Tag: ligula

AgLocal Rep Rides Reddit’s Internet 2012 Tour Bus

Judging by the Internet 2012 Bus Tour panel discussion held yesterday in Lexington, Kentucky, everyone on the tour bus believes an open internet can change just about every type of business.

Robert Roderick, head of product technology for AgLocal, spoke with WebProNews about how AgLocal is hoping to change meat industry over the next few years.

AgLocal is a technology platform that seeks to connect local pasture-raised meat producers, wholesalers, and retailers with more distribution channels that aren’t normally available to them. The company is less that 8 months old, but has been backed by Marc Ecko and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. Roderick also said the company is getting attention from some big clients (billion-dollar retail restaurants) that he couldn’t disclose.

“We created an online platform so local farms can go to this platform and put their meat for sale,” said Roderick. “Then distributors and retailers can go on this platform and purchase this meat.”

The process isn’t all about how meat is bought and sold, though. AgLocal, according to Roderick wants consumers to know exactly where the meat they are eating comes from.

“End consumers can come to our platform, find out what retailers, grocery stores, or restaurants are serving this meat and find out exactly where this meat is coming from,” said Roderick. “They can find out the history of the farm.”

The platform will also put more control in the hands of local farmers by digitizing payments through Dwolla. Farmers will also be able to manage their livestock inventory through AgLocal, enabling them to get better prices for their meat.

Judging by Roderick’s statements, AgLocal will also follow how the animals are treated before slaughter. He related an anecdote about an AgLocal farm in California that cared for its pigs enough to put aloe on their skin to prevent sunburns, weeks before they were scheduled to die.

“You will not get that type of commitment to an animal is big ag,” said Roderick. “You will get that type of commitment in small, local farms. And that’s what this is about, it’s about local, small farms who aren’t getting these government subsidies.”

Roderick stated that AgLocal’s goal is no less than to change the way Americans eat meat. Ambitious, sure, but everyone on the Internet 2012 bus tour was flush with a drive to use the internet and the communities it forms to change the way established industries work. It isn’t inconceivable that AgLocal could change agriculture in the U.S., given the aggregative power of the internet.

“What’s crazy is that it may cost a little more to use AgLocal, but in the long run – of the United States and the way that we do meat farming – it’s more sustainable, it makes everybody more money, and it saves money,” said Roderick. “AgLocal is about responsible farming, healthier meat, and keeping more money in local economies.”

October 11, 2012
Wavii CEO: We’re Making a Facebook out of Google

Remember when Facebook didn’t have a News Feed? At the time, it seemed great, but now, most users would be lost without the feed that keeps them up to date on everything their friends do.

Since the idea worked for Facebook, does that mean it can work for the whole Web? Adrian Aoun thinks it can and believes the proof lies in his startup Wavii, which recently launched into public beta.

Would you like to have a Facebook-like News Feed for all your news and information? Please share your thoughts.

As he explained to WebProNews, Wavii wants to make a Facebook out of Google. In other words, Wavii aggregates all the information that users typically go to Google for and puts it in a format similar to that of Facebook’s News Feed. This information goes beyond what your friends and family post and actually incorporates the big data problem that so many people are trying to solve.

Wavii attempts to unlock this information by teaching computers to understand “natural language.” Aoun acknowledges that this is no small task but believes it is necessary in giving consumers information in a format they want.

“We’ve taught our machines – our system, our engine – to kind of understand these thousands and thousands of concepts that people talk about,” he said. “What’s cool is that it’s learning more and more concepts everyday, much like you.”

“We’re kinda going past what a Google or a Bing does,” added Aoun.

Although Wavii aggregates and indexes information, much like a search engine would do, it doesn’t consider itself in the same way. Instead of indexing the content on each page, Aoun told us that Wavii finds the meaning behind each page and indexes it, which he believes is a clear evolution of search.

Another reason it doesn’t equate itself to a search engine is due to the user experience. With a search engine, users constantly click links that send them away from the page, but with Wavii, users stay and discover, just like they would on Facebook.

The challenging part to such a service, however, is the accuracy of the information. Raymie Stata, Yahoo’s former Chief Technology Officer, told CNN that making sure the information is correct is the hard part, not the analyzing of the information.

“What we do our best at is reporting the facts of what’s being reported on the Web,” pointed out Aoun.

