netrashetty
Netra Shetty
AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL, stylized as "Aol.", and previously known as America Online) is an American global Internet services and media company.[3][4] AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York.[5][6] Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services.[7]
AOL is best known for its online software suite, also called AOL, that allowed customers to access the world's largest "walled garden" online community and eventually reach out to the Internet as a whole. At its prime, AOL's membership was over 30 million members worldwide,[8] most of whom accessed the AOL service through the AOL software suite.
On May 28, 2009, Time Warner announced that it would spin off AOL into a separate public company. The spinoff occurred on December 9, 2009,[9] ending the eight year relationship between the two companies.[10]
We have a best-in-class editorial team creating unique content experiences across our properties. We are also developing a global content platform that will empower production of world-class differentiated content to consumers at scale.
Our Content Brands
Asylum
The ultimate experience for the forward thinking man.
Autoblog
The web's largest destination for auto enthusiasts. 2.4 million people come to AutoBlog each month.
Autoblog Green
A blog for the environmentally-conscious motorist, Autoblog Green covers the green scene.
AOL Autos
AOL Autos helps consumers make automotive decisions with the confidence of an expert.
Big Download
A resource for PC gamers, Big Download provides a huge amount of info, reviews and downloadable games.
Black Voices
Black Voices offers a fresh African-American perspective on news, entertainment, lifestyle, finance and more.
BloggingStocks
Get opinion and analysis of America's favorite stocks from the finance world's most original thinkers.
The Boombox
The Boombox is the web's #1 urban music site, delivering fresh content to the hip-hop and R & B community.
The Boot
The web's #1 source for country music news, The Boot offers videos, songs, interviews and live performances from country's biggest stars.
Buenos Padres
This Spanish language site caters to Hispanic parents' every necesito.
Cinematical
Cinematical is the in-depth movie blog for the fan, by the fan.
Comics Alliance
The ultimate comic destination, Comics Alliance covers comics, graphic novels, games, artists, movies, events, news and more.
DailyFinance
DailyFinance is the destination for timely business and investment news, analysis and commentary.
DIY Life
A blog featuring DIY projects and how-to tips on home improvement, crafts and technology.
Download Squad
It's more than just software. Download Squad covers the online lifestyle.
Emurse
A powerful job hunting tool, Emurse lets you create, share and store your online resume for free.
Engadget HD
Techies obsessed with the latest in HD, Blu-ray and home theater flock to Engadget HD – Engadget's fast-growing, high definition spin-off blog.
Engadget
Engadget is the most credible and influential consumer technology destination on the planet.
Engadget Mobile
Engadget Mobile offers up-to-the-minute coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics for the gadget obsessed.
Fanaticos
Fanaticos is the sports site driven by passionate fans – and seasoned sports writers – from the U.S., Mexico, Spain and Argentina.
Fanhouse
With a roster of unique, provocative commentators and a heady mix of news, scores, schedules, stats, fantasy games and more, FanHouse has quickly become the #1 sports blog on the web.
Fleaflicker
Fleaflicker is a simple, easy-to-use and highly customizable fantasy sports platform for avid enthusiasts.
Gadling
At Gadling, avid travelers find new and exciting travel ideas – plus field reports from around the globe.
GameDaily
GameDaily provides in-depth coverage of the top 25 PC and video games.
Games.com
Need a break? Games.com offers the most popular online free casual games and downloadable games – all in one place.
GNN
Good news now! Visit GNN.com for an upbeat look at today's events and issues.
Going
Going is the site for people who love to go out. Find out where to go, what to do, who to see – and share your thoughts with Going's active community.
AOL Health
Want a healthier lifestyle for you and your family? You'll find everything you need to know on AOL Health.
Holidash
It's the most wonderful site of the year! Plan for any holiday in any season with Holidash – chock full of recipes, gift guides, tips on entertaining and decorating, shopping strategies plus tips for planning every festive event.
AOL Horoscopes
Can Leo get along with Scorpio? AOL Horoscopes offers fun features and must-read daily horoscopes for the serious stargazer, the curious newbie and everyone in between.
HorrorSquad
From vampire news to zombie rumors, HorrorSquad has it all.
Intimos
Get the Hispanic take on love and relationships at Intimos.
AOL Find a Job
AOL Find A Job is an online destination for job-seekers, providing job search, tools and resources to help manage career transitions.
Joystiq
Joystiq is the web's leading video game information blog, serving fans of both console and computer games alike.
JSYK
JSYK (Just So You Know) is the teen pop culture blog covering every OMG celebrity moment. Not to mention all the music, TV, movies and other cool stuff in between!
