http://www.articlesbase.com/investing-articles/indias-market-oulined-by-atlantic-international-partnership-4187299.html#axzz1PIDtxT5S
The central government budget which set the tone for reducing fiscal deficit and an unexpected increase in the policy rate to rein in inflation has convinced the markets and economists that India is on its way to having a robust economic growth. Industrial output also continued to grow at a fast pace in January as companies produced more cars and cement. In the fiscal year 2011 that ends in March 2011, GDP growth of 8.5% is achievable. Long-term predictions for the southwest monsoons are expected to be normal, giving a boost to agricultural production and domestic demand.
Atlantic International Partnership (AIP) offers a comprehensive service giving you, AIP investors and entrepreneurs access to Marketplaces in your region and around the World.
Inflation in India has been surging, driven by a low base and high food prices as the weakest monsoon rains in 37 years last year hurt farm output. Inflation running at 8.5% may have peaked and it is expected to ease by April as the winter-sown crop comes to market. The year-on-year inflation rate forfood articles was 16.22% in the week ending March 13, far above the comfortable zone for the central bank and the government. In order to manage the inflationary expectations, the central bank increased overnight lending and borrowing rates by 0.25 percentages point each, making it one of the first major central banks to raise rates. The central bank further announced that it would continue to roll back its loose monetary policy to manage prices, as the country can't have sustained strong growth with high inflation. We expect a 0.25-percentage-point rate hike in mid-April and another increase of one percentage point through March 2011. The rebound in industrial activity also saw a surge in India's exports for the third month running in January. Exports in January rose 11.5% from a year earlier to $14.34 billion, after having increased 9.3% to $14.61 billion in December. Imports increased 35.5% in January to $24.70 billion while oil imports rose by 56% to $7.05 billion. Non-oil imports, a barometer of investment activity, grew 28.8% to $17.65 billion.
On the back of robust economic numbers and policy pronouncements, the rating agency Standard & Poor's raised its rating outlook to stable, expecting the fiscal situation to recover and growth to remain strong in the coming years. The government's commitment to follow the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission, as well as its move to reduce fertilizer subsidies and raise domestic fuel prices were taken as positive indicators. The country's external position continues to be in a comfortable zone.
AIP investors are uniquely dynamic individuals or groups of individuals. AIP investors invest their capital in new or early stage companies. We have found that AIP investors are not a source of capital alone but we have found them to make excellent mentors. As most AIP investors are in fact successful entrepreneurs or business people themselves we have found that they are able to offer entrepreneurs advice and helpful suggestions based on the experience that they have accumulated from their own businesses.
It is unlikely that India will benefit from the Google-China spat as the Indian government will not provide the kind of benefits China extends to the manufacturing sector in China. But some relocation is likely to emerge. For example, American companies GoDaddy and Dell have threatened to pull out of China and relocate themselves in India.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Atlantic International Partnership Funding Group:cash Buyers And Qualified Investors Prop Home Sales Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/464928_atlantic-international-partnership-funding-groupcash-buyers-and-qualified-investors-prop-home-sales#ixzz1PJkwdUop
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/464928_atlantic-international-partnership-funding-groupcash-buyers-and-qualified-investors-prop-home-sales
Existing Home Sales report on the number of completed real estate sales transactions on single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops. The methodology in calculating existing-home sales statistics is really quite simple. Each month the National Association of Realtor® receives data on existing-home sales from local associations/boards and multiple listing services (MLS) nationwide. The monthly EHS economic indicator is based on a representative sample of 160 Boards/MLSs. NAR captures 30-40% of all existing-home sale transactions with its monthly survey.
AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (PARTNERSHIP SERVICING) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more.
HERE is the methodology for the data collection
Excerpts from the January Release...
The uptrend in existing-home sales continues, with January sales rising for the third consecutive month with a pace that is now above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 2.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.36 million in January from a downwardly revised 5.22 million in December, and are 5.3 percent above the 5.09 million level in January 2010. This is the first time in seven months that sales activity was higher than a year earlier.
