Online video-tagging outfit lands $8.25M VC round - Boston Business Journal:

http://91ud.com/article/Money-Advice-Runs-Low-for-Minority-Women.html
Tom Wilde said the addition ofGeneral Electric/NBC Universal as investotr earlier this month came about through a relationshiop formed as the startup began to implementr its software for digital video contenyt into NBC’s business units like NBC Digital Networks and NBC Globaol Networks. “We started talking to severa NBC business units back last Wilde said inan interview. “That had led to severapl discussionswith Peacock” Equityy Fund, the venture capital fund of GE/NBC Universal. The Peacockj Equity Fund was the only new investorin EveryZing’s thirsd round.
Previous investors include Cambridge-based firms Fairhaven Capital and General Catalystf Partners along withPalo Alto, Calif.-basexd Accel Partners. EveryZing has raised a totap of $22 million since it was founde din 2006, Wilde said. The startup, whichn was once named PodZinger, was spun out of BBN a research and development company that providea service primarily to the The startup initially planne d to focus on podcasting searc applications but changed its strategy to focus on It changed its name to EveryZingin 2007.
The compang develops software that transcribes and tags online The result is that users can search through videoa that use the software by making it easier to find videk tied totheir interests. The ability to searchg and navigate video content should drivdgreater consumption, which in turn should create a stronge r appetite among advertisers, Wilde said. “We’re not only driving more we’re driving more targeted ad he said, likening it to the way GOOG) revolutionized text-based advertisinb online by selling through software that pinpointedspecific interests.
But the differencw with text-based ads are they can be bought simply and Online videoadvertising inventory, much like on broadcasft and cable television, is still mainly sold in the traditional negotiatesd ways and through media buyers. Wilde But he said the industry stillk has to figure outwhere it’s The question of whether it will be used more for directy response ads or for larger branding conceptse remains open. Online video advertising has beengrowinv rapidly, but will show some slowdown due to the Research firm Magna forecast earlier this year the onlin e video ad market will reach $699 millionm in 2009. It originally predicted it would reach $805 million.
Tom Byrne, managing directof of the PeacockEquity Fund, said EveryZing will benefigt from the validation provided by getting support from GE/NBC Universal. “What we like to do is help ... de-ris (investments) as companies,” he said. Wilde said EveryZingt would use the funding to grow its salesw andmarketing presence. It plans to add a coupler jobs over thenext year. Currently, it has aboug 30 employees.