He laughingly went on to say that Wavii would work on its accuracy right after it invents the toaster that walks. Putting the jokes aside, he did tell us that Wavii tries to remove the bias by pulling the meat of what’s being said and not the opinion. For example, if someone wrote, “I can’t believe Facebook bought Instagram,” Wavii would only include “Facebook bought Instagram” into its feed. One of the company’s goals going forward is to insert user opinions beneath the “fact,” but Aoun said it would be a while before that happens.

In terms of the social side of Wavii, users can join the service through Facebook Connect and, in the near future, Twitter. It also runs on a follow system much like Twitter or Path. According to Aoun, this model alleviates building a new network of friends. Wavii users can also customize their feeds to follow specific topics of interest as well as show various emotions to their feeds including “surprise,” “love,” and “anger.”

Aoun believes Wavii is distinguishable from StumbleUpon, Flipboard, and other similar services, since it allows users to sort through masses of information without reading all the details. He said it gives users more control by combining an information mining service and a reader-type service into one experience.

“We’re trying to unlock all the meaning on the Web and give users kind of that control or that power over everything that’s out there,” he pointed out.

Ultimately, Wavii wants to take all the information it can get, and present it in a way that users can best digest it. In other words, it hopes to go beyond search engines and also solve the problem of big data through a Facebook-like solution, which is fascinating. The question is, can Wavii succeed with this ambitious goal?

May 3, 2012
SEOmoz Raises $18 Million in VC Funding

SEOmoz, a startup that develops Search Engine Optimization (SEO) software, today announced that the company has raised $18 million in venture capital funding. The announcement came on the company’s Daily SEO blog in a Google+Reader”>post by SEOmoz CEO Rand Fishkin. The $18 million in series B funding was provided by The Foundry Group and Ignition Partners. The company’s only other round of funding was in 2007, when it raised $1.1 million from Ignition Partners and Curious Office. This round of funding brings Foundry up to a 17% share in the company, with Ignition having a 15% share. A recent WebProNews interview with Fishkin about a past failure to raise funds for SEOmoz can be viewed here.

“SEOmoz is one of those companies that you just know is going to do big things, “ said Brad Feld, Managing Director of The Foundry Group. “I tend to judge the organizations I invest in based on character, culture and leadership. I believe Moz has exceptional depth in all these areas and the financial growth trajectory to back them up. The relationship is a great fit from all angles and I’m positive we have a very successful future ahead of us.”

The software that SEOmoz creates crawls websites to find errors or missed opportunities for SEO and then makes recommendations based on SEO best practices. The startup also helps websites battle negative SEO. SEOmoz has 15,000 current paying subscribers and predicts it will take in $18-20 million in 2012.

In addition to the highly detailed blog announcement that tells the entire story of the funding, SEOmoz has put out an official press release that is littered with internet memes. One example can be seen below, and represents the tenuous explanation for their less-than-serious release. The rest of the memes, which, I must warn you, are not all winners, can be seen here.

Despite the silly press release, SEOmoz is sincerely hoping this investment will allow their startup to grow and flourish. “In that first phone call with Brad, I knew we’d found someone special,” said Fishkin. “I was, honestly, scared of starting another fundraising process after our previous two attempts, but the chemistry between Foundry and Moz was instant – we couldn’t ask for a better fit. This new partnership coupled with the continued support of our original investors, Ignition Partners, gives us the ability to achieve some remarkable milestones in the years to come.”

How do you feel about companies that cast their SEO magic on websites? Should all companies be less serious about their press releases? Leave a comment below and let us know.

May 1, 2012
Give Your Stuff Away on the New Startup Givmo

Like so many people, you are probably doing a little spring cleaning this time of year. And like so many, you are probably wondering what to do with all your old junk.

That is where Givmo comes into play. Givmo is like Goodwill for the digital age. Just log onto their site, post pictures of the junk you want to give way, and the stuff you no longer have use for goes to a good home.

The startup was introduced by software engineer Dustin Byrne, who moved from job to job after college and never knew what to do with the stuff he never used. He introduced Givmo last year as a way to remedy the situation.

Here is an example of how it works: You buy a new pair of swell slacks. You go on a diet and now longer fit into said slacks. What do you do? You barely wore the pants before your diet, so they’re like brand new. You don’t want to be wasteful and throw away new slacks. Selling them on eBay is a hassle, and you probably won’t get much for worn items anyway.

So you post them on Givmo. Someone sees the slacks you don’t want, and decides he’d put them to good use. The buyer pays for shipping. A prepaid label is printed on your computer, and you send the item off with the morning mail.