Single-family home sales rose 2.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.69 million in January from 4.58 million in December, and are 4.9 percent higher than the 4.47 million level in January 2010. Existing condominium and co-op sales increased 4.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 670,000 in January from 640,000 in December, and are 7.9 percent above the 621,000-unit pace one year ago.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the improvement is good but could be better. “The uptrend in home sales is consistent with improvements in the economy and jobs, which are helping boost consumer confidence,” Yun said. “The extremely favorable housing affordability conditions are a big factor, but buyers have been constrained by unnecessarily tight credit. As a result, there are abnormally high levels of all-cash purchases, along with rising investor activity.”
Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 4.6 percent to an annual pace of 830,000 in January from a spike in December and are 1.2 percent below January 2010. Existing-home sales in the Midwest rose 1.8 percent in January to a level of 1.14 million and are 3.6 percent above a year ago. In the South, existing-home sales increased 3.6 percent to an annual pace of 2.02 million in January and are 8.0 percent higher than January 2010. Existing-home sales in the West rose 7.9 percent to an annual level of 1.37 million in January and are 7.0 percent above January 2010.
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $158,800 in January, down 3.7 percent from January 2010. The median existing single-family home price was $159,400 in January, down 2.7 percent from a year ago. The median existing condo price was $154,900 in January, which is 10.2 percent below January 2010.
The median price in the Northeast was $236,500, which is 4.0 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $126,300, which is 3.2 percent below January 2010. The median price in the South was $136,600, down 2.1 percent from a year ago. The median price in the West was $193,200, down 5.7 percent from a year ago.
NAR President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I., said the median price is being dampened by unusual market factors. “Unprecedented levels of all-cash purchases, primarily of distressed homes sold at deep discounts, undoubtedly pulls themedian price downward,” Phipps said. “Given the levels of inventory we see today, we believe that traditional homes in good condition have held their value.”
A parallel NAR practitioner survey shows first-time buyers purchased 29 percent of homes in January, down from 33 percent in December and 40 percent in January 2010 when an extended tax credit was in place. Investors accounted for 23 percent of purchases in January, up from 20 percent in December and 17 percent in January 2010; the balance of sales were to repeat buyers.
Distressed homes edged up to a 37 percent market share in January from 36 percent in December; it was 38 percent in January 2010.
All-cash sales rose to 32 percent in January from 29 percent in December and 26 percent in January 2010. All-cash purchases are at the highest level since NAR started measuring these purchases monthly in October 2008, when they accounted for 15 percent of the market. The average of all-cash deals was 20 percent in 2009, rising to 28 percent last year.
“Increases in all-cash transactions, the investor market share and distressed home sales all go hand-in-hand. With tight credit standards, it’s not surprising to see so much activity where cash is king and investors are taking advantage of conditions to purchase undervalued homes,” Yun said.
MND COMMENT: Even if it's cash buyers and investors, we gotta start somewhere! I live in D.C....this market is recovering well mostly thanks to BRAC and a stable job market. El Paso, Texas is another example of a city recovering faster than others because of military base realignments. There is value out there...just gotta find it.
Existing Home Sales report on the number of completed real estate sales transactions on single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops. The methodology in calculating existing-home sales statistics is really quite simple. Each month the National Association of Realtor® receives data on existing-home sales from local associations/boards and multiple listing services (MLS) nationwide. The monthly EHS economic indicator is based on a representative sample of 160 Boards/MLSs. NAR captures 30-40% of all existing-home sale transactions with its monthly survey.
AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (PARTNERSHIP SERVICING) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more.
HERE is the methodology for the data collection
Excerpts from the January Release...
The uptrend in existing-home sales continues, with January sales rising for the third consecutive month with a pace that is now above year-ago levels, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 2.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.36 million in January from a downwardly revised 5.22 million in December, and are 5.3 percent above the 5.09 million level in January 2010. This is the first time in seven months that sales activity was higher than a year earlier.
