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February 20, 2006
Social networking startup buys Swiss firm to add live events
Updated entry: Social networking site, OpenBC, based in Munich, has acquired Zurich-based event organizer First Tuesday Zurich (FTZ) to add live global events to its online activities, the alarm:clock euro has confirmed with OpenBC today.
According to OpenBC's spokeswoman (who responded to our email request for a confirmation about the deal after we noted that Bruno Giussani had posted in his Lunch-over-IP blog that the deal was closed last week and the announcement was pending) OpenBC has acquired 100 percent of FTZ. The terms and conditions of the deal are not being disclosed by either firm.
Kish founded the Zurich version of First Tuesday, one of many that popped up all over Europe during the bubble, following the London-based original.
When the bubble burst, Kish revamped the business model to offer events in the Zurich area and conference publications (think-tank papers) for customers such as alternative asset managers (the European Energy Venture Fair), software and tech companies (IBM, Cisco, etc.), and consulting companies (PriceWaterhouseCoopers).
Now Kish will be charged with building up and running openBC's "live events" global unit from her base in Zurich.
OpenBC claims more than one million members today, mainly technology company management types in Europe and Asia. Its traffic suggests its members use it on a fairly regular basis, and in fact are increasing the frequency of their visits. Your alarm:clock euro reporter is a paid up member of OpenBC.
Read -Zurich rumors (lunch over ip)
Read - OpenBC's Window Into Entrepreneurial Zeitgeist (the a:c euro)
Posted on February 20, 2006 10:25 AM | Posted to Web 2.0 | Permalink
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