BootstrapLabs founder speaks at Stanford today

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Stanford Engineering’s European Entrepreneurship and Innovation Thought Leaders (ME421) is a weekly speaker series that presents industry leaders from Europe’s hitech startup, venture finance, corporate and university research and technology commercialization communities to share their insights and experiences with aspiring and veteran entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley.

From Ireland to Russia, and from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, Europe’s technology sector is today playing a growing role in bringing new energy, environmental, water, information, medical device and life sciences technologies to market thru small- and medium-sized enterprises. Europe’s countries and regions, however, face substantial challenges in rapidly moving to the marketplace the technical innovations that are being developed in universities, national laboratories and corporations. Many of these regions are increasingly looking to Silicon Valley to accelerate this process and train a new generation of entrepreneurs and innovation professionals. We invite you to join us each week for a lively discussion of the challenges and opportunities facing European entrepreneurs, investors and innovation sector organizations.

Part of the first session Monday the 3rd of January, BootstrapLabs founder and CEO Nicolai Wadstrom will speak and be part of the panel.

More information here.

Merry X-Mas and Happy New year!

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We had a great new 2010, that saw the recovery from the financial crisis, and an exciting fall in the startup space, especially here in the Bay area where we are seeing a large amount of interesting companies being launched, and a large mount of investments being made to accelerate those. We have seen great momentum with the companies we work with such as Urban Metrics, Witsbits and Prezi this year.

Here at BootstrapLabs we think 2011 will be more exciting than ever, some say bubble, but with a large number of early stage startups to companies like Facebook and Groupon profitable and growing quickly and established companies with 100’s of billion dollars in cash reserves (to use for M&A), in 2011 we will see some of the most exciting IPO’s and acquisitions in a long time, which will fuel furthers investments and inspire many new startups to be created.

Here’s our Christmas card (of course created in Prezi):

https://bootstraplabs.com/events/x-mas-2010/

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

NIcolai Wadstrom
BootstrapLabs CEO/Founder

Customize colors, fonts, drag and drop files!

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Fresh from the Prezi blog:

Let’s celebrate this holiday season with some long awaited Prezi features!

Color Wizard

Finally you can customize Prezi themes! Available from the bubble menu, Color Wizard allows to customize Prezi theme colors, and select a font set of choice from the wizard’s font library. The wizard has a smart color selector system that suggests nice colors for different theme elements based on your initial selections. Alternatively, you can also create branded Prezi themes by adding your exact company colors to the wizard.

Paying users (Pro, EduPro and Enjoy, EduEnjoy) can even add their logo to their custom theme.

Related feature: design professionals can now create branded Prezi themes for free. The CSS code of prezi themes is now available for customizing in a standalone editor.
Color Wizard and the CSS editor are accessible with all license types.

Drag and drop files to PreziDesktop

Drag and drop images, videos and PDF documents directly to PreziDesktop from your computer! The color wizard and CSS editing is also available in this update of the offline editor.

Learn more about these new features from our related manual articles:

How to use the CSS editor?
How to use the color wizard?


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Say it with a Christmas Prezi

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Fresh from the Prezi blog:

Make a copy of this reusable prezi, customize and send it to your friends. No need for stamps!

Regifting your Holiday present is not too nice. But reusing this Christmas Prezi is great! (and it’s carbon neutral too).

Share the love!


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BootstrapLabs Gets Social, Launches Urban Metrics

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San Francisco – December 1, 2010 – BootstrapLabs is launching a new company in the Online-2-Offline Commerce space called Urban Metrics Inc (www.urbanmetrics.com). Urban Metrics offers an Online-2-Offline Commerce platform, that allows its partners to quickly enter the market with almost instant revenue.

“We are strong believers in the social commerce that Groupon have paved the way for, so naturally I am really excited about Urban Metrics. We started working with the project before the summer and have now built the alpha platform and taken important proof points for the company. We have also started the process with recruiting a great team to the company”, says Nicolai Wadstrom, CEO and founder of BootstrapLabs.

BootstrapLabs (www.bootstraplabs.com) is a Silicon Valley Business Lab and outpost, founded by Swedish serial entrepreneur Nicolai Wadstrom. BootstrapLabs is a testing ground for new ideas, with an infrastructure that allows BootstrapLabs to bootstrap many ideas and turn the best of them into companies with a network of human and financial capital to bring them to market.

For more information contact:
Nicolai Wadstrom, CEO/Founder, BootstrapLabs, +1 415 935 1469, nicolai@bootstraplabs.com

Snap, right click menu, new copy paste

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Fresh from the Prezi blog:

Three new features have been implemented to Prezi online editor:

1. Snap: It used to be harder to create a simple chart or align any objects with each other in Prezi. Now, as you rotate or move images, frames and text, they will automatically click into position with identical objects around. You can also adjust text to the size of other text boxes.

2. Right click menu: right click in the editor to activate a submenu that offers copy, paste, cut and delete.

3. Copy paste texts: now can use your computer’s clipboard for copy paste. This means that you can copy any selection from your documents, the web, or any other applications and paste them to your editor with a click.