You get rid of the stuff you don’t need, someone else gets something they do need at low cost. Givmo makes money from a small commission (less than a dollar) and discounts they get from UPS on shipping. They give a dollar to charity. Overflowing landfills get one less piece of junk. It’s socially responsible ecommerce, and everybody wins.

Givmo has been somewhat slow to take off, Byrne said via Mashable. “It’s not enough to pay the bills on its own, but hopefully with volume it will get there.”

After checking out Givmo, I’ve noticed that the shipping is steep according to their calculator (about $12 to $14 for almost every item on there, including a collectible PEZ dispenser at the higher end of that scale.) I’m not exactly sure what’s going on here. If Givmo only takes a dollar and a dollar goes to charity, it still should not cost $12 dollars to ship a pez dispenser within the U.S. By comparison, a 16 lbs. bowling ball on the site costs about $15 to ship. I’m not sure if this is a shipping calculator malfunction or the actual cost, but be careful if you decide you want something. Make sure the item is even worth the shipping cost.

April 4, 2012
Interview: New Startup I-ELLA Takes on eBay Model for Fashionistas

Multiple services put their own spin on eBay and Craigslist, and new startup I-ELLA is no exception. The company is based in New York, and it allows consumers to buy, sell, swap, and borrow designer clothing and accessories.

Ella Gorgla, the CEO of the startup, calls the site “the eBay for fashion insiders.” As she explained to us, most people haven’t worn at least 25 percent of their closets in the past 9 months. For this reason, she wanted to create an outlet for people to “share their closet” with others.

“You have stuff in your closet – it’s just sitting there – and the fact is, you could use the money,” she said.

She went on to say that the resell marketplace is one of the fastest growing areas within the retail industry. The problem though is that there is a stigma associated with wearing second-hand clothing. Gorgla told us that I-ELLA hopes to change this perception and emphasize the green aspect of recycling.

She also points out that users can get great bargains using the service. Items that may not have been affordable before, now have the potential to be.

“You can get Chanel at 75 percent off of retail,” she said. “People are selling things for like 90 percent off of retail.”

What makes I-ELLA really unique, however, is the fact that it focuses on charity. The company keeps 10 percent of every purchase and gives 10 percent of this amount to a charity selected by the buyer.

I-ELLA also hosts celebrity auctions using items donated by celebrities such as John Legend and Whitney Port. With these events, 75 percent of the proceeds go to a charity chosen by the celebrity.

Celebrity stylist Mary Alice Stephenson explains how the auctions work in this clip:

Through this philanthropic component, the company has raised $10,000 to date for various charitable organizations.

While I-ELLA keeps a portion of the sells, Gorgla also has other plans for profitability. She told us that she would like to incorporate advertising at some point, but in a very targeted way. In addition, she mentioned the possibility of developing a premium service for members.

The company has also received investments from people such as Alan Meckler, the Chairman and CEO of WebMediaBrands.

@alanmeckler
Alan MecklerI was so impressed with the http://t.co/xAhutfmq elevator pitch at http://t.co/Ktnn9v59 that I decided to invest. 12 days ago via TweetDeck · Reply · Retweet · Favorite · powered by @socialditto

Although I-ELLA’s primary focus is pre-owned designer items, it also creates an outlet for up and coming designers. Those looking to get into the fashion industry can post their items and potentially get discovered by recognized fashion designers.

March 6, 2012
New Startup Aims to Meet Career Needs

Although more and more businesses find value in social media, they are also finding challenges. For instance, many businesses struggle to keep their employees productive on social sites. Another challenge is the size of social networks. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter have experienced enormous growth, which can often be hard for businesses to leverage.

Incidentally, BranchOut is a new startup that hopes to provide a solution to these challenges. It is, essentially, a professional network within Facebook. BranchOut allows users to create connections with individuals at top companies, and it gives businesses the opportunity to professionally recruit, find leads, and more.

Rick Marini, BranchOut’s founder and CEO, said, “It is truly your professional profile within Facebook.”

Although BranchOut has been referred to as the LinkedIn for Facebook, Marini said that it is much more. As he explained, the startup offers a different experience since it brings a gaming feature as well as other “fun” features to the career market.

Up to this point, BranchOut has been focused on the consumer experience. However, Marini pointed out that the next phase of the startup would be geared toward enterprises and would include advanced capabilities.

“We’re really going beyond the consumer experience and trying to build true business tools for people to, hopefully, be able to change their lives,” he said.

March 28, 2011