2008 YEAR IN REVIEW
On a daily basis, TechCrunch is devoted to breaking news and profiling new products, companies and events in technology. The Year in Review is our attempt to take a step back and provide a lens through which to evaluate the major trends of 2008. This report covers product development, financings and exits across a variety of technology sectors – search, social networking, cloud computing, mobile communications, ecommerce, and new media. CrunchBase is our newest tool for entrepreneurs and investors looking for information on the most significant companies and people in the technology business, and it is the source for much of the data discussed.
Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 4 TechCrunch Takeaways: Key Trends & Innovations .................................................................................... 7 2008 Highlights ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Search (i.e. Google) Funds the Ecosystem ................................................................................................ 8 Google ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Yahoo! ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Microsoft ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Search Start-Ups ................................................................................................................................... 9 Search Still Dominates Internet Advertising ........................................................................................... 10 Social Media and Activity Streams .......................................................................................................... 12 Facebook and MySpace: Huge and Growing ..................................................................................... 12 Facebook and MySpace Ad Platforms ................................................................................................ 12 Facebook, Google and MySpace Open Identities with the Web ........................................................ 13 MySpace Music Launch ....................................................................................................................... 13 Twitter, FriendFeed and Other Social Media Streams ........................................................................ 14 The Professionalization of Online Video ............................................................................................. 14 iPhone Transforms the Mobile Environment ......................................................................................... 15 Cloud Computing Platforms and Applications ........................................................................................ 16 Amazon ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Microsoft ............................................................................................................................................. 17 Google ................................................................................................................................................. 17 Cross-Cloud Computing ...................................................................................................................... 18 Start-Up Launch Highlights ......................................................................................................................... 19 Launch Summary..................................................................................................................................... 19 New Companies Founded & Funded in 2008 ......................................................................................... 21 New Companies Founded in 2008 w/o Completed or Disclosed Financing ........................................... 25 Venture Financing Review .......................................................................................................................... 62 Fundraising Summary ............................................................................................................................. 62 Cleantech ................................................................................................................................................ 70 Social Networking ................................................................................................................................... 71 Ecommerce ............................................................................................................................................. 73 TechCrunch Research © All Rights Reserved Page | 2
Mobile and Wireless .........................................................................................................................