TheStartup.eu

Silentale, the Paris-based startup that helps you keep track and backup all your conversations, just rolled out a major new feature: LinkedIn support.

If you don’t want to wait, and want to try it out you can get a special Silentale invite with the code: “theStartup.eu”. We have got 40 invites, hurry up.

I had the chance to try the product some time ago, and I find it really useful. In my opinion the LinkedIn connector will be a major game-changer for business users, allowing them to import contacts and conversations.

Laurent Pierssens commented on a quick note: “Our current users have massively requested the addition of LinkedIn Contacts for their Silentale account. It was the #1 requested connector, even in front of Facebook Messages.
We believe the reason is simple, the second use of the message is particularly important for professionals with a wide network of contacts.”
This feature was possible thanks to the recently launched LinkedIn API, and I’m sure it’s not gonna stop here.

Wozaik, a Paris-based startup which is developing a dynamic bookmarking system, is giving away 200 invites for an exclusive preview of their platform to theStartup.eu readers. You can grab one here.

You may have already heard of them as they were the winners of Mini Seedcamp Paris 2009, where they first demoed their product. They are still in private alpha, but will soon expand in a beta.

Wozaik provides you with a “mosaic view” of the web, meaning that you can place dynamic bookmarks on your wozaik page. That works with a bookmarklet, thanks to which you can clip portions on websites and insert them on your wozaik page. For example you could clip Techcrunch’s actively discussed posts, a market summary for a given stock, or some search results for a specific term.

If you are wondering how they are going to make money, they plan on generating revenue trough affiliations and a more classic freemium model. Premium features are however not disclosed at this time.

Let us know what you’re clipping in your wozaik. Here is a video that explains how it works.

LeWeb ‘09 looks more promising than ever. With the recent news of Queen Rania Al Abdullah attending on Dec 10th, the speakers’ list gets even more exciting.

To see the complete list of speakers you can either check the official list or follow the twitter list. As you can see the most famous internet stars will be there, and you should too.

I am an official blogger of LeWeb, and with many others I will be covering the event on twitter and on this blog. I suggest you follow the official bloggers’ twitter list.

The early bird ends on november 10, you can get a 10% discount on top of that with the following code: BLOG09.

Here is a video of the organizers, Loic and Geralindine, explaining the theme, program and speakers of LeWeb ‘09.

I’ll live blog the event, but I’d prefer to meet each and everyone of you over there!

• Germany: Earlybird has led a first round of financing for software company azeti Networks GmbH, alongside NRW Bank.
  Press release.
• France: Ventech and Auriga Partners have invested EUR 2m into software company BonitaSoft.
  Announcement.
• UK: Foresight Venture Partners and Octopus Group, via its Titan VCT fund, have invested, alongside private investors, in online CV and career profile provider iProfile, in a funding round worth more than £1.5m.
• Germany: A consortium of investors including Crédit Agricole Private Equity, Corporate Finance Partners CFP and Founders Investments GmbH & Co KGaA have invested an undisclosed amount into e-sports company Turtle Entertainment GmbH.
• France: Private equity firm Gimv has backed online furniture retailer Made in Design in a first institutional financing round worth EUR 4.5m.
  Press Release.

Sofinnova Partners led the second round of funding for enterprise social software company blueKiwi.
The funding amounts to €4.7 millions, making it one of the largest achieved in France since the beginning of the year on the small caps market.

The Paris-based company, apart from having a cool website, provides a software solution that enables people-centric organizations to create powerful and secure professional networks where employees, partners and customers can share conversations, ideas, skills, resources and best practice with one another. The very definition of enterprise social software.

“We are thrilled to complete this second tour and to welcome such a first class industrial partner as Dassault Systèmes” says Carlos Diaz, CEO of blueKiwi Software. “This strategic alliance will allow us to accelerate our international expansion and also to out-innovate new Enterprise 2.0 usages while elevating technological entry barriers”.

Dassault Systèmes, the worldwide leader in 3D and PLM solutions, is participating with more than €3 million and joining the board of the company. This new entry at blueKiwi Software’s board is a major milestone underlying a strategic technological and sales alliance signed by both companies to drive new growth opportunities and deliver on their shared vision of the Enterprise 2.0.

Olivier Sichel, partner at Sofinnova Partners concludes: “blueKiwi Software has a considerable potential of growth, encouraged by a steady increase of customers and a talented managerial team, now strengthened by Bernard Charlès joining as executive sponsor. This alliance is a perfect match and will propel the company at the first place with the ability to leverage Dassault Systèmes’ powerful team and exceptional experience”.

Some major venture capital activity today around Europe.

• Austria: Mobil Data gets €2.3 Millions

Wiener Wachstumsfonds and tecnet equity have invested more than EUR 2m into mobile working company mobil data, with part of the funding being used to acquire sector rival Tempore Zeiterfassungssysteme.


• France: Systancia gest €1.5 Millions

A Plus Finance has invested EUR 1.5m into Systancia, a server based computing company.


• UK: CMS SupaTrak raises third round of funding

YFM Group, via the South West Ventures Fund, has further invested in vehicle tracking and mobile working solutions company CMS SupaTrak in a third round of funding.