KitchenDaily
KitchenDaily is an indispensable resource for busy moms looking for creative, budget-minded meals.
KOL
KOL (Kids Online) is the safe online destination where kids can go to find information and activities about almost anything.
AOL Latino
AOL Latino is an award-winning bilingual portal providing original programming and exclusive coverage of events and issues that matter to the U.S. Hispanic community.
Lemondrop
Sex secrets. Fashion faux pas. Adorable animals. Lemondrop knows what interests the modern woman – which is why it's the leading women's lifestyle site.
AOL Living
The busy woman's destination for must-reads on food, health, style, family and home.
Love.com
On Love.com, users can track topics they love, organize them into a custom dashboard, and then share them with friends.
Luxist
Indulge. Your guide to the finer things in life is Luxist.
AOL Mail
You've got mail! With a large and growing user base – and some of the best filtering technology around – we help users get in, get connected, and get on with their day.
MapQuest
Wherever you're headed, MapQuest shows you how to get there, what's nearby and where to stop along the way.
Massively
The more the merrier! Fans of MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) stay on top of the latest news, rumors and developments on Massively.
MMA Fighting
The web's best source for info about Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ultimate Fighter, Pride FC, EliteXC, IFL – and anything Mixed Martial Arts-related – is MMA.
Moviefone
Moviefone is the web's premier destination for film news, celebrity interviews, movie trailers, showtimes and more.
AOL Music
The #1 music site on the web! AOL Music provides the latest videos, news and more for fans of every genre.
MyDaily
MyDaily is a customizable web experience, providing deals, top news, weather and more.
AOL News
Read, watch, react – and interact. AOL News delivers the day's top stories to the most engaged news audience on the web.
Noisecreep
Noisecreep brings users the very best in metal and hard rock – with exclusive interviews, headbanging videos, and news on fans' favorite bands.
ParentDish
ParentDish offers the best advice, entertainment, news, opinions and reviews for parents everywhere.
Patch
Patch is dedicated to providing comprehensive and trusted local news coverage for individual towns and communities.
Paw Nation
Paw Nation is where pet owners come to share photos and stories, and get the latest animal news, tips and information.
AOL Personals
Someone special out there you haven't met? Get advice on relationships, dating – and meet someone new – on AOL Personals.
Pixcetera
Experience great photo galleries of news, celebrities, sports, nature – even outer space.
Politics Daily
Politics Daily brings thorough, top-quality coverage of national politics to general readers every day.
PopEater
File under SFW: Gossip that's safe for work.
Propeller
Propeller lets users browse the latest news, submit their own stories and discuss their opinions with others.
Queer Sighted
Queer Sighted is a gay lifestyle and pop culture blog on LGBT issues, celebrity interviews, going out, galleries, music, movies, gay lifestyle and more.
AOL Radio
Music? Sports? News? Talk? AOL Radio, part of the #1 online radio network, features over 350 free Internet radio stations, including over 150 local stations on the CBS Radio network.
AOL Real Estate
AOL Real Estate connects users with all the info they need to make smart, confident decisions about buying, selling and renting – whether they're moving across town or across the country.
SciFi Squad
From avatars to space flicks, SciFi is your guide to movies, news, trailers, DVDs and more.
Seed
Create. Get heard. Get paid. Seed gives writers and photographers around the world a way to contribute to AOL's 80+ original sites.
Shelterpop
Shelterpop is the go-to destination for decor divas and style mavens seeking inspiration and smart solutions for their own abodes
AOL Shopping
Whether you're looking for a jacket, sofa or engagement ring, AOL Shopping connects you with the merchants offering the products and services you want.
Shortcuts.com
Shortcuts.com makes saving easy, with coupons for every aisle of the grocery store – and beyond.
SHOUTcast
SHOUTcast Radio powers one of the most popular online radio platforms in the world, featuring over 25,000 broadcasters from 150+ countries around the globe.
SlashControl
Watch thousands of TV shows and hundreds of movies free, anytime, on SlashControl.
Slashfood
Slashfood satisfies foodies' hunger for creative cooking tips, restaurant trends, breaking culinary news, kitchen product reviews and more.
AOL Small business
AOL Small Business is the premier source of news, advice and success stories for small business owners, start-ups and entrepreneurs.
Spinner
Fans of indie buzz bands, classic rock legends, soul crooners and dance floor DJs live in harmony at Spinner
Streampad
Streampad's technology makes it ridiculously simple to play music on our sites – and yours.
StreetLevel
StreetLevel gives you the real deal on sneakers, streetwear, cars, designer toys and other urban lifestyle accessories
Stylelist
The #1 destination for fashion and beauty advice online, Stylelist covers celebrity style – and helps real women enhance their own.