Single-family home sales rose 2.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.69 million in January from 4.58 million in December, and are 4.9 percent higher than the 4.47 million level in January 2010. Existing condominium and co-op sales increased 4.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 670,000 in January from 640,000 in December, and are 7.9 percent above the 621,000-unit pace one year ago.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the improvement is good but could be better. “The uptrend in home sales is consistent with improvements in the economy and jobs, which are helping boost consumer confidence,” Yun said. “The extremely favorable housing affordability conditions are a big factor, but buyers have been constrained by unnecessarily tight credit. As a result, there are abnormally high levels of all-cash purchases, along with rising investor activity.”
Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast fell 4.6 percent to an annual pace of 830,000 in January from a spike in December and are 1.2 percent below January 2010. Existing-home sales in the Midwest rose 1.8 percent in January to a level of 1.14 million and are 3.6 percent above a year ago. In the South, existing-home sales increased 3.6 percent to an annual pace of 2.02 million in January and are 8.0 percent higher than January 2010. Existing-home sales in the West rose 7.9 percent to an annual level of 1.37 million in January and are 7.0 percent above January 2010.
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $158,800 in January, down 3.7 percent from January 2010. The median existing single-family home price was $159,400 in January, down 2.7 percent from a year ago. The median existing condo price was $154,900 in January, which is 10.2 percent below January 2010.
The median price in the Northeast was $236,500, which is 4.0 percent below a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $126,300, which is 3.2 percent below January 2010. The median price in the South was $136,600, down 2.1 percent from a year ago. The median price in the West was $193,200, down 5.7 percent from a year ago.
NAR President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I., said the median price is being dampened by unusual market factors. “Unprecedented levels of all-cash purchases, primarily of distressed homes sold at deep discounts, undoubtedly pulls themedian price downward,” Phipps said. “Given the levels of inventory we see today, we believe that traditional homes in good condition have held their value.”
A parallel NAR practitioner survey shows first-time buyers purchased 29 percent of homes in January, down from 33 percent in December and 40 percent in January 2010 when an extended tax credit was in place. Investors accounted for 23 percent of purchases in January, up from 20 percent in December and 17 percent in January 2010; the balance of sales were to repeat buyers.
Distressed homes edged up to a 37 percent market share in January from 36 percent in December; it was 38 percent in January 2010.
All-cash sales rose to 32 percent in January from 29 percent in December and 26 percent in January 2010. All-cash purchases are at the highest level since NAR started measuring these purchases monthly in October 2008, when they accounted for 15 percent of the market. The average of all-cash deals was 20 percent in 2009, rising to 28 percent last year.
“Increases in all-cash transactions, the investor market share and distressed home sales all go hand-in-hand. With tight credit standards, it’s not surprising to see so much activity where cash is king and investors are taking advantage of conditions to purchase undervalued homes,” Yun said.
MND COMMENT: Even if it's cash buyers and investors, we gotta start somewhere! I live in D.C....this market is recovering well mostly thanks to BRAC and a stable job market. El Paso, Texas is another example of a city recovering faster than others because of military base realignments. There is value out there...just gotta find it.
Atlantic International Partnership
http://www.widepr.com/company_profile/3739/atlantic_international_partnership.html
Atlantic International Partnership (AIP) offers a comprehensive service giving you, AIP investors and entrepreneurs’ access to Marketplaces in your region and around the World. AIP investors are uniquely dynamic individuals or groups of individuals. AIP investors invest their capital in new or early stage companies. We have found that AIP investors are not a source of capital alone but we have found them to make excellent mentors. As most AIP investors are in fact successful entrepreneurs or business people themselves we have found that they are able to offer entrepreneurs advice and helpful suggestions based on the experience that they have accumulated from their own businesses.