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More privacy for Enjoy, Pro Prezi users

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Fresh from the Prezi blog:

Prezi’s Terms of Use document has now been updated–providing more privacy to our users. We had asked creators of public and private prezis to provide the same licenses in return for our service before. The new version handles public and private prezis separately. Let our friendly avatars explain the details for you in the prezi above!


Read more…

BootstrapLabs is now a Microsoft BizSpark Network partner

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BootstrapLabs is a Microsoft BizSpark Network Partner, which gives our companies access to the full startup eco-system that Microsoft offers early-stage companies. Microsoft® BizSpark™ is a global program that helps fast-track the success of early stage technology startups with all the right resources, including software, support & marketing visibility.

Read more about BizSpark here and at their website!

Kiva founder share her story

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This is a great video from Kiva.org founder Jessica Jackley, and it tells a great story about Entrepreneurship, both on her account and for the Entrepreneurs around the world that Kiva.org is helping every day.

Jessica Jackley is the co-founder of Kiva.org, an online community that helps individuals loan small amounts of money, called microloans, to entrepreneurs throughout the world. Full bio and more links

Yahoo to make a bid on Groupon?

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It’s no secret in Silicon Valley dealmaking circles that Yahoo has been looking at what insiders have called a “transformative” acquisition to jumpstart the company.
And while many think that has to mean grabbing one of the big content companies–such as AOL (AOL) or Demand Media–right in Yahoo’s wheelhouse, rumours say they are looking at the commerce space and more specifically the Online to Offline commerce space.
The dominating player in the space, Groupon, is being eyed by Yahoo for a bid according to rumours. This would put Yahoo smack in the middle of the hot space around Online to Offline commerce.

As we see it, it would make perfect sense, the Online to Offline commerce space is the next major wave in online advertising, and the market is up for grabs, in what might turn out to be a trillion dollar market in the US alone.

This would be a very interesting turn, as it would put some pressure on the other players in the Internet space Google, Microsoft and even Facebook or Twitter to look at M&A in the Online to Offline commerce space.

Great Interview with Andrew Mason, CEO of Groupon

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Jason Calacanis, does a great interview with Andrew Mason, the CEO of Groupon, 30 minutes into the video.

Two books about Prezi have been published

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Fresh from the Prezi blog:

Two new resources on how to use Prezi are out now!
Prezi for Dummies (English) explains how to think outside the traditional slide, create your project, and publish your presentation. Presenteren met Prezi (Dutch) discusses how to create better presentations using Prezi’s limitless space.

The Dutch book release was announced at Prezivent in Utrecht, organized by the book’s author Hedwyg van Groenendaal. Prezi founder and lead designer Adam was there talking about how to create better presentations with Prezi and introducing Prezi Meeting to the Dutch community. Check Hedwyg’s blog for some cool Prezivent videos!


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Work together in real time with Prezi Meeting!

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Fresh from the Prezi blog:

You can now work together in real time on the same prezi! With Prezi Meeting, teams can collaborate live or simply present prezis with up to 10 people in a prezi at one time. Prezi Meeting is included in all license types.

Here’s how to start Prezi Meeting:

  • Open a prezi to edit
  • Click “Meeting” from the menu bar in the upper right corner of the screen

Now you have two options:

  1. Select “Invite to edit” to generate a link that you can send to anyone. When your invited collaborators open the link, you will see their avatars. Text, images, and videos added to the prezi are visible to everyone, giving remote team members the sensation of being in the same creative space together. (When you are invited to co-edit a prezi you will enter the Prezi Meeting in Show mode upon clicking the link. To start co-editing the prezi, switch to Edit mode).
  2. Select “Start online presentation” to generate a link that you can send to anyone. When recipients open this link, they can watch as you present, but will not be able to edit the prezi. This link expires 10 minutes after you have closed the prezi and finished the session.

Here’s how to navigate in Prezi Meeting:

  1. To follow an avatar: click an avatar and select “Take a look”
  2. To give a collaborator control of the prezi (you are currently the presenter): click on the avatar and select “Hand over presentation”
  3. To navigate on your own: click on the avatar and select “Explore freely”

To add an extra dimension to the co-editing process, you can use communications tools such as Skype.


Read more…

Witsbits close funding round with Chalmers Innovation Fund

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Gothenburg and Silicon Valley, June 24, 2010

BootstrapLabs company Witsbits® AB, the Scandinavian pioneer in cloud computing solutions for metering and billing of cloud infrastructure today closed a funding round with Chalmers Innovation Seed Fund, a Swedish early stage investment fund.


“The Go-Cloud technology is one of the most exciting solutions in the Cloud computing space right now. It enables Internet carriers, Service and Hosting Providers to quickly do metering and billing of cloud infrastructure.” – says Timo Lehes, Chalmers Innovation Seed Fund.

“Chalmers Innovation adds both a capital injection that allows us to grow to the next level, and a network of resources to help us move Witsbits further much quicker.” – says Mikael Lirbank, CEO and founder of Witsbits.

