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Disney reserves $198 Million for Maker Studios Payouts
Disney has set aside $198 million in possible payouts to YouTube Multi-channel network Maker Studios, which it bought in May 2014 for $500 million. The money set aside is part of a $450 million performance bonus agreement for 2014 and 2015. “Maker’s results in terms of consumption, number of videos streamed since the time that we bought them, has been up substantially, just huge growth,” Disney chairman and chief executive officer Bob Iger said Tuesday on a conference call. Monthly views of Maker Studios' videos have increased to 11.5 billion. The YouTube MCN has about 600 million subscribers. [Bloomberg: Disney Reserves $198 Million for Maker Studios Payouts][Los Angeles Times: Maker Studios president: Disney 'has really embraced Maker']
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J2 Global acquires Firstway Digital Limited
J2 Global continued its buying spree with the purchase of Firstway Digital Limited a Dublin-based digital fax service. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. J2’s cloud services includes e-Fax, e-voicemail, cloud backup storage, and email hosting. The company is aggressively consolidating the industry through acquisitions; it bought eight other companies in December 2014. J2 also owns several content companies, including PCMag.com, IGN.com, and AskMen.com. Over the last year shares of J2(NASDAQ: JCOM) have been up almost $14 to $59.38. [Los Angeles Business Journal: J2 Global Acquires Firstway Digital Limited]
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Jared Leto, Jon Favreau among investors who bet $15M on Reserve, the 'Uber for restaurants'
San Francisco-based Reserve, a restaurant reservation and payment app startup, raised a $15 million Series A round. Several Los Angeles celebrities invested in the last round, including Jared Leto, Jon Favreau, Will.i.am. Los Angeles-area angel investor Paige Craig, earlier, was a seed round investor. Reserve differs from most other restaurants reservation apps in that users can pay for their meal from their cell phone without involving a waiter. The startup now has 110 restaurant partners across New York, Los Angeles, Boston and San Francisco. [Built In LA: Jared Leto, Jon Favreau among investors who bet $15M on Reserve, the 'Uber for restaurants']
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Backed by $5.5M, Laurel & Wolf brings interior design into the digital age
Online interior design startup Laurel & Wolf raised $4.4 million in Series A funding. Charles River Ventures led the round, which also includes investment from Karlin Ventures, Upside Partnership and Draper & Associates. Customers pay a flat fee of $299 for six digital style boards from professional designers who creates looks for homes or offices based on information provided in advance, including a style quiz, photos of the space, and marked items to keep for the final design. [TechCrunch: Backed By $5.5 Million, Laurel & Wolf Brings Interior Design Into The Digital Age]
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Valet parking app CurbStand acquires former competitor Curby
Valet parking app Curbstand acquired its competitor Curby for an undisclosed amount. CurbStand allows users to geo-locate a participating valet stand to find parking, then request their car, pay, and tip a valet electronically. CurbStand will integrate Curby’s functions, which allows valet operators to monitor vehicle and staff activity in real time, monitor staff performance, evaluate the historical performance of each parking location, and examine analytics including customer demographics and user ratings. [Valet parking app CurbStand acquires former competitor Curby: Built In LA]
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Uber for massage startup Soothe raises $1.7M to deliver massage therapists to your door
On demand massage startup Soothe has just raised $1.7 million in seed funding. The company seeks to transform in-home massages, an industry that was previously fractured amongst independent providers, into an Uber-like on demand service. A one-hour massage costs $99, a 90-minute massage costs $139, and a two-hour massage costs $169. Funding came from IDG Ventures, Walter Loewenstern, and angel investors Scott & Cyan Bannister, Tasty Labs founder Joshua Schachter, Dogvacay’s Aaron Hirschhorn, Xobni founder Jeff Bonforte, and HomeDepot CTO Aaron Lee. [TechCrunch: Uber For Massage Startup Soothe Raises $1.7 Million To Deliver Massage Therapists To Your Door]
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Zealot networks acquires J.B. Smoove's Converge Media Group
Zealot Networks, a digital media startup and accelerator, has acquired Converge Media Group. Converge pairs talent management with digital production and branded entertainment. Zealot Networks has been buying up companies, including audio and music licensing firm AudioMicro and sports management firm Premier Sports & Entertainment. "This is an MCN but it's a multi-company network, not a multi-channel network," said founder and CEO Danny Zappin. "The idea is that all these companies are synergistically working together." Reportedly, Zappin is looking at more music firms and brand agencies. [The Hollywood Reporter: Zealot Networks Acquires J.B. Smoove's Converge Media Group]
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