Switched
With easy-to-follow tutorials, original videos and accessible writing, Switched is the technology site for the rest of us.
TechCrunch
TechCrunch is a leading technology media property, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products, and breaking tech news.
Tecnopadres
Tecnopadres is for Hispanic parents seeking tips, advice and info about gadgets and the latest technology.
AOL Television
Packed with exclusive content and up-to-the-minute TV listings, AOL Television is the web's deepest resource for what's on, what's hot and what's happening in the world of television.
That's Fit
That's Fit offers guidance on leading a 360-degree healthy lifestyle – body, mind and spirit.
Tour Tracker
Tour Tracker provides the latest concert information – and captures the passion of live music fans.
AOL Travel
Goin' somewhere? AOL Travel offers insights on destinations, airlines, hotels, booking tips and more.
Truveo
With hundreds of millions of videos in its index, Truveo is one of the web's most popular video search engines.
Tu Voz
A site for Latinas, by Latinas, Tu Voz empowers Hispanic women everywhere to get the most out of life.
TUAW
The unofficial Apple weblog, TUAW is rambunctious, fanatical and deeply geekish about the joys and realities of Apple products.
Tu Vida y Mas
Life, love and style intersect on this Spanish language site.
TV Squad
TV Squad provides in-depth television coverage for the fan, by the fan.
Urlesque
A compendium of bizarre and fascinating Internet trends, web celebrities and pop culture.
WalletPop
WalletPop helps ordinary people reach their financial potential with bargain alerts, service features and columns produced by leading consumer finance experts.
AOL Weather
AOL Weather provides current weather conditions, extended forecasts, alerts, maps and more for more than 50,000 locations in the U.S. and around the world.
Where It's At
Where It's At is the ultimate pop culture treasure map, filled with landmarks from music, movies and television.
Winamp
The ultimate media player for consumers and advertisers alike, Winamp lets users manage and play audio/video files, rip and burn CDs, listen to free music, share music with friends, and much more.
WOW
Wow.com provides you and your family with extraordinary daily savings of 50% off or more at your favorite local and national locations. Eating, shopping, weekend outings -- Wow features deals you need (and want), making your life just a little bit easier.
WoW Insider
WoW Insider is Azeroth's largest blog and information site, covering the latest news, analysis and opinion from all around the World of Warcraft. WoW Insider is part of the Joystiq network of game sites.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: ADVERTISING
We provide advertisers with premium content and best-in-class products to reach their customers
Reaching 91% of the U.S. Internet audience, AOL Advertising is the industry's largest display advertising platform. AOL Advertising helps marketers engage audiences across more than 80 original brands and extends marketers' reach across Advertising.com's global network. The advertising network connects thousands of third party publishers with advertisers across multiple media including display, video, mobile and widgets.
Advertising.com
For more than five years running, Advertising.com has been the #1 network in online advertising. No small feat. Our roster of top sites, flexible targeting tools and powerful optimization technology deliver the audience - and the results - you're after. more
Research & Insights
We've got data, and we're not afraid to use it. Our army of researchers, engineers and other thick-framed-glasses-types are working around the clock to extract meaningful insights from reams of performance metrics. Take a look - no PhD required. more
Creative Showcase
Good creative can make the difference between a memorable campaign and one you'd rather forget. AOL Advertising has the experience and resources you need to guarantee your creative is nothing short of brilliant, time after time. more
PRODUCTS & SERVICE: LOCAL & MAPPING
From your neighborhood on ...
AOL provides comprehensive content covering geographic areas from local neighborhoods to major metropolitan areas. With these local offerings and our flagship MapQuest brand, we seek to provide consumers with a comprehensive local experience. AOL is home to Patch.com, a community-specific news and information platform, and City'sBest, an annual survey of local dining and nightlife venues.
Did you know?
MapQuest reaches more than 1 out of every 5 people on the Internet.
MapQuest reaches over 49.2MM unique visitors each month.
"MapQuest" is the 16th most searched term on Google.com.
MapQuest produces billions of miles of directions every year.
MapQuest 4 Mobile is the #1 free navigation app in the Apple App Store.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: APPLICATIONS AND COMMERCE
We offer a powerful global suite of communications products and services
Applications are targeted to help users communicate with each other and distribute information in the simplest way possible. Our communications offerings include AOL Mail, one of the most popular services in the U.S., as well as AIM -- a leading instant message service that now features Lifestream. AOL also has dozens of leading mobile applications.
AOL Mail enables users to catch-up on all that's important in one's life, with fully integrated AIM with Lifestream functionality and links to the latest news headlines.
