Pebble competitor VEA Buddy’s Bluetooth Watch may be Indiegogo’s first breakout campaign in France
Just last December, Indiegogo announced its international launch, adding euros and pound sterling to the currencies that it would accept, and while it didn’t seems like a big change, it only took a few months for the first breakout French hardware project to pop up. The Marseille-based VEA Buddy bluetooth watch has already garnered $78K […]
As the European Digital Landscape heats up, ComScore says France will remain a major market to consider
Comscore just released their France Digital Future in Focus report, in which they outline (in French) the state of the digital landscape, what’s rising, what’s falling, and where you should be. The report, which currently has a corresponding UK and US edition, shares some pretty interesting facts about the European digital & mobile landscape, ass […]
Jaina Capital partners with Rentabiliweb – what future for online payments in France?
Marc Simoncini, known for creating the online European dating scene, Jaïna Capital, and being a tax-targeted millionaire, entered into a partnership with Rentabiliweb. This means all of Jaïna Capital’s e-commerce activity will be under the umbrella of Rentabilweb’s e-payment services. If the words ‘Rent’, ‘Ability’, and ‘Web’ don’t stick out at first, I will try […]
Paris’ Iris Capital & Cologne’s Capnamic Ventures team up to invest in early stage German tech startups
Iris Capital, who manages Orange & Publicis’ 500 Million euro fund, and Capnamic Ventures, who just launched its fund last month (covered here on The Pirates Inn, an English-language tech blog covering the Cologne region), have announced a partnership whereby the two will co-invest in german early-stage startups. Capnamic will manage the selection process, and […]
Bridging the divide between the Paris & Boston startup communities
Boston and NYC have 3 main rivalries: the Red Sox vs. the Yankees (95 years running), budget deficits, and high-tech startups. The latter is a healthy competition of creating jobs, fueling innovative research, and promoting disruptive technologies. Boston is lagging behind NYC but has recently gained momentum because of VC firms like Spark Capital which […]
Angry Birds creator Rovio releases “The Croods” in France, Germany, Finland, UK & Canada only
A new Rovio title The Croods has just hit the App Store, and curiously enough the Finish creator of Angry Birds has not launched in the US, but seems to be testing the waters across Europe. Working with Dreamworks in partnership with the soon to be released movie of the same name, the app may be […]
Skype may face criminal charges if it doesn’t let French Police listen in on Skype Calls
ARCEP, the French telecom authorities, have informed the Paris state prosecutor (the State Attorney) that, since Skype provides communication capabilities to French citizens, they must submit to the French law’s concerning electronic communications operator – one such law requires operators to allow the French Police to listen in on any calls. ARCEP, claims that Skype, whose European presence is governed by […]
Voulez-vous Yahoo ?
A worrying phenomenon is brewing among a handful of French companies that are using the brouhaha at Yahoo! as an excuse to forbid working from home. Unless you’ve miraculously escaped the tireless media coverage, you’re aware that Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer announced last month that she was abolishing the firm’s work-from-home policy, saying that to […]
Rolling out in Lyon, France is now the only country in Europe with two Uber-enabled cities
Uber announced on their blog today that they have rolled out their secret Uber drivers in Lyon today – the first passenger was Mickael Miro, a Lyon-based singer. This is Uber’s 2nd French city, and its 7th European city (London, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Milan, & Stockholm). In fact, you” notice this is the first European country in […]
Tigerlily teams up with Insert to bring a truly SoLoMo experience to street-side advertising
Tigerlily has always been at the forefront of digital marketing: they were one of the first certified Facebook marketing partners in France, their services provide analytics value on top of Facebook & Twitter advertising, and they also presented their vision of the SoLoMo experience just last October. Previously just a video, which integrated Apple’s Passbook, […]