Dapper launches AppMaker - Mass Production of Facebook Apps

If you build it, they will come.

Israeli based Dapper, a widget creation site has announced the launch of AppMaker - a tool that converts any Dapper feed (Dapp), into a fully independent Facebook app. If you are not familiar with Dapper, I recommend checking out the video demo here.

This could be a huge boost to the already booming Facebook app marketplace, as anyone can now create a Facebook app, without writing a single line of code.

From the Dapper blog:

"Use your own header, footer, background styling — really make it yours — and with absolutely no programming. If you can make a Dapp, you can make a Facebook app."

AppMaker launched on 9/26, and it's already getting traction from several of Dapper's content providers. Israeli based Answers.com made this app while the service was in private beta. MTV Programming is working on several apps, among others see their MySuperSweet 16 app.

Founded in 2006, Dapper is headed by CEO Eran Shir and CTO Jon Aizen and employs a team of 15. The company raised a $1.2M funding round from Accel Partners and is currently in process of setting up their San Francisco office.

UPDATE: Google Launched their a Google News Facebook App this week, but here was already an unofficial Google News application created by Dapper a couple of months ago. The official one is a little faster, and can handle multiple queries in a more gracefully. See the screen shots below.


Dapper's Goo News:


The Official Google News:

Call my Email - Yeah, that's right

Israeli based Yoomba has developed what could be the next level of VOIP communication.

Yoomba says it has made calling a friend as simple as sending an email, with no special registration or phone numbers to recall. One click on a hyperlink invitation from a friend and you can start talking for free. "It won't be long before you hear people saying 'Give me a call on my email'," says 36-year-old CEO Elad Hemar.

The service is a form of peer-to-peer technology that turns personal computers into contributors to a phone network. Users just need a PC and a telephone headset and the product supports Outlook, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail and Gmail.

Unlike many other web based calling and IM applications such as Skype, Gtalk and various IM clients, Yoomba is not a closed network. According to Hemar: "This is the new Internet. It's not the separate, walled-off Internet of the portals anymore," Hemar said. "We've taken the only universal online network - email - and built our service on top of it."

Meaning, you do not have to be a Yoomba subscriber to be connected by a Yoomba user. By downloading Yoomba, you’re granting others the ability to access you with VOIP with just one click, and vice versa. The button to call or IM a contact shows in your received emails , giving you the options to communicate with the sender in one of these two ways.

Yoomba was founded in 2006 by Elad Hemar and Ronen Babayoff. The company was initially self funded, using capital raised from their previous company, Informative.com - an interactive marketing solutions company based in San Francisco. Earlier this year, Yoomba raised an undisclosed round from Global Catalyst Partners and US Venture Partners. It's estimated in several millions and according to Yoomba's CEO "It is the biggest ever pre-product launch investment in an Israeli Internet company".

Founded in Israel, Yoomba employs 20 people and is currently based in Menlo Park, CA - in the offices of its vc investors. Though the service is given for free, Yoomba has applied for several patents to register its IP and aims to introduce a new form of interactive advertising to support the service.

Definitely worth keeping an eye on these guys. Good luck. To register for the beta go to http://www.yoomba.com/.

Additional coverage: here and here.

As web 2.0 goes global, Israel gets on the map

It's been 7 years since business peaked liked this. VCs pumped money in web 2.0 companies in the first half of 2007 - $464.2M in 101 deals worldwide. According to a recent study published by VentureOne and Ernst & Young. This marks the record for a half year in the sector and represents a 7% growth compared to the equivalent period in 2006.

The study confirms what Israeli entrepreneurs have experienced in the last couple of years - Web 2.0 investments are no more exclusive to Silicon Valley as they are quickly migrating and gaining international traction in Europe, Israel and other parts of the US. The interesting thing is that the 14% increase in deals in the first half of 2007 is attributed primarily to investments made in Europe and Israel.

From the report:

The data showed that US$52 million was put to work in 20 European Web 2.0 deals in the first half, roughly double the deals and investments seen in the same period last year. What's more, Israeli Web 2.0 companies had their best showing to date, raising US$15 million in five deals in the first half, up from two deals and US$5 million invested in all of 2006.

Most of the investments in the first half of the year focused on "Enterprise 2.0" whereas those made in Israel and China had a consumer/ end user focus.

Other interesting facts from the IVC Online report:

• In the second quarter of 2007, 118 Israeli high-tech companies raised $436 million from venture investors - both local and foreign.
  
• Israeli startups financed by venture capital racked up $2.5 billion in exits (buyouts or share issues) in the first half of 2007
• Nineteen Seed companies raised $51 million in the second quarter of 2007, attracting
  12 percent of capital raised, compared with only $14 million or 3 percent in Q2 2006.
• Government support for early stage companies remains high:
• Almost any start-up can qualify for a $200,000 grant.
  
• The incubator program offers support for entrepreneurs who are relieved of many of the administrative chores.

It's safe to predict that the investment trend of 2007 will continue to grow and save as a foundation for 2008. I expect to see more and more Israeli exits in the coming year as part of a self fulfilling cycle - more money pours in, more products are shipped> revenue gets generated (hopefully) > more exits > more money pours in. See my previous coverage on this trend here.

Back in Business

It's been a while since I last posted, but it feels good to be back. Things on the "Left Coast" have been busy during this Indian summer: good healthy work load, business travel, vacation and a few motivating books (the latest: the four hour work week and linked) . Now it's time to get back to/in business.