Web video
Joost
Joost could potentially change the way people watch television. The technology enables the broadcast of TV-quality video over the Internet, and allows people to stream real TV programs from networks like MTV and National Geographic. It also features search, chat and instant messaging, built right into the interface. Much like TiVo, Joost does not restrict you to schedules, allowing you to watch what you want whenever you want. But unlike TiVo, Joost is completely free, and works with most PCs and Intel Mac-based computers with a broadband connection. So far the invitation-only, ad-supported service has more than 800,000 registered users.
CEO: Mike Volpi
Location: London, England
URL: joost.com
Launch: Mid-2006
Funding: $45 million (Index ventures, Sequoia Capital, Li Ka Shing Foundation, CBS Corporation, Viacom)
Web video
Trivop
Trivop produces videos for hotels through a worldwide network of filmmakers, allowing travelers to virtually visit the hotels online before they book. Funded by individual investors, the company plans to expand across 10 major European cities and is moving into the United States, Asia, the Middle East and Africa by the end of 2007.The ambitious plans make sense, considering that Trivop doesn't need to localize content; video images don't need to be translated. The startup already has videos of hotels in 173 countries and claims 30,000 unique views per month.
CEO: Thomas Owadenko
Location: Paris, France
URL: trivop.com
Launch: 2007
Funding: $82,000 (angel investors)
Web video
Babelgum
On the outside, Babelgum might seem like another online TV-viewing outfit, like Joost. Unlike Joost, Babelgum isn't just moving mainstream television to the Internet. Instead, it is also offering niche programming, including independent and short films. In the near future Babelgum also plans to allow professional independent producers to automatically upload their videos to its site. The content is free for the consumer, but the company intends to make its money through targeted advertising. Co-founder Silvio Scaglia has already poured $17.8 million into the company and plans to spend another $130 million or so of his personal fortune to get the company up and running over the next few years.
CEO: Valerio Zingarelli
Location: Milan, Italy
URL: babelgum.com
Launch: January 2007
Funding: $17.8 million (co-founder Silvio Scaglia)
Web video
Myubo
Myubo lets you upload and watch videos. So far, it's no YouTube -- in May, the website had just over 3,000 uploaded videos available in a dozen different categories. But we think this startup has potential because it doesn't want to be a YouTube competitor. It wants to be an alternative for those Slovak and Czech users who do not want their creation to be lost in the tangle of videos on YouTube. Myubo already has more than 2,000 registered users, and offers live streaming of TV content from Al Jazeera news channel, Slovakian TV 3 and a Czech Parliament TV feed.
CEO: Igor Rintel
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
URL: myubo.com
Launch: 2007
Funding: Not disclosed
Mobile 2.0
mTouche
Malaysian mobile technology provider mTouche captured a lot of buzz after it acquired mBit, which allows users to download files, Napster-style, over mobile networks. Now the company has set its sights on global expansion: CEO Eugene Goh wants 70 percent of mTouche's revenues to come from overseas, compared to 50 percent today. The company reported $15.6 million in revenues on $7.2 million in pretax profits last year.
CEO: Eugene Goh
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
URL: mtouche.com
Launch: 2002
Funding: N/A
Mobile 2.0
Rebtel
Rebtel is similar to Skype, only it doesn't require customers to download special software or use a separate device for making phone calls. You provide them an international number, they provide you a local number. When you dial, Rebtel switches your call to the Internet, allowing for cheap international, mobile-to-mobile communications. Rebtel says users have opened "several hundred thousand accounts."
CEO: Hjalmar Winbladh
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
URL: rebtel.com
Launch: 2005
Funding: $20 million ( Index Ventures and Benchmark Capital and founders)
Mobile 2.0
WidSets
This Nokia spinoff could make Web surfing on mobile phones obsolete. The company's mini Web applications, like widgets, deliver blog feeds, news updates, Flickr photo streams, traffic updates and much more directly to mobile phones. There are more than 1,400 free widgets available and the company boasts close to 98 million downloads around the world. Next up? WidSets wants to develop interactive widget services with social networking and content sharing sites.
CEO: Olli Pekka Kallasvuo
Location: Espoo, Finland
URL: widsets.com
Launch: 2006
Funding: Nokia
Web applications
Bezurk
Bezurk's travel search engine aims to provide the best prices for flights, hotels and cars in one place. An AJAX interface lets users sort flights quickly by price or departure time without reloading the page. It's a win-win for Bezurk and travel providers: Bezurk gets traffic, and providers build direct relationships with new customers. Bezurk has almost 50 partners, and ample airspace -- the online travel market in the Asia Pacific region was valued at $20 billion in 2006.
CEO: Martin Symes
URL: bezurk.com
Location: Singapore
Launch: 2006
Funding: $1 million (founders)
Web applications
Tractis
This Web service allows companies and individuals to create, sign and manage business contracts online. To deal with the problem of online identities, Tractis plans to offer insurance that will reimburse customers and help enforce contracts when there's a dispute. Tractis plans to expand throughout Europe and South America -- mainly countries where governments are issuing ID cards with digital signatures.
CEO: David Blanco
URL: tractis.com
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Launch: 2006
Funding: About $500,000 (angel investors)
Web applications
Maxthon
Maxthon has accomplished what no other browser has in China: It has found a way around the Chinese government's controls on what information is available through sites and search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN and Baidu.com. That's why Maxthon has quickly become China's second most popular browser after Internet Explorer, with 98 million downloads so far.
CEO: Chen Ming Jie
Location: Bejing, China
URL: maxthon.com
Launch: 2003
Funding: Not disclosed (WI Harper and Charles River Ventures)