Atlantic International Partnership (AIP) offers a comprehensive service giving you, AIP investors and entrepreneurs’ access to Marketplaces in your region and around the World. AIP investors are uniquely dynamic individuals or groups of individuals. AIP investors invest their capital in new or early stage companies. We have found that AIP investors are not a source of capital alone but we have found them to make excellent mentors. As most AIP investors are in fact successful entrepreneurs or business people themselves we have found that they are able to offer entrepreneurs advice and helpful suggestions based on the experience that they have accumulated from their own businesses.
Atlantic International Partnership Headlines: Robotics morphs into more-mainstream investment
http://altlantic-internationalpartnership.com/2011/05/atlantic-international-partnership-headlines-robotics-morphs-into-more-mainstream-investment/
BEDFORD, Mass. — Top scientists around the world are trying to improve upon robots, which can already detect bombs, perform surgery and even go into battle.
At iRobot Corp., they’re trying to make a better vacuum.
Of course, iRobot’s scientists do other things too. The company, best known for its Roomba floor vacuum, recently sent machines to Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster to help detect radiation, to the war zone in Afghanistan to find bombs, and to the Gulf of Mexico to locate spilled oil in the water.
But home robots — dominated by vacuums — make up 55 percent of the company’s revenue and are part of the reason iRobot is on a tear. Shares are up 43 percent since the start of the year, and the company earned a profit of $26 million on sales of $401 million last year, up from $3 million on $299 million in revenue the year before.
The company recently announced it had won a contract to make bomb disposal robots for the Navy.
That iRobot, the only public company that focuses purely on robotics, is getting attention from investors indicates that this young industry is becoming more mainstream. As analysts and consumers get more comfortable with robots, more companies might succeed in the space.
“It’s almost like buying Internet companies in the 1990s,” said Alex Hamilton, an analyst with Early Bird Capital who covers iRobot. “The sky’s the limit.”
Not everyone is a fan. A 2008 Consumer Reports review of vacuums found that the Roomba 560 “was among the worst performers at cleaning edges and corners.” On consumer tech site CNET, comments ranged from “always broken, warranty poor” to “It’s awesome! Great for what it costs.”
The company is now trying to boost sales of secondary items, such as pool and gutter cleaners, to go along with its bestselling Roomba and Scooba robots.
Next up: a device on wheels that can follow you around the house like Rosie from “The Jetsons” and someday maybe even bring you a beer. The company predicts an expanding market in robots that assist the country’s aging population.
“No one has ever made money with robots before,” said Chief Executive Colin Angle, a freckle-faced 43-year-old who happens to be married to Erika Ebbel, Miss Massachusetts 2004. “But ours create more value than they cost to build.”
The growth is evident at the company’s headquarters in a Bedford, Mass., office park, where young men in ties and white shirts follow a tour on their first day of orientation. Awards from the last decade sit along the walls: gold-plated and silver Roombas, a crystal Entrepreneur of the Year award for Angle. IRobot now employs about 650 people.
The success is new for a company that teetered on the edge of survival for its first decade and a half. Founded in 1990 by Angle, MIT professor Rodney Brooks and graduate student Helen Greiner, the company’s mission was initially vague: to make practical robots that could be useful in everyday lives.
At the time, few investors believed this was a profitable venture, so the three put company expenses on their credit cards, and struggled.
“We were unfundable,” said Angle, walking through an exhibit in the company’s headquarters of experiments from iRobot’s past — a baby doll robot, a Zamboni-like vacuum, a furry creature that runs away from humans when it senses anger.
IRobot didn’t receive its first venture funding until 1998. Even then, its endeavors were disjointed, spread across eight divisions: robots that could vacuum floors, entertain children and work on oil wells, to name just a few. It sent robots to work in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the government contracts weren’t profitable enough to support the flailing consumer side.
The company nearly went under in 2002 as it tried to find retailers that would stock the newly completed Roomba. Just when its founders had given up hope, the Brookstone retailing chain called, saying that a test run of the machines had gone well and that consumer demand was increasing.