Users can personalize their email environment with custom offerings such as themes and stationery. Webmail features a new uncluttered, clean interface that enables the user to easily navigate across the site.
Go to AOL Mail
AIM connects you with your buddies and Facebook friends so that you can chat in real-time. Now with Lifestream, you can also get your updates from Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and more right within your Buddy List. AIM's popular mobile app even allows you to take the conversation with you on the go.
Go to AIM
Lifestream pulls all the updates from the people you follow on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare, Digg, and Flickr into a single feed, regardless of where they posted. You can also filter the updates by platform or by user. And yes, you can even "mute" certain people.
Lifestream allows users to post an update once and distribute to all of their social networks simultaneously, eliminating the repetitive process of having to post multiple updates to various networks.
Go to AOL Lifestream
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: PAID SERVICES
To provide the fastest and easiest way for consumers to find, try, purchase, and manage content and services on the web
Paid Services has two primary missions: to care for our Access subscription paid members, and engage existing and new users with premium subscription offerings. Our charter is to provide high quality member support and advocate for our users' online interests.
Paid Services is expanding beyond our narrowband access subscription to sell many non-access subscription products. We offer premium subscription products and services to our Access service subscribers today, and will broaden the offering to other Internet consumers in mid-2010. Offerings range from PC Utilities / Safety & Security products to online entertainment / Health & Fitness services.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: AOL VENTURES
AOL Ventures provides an entrepreneurial environment to attract and develop innovative initiatives
AOL Ventures is the venture capital arm of AOL, focused on early stage investing in technology-centric consumer Internet companies. We're primarily interested in giving talented founders the unfair advantage they need to scale quickly and grow great companies, and tend to focus on opportunities where we can bring a blend of our partnership's value mixed with some flavor of parent company involvement. We generally look to invest in Seed and Series A opportunities and are broadly interested in a variety of themes around AOL's core – content, advertising, local/mapping, paid services and communications.
Answers to Some Questions We Get Often
What do you look for in start-ups?
AOL Ventures looks to invest in capital efficient businesses that are providing unique solutions to serious problems. While we favor experienced entrepreneurs, we're not opposed to funding first time founders who have a clear vision and are focused on executing. We like to play around with a working prototype, and get excited about areas where we have significant domain expertise and can add value. We also look for businesses that have a clear path to exit and defensible technology. Overall, great management teams operating in large and growing markets that are solving unique problems that we can add value to are the best situations for us.
What are you not interested in investing in?
Anything outside of the scope of consumer internet and our specific focus areas are not within our mandate and would not make sense for us from an investment standpoint. Opportunities where the entrepreneur finds themselves saying 'if I only had AOL's traffic' do not make sense for us (i.e. we're not looking to be your 80% customer and/or drive unrealistic value to your business). From a stage standpoint, we tend to focus on the early stage of a company's life and as a result, late stage investments and recapitalizations are not applicable. While we are happy to be a facilitator of interaction with our parent company, M&A opportunities and business development relationships are also outside of the scope of our fund.
Does AOL Ventures make strategic investments?
No. While we recognize the place of strategic venture, the goal of the fund is outsized financial returns and promotion of AOL's brand within the early stage community. We're laser focused on providing value as an investor early on in the life of a company and think there is a place for non-strategic corporate venture in the overall ecosystem. While AOL is a large technology company that may actively seek out some of our portfolio companies from an M&A standpoint, we have no place in those discussions.
How much capital does AOL Ventures invest and do you partner with other funds?
We almost exclusively focus on early stage investments, and check sizes range anywhere from $50k to $3MM over the life of an investment depending on the situation and syndicate. We often co –invest with partners that we know and have worked with in the past and are happy to work with any outstanding firms or funds that can help us build value for companies.
Does AOL Ventures have a geographical and industry focus?
As a global company, we are focused on the US, Israel and India as our primary areas of investing. We are broadly interested in funding entrepreneurs that are tackling areas where we can add insight and value – namely content, advertising, local/mapping, paid services and communications businesses.
Who are you and what have you invested in thusfar?
Feel free to check out our Crunchbase profile to give you a better idea of us and what have invested in to date.
I have a great business – How can I get in touch with you?
We accept business plans from everyone but we've found that the most effective introduction is through a mutual contact. Overall, we place higher priority on deals that are referred or endorsed by people that we know and trust – namely our portfolio companies, advisors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, accountants and friends. If you don't know us through a mutual connection, feel free to reach out to us via the various social media platforms we are on. Alternatively if we don't seem to have anyone in common, feel free to email us your presentation of no more than 20 slides on the opportunity.
