Archive for December 2012
Microsoft Surface now available in stores in France
Microsoft Surface, which appears to be off to a mixed and ambiguous start on the other side of the Atlantic, just launched in France, right in time for the holidays. As with other markets, Microsoft has opted for a slow roll-out, choosing only to sell the Surface in a few major chains/distributors initially before expanding […]
Built at Startup Weekend, LaunchKey's $750K round includes KIMA
Paris-based KIMA Ventures has taken part in security startup LaunchKey‘s $750K seed round, announced Sunday on Tech Cocktail. The Las Vegas-based startup, which also received financing from Ludlow Ventures & Prolific VC, with the round led by the VegasTechFund, aims to secure your accounts online while abolishing passwords. The startup allows enabled websites to allow users […]
Ebay & Paypal star in the latest episode of "investigations into tax evasion in France"
I remember the pilot episode like it was just yesterday: the “do no evil” anti-hero Google confidently strolls in and out of government hearings, proclaiming loudly “we take all European tax regulations seriously,” meanwhile figures showed that Google was earning at least €1 Billion in revenues from French customers, but allegedly did all its business out […]
Yasound CEO Jean-Marc Plueger found dead
It’s not often in the startup sector that I have to write these kinds of articles, so I’ll try to keep it brief and respectful. Jean-Marc Plueger, CEO of Yasound, an online music startup, was ‘found dead’ earlier this week. At just 46 years old, the details are still unclear as to how he passed […]
Pascal Mercier: "The French startup ecosystem is doing great!"
Yesterday I chatted with fundraiser and veteran member of the French startup community Pascal Mercier for our weekly Rude Hangout. Pascal Mercier has been involved in the startup community in Paris “since there were only a few of us” in the late 1990s, and two years ago he launched Global Equities’ M&A & corporate finance […]
PPR invests €10 million in Samwer brothers fashion clones
The Samwer brothers, founders of Rocket Internet and jokingly referred to as the ‘clone kings’, might just end up having the last laugh given the impressive fundraising news they’ve been announcing recently. First came the news that they raised $26 million for one of their SE Asian startups Lazada (considered their ‘Amazon clone’), then they […]
Orange and SFR both facing hefty anti-competition fines
Another day, another drama in France’s chaotic mobile market. France’s Authorité de la Concurrence (roughly translated, ‘Competivity Authority’) has announced that SFR and Orange have been found guilty of anti-competitive practices during the period of 2005 – 2008. As a result, the Authority ordered Orange and SFR to pay €117.5 million and €65.7 million respectively. […]
Sculpteo raises €2 Million from Xange for 3D Printing
Earlier this week Sculpteo announced a new round of funding of $2.5 Million from Xange Private Equity and business angels, in order to develop their 3D printing cloud solutions that let customers and businesses manufacture products from their 3D files. The startup recently appeared in headlines after the Minister of the Digital Economy Fleur Pellerin congratulated in a […]
UniShared to enter Imagine K12 Program, a SV EduTech accelerator
It’s no secret that the educational system in France is overdue for an overhaul, which explains why so many young entrepreneurs are looking to change the way we learn; one of those EduTech startups in France is UniShared, and they have been accepted into the SIlicon Valley’s most prestigious education-oriented tech accelerator, Imagine K12 Unishared […]
SalesClic provides analysis & forecasting to your sales funnel
Behind every great salesman these days is a fantastic piece of software guiding, reminding, organizing, and, yes, analyzing. Nimble Apps, the creator of SalesClic, annoucned today that they will bring their sales analytics application to more SMEs in the Benelux market through a distribution partnership with EuroSys-IT Solutions, an IT solutions provider in Benelux. I […]