“We went from the lowest of the low to the most exciting time,” Angle said. “Suddenly, things started to work.”
Even after the company went public in 2005, its financial problems continued. Its stock slid, precipitously at times, to a low of $7 in 2009 as the company burned through cash because of manufacturing issues and the high price of nickel, which is used to make batteries.
A new chief financial officer, John Leahy, has helped the company better manage its finances, analysts say, as has a focus on what it does best: robotic vacuums. Demand is growing overseas as the company expands into Latin America and Europe. International sales grew 70 percent in 2010, and international home robot revenue made up two-thirds of the company’s home robot sales.
The military machines have been a success too: IRobot is one of only two companies that provided robots to the military that have actually ended up on the ground, said Barbara Coffey, managing director at Brigantine Advisors, an investment research company. And the contracts keep coming in. Aside from the Navy deal, the Army said in March that it had ordered 76 small unmanned ground vehicles from iRobot.
“The company during that period really did grow from focused on the next flashy thing to the nuts and bolts of running a business,” Coffey said. “Things like quality assurance and all the heavy lifting stuff came to bear.”
IRobot hopes next to enter the health care field with Ava, essentially a device on wheels that works with existing tablet computers and can follow people around, sensing walls and other obstacles. If someone is trying to reach a senior citizen who isn’t answering the phone, for example, Ava can go find the person, Angle said.
The company is inviting iPad developers to get into the game, designing apps for Ava.
It’s just one way the company is expanding outside of cleaning products to make robots a more common presence in our lives.
“Nearly 100 percent of robots are going to help us do more and more and be part of a better life,” Angle said. “It’s the stuff of dreams.”
BEDFORD, Mass. — Top scientists around the world are trying to improve upon robots, which can already detect bombs, perform surgery and even go into battle.
At iRobot Corp., they’re trying to make a better vacuum.
Of course, iRobot’s scientists do other things too. The company, best known for its Roomba floor vacuum, recently sent machines to Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster to help detect radiation, to the war zone in Afghanistan to find bombs, and to the Gulf of Mexico to locate spilled oil in the water.
But home robots — dominated by vacuums — make up 55 percent of the company’s revenue and are part of the reason iRobot is on a tear. Shares are up 43 percent since the start of the year, and the company earned a profit of $26 million on sales of $401 million last year, up from $3 million on $299 million in revenue the year before.
The company recently announced it had won a contract to make bomb disposal robots for the Navy.
That iRobot, the only public company that focuses purely on robotics, is getting attention from investors indicates that this young industry is becoming more mainstream. As analysts and consumers get more comfortable with robots, more companies might succeed in the space.
“It’s almost like buying Internet companies in the 1990s,” said Alex Hamilton, an analyst with Early Bird Capital who covers iRobot. “The sky’s the limit.”
Not everyone is a fan. A 2008 Consumer Reports review of vacuums found that the Roomba 560 “was among the worst performers at cleaning edges and corners.” On consumer tech site CNET, comments ranged from “always broken, warranty poor” to “It’s awesome! Great for what it costs.”
The company is now trying to boost sales of secondary items, such as pool and gutter cleaners, to go along with its bestselling Roomba and Scooba robots.
Next up: a device on wheels that can follow you around the house like Rosie from “The Jetsons” and someday maybe even bring you a beer. The company predicts an expanding market in robots that assist the country’s aging population.
“No one has ever made money with robots before,” said Chief Executive Colin Angle, a freckle-faced 43-year-old who happens to be married to Erika Ebbel, Miss Massachusetts 2004. “But ours create more value than they cost to build.”
The growth is evident at the company’s headquarters in a Bedford, Mass., office park, where young men in ties and white shirts follow a tour on their first day of orientation. Awards from the last decade sit along the walls: gold-plated and silver Roombas, a crystal Entrepreneur of the Year award for Angle. IRobot now employs about 650 people.
