Rosetta Stone cracks Livemocha, buys language community for $8.5 million

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Seattle online language community Livemocha has been acquired by Rosetta Stone for $8.5 million in cash. The deal is hardly a home run, given that Livemocha had raised more than $19 million in venture capital from Maveron, August Capital and others since it was founded by entrepreneur Shirish Nadkarni six years ago. It’s also an… Read More…

Livemocha takes a crack at Rosetta Stone in retail

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Livemocha CEO Michael Schutzler hasn’t been shy about taking some shots at rival Rosetta Stone over the years. Last year, for example, the Seattle Internet executive declared that Rosetta Stone would have a “long mountain to climb” in order to compete with Livemocha in online language learning. But there’s one spot where Rosetta Stone has… Read More…

Five tips for every startup thinking about going global

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Not that long ago, only the largest and most profitable companies could afford to build a multinational enterprise. Today, with Skype, LinkedIn, Google Docs and other services in the cloud available at little or no cost, even a small tech startup can become a multinational. And should. If you aren’t building an international operation, I… Read More…

Spotlight: Startup vet Nadkarni unwraps shopping app Zoomingo

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Shirish Nadkarni’s past entrepreneurial pursuits have included mobile email service TeamOn and online language community Livemocha. Now, the Seattle area startup veteran is looking to tackle an even bigger challenge: shopping. Nadkarni today is unveiling Zoomingo, a new mobile application that allows users to discover discounts on clothing, jewelry, handbags and other items at some… Read More…

Livemocha opens door on language learning at Seattle Public Library

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Visitors to the 28 branches of the Seattle Public Library will now have the ability to pick up some new language skills, thanks to a partnership between the library and Seattle startup Livemocha. The company has similar programs going at about 68 library branches, with plans to expand across the country if it meets with… Read More…

Livemocha inks deal with Brazilian education company

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Earlier this summer, we told you about the $5 million in venture capital that Seattle online language learning startup Livemocha raised. At the time, CEO Michael Schutzler didn’t want to talk about the particulars of the deal, including the new investors who participated. But now details are emerging with news that Brazilian education company Abril Educacao… Read More…

Morning Radar: Pirq launches a Groupon rival; Insitu’s new aircraft

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Pirq, the mobile daily deal startup led by James Sun, the former star on “The Apprentice,” has officially launched its iPhone app. The free app allows users to browse offers at more than 130 restaurants in the Seattle area, including O’Asian, Grand Cru and Utopia. An Android app is in the works, along with an… Read More…

Tech Moves: Ex-Microsoft GM joins Motricity; Medio’s Lanphear lands at Livemocha; and more

John O'Rourke

We’ve been tracking a number of key departures, appointments and new hires in the Pacific Northwest tech industry in recent days. Here are a few notable Tech Moves: Motricity has been in the Tech Moves column a lot lately with changes in the board and in the executive ranks. And this week it has added… Read More…

Startup Spotlight: Livemocha lands $5 million, tops 10 million members

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Livemocha’s online community of language learners continues to spread worldwide. And now the four-year-old company — founded by former Microsoftie Shirish Nadkarni and led by CEO Michael Schutzler — has received some additional rocket fuel to propel the rival to Rosetta Stone forward. LiveMocha has landed an additional $5 million, money which comes on top… Read More…