groupon

LivingSocial raises $176 million, seeks $400 million

LivingSocial, the No. 2 daily deals company behind Groupon, revealed in an SEC filing that it has raised $176 million.

The company reported that it is trying to raise $400 million, so presumably execs are still out trying to sign on more investors.

Some of the investors so far include AOL founder Steve Case, Amazon, and U.S. Venture Partners. The money is going to continue expanding operations.

The company, which is based in Washington, D.C., says it has more than 34 million members in the U.S. and more than 46 million worldwide. It had reportedly been exploring … Read more

How to resell unwanted Groupon coupons

Those helicopter-pilot lessons probably sounded like a good idea at the time, but now you're thinking you'd rather stay on the ground and put that $50 back in your pocket.

Call it coupon remorse, that