The success is new for a company that teetered on the edge of survival for its first decade and a half. Founded in 1990 by Angle, MIT professor Rodney Brooks and graduate student Helen Greiner, the company’s mission was initially vague: to make practical robots that could be useful in everyday lives.
At the time, few investors believed this was a profitable venture, so the three put company expenses on their credit cards, and struggled.
“We were unfundable,” said Angle, walking through an exhibit in the company’s headquarters of experiments from iRobot’s past — a baby doll robot, a Zamboni-like vacuum, a furry creature that runs away from humans when it senses anger.
IRobot didn’t receive its first venture funding until 1998. Even then, its endeavors were disjointed, spread across eight divisions: robots that could vacuum floors, entertain children and work on oil wells, to name just a few. It sent robots to work in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the government contracts weren’t profitable enough to support the flailing consumer side.
The company nearly went under in 2002 as it tried to find retailers that would stock the newly completed Roomba. Just when its founders had given up hope, the Brookstone retailing chain called, saying that a test run of the machines had gone well and that consumer demand was increasing.
“We went from the lowest of the low to the most exciting time,” Angle said. “Suddenly, things started to work.”
Even after the company went public in 2005, its financial problems continued. Its stock slid, precipitously at times, to a low of $7 in 2009 as the company burned through cash because of manufacturing issues and the high price of nickel, which is used to make batteries.
A new chief financial officer, John Leahy, has helped the company better manage its finances, analysts say, as has a focus on what it does best: robotic vacuums. Demand is growing overseas as the company expands into Latin America and Europe. International sales grew 70 percent in 2010, and international home robot revenue made up two-thirds of the company’s home robot sales.
The military machines have been a success too: IRobot is one of only two companies that provided robots to the military that have actually ended up on the ground, said Barbara Coffey, managing director at Brigantine Advisors, an investment research company. And the contracts keep coming in. Aside from the Navy deal, the Army said in March that it had ordered 76 small unmanned ground vehicles from iRobot.
“The company during that period really did grow from focused on the next flashy thing to the nuts and bolts of running a business,” Coffey said. “Things like quality assurance and all the heavy lifting stuff came to bear.”
IRobot hopes next to enter the health care field with Ava, essentially a device on wheels that works with existing tablet computers and can follow people around, sensing walls and other obstacles. If someone is trying to reach a senior citizen who isn’t answering the phone, for example, Ava can go find the person, Angle said.
The company is inviting iPad developers to get into the game, designing apps for Ava.
It’s just one way the company is expanding outside of cleaning products to make robots a more common presence in our lives.
“Nearly 100 percent of robots are going to help us do more and more and be part of a better life,” Angle said. “It’s the stuff of dreams.”
Atlantic International Partnership Headlines:Groupon Founders Turn To Financial News With Benzinga Investment
http://altlanticinternationalpartnership.net/2011/06/atlantic-international-partnership-headlinesgroupon-founders-turn-to-financial-news-with-benzinga-investment/
Lightbank, the seed fund created by Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, is investing $1.5 million in Benzinga.com, a Michigan-based real-time financial news site with trading tips, as well as aggregated content from other sites such as TheStreet.com and WSJ.com, parent site of this blog.
“We like the proposition of an actionable trading information network, and we like the entrepreneurs behind Benzinga,” said Lightbank partner Paul Lee, who joined the fund earlier this year. “We think there has to be a certain brand connotation with these kinds of sites and we see that in Benzinga’s founder.”
Mr. Lee is referring to Jason Raznick, president and co-founder of Benzinga.com, a former associate at Fortress Investment Group and financial news writer who says he bootstrapped his way through the first five months of Benzinga.com.
The site, which launched in early 2010, offers mostly free financial news content as well as a variety of subcription products targeted at traders. Mr. Raznick says the site sees between two and three million page views a month and that the company is already cash flow positive, with the bulk of its revenue coming from advertising.