Contact AOL Ventures
AOL is best known for its online software suite, also called AOL, that allowed customers to access the world's largest "walled garden" online community and eventually reach out to the Internet as a whole. At its prime, AOL's membership was over 30 million members worldwide,[8] most of whom accessed the AOL service through the AOL software suite.
On May 28, 2009, Time Warner announced that it would spin off AOL into a separate public company. The spinoff occurred on December 9, 2009,[9] ending the eight year relationship between the two companies.[10]
We have a best-in-class editorial team creating unique content experiences across our properties. We are also developing a global content platform that will empower production of world-class differentiated content to consumers at scale.
Our Content Brands
Asylum
The ultimate experience for the forward thinking man.
Autoblog
The web's largest destination for auto enthusiasts. 2.4 million people come to AutoBlog each month.
Autoblog Green
A blog for the environmentally-conscious motorist, Autoblog Green covers the green scene.
AOL Autos
AOL Autos helps consumers make automotive decisions with the confidence of an expert.
Big Download
A resource for PC gamers, Big Download provides a huge amount of info, reviews and downloadable games.
Black Voices
Black Voices offers a fresh African-American perspective on news, entertainment, lifestyle, finance and more.
BloggingStocks
Get opinion and analysis of America's favorite stocks from the finance world's most original thinkers.
The Boombox
The Boombox is the web's #1 urban music site, delivering fresh content to the hip-hop and R & B community.
The Boot
The web's #1 source for country music news, The Boot offers videos, songs, interviews and live performances from country's biggest stars.
Buenos Padres
This Spanish language site caters to Hispanic parents' every necesito.
Cinematical
Cinematical is the in-depth movie blog for the fan, by the fan.
Comics Alliance
The ultimate comic destination, Comics Alliance covers comics, graphic novels, games, artists, movies, events, news and more.
DailyFinance
DailyFinance is the destination for timely business and investment news, analysis and commentary.
DIY Life
A blog featuring DIY projects and how-to tips on home improvement, crafts and technology.
Download Squad
It's more than just software. Download Squad covers the online lifestyle.
Emurse
A powerful job hunting tool, Emurse lets you create, share and store your online resume for free.
Engadget HD
Techies obsessed with the latest in HD, Blu-ray and home theater flock to Engadget HD – Engadget's fast-growing, high definition spin-off blog.
Engadget
Engadget is the most credible and influential consumer technology destination on the planet.
Engadget Mobile
Engadget Mobile offers up-to-the-minute coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics for the gadget obsessed.
Fanaticos
Fanaticos is the sports site driven by passionate fans – and seasoned sports writers – from the U.S., Mexico, Spain and Argentina.
Fanhouse
With a roster of unique, provocative commentators and a heady mix of news, scores, schedules, stats, fantasy games and more, FanHouse has quickly become the #1 sports blog on the web.
Fleaflicker
Fleaflicker is a simple, easy-to-use and highly customizable fantasy sports platform for avid enthusiasts.
Gadling
At Gadling, avid travelers find new and exciting travel ideas – plus field reports from around the globe.
GameDaily
GameDaily provides in-depth coverage of the top 25 PC and video games.
Games.com
Need a break? Games.com offers the most popular online free casual games and downloadable games – all in one place.
GNN
Good news now! Visit GNN.com for an upbeat look at today's events and issues.
Going
Going is the site for people who love to go out. Find out where to go, what to do, who to see – and share your thoughts with Going's active community.
AOL Health
Want a healthier lifestyle for you and your family? You'll find everything you need to know on AOL Health.
Holidash
It's the most wonderful site of the year! Plan for any holiday in any season with Holidash – chock full of recipes, gift guides, tips on entertaining and decorating, shopping strategies plus tips for planning every festive event.
AOL Horoscopes
Can Leo get along with Scorpio? AOL Horoscopes offers fun features and must-read daily horoscopes for the serious stargazer, the curious newbie and everyone in between.
HorrorSquad
From vampire news to zombie rumors, HorrorSquad has it all.
Intimos
Get the Hispanic take on love and relationships at Intimos.
AOL Find a Job
AOL Find A Job is an online destination for job-seekers, providing job search, tools and resources to help manage career transitions.
Joystiq
Joystiq is the web's leading video game information blog, serving fans of both console and computer games alike.
JSYK
JSYK (Just So You Know) is the teen pop culture blog covering every OMG celebrity moment. Not to mention all the music, TV, movies and other cool stuff in between!
KitchenDaily
KitchenDaily is an indispensable resource for busy moms looking for creative, budget-minded meals.
