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June 13, 2006
Our Hypemeter Registers Euro Open Source Startups
We ran our hypemeter (currently a crude, labor-intensive device that we'd like to see automated) over the open source sector in the region and have found a few younger startups that are beginning to register some spiky readings.
Alfresco, founded in 2005, based in UK, and backed by Accel Partners (european fund) is an open source content management software distribution, founded by John Newton, who co-founded Documentum (acquired by EMC in 2003). The management team all have blogs and have achieved quite a bit of industry buzz in a short period of time. We are not sure if that momentum is reflected in its sales, but we're sure this startup will be letting the world know, the moment it does.
Alfresco has done a lot push out of the way the initial scepticism about the ability of the management team to switch from proprietary and traditional software business model to the open source one.
Media Buzz = 40 (number of recent mentions in the press)
Blog Buzz= 1,285 (blog posts containing "Alfresco and open source" )
Sourceforge rank= 157
Overall hypemeter rating (scale of 1 to 10)=9
CEO Quote:
IT decisions are based on maximum information (perhaps too much information at times?), not marketing messages and sales guys with good hair.
Logicalware, based in Scotland, develops an increasingly popular open source application called MailManager, mainly used for streamlining customer support desks, a pretty competitive niche to be in. Founded in 2002, the startup is backed by Sigma Technology, an AIM listed VC fund.
Media Buzz= 1 (rnumber of times mentioned in the press recently)
Blog Buzz= 77 (blog posts that mention the firm)
Sourceforge Rank= 12
Overall Hypemeter Rating = 6
CEO Quote:
Our headquarters are in Eskmills near Edinburgh, Scotland. Eskmills was built 138 years ago and at the time was home to the largest fishing net company in the world. We aim to have the same success with email response management systems.
Having said all that, it should be noted that Europe hasn't had a good sized exit in this market since Novell acquired SUSE Linux back in 2004. The valuation for Trolltech's upccoming IPO will provide some insight into the potential returns, and so would MySQL if and when it has a liquidity event.
Posted on June 13, 2006 08:07 AM | Posted to Software | Permalink
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