The Cloud Hosting Platform Go Cloud™ is a software based Cloud Hosting Platform that turns current infrastructure into a full-blown Public Cloud, including both Storage and Computing. Go Cloud™ enables Internet Carriers and Server Hosting Providers to start selling their capacity through the cloud (electricity) business model. The Go Cloud™ platform provides end-users with access to the hosting providers’ server and Internet capacity in a secure and controlled manner.

Go Cloud™ is a customizable turn-key solution that enables hosting companies to provide their clients with a self-service compute and storage cloud, including billing, high-resolution utilization meters, web-API, management console, and more, from their own premises. All the components required to start selling self-serviced cloud computing are included.

About Witsbits
Witsbits (www.witsbits.com) is a pioneer in cloud computing software solutions. The company is the creator of Go Cloud™, a software suite that quickly turn of-the-shelf servers and infrastructure into a unified compute and storage cloud. It targets Server Hosting Providers and Internet Service Providers who wants to start selling Internet and server capacity in a utility-like fashion – and enable them to “Go Cloud”.

About Chalmers Innovation
Chalmers Innovation is a Swedish investment fund and business incubator that focus on high-tech rapid growth companies. Founded in 1999 by Swedish Chalmers University of Technology, Chalmers Innovation has contributed to the starting of over 90 companies. The succes rate of the incubator is one of the highest in the world with 73 out of 90 companies still in operation. Chalmers Innovation Seed Fund was founded in 2008.

For more information contact:

Nicolai Wadstrom, Witsbits USA, +1 415 935 1469, nicolai@witsbits.com

Timo Lehes, Investment Manager, Chalmers Innovation Seed Fund, +46 702 115 133, timo.lehes@chalmersinnovation.com

Mikael Lirbank, CEO and founder, Witsbits, +46 708 309 588, mikael@witsbits.com

Witsbits® is a registered trademark of Witsbits AB. Go Cloud™ is a trademark of Witsbits AB. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Other product or company names mentioned may be trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

Serial entrepreneur Nils Svangard joins Witsbits

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BootstrapLabs company Witsbits, add another serial entrepreneur to its advisory board that also invests an undisclosed sum in the company. Witsbits is the company behind Go Cloud™, a software suite that quickly turn of-the-shelf servers and infrastructure into a unified compute and storage cloud, for Internet service providers. More information follows:

Gothenburg, June 1, 2010. Witsbits® AB, the Scandinavian pioneer in cloud computing solutions for metering and billing of cloud infrastructure, today announce that Nils Svangård, a Swedish serial Entrepreneur invests in Witsbits and joins the Advisory team and the board of directors.

“Witsbits has one of the most promising solutions in the Cloud computing space, that enables big and small Internet carriers, Service Providers and Hosting companies, to quickly and efficiently do metering and billing of cloud computing infrastructure.

What really caught my attention in Witsbits’ Go Cloud Platform is the strong resource metering capabilities with real time usage history. Combined with the strong level of sales automation  makes it a must-have product for hosting firms of today.”

– says Nils Svangård.


“Nils Svangård is a very valuable addition to our team and our investors. His start-up and technical sales experience helps Witsbits to more quickly attract new customers.”
– says Mikael Lirbank, CEO and founder of Witsbits.

About Witsbits

Witsbits (www.witsbits.com) is a pioneer in cloud computing software solutions. The company is the creator of Go Cloud™, a software suite that quickly turn of-the-shelf servers and infrastructure into a unified compute and storage cloud. It targets Server Hosting Providers and Internet Service Providers who wants to start selling Internet and server capacity in a utility-like fashion – and enable them to “Go Cloud”.

The Go Cloud™ platform provides end-users with access to the hosting providers’ server and Internet capacity in a secure and controlled manner.
Go Cloud™ is a customizable turn-key solution that enables hosting companies to provide their clients with a self-service compute and storage cloud, including billing, high-resolution utilization meters, web-API, management console, and more, from their own premises. All the components required to start selling self-serviced cloud computing are included.

About Go Cloud™ – the Cloud Hosting Platform
Go Cloud™ is a software based Cloud Hosting Platform that turns current infrastructure into a full-blown Public Cloud, including both Storage and Computing.


It enables Internet Carriers and Server Hosting Providers to start selling their capacity through the cloud (electricity) business model.


About Nils Svangård

Nils Svangård is a Swedish serial entrepreneur with a background of research in Artificial Intelligence at Chalmers University of Technology and past 10 years starting and building companies such as Aitellu AB, ICU Intelligence AB and most recently ICE House AB, a cutting-edge behavioral targeting and realtime advertising platform for advertisers and e-commerce sites.

Nils operates a privately held fund for angel investments with focus on emerging and disruptive technologies, since Svenska Spel AB’s (the Swedish Governmental-Owned Gaming Company) recent acquisition of Playscan AB from ICU Intelligence.

For more information contact:

Mikael Lirbank, CEO, Witsbits, +46 708 30 95 88, mikael@witsbits.com
Nils Svangård, Nirusu AB, +46 702 863 763, nils@witsbits.com

Nicolai Wadstrom, Witsbits USA, +1 415 935 1469, nicolai@witsbits.com

Witsbits® is a registered trademark of Witsbits AB. Go Cloud™ is a trademark of Witsbits AB. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. Other product or company names mentioned may be trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.