Double Down pulls in $128M in revenue (as real online gambling inches toward reality in NJ)

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One of the companies that may be best positioned for the approval of online gambling is Double Down Interactive, the fast-growing Seattle upstart that was gobbled up by Las Vegas-based International Game Technology for as much as $500 million last year. Double Down has already generated more than $128 million in revenue in the past… Read More…

Bing Fund gives a big, fat kiss to online dating site LikeBright

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LikeBright, the online dating site that taps into the power of social networks to find one’s perfect match, has found a new mate of its own. The Seattle startup is announcing today that it has linked arms with the Bing Fund, the newly-formed investment vehicle of Microsoft’s search engine. It marks the first investment by… Read More…

Startup Spotlight: Tenacity Sports looks to help you discover sports activities

Tenacity Sports co-founders Don Le, left, and Jon Tam, right.

Tenacity Sports started with a simple mission — to foster and empower local sports communities. The year-old company got off the ground by managing flag football, dodgeball and basketball tournaments and leagues. Now, the Seattle startup, led by friends Jon Tam and Don Le, is using that experience to move in a new direction with… Read More…

Startup Spotlight: Nuubuu creates a marketplace for your content creations

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Nuubuu founder Ameya Bhatawdekar wants to make it simple for everyone to upload and sell their digital creations, from electronic books to designs to music to photos. There’s no shortage of places to do that now, including offerings from upstarts like Sellfy and Pulley. Founded just four months ago, Nuubuu charges five percent, plus a 25 cent transaction fee… Read More…

Intelius CEO Naveen Jain: IPO could be in the cards in 2012

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Bellevue-based Intelius, an online identity company that specializes in background checks of individuals, may consider going public next year if there’s an appetite among investors. “We will consider an IPO if the markets are open,” Jain told GeekWire today. “We feel good about where we are, and feel confident about our future.” The company —… Read More…

Amazon unit expands into groceries, selling tea to jam

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In Seattle, Amazon.com customers have long been able to purchase groceries and have them delivered to the doorstep. Now, the company’s Quidsi unit — best known for its Soap.com and Diapers.com brands — is making its own grocery push. However, unlike Amazon Fresh, Quidsi’s new service will not include its own delivery trucks and its… Read More…

LikeBright: Helping nice gals find good dudes since 2011

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The problem with many online dating sites is that they are dominated by dudes, sometimes creating an unwelcoming environment for 50 percent of the population. LikeBright co-founders Sonya Lai, Ron Lai and Nick Soman want to flip the model on its head, creating a service where women can vouch for guys they know and tag… Read More…

Google your name, and you might just find an Intelius advertisement

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Forbes columnist Kashmir Hill recently Googled her name, and to her surprise found an advertisement in the search results from Bellevue-based Intelius. That set the reporter on a quest to find out why, digging into Google’s privacy policies and asking Intelius why it would want to buy text ads using individual names. Interestingly, Hill finds… Read More…

Swayable: Rating everything from Justin Bieber hairstyles to high-end vodka

Lindsey Harper

What haircut do you like best on Justin Bieber? Do you prefer Steve Jobs or Steve Ballmer? And what’s your favorite vodka — Crater Lake or Svedka? Those are just a few of the burning questions you can get answered on Swayable, a year-old Seattle startup that allows users to vote on everything from pets… Read More…