Flash

Amit Chowdhry — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:18:43 +0000

AOL has had a web version of AIM for quite some time now. I haven’t used it in a long time, but I remember it was powered by Java last time I used it. Recently Time Warner Inc. (NYSE:TWX) sent out a press release stating that AOL launched AIM Express, a Flash-based version of AIM. The URL for the new AIM Express is at: http://www.aim.com/aimexpress.adp.

“AIM Express raises the bar with its streamlined design and lightweight messaging experience,” stated David Liu, SVP AOL People Networks. “It’s now even easier for AIM users, especially those on-the-go, to connect with friends whether at home, at a coffee shop, the library, or wherever they have Web access.”

The new version of AIM Express includes tabbed IM conversations, status messages, text message mode, buddy rollover, and browser compatibility. AOL also launched an AIM platform that is compatible with the Windows Mobile operating system.

When I heard about this news, the first thought I had was Meebo already exists. Why switch to AIM Express from Meebo? I can understand why people would use the mobile version of AIM Express, but the Flash-based online version seems pretty useless compared to Meebo. Using Meebo, users can sign on to AIM, Yahoo!, Google Talk, ICQ, MSN, and Jabber at the same time.

There are several other services that took Meebo’s offerings and one-upped them too. For example, Digsby is another instant messenger and social network aggregator. Digsby supports AIM, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, GTalk, Jabber, Facebook Chat, etc.

Pidgin is another example. Pidgin supports Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, GTalk, Groupwise, ICQ, IRC, MSN, MySpaceIM, QQ, SILC, SIMPLE, Sametime, XMPP, Yahoo!, and Zephyr.

Will a lot of people use AIM Express? Even though there are a plethora of alternatives for AIM Express, many people will end up using it because there is a link to it directly on AIM.com. And everytime someone logs into the AIM desktop software, AIM.com is opened in the default browser unless it is switched off. This increases the overall awareness of AIM Express.

Meebo Raises $25 Million Series C, Now Valuated At $200 Million

Amit Chowdhry — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:32:23 +0000

Meebo, the online chat application that is powered by AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ, and Jabber has raised a Series C round of investment at $25 million. JAFCO Ventures was the lead investor. Other investors include Time Warner, KTB Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Draper Fisher Jurvetson. Meebo was started in September 2005 and is currently valuated at $200 million.

Meebo is a top 400 site within Alexa.Â The online instant message company plans to utilize their partnership through Time Warner by working with its subsidiaries such as AOL, TMZ, New Line Cinema, People Magazine, and CNN.

Meebo will be expanding to Japan and Korea with this round of funding.Â Meebo also has partnerships with VideoEgg, CBS, PUMA, and 4 record labels.Â Meebo started in September 2005 and has over 29 million users sending over 150 million IMs daily.

The actual name of the company was written on a napkin by the three co-founders.Â Â What is the deal withÂ coming up with business plans and Internet company names on napkins?

Meebo Hires Carter Brokaw As Chief Revenue Officer; Seeking Additional Funding

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:41:31 +0000

“Meebo is a highly-promising company with an incredible team and defendable technology,” stated Carter Brokaw, the Chief Revenue Officer of Meebo. “From a monetization perspective, Iâ€™m looking forward to helping leverage Meeboâ€™s core strength by bringing brands into the conversation in ways that are engaging, integrated and measurable.”

Meebo announced today that they have hired Carter Brokaw, a former CNET and Warner Music executive.Â Meebo will also be rolling out an advertising system.Â Users will be respond positively or negatively to the types of ads that they are shown according to Marshall Kirkpatrick at ReadWriteWeb.

Montgomery & Co. is currently working with Meebo to raise additional funding as well.Â Rumor has it that Meebo is looking for $250 million.Â Meebo currently has a bubble ad platform where advertisers where they can set background skins, distribute buddy icons, and embed video ads.

Soldiers in Iraq, librarians, teachers, and retailers all use Meebo.Â Meebo has over 30 million users and the chat client is available in about 53 languages.

Information Sources:
[1] ReadWriteWeb: Marketing 2.0: Can Meebo Make it Real? by Marshall Kirkpatrick
[2] CenterNetworks: Interview with Seth Sternberg, Founder Meebo by Allen Stern
[3] TechCrunch: Meebo Canâ€™t Get Their Price, Goes For Fundraising Instead Of Sale by Michael Arrington

Meebo Seeking To Raise Third Round of Funding At $25-$30 Million

Amit Chowdhry — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:23:26 +0000

Meebo is an online application that allows users to log into several different instant message systems remotely.Â These IM systems include AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ, and Jabber.Â Meebo launched in 2005 and received $12.5 million in funding from Sequoia Capital and Draper Fisher Jurvetson.Â Over 100 million IMs are sent daily through Meebo.Â Several media companies use Meebo to connect to their fans through by using Meebo’s chat room features.

The rumor on the Internets is that Meebo is looking to raise an additional $25-$30 million.Â And that Meebo has hired San Francisco, Calif.-based investment bank, Montgomery & Co. to help find an investor.Â If Meebo is able to raise those funds, their valuation could become $250 million.Â Meebo receives 29 million monthly unique visitors per month.

Meebo was started by Sandy Jen and Seth Sternberg.Â The company also recently hired Martin Green from CNET to work in business development.

[Information Source: VentureBeat/AllThingsD]

meebo Now $12.5 Million Strong After Series B

Amit Chowdhry — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 15:47:18 +0000

As you know, you cannot always access your instant messaging software at every computer that you go to.Â I especially noticed this when I was in India for 5 months this past year.Â When I was walking around different computer labs in India, I noticed some of people around me using meebo.Â meebo allows you to access your buddies on any computer with an Internet connection for the MSN, AIM, ICQ, Yahoo!, Google Talk, and Jabber IM clients.

meebo raised $3.5 million from Sequoia Capital in December 2005.Â Roelof Botha of Sequoia led the funding.Â And now meebo has raised $9 million from Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ).Â Through the funding, Tim Draper of DFJ has joined the meebo board of directors.Â Draper Fisher Jurvetson has also previously invested in Hotmail and Skype.Â Speaking of DFJ, about 9 days ago Pulse 2.0 also wrote about DFJ investing into companies, PayPerPost and Boxbe.

With this new round of investment, meebo hopes to find new ways to monetize the service without using the ‘punch the monkey’ ad banners.Â meebo also hopes to get into the mobile market as well.

[Source: meebo blog and TechCrunch]