Seattle-based Gist has secured $6.75 million in Series A funding led by the Foundry Group with participation by its founding investor Vulcan Capital. The investment will be used for product development efforts and to expand operations.
Currently in closed beta, Gist integrates with Microsoft Outlook and Gmail to aggregate, organize and prioritize emails, links, attachments, and related information (news, blogs, etc.) in a user’s email inbox. Gist also integrates with LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter bringing feeds and information together across social networks. Users can access Gist on the web, inside applications (i.e. Outlook), or on their mobile device. Gist has an iPhone app that is also available.
Launched in 2008, the company was founded by T.A. McCann, an entrepreneur and former senior employee in Microsoft’s Exchange Server Group. It was started and initially funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital. After extensive prototyping and research, McCann and Vulcan launched the company in mid-2008 with its headquarters in Seattle, WA.
Here’s a screenshot of Gist’s interface:
Not sure if I am too excited about another desktop application. Look at Michael’s tablet idea. We are going towards that direction. Simple, lean and web based, something that doesn’t run continuously and hog the memory.
Not sure I agree with the Desktop vs. Web argument. You need both.
+ I would not swap my Photoshop for a online photo editing (even if I am using some from time to time).
+ I would not exchange Excel for Google docs, even if I use Google docs in many occasion.
+ And would definitely not trade my Eclipse for any online development tools (even if I think that online development tools have tremendous potential -as complementary way to dev an app-).
So, yes, tablets and netbooks are great, but only if you already have a full PC/Mac as well.
You make perfect sense on the Photoshop, Eclipse and Excel ( I will add Powerpoint as well)
But a desktop app that just combines some data from 3 sites is just a waste of resources. Think about it, if I am emailing someone on Outlook, I already know a lot or at least some info about them. My Outlook and Mail.app is precious to me. I will not want to clutter it with my 7000 Linkedin and 800 Facebook connections. I like to keep them where they are and access them when I need it. Even Xobni with $14 million in funding could not find traction. It just goes to show that people like Outlook the way it is. Stop messing with it.
Also think about it, when Linkedin, Facebook lose their stream, 67% of Gist down the drain. As for Twitter, people are happy with Tweetdeck. And it will take a lot to change that. Seesmic tried, Failed.
Yes agree about the Outlook. I am an Outlook user, and I do not like software that entice me to sync my outlook contacts with other services. My outlook contact has 10 years of professional and personal contact information (with some personal notes), no way I want to upload that to a service.
BTW, I tried Xobni, and stopped using it.
Now, I can see some value to bring some integration. For example, I like the fact that Skype integrate with my outlook. Very easy to call someone. It is not a easy problem to solve.
When you say Seesmic, are you talking about Seemic the video conversation or Seesmic the social desktop app? I assume is the desktop app. It still new, so, they might be able to pull it off. They seem to be genuinely listen to their community.
Now, Seesmic and Tweetdeck businesses are really build-to-flip business models. So, their only hope (to give good return to their investors) is to sell.
I found that most companies have special needs in this “integration” area that can be better met with custom made Perl, VBA and iMAcros scripts. Sounds boring, but works…
I can’t wait to use Gist; I just signed up. Congrats to the Gist team for bringing a great idea to market and for raising money in a tough environment.
Aaaahhhh! Not another Outlook plug-in and data aggregator. Please stop now. FAIL.
I second that! We dont need another aggregator! What we need is App’s that run smothers and faster on out systems!
Twitter can already be integrated with outlook via RSS feeds, though you have to set up a feed per each person followed.
Additionally, any web based email system can be integrated with Outlook by creating a new folder, entering properties and filling out a URL and checking “Show home page by defualt for this folder” on the homepage tab.
Facebook and linked in already notify you of new posts via email if you have the correct settings in each application.
Gist may do all this better, but unless it’s free, I would not be interested.
I’ve been using the beta of Gist for a little while, and it’s pretty cool. It’s goal is to be much more than just an e-mail aggregator, though; it trawls your accounts to keep links and attachments handy for you, and it keeps track of the last time you contacted people, which is cool (and will be cooler if they give you the option of getting notified when you’ve not contacted specified people in a while).
What’s really cool about the service and concept (which isn’t a desktop app, so far as I’m aware) is that it grabs the names of people you talk to and the companies they’re related to and generates a giant news list for those, so you can keep up to date with the people you talk to, and no what they’re doing even if you’re not currently doing something with them.
That seems like the big ticket idea, and being self-employed, something that helps me keep track of potential clients (to perhaps perfectly time a “hey, I just heard about that thing you’re doing, need a hand?” email) is potentially powerful.
Brian,
Thanks for the comment. We are glad that Gist is working well for you.
We certainly agree that we are much more than a desktop app (though we do work inside Outlook), but you can also get value from Gist on the web or even on your iPhone today. Our focus is on saving your time and helping you gain new insights, and aggregation is only a means to an end, not the end itself.
T.A. McCann (founder of Gist)
Wonder how this compares with Xobni.
business model? appears this company needs to make some acquisitions or mergers. not enough meat on its bones.
MailboxLocator.com – send yourself
I think with any new product/service there is lull period where user come, try the product some stick to it and some leave. This period probably make or break those companies. I recall I tried – Xobni even though a very nice tool, the value provided by the tool didnt fit to any of my needs and one reason why I removed was it was extremely slow.
I might try it again in future and see if there is something for me. If yes I will definitely stick to it.
the buyers of this kind of service would be companies. Would companies want their users to spend time in integrating their gmail and twitter apps with corporate mails ?
Gist is neat from what i’ve seen. However I really think Xobni is a strong competitor that they should perhaps meet head on head. (ie. perhaps a blackberry app, move in the exact same direction -> towards social networking like xobni has done)
Leena Rao just posts press releases as-is.
Zero opinions.
Useless blogging.
Isn’t this a grown-up version of Xobni?
Xobni vs. Gist?
I was invited to use Gist two months ago and the services is much more then an Outlook aggregator.
I can see clearly a lot of oportunities to develop a business model.
The related funcionality is not working too much for because I have a lot of small clients here in Brazil and the aggregator seens to not follow then.
But after all I’m happy with it.
I totally get this idea of Gist.
How often you receive e-mails from someone or some company and you search the Internet to find out more about them?
Like, a lot???
Seems like the idea is that Gist does that job for you so you don’t have to.