KOL
KOL (Kids Online) is the safe online destination where kids can go to find information and activities about almost anything.
AOL Latino
AOL Latino is an award-winning bilingual portal providing original programming and exclusive coverage of events and issues that matter to the U.S. Hispanic community.
Lemondrop
Sex secrets. Fashion faux pas. Adorable animals. Lemondrop knows what interests the modern woman – which is why it's the leading women's lifestyle site.
AOL Living
The busy woman's destination for must-reads on food, health, style, family and home.
Love.com
On Love.com, users can track topics they love, organize them into a custom dashboard, and then share them with friends.
Luxist
Indulge. Your guide to the finer things in life is Luxist.
AOL Mail
You've got mail! With a large and growing user base – and some of the best filtering technology around – we help users get in, get connected, and get on with their day.
MapQuest
Wherever you're headed, MapQuest shows you how to get there, what's nearby and where to stop along the way.
Massively
The more the merrier! Fans of MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) stay on top of the latest news, rumors and developments on Massively.
MMA Fighting
The web's best source for info about Ultimate Fighting Championship, Ultimate Fighter, Pride FC, EliteXC, IFL – and anything Mixed Martial Arts-related – is MMA.
Moviefone
Moviefone is the web's premier destination for film news, celebrity interviews, movie trailers, showtimes and more.
AOL Music
The #1 music site on the web! AOL Music provides the latest videos, news and more for fans of every genre.
MyDaily
MyDaily is a customizable web experience, providing deals, top news, weather and more.
AOL News
Read, watch, react – and interact. AOL News delivers the day's top stories to the most engaged news audience on the web.
Noisecreep
Noisecreep brings users the very best in metal and hard rock – with exclusive interviews, headbanging videos, and news on fans' favorite bands.
ParentDish
ParentDish offers the best advice, entertainment, news, opinions and reviews for parents everywhere.
Patch
Patch is dedicated to providing comprehensive and trusted local news coverage for individual towns and communities.
Paw Nation
Paw Nation is where pet owners come to share photos and stories, and get the latest animal news, tips and information.
AOL Personals
Someone special out there you haven't met? Get advice on relationships, dating – and meet someone new – on AOL Personals.
Pixcetera
Experience great photo galleries of news, celebrities, sports, nature – even outer space.
Politics Daily
Politics Daily brings thorough, top-quality coverage of national politics to general readers every day.
PopEater
File under SFW: Gossip that's safe for work.
Propeller
Propeller lets users browse the latest news, submit their own stories and discuss their opinions with others.
Queer Sighted
Queer Sighted is a gay lifestyle and pop culture blog on LGBT issues, celebrity interviews, going out, galleries, music, movies, gay lifestyle and more.
AOL Radio
Music? Sports? News? Talk? AOL Radio, part of the #1 online radio network, features over 350 free Internet radio stations, including over 150 local stations on the CBS Radio network.
AOL Real Estate
AOL Real Estate connects users with all the info they need to make smart, confident decisions about buying, selling and renting – whether they're moving across town or across the country.
SciFi Squad
From avatars to space flicks, SciFi is your guide to movies, news, trailers, DVDs and more.
Seed
Create. Get heard. Get paid. Seed gives writers and photographers around the world a way to contribute to AOL's 80+ original sites.
Shelterpop
Shelterpop is the go-to destination for decor divas and style mavens seeking inspiration and smart solutions for their own abodes
AOL Shopping
Whether you're looking for a jacket, sofa or engagement ring, AOL Shopping connects you with the merchants offering the products and services you want.
Shortcuts.com
Shortcuts.com makes saving easy, with coupons for every aisle of the grocery store – and beyond.
SHOUTcast
SHOUTcast Radio powers one of the most popular online radio platforms in the world, featuring over 25,000 broadcasters from 150+ countries around the globe.
SlashControl
Watch thousands of TV shows and hundreds of movies free, anytime, on SlashControl.
Slashfood
Slashfood satisfies foodies' hunger for creative cooking tips, restaurant trends, breaking culinary news, kitchen product reviews and more.
AOL Small business
AOL Small Business is the premier source of news, advice and success stories for small business owners, start-ups and entrepreneurs.
Spinner
Fans of indie buzz bands, classic rock legends, soul crooners and dance floor DJs live in harmony at Spinner
Streampad
Streampad's technology makes it ridiculously simple to play music on our sites – and yours.
StreetLevel
StreetLevel gives you the real deal on sneakers, streetwear, cars, designer toys and other urban lifestyle accessories
Stylelist
The #1 destination for fashion and beauty advice online, Stylelist covers celebrity style – and helps real women enhance their own.
