What You need to know -10/4/11

Sorenson invests $20M in Mindshare Tech; Lady Gaga`s fashion director sells virtual clothes

Social music listenening's technology might be good, but the quality isn't. That's the message passed on to us from Eliot Van Buskirk, Editor-in-Chief of Evolver.fm.  Turntable.fm just released its iPhone app earlier this month. Van Buskirk said, "We've finally bridged the gap between music technology and social media." As good as the technology may be, quality of sound plays a major role in the enjoyment of music, unfortunately, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Mindshare Technologies, the customer survey and analytics company announced Tuesday that it has received a $20 million investment from Sorenson Capital. The company is predicting $19 million in revenue this year, and in September, it marked its 100th consecutive month of revenue growth.  Mindshare saw 33% revenue growth in 2009 and expects to see 40% revenue growth in 2011. 

Affle, a Singapore-headquartered mobile media and advertising startup,announced Tuesday that it has raised over $10 million from D2 COMMUNICATIONS. Also investing is DENTSU, one of the largest Japanese advertising company. Previous investors in Affle include Microsoft, Itochu, Bennett Coleman & Company and Centurion Private Equity. Freshly raised capital will be used for consolidation of product development efforts and in further strengthening Affle’s business in existing Asian markets and in newer markets.

Federated Media Publishing, announced Tuesday that it has acquired ad analytics company Lijit, advertising solutions and analytics company Lijit Networks. The amount was not disclosed, but Lijit is generating $12 million in annual revenue. The merger is expected to create a super advertising power for the independent Web. 

Lady Gaga`s fashion director, Nicola Formichetti,plans to sell virtual clothes, for real money, bringing together her futuristic sense of fashion to the gaming world. Formichetti, has also designed a back-to-the-future outfil for the online videogame EVE ONLINE, that will be auctioned for charity. EVE Online plans to release high-fashion lines of virtual avatar clothing that may be purchased in the game with real-world money. So, even though, fashionistas may not be able to dress like Lady Gaga yet, their avatar will!

Cloudbot, developers of a new mobile and web app that aggregates users' online presence into a single interface, announced Tuesday  it has raised $1 million in funding social tech.

It closed a round of outside venture capital from Lightbank, the Chicago-based technology investment fund, with participation from Draper Associates and Hyde Park Angels.

Game Technology and Sony Pictures Entertainment have joined force to bring customers gambling titles based on the Sony catalogue. Game Technology  has signed a new licensing deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment  on developing new gambling titles based on movies and television shows owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The catalogue of titles owned by Culver City, California-based Sony Pictures includes million-dollars hits, including films like "Dark Knight", `The Social Network`and "The Smurfs," as well as television shows like "Community," "Married With Children" and "Breaking Bad."  The licensing deal means that within six months from its release, a movie could be turned into a game.

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