“I think our site is different from other sites because we’re not saying, go do this in the market, or go buy that stock. We’re offering analysis and saying, if you believe this, here are some ways to do it,” Mr. Raznick says. He says he plans to continue to grow the company, which currently has between 20 and 25 employees, and that future build-outs may include more video products on the Web site.
For Lightbank, the investment is a pivot from the seed fund’s focus on daily deals and social media management start-ups. In the past, the fund has invested in companies like Betterfly.com, a site for listing and finding professional services; Sprout Social (see coverage here), which lets clients access a single dashboard to retrieve data from their company’s Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts; and most recently, Gtrot, which mines users’ social networks like Facebook and Foursquare to help them make plans while traveling.
The Lightbank fund, which Lefkofsky and Keywell formed in the spring of 2010 following the wild success of daily deals site Groupon, has committed to invest $100 million over 10 years. Partner Mr. Lee says the group has invested in 18 start-ups to date.
Lightbank, the seed fund created by Eric Lefkofsky and Brad Keywell, is investing $1.5 million in Benzinga.com, a Michigan-based real-time financial news site with trading tips, as well as aggregated content from other sites such as TheStreet.com and WSJ.com, parent site of this blog.
“We like the proposition of an actionable trading information network, and we like the entrepreneurs behind Benzinga,” said Lightbank partner Paul Lee, who joined the fund earlier this year. “We think there has to be a certain brand connotation with these kinds of sites and we see that in Benzinga’s founder.”
Mr. Lee is referring to Jason Raznick, president and co-founder of Benzinga.com, a former associate at Fortress Investment Group and financial news writer who says he bootstrapped his way through the first five months of Benzinga.com.
The site, which launched in early 2010, offers mostly free financial news content as well as a variety of subcription products targeted at traders. Mr. Raznick says the site sees between two and three million page views a month and that the company is already cash flow positive, with the bulk of its revenue coming from advertising.
“I think our site is different from other sites because we’re not saying, go do this in the market, or go buy that stock. We’re offering analysis and saying, if you believe this, here are some ways to do it,” Mr. Raznick says. He says he plans to continue to grow the company, which currently has between 20 and 25 employees, and that future build-outs may include more video products on the Web site.
For Lightbank, the investment is a pivot from the seed fund’s focus on daily deals and social media management start-ups. In the past, the fund has invested in companies like Betterfly.com, a site for listing and finding professional services; Sprout Social (see coverage here), which lets clients access a single dashboard to retrieve data from their company’s Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts; and most recently, Gtrot, which mines users’ social networks like Facebook and Foursquare to help them make plans while traveling.
The Lightbank fund, which Lefkofsky and Keywell formed in the spring of 2010 following the wild success of daily deals site Groupon, has committed to invest $100 million over 10 years. Partner Mr. Lee says the group has invested in 18 start-ups to date.
Atlantic International Partnership Funding Group
http://prsync.com/atlantic-international-partnership-funding-group/
AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (Partnership Servicing) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more.
Atlantic International Partnership, a Florida Based, Multi State Licensed Mortgage Banker, has been providing partnership services to the mortgage and real estate industry since 2001. At AIFG we are all about partnership not product which is truly a unique approach to the mortgage industry.
Atlantic International Partnership Funding Group press releases
- Shares of homebuilders slipped Tuesday after a closely watched housing index showed that home prices are falling in most major U.S. cities. By The Associated Press. From www.businessweek.com news articles. AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (Partnership Servicing) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more. Analysts expect...
Atlantic International Partnership Funding Group
http://prsync.com/atlantic-international-partnership-funding-group/
Atlantic International Partnership, a Florida Based, Multi State Licensed Mortgage Banker, has been providing partnership services to the mortgage and real estate industry since 2001. At AIFG we are all about partnership not product which is truly a unique approach to the mortgage industry.
AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (Partnership Servicing) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more.