Switched
With easy-to-follow tutorials, original videos and accessible writing, Switched is the technology site for the rest of us.
TechCrunch
TechCrunch is a leading technology media property, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products, and breaking tech news.
Tecnopadres
Tecnopadres is for Hispanic parents seeking tips, advice and info about gadgets and the latest technology.
AOL Television
Packed with exclusive content and up-to-the-minute TV listings, AOL Television is the web's deepest resource for what's on, what's hot and what's happening in the world of television.
That's Fit
That's Fit offers guidance on leading a 360-degree healthy lifestyle – body, mind and spirit.
Tour Tracker
Tour Tracker provides the latest concert information – and captures the passion of live music fans.
AOL Travel
Goin' somewhere? AOL Travel offers insights on destinations, airlines, hotels, booking tips and more.
Truveo
With hundreds of millions of videos in its index, Truveo is one of the web's most popular video search engines.
Tu Voz
A site for Latinas, by Latinas, Tu Voz empowers Hispanic women everywhere to get the most out of life.
TUAW
The unofficial Apple weblog, TUAW is rambunctious, fanatical and deeply geekish about the joys and realities of Apple products.
Tu Vida y Mas
Life, love and style intersect on this Spanish language site.
TV Squad
TV Squad provides in-depth television coverage for the fan, by the fan.
Urlesque
A compendium of bizarre and fascinating Internet trends, web celebrities and pop culture.
WalletPop
WalletPop helps ordinary people reach their financial potential with bargain alerts, service features and columns produced by leading consumer finance experts.
AOL Weather
AOL Weather provides current weather conditions, extended forecasts, alerts, maps and more for more than 50,000 locations in the U.S. and around the world.
Where It's At
Where It's At is the ultimate pop culture treasure map, filled with landmarks from music, movies and television.
Winamp
The ultimate media player for consumers and advertisers alike, Winamp lets users manage and play audio/video files, rip and burn CDs, listen to free music, share music with friends, and much more.
WOW
Wow.com provides you and your family with extraordinary daily savings of 50% off or more at your favorite local and national locations. Eating, shopping, weekend outings -- Wow features deals you need (and want), making your life just a little bit easier.
WoW Insider
WoW Insider is Azeroth's largest blog and information site, covering the latest news, analysis and opinion from all around the World of Warcraft. WoW Insider is part of the Joystiq network of game sites.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: ADVERTISING
We provide advertisers with premium content and best-in-class products to reach their customers
Reaching 91% of the U.S. Internet audience, AOL Advertising is the industry's largest display advertising platform. AOL Advertising helps marketers engage audiences across more than 80 original brands and extends marketers' reach across Advertising.com's global network. The advertising network connects thousands of third party publishers with advertisers across multiple media including display, video, mobile and widgets.
Advertising.com
For more than five years running, Advertising.com has been the #1 network in online advertising. No small feat. Our roster of top sites, flexible targeting tools and powerful optimization technology deliver the audience - and the results - you're after. more
Research & Insights
We've got data, and we're not afraid to use it. Our army of researchers, engineers and other thick-framed-glasses-types are working around the clock to extract meaningful insights from reams of performance metrics. Take a look - no PhD required. more
Creative Showcase
Good creative can make the difference between a memorable campaign and one you'd rather forget. AOL Advertising has the experience and resources you need to guarantee your creative is nothing short of brilliant, time after time. more
PRODUCTS & SERVICE: LOCAL & MAPPING
From your neighborhood on ...
AOL provides comprehensive content covering geographic areas from local neighborhoods to major metropolitan areas. With these local offerings and our flagship MapQuest brand, we seek to provide consumers with a comprehensive local experience. AOL is home to Patch.com, a community-specific news and information platform, and City'sBest, an annual survey of local dining and nightlife venues.
Did you know?
MapQuest reaches more than 1 out of every 5 people on the Internet.
MapQuest reaches over 49.2MM unique visitors each month.
"MapQuest" is the 16th most searched term on Google.com.
MapQuest produces billions of miles of directions every year.
MapQuest 4 Mobile is the #1 free navigation app in the Apple App Store.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: APPLICATIONS AND COMMERCE
We offer a powerful global suite of communications products and services
Applications are targeted to help users communicate with each other and distribute information in the simplest way possible. Our communications offerings include AOL Mail, one of the most popular services in the U.S., as well as AIM -- a leading instant message service that now features Lifestream. AOL also has dozens of leading mobile applications.
AOL Mail enables users to catch-up on all that's important in one's life, with fully integrated AIM with Lifestream functionality and links to the latest news headlines.
