Virtual events firm Unisfair has taken $10 million Series C in a round led by Norwest Ventures.
Unisfair powers virtual corporate events such live Expos, Trade Shows, & Conferences “that use rich media to provide a superior user experience.” The virtual spaces allow those off site to attend big events virtually by allowing them to see and hear presentations; participate in live Q&A’s and network. The platform allows advertisers to promote their product online in conjunction with a real world event, including multimedia presentations and lead generation.
Unisfair was founded in Israel in 2002 and is now headquartered in Menlo Park with offices in New York and Ramat-Gan. Shmil Levy, a partner with Sequoia Israel (an earlier investor) chairs the board.
cool and niche concept
WOO Israel! Israel owns the internet.
10 million down the drain
tech bubble
I guess this is a big bet on a second life play. Seems way ahead of its time, but perhaps that is what the venture capital guys get paid to do - be out in front of the trends.
Colleagues of mine worked with these guys about 5 years ago. I thought it was pointless then and I think it’s still highly questionable. Trade shows are shit and one of the biggest wastes of marketing $$$ ever. This looks like an online replication = virtual shit and big waste of marketing $$$.
The only thing they do is show a list of companies who are still in the game and do it better than an internet directory where nobody knows you’re a dog. That said, just look at the AtomChip guy from recent CES to see that even if you turn up in person and drop a couple of thousand $$$ on a stand, it’s no guarantee that you’re legit. Trade shows are great for exhibition halls and booth makers. Other than that, invest in a decent website. /rant
I’m still trying for series A, so more power, Unisfair.
http://simongeorgeinc.googlepages.com
Duncan,
You are two out two! You covered two Israeli companies that raised funding in less than 24 hours (Semantinet and UnisFair)
But i’m not surprised - the Israeli startup market is on fire, and that’s exactly the focus of my blog, VC Cafe (http://www.vccafe.com) the hub for Israeli startup news. Subscribe to the feed for daily updates.
In 2007 alone Israeli High-Tech Capital Raising in 2007 Reached $1.76 Billion - Highest in Six Years
Read more about it on:
* Israel 2008: What the Bulls and Bears are saying
http://www.vccafe.com/2008/01/.....re-saying/
Other recent headlines:
* Bitesize newsbrief: Israeli business headlines for the week of 01.21.08 | VC Cafe
*iMedix wins Crunchies award in San Francisco
* Israeli singer serenades launch of MacBook Air (watch the video)
* Yahoo! opens R&D center in Israel, inks deal with Walla!
* Techcrunch post stirs political debate
This looks like an online replication = virtual shit and big waste of marketing $$$.