Atlantic International Partnership Funding Group
http://www.blochure.com/atlantic-international-partnership-funding-group-builder-stocks-fall-as-home-price-decline-persists-3542/%20%3C/a%3E%3CBR%3E%3CBR%3E%3CBR%3EPLEASE%20BLOG%20ALL%20PAGES%20NG%20ATLANTIC%205%20WEBSITES%20TY!%3CBR%3E%3CBR%3E%3CBR%3E
AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (Partnership Servicing) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more.
AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (Partnership Servicing) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more.
Atlantic International Partnership Funding Group press releases
- Shares of homebuilders slipped Tuesday after a closely watched housing index showed that home prices are falling in most major U.S. cities. By The Associated Press. From www.businessweek.com news articles. AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (Partnership Servicing) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more. Analysts expect...
- New rules on loan-originator compensation may not be answer to borrowers’ woes AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (Partnership Servicing) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more. By Harvey S. Jacobs New loan-originator compensation rules promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board make three sweeping...
- First-time Buyers will benefit as agency poised to offload homes By Charlie Weston Personal Finance Editor. The move by state property agency the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) to sell off the residential properties on its books could be good news for first-time buyers, property experts said yesterday. Those who take up the deal could end up with more favourable mortgage terms. Details of how the process would work are still being put together. But it is likely that NAMA...
- While applying for mortgage refinancing, I asked the loan officer for credit score wisdom based on her experience. I knew most of the advice but I found some of her comments interesting so I’ll post the collection of advice, tips, and cautions.
- All mortgages or mortgage lenders are not created equal. There are so many factors to consider when looking for a mortgage like rate, closing costs, points, fees and what type of program best fits your need.
- Fence-Sitting Homebuyers Face FHA Fee Hike Deadline by Jann Swanson. Both applications for FHA-guaranteed mortgages and FHA endorsements were lower in January than in the previous month or in January 2010. Reduced loan demand was reflected across all subsets, purchases, refinances and mortgages for first-time buyers. Atlantic International Partnership Funding Group commits to offering a comprehensive menu of partnership service advantages and solutions in the simplest format possible; offer...
- The National Association of Realtors today released Existing Home Sales data for January 2011. Existing Home Sales report on the number of completed real estate sales transactions on single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops. The methodology in calculating existing-home sales statistics is really quite simple. Each month the National Association of Realtor® receives data on existing-home sales from local associations/boards and multiple listing services (MLS) nationwide...
- AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (PARTNERSHIP SERVICING) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more. Providing Service to the mortgage Industry since 2001, AIFG is comprised of a talented group of mortgage professionals with a unique blend of both wholesale and retail mortgage banking experience. Our platform is founded on the belief that three basic...
- AIFG commits to offering a comprehensive menu of partnership service advantages and solutions in the simplest format possible; offer the services at a competitive price and deliver the services at the highest level of excellence without exception. Providing Service to the mortgage Industry since 2001, AIFG is comprised of a talented group of mortgage professionals with a unique blend of both wholesale and retail mortgage banking experience. Our platform is founded on the belief that three basic...
- AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (Partnership Servicing) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more.
Atlantic International Partnership Funding Group
http://www.blochure.com/atlantic-international-partnership-funding-group-builder-stocks-fall-as-home-price-decline-persists-3542/%20%3C/a%3E%3CBR%3E%3CBR%3E%3CBR%3EPLEASE%20BLOG%20ALL%20PAGES%20NG%20ATLANTIC%205%20WEBSITES%20TY!%3CBR%3E%3CBR%3E%3CBR%3E
Atlantic International Partnership, a Florida Based, Multi State Licensed Mortgage Banker, has been providing partnership services to the mortgage and real estate industry since 2001. At AIFG we are all about partnership not product which is truly a unique approach to the mortgage industry.
AIFG has established a unique and innovative concept in the mortgage industry (Partnership Servicing) that is ideally suited to a challenging economy and real estate market. If you don’t know about our concept, then here’s an opportunity to learn more.
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