Users can personalize their email environment with custom offerings such as themes and stationery. Webmail features a new uncluttered, clean interface that enables the user to easily navigate across the site.
Go to AOL Mail
AIM connects you with your buddies and Facebook friends so that you can chat in real-time. Now with Lifestream, you can also get your updates from Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and more right within your Buddy List. AIM's popular mobile app even allows you to take the conversation with you on the go.
Go to AIM
Lifestream pulls all the updates from the people you follow on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare, Digg, and Flickr into a single feed, regardless of where they posted. You can also filter the updates by platform or by user. And yes, you can even "mute" certain people.
Lifestream allows users to post an update once and distribute to all of their social networks simultaneously, eliminating the repetitive process of having to post multiple updates to various networks.
Go to AOL Lifestream
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: PAID SERVICES
To provide the fastest and easiest way for consumers to find, try, purchase, and manage content and services on the web
Paid Services has two primary missions: to care for our Access subscription paid members, and engage existing and new users with premium subscription offerings. Our charter is to provide high quality member support and advocate for our users' online interests.
Paid Services is expanding beyond our narrowband access subscription to sell many non-access subscription products. We offer premium subscription products and services to our Access service subscribers today, and will broaden the offering to other Internet consumers in mid-2010. Offerings range from PC Utilities / Safety & Security products to online entertainment / Health & Fitness services.
PRODUCTS & SERVICES: AOL VENTURES
AOL Ventures provides an entrepreneurial environment to attract and develop innovative initiatives
AOL Ventures is the venture capital arm of AOL, focused on early stage investing in technology-centric consumer Internet companies. We're primarily interested in giving talented founders the unfair advantage they need to scale quickly and grow great companies, and tend to focus on opportunities where we can bring a blend of our partnership's value mixed with some flavor of parent company involvement. We generally look to invest in Seed and Series A opportunities and are broadly interested in a variety of themes around AOL's core – content, advertising, local/mapping, paid services and communications.
Answers to Some Questions We Get Often
What do you look for in start-ups?
AOL Ventures looks to invest in capital efficient businesses that are providing unique solutions to serious problems. While we favor experienced entrepreneurs, we're not opposed to funding first time founders who have a clear vision and are focused on executing. We like to play around with a working prototype, and get excited about areas where we have significant domain expertise and can add value. We also look for businesses that have a clear path to exit and defensible technology. Overall, great management teams operating in large and growing markets that are solving unique problems that we can add value to are the best situations for us.
What are you not interested in investing in?
Anything outside of the scope of consumer internet and our specific focus areas are not within our mandate and would not make sense for us from an investment standpoint. Opportunities where the entrepreneur finds themselves saying 'if I only had AOL's traffic' do not make sense for us (i.e. we're not looking to be your 80% customer and/or drive unrealistic value to your business). From a stage standpoint, we tend to focus on the early stage of a company's life and as a result, late stage investments and recapitalizations are not applicable. While we are happy to be a facilitator of interaction with our parent company, M&A opportunities and business development relationships are also outside of the scope of our fund.
Does AOL Ventures make strategic investments?
No. While we recognize the place of strategic venture, the goal of the fund is outsized financial returns and promotion of AOL's brand within the early stage community. We're laser focused on providing value as an investor early on in the life of a company and think there is a place for non-strategic corporate venture in the overall ecosystem. While AOL is a large technology company that may actively seek out some of our portfolio companies from an M&A standpoint, we have no place in those discussions.
How much capital does AOL Ventures invest and do you partner with other funds?
We almost exclusively focus on early stage investments, and check sizes range anywhere from $50k to $3MM over the life of an investment depending on the situation and syndicate. We often co –invest with partners that we know and have worked with in the past and are happy to work with any outstanding firms or funds that can help us build value for companies.
Does AOL Ventures have a geographical and industry focus?
As a global company, we are focused on the US, Israel and India as our primary areas of investing. We are broadly interested in funding entrepreneurs that are tackling areas where we can add insight and value – namely content, advertising, local/mapping, paid services and communications businesses.
Who are you and what have you invested in thusfar?
Feel free to check out our Crunchbase profile to give you a better idea of us and what have invested in to date.
I have a great business – How can I get in touch with you?
We accept business plans from everyone but we've found that the most effective introduction is through a mutual contact. Overall, we place higher priority on deals that are referred or endorsed by people that we know and trust – namely our portfolio companies, advisors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, accountants and friends. If you don't know us through a mutual connection, feel free to reach out to us via the various social media platforms we are on. Alternatively if we don't seem to have anyone in common, feel free to email us your presentation of no more than 20 slides on the opportunity.
Contact AOL Ventures
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