It’s about time somebody else started doing this — providing a way for tech startups to get themselves listed on a database. RWW just launched ReadWriteWeb Companies (tricky name), and did it the smart way: by using a platform already available (TradeVibes), instead of trying to code their own.
TechCrunch has really been alone at the top as the only decent resource designed for this purpose, with its CrunchBase service — which now lists some 6500 startups, 13,000 people, and more than 2700 funding rounds. It was only logical they would start such a database, seems like at least two years ago now, with their close ties to the VC and startup communities in the Valley. They do a decent job, as I can attest, having listed a startup there a few months ago. They provide very good, responsive service. (Note that it’s not an automated, unattended service — a real human monitors and approves what you try to list there.) One drawback? You’ll get sales calls like mad once your listing goes live, from outfits such as outsourcing companies in India, etc.
Another service, KillerStartups, which of course does not have nearly the reach and buzz of TechCrunch, offers both a free and a paid service ($50, as I recall). Having learned the CrunchBase lesson, we were more than happy to pay their fee, which means you won’t get hammered with offers from service providers who have so many things to try to sell to startups, it boggles the mind! If you’re too strapped to pay the $50, get ready for the barrage.
Another service launched last year is StartupSearch, a sideline project of Niall Kennedy, whom I can attest is one smart, plugged-in dude. He runs the Widget Summit conference, which I blogged extensively about last fall, and the service appears to be an offshoot of that endeavor — which required an extensive database all by itself. The site says it tracks "facts and figures" about Web 2.0 startups, including traffic to their sites (though it doesn’t say how it does that). However, StartupSearch only lists 81 companies to date. That may now grow with the attention it’s getting on ReadWriteWeb’s post today, which links to it. But it seems Niall, who’s a busy guy, may not be devoting much attention to the site anymore — yikes, his last "Weekly Web Wrap up" was September 10, 2007! (Just before things got really busy for him with the Widget Summit.) But, after all, it is a dot-org.
ReadWriteWeb did a smart thing to launch its service — there is definitely room for another decent offering in this space, and I wish Richard luck. He took his time and did it right. And, now, whenever you read a RWW post about a given company, if there’s a database entry for it on RWW Companies, you’ll see a little widget you can click on to take you to their listing. Cool — I’m gonna test it out.
P.S. Oh, the startup I’m talking about above? You’ll know more on July 11.
UPDATE 7/30/08: The startup is DoApp Inc., at www.doapps.com. Or check us out at the iTunes App Store.
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