This is a fantastic recipe for success. Combine a business with a solid foundation and CEO (Stacy Young), a talented user experience and dev team (Thinktiv), with smart money and strategy (Steve Waters and Thinktiventures) and you get QuickGifts. QuickGifts today launched a new, expanded version of its integrated gift currency marketing platform that allows local and regional businesses to offer their in-store, pre-paid gift card programs across diverse online channels.   The Austin-based company, founded [...]

Macheen Inc., which enables any device maker or electronics retailer to deliver always-available, out-of-the-box Internet connectivity, today announced that Kent Libbey, a communications and software industry veteran, has joined the company as Vice President of Marketing.  The company also announced the creation of a new Advisory Board and its charter members, wireless technology veterans Carmel Sofer and Daniel Shader. Kent Libbey brings over 20 years of marketing leadership in telecommunications, media, software and cloud-based applications. [...]

Our friends at RetailMeNot.com created this nifty little infographic using secondary market data to figure out the founders wealth of 10 of the hottest startups in the country.

There is a Hackathon event tomorrow to build apps with the Lolapalooza API, if you’re more technically inclined. You can find more info on the Plancast for the event, and also check out a blog posting that Tim Gasper from KeepStream wrote. Hackapalooza Austin Hurricanestream 906 E 5th Suite 210 · Saturday, May 28, 2011, 10am-7:00pm It’s a HACKATHON to build cool apps with the Lollapalooza API, brought to you by Keepstream and Hurricane Party. Why? Because [...]

Part of the very first Capital Factory class of 2009, SpareFoot has been growing, selectively hiring, and iterating their way to success. Along the way they’ve also attracted capital from legendary angel investor Mike Maples, Jr. and local investors Silverton Partners. Today, they announced that they’ve joined the INSOMNIAC Self Storage Network (ISSN), an open reservations network that allows any third-party marketing company to communicate securely in real time with several self-storage management software systems. [...]

Austin-based MoodFish has announced version 2.0 of their website and services. MoodFish is the place where you can go to search on local events and experiences that match your mood, whether that is a romantic date night or a hot & sweaty dance night. With the new version 2.0 you can now filter events based on event type and event mood. Here is the announcement that went out to users this week. Happy Tuesday Moodfishers! [...]

I have changed the way that our Jobs section works, and it is now powered by Indeed.com. Along the right hand side is a list of all the emerging technology companies that are hiring in Austin (in my humble, personal opinion). Click on any of those company names, and you’ll see all the current job listings for that company. You can also post a job through the website as well. One of the most common [...]

Ambistar Ventures today announced the acquisition of WantandFound.com LLC, the Austin based social shopping and mobile advertising company. Under the terms of the transaction, WantandFound.com shareholders receive cash and maintain a minority equity stake in the newly funded company. With the acquisition and fresh funding, WantandFound.com will be better positioned to roll out its enhanced local advertising platform across both web and mobile environments. “Mobile Marketing represents a growing percentage of SMB’s marketing budget” said [...]

The Austin chapter of Texchange has some incredible speakers and events during the year, and those events are for members only. Membership is open to executives at Austin-based technology companies. Once a year, however, we bring in more of a “brand name” speaker, and make that event open to the public. Next Thursday is our big annual public event. Who: Tim Sanders, Author of Today We Are Rich: Harnessing the Power of Total Confidence When: [...]

mobileTech Tuesday, by Steve Guengerich – Special Edition What if you could increase the addressable user base in the US of your mobile app by up to 10%? Or what if you could increase the total addressable size of the US market that you can sell your app to by up to 20%? And, finally, what if you could achieve these increases in addressable share almost solely through the design of your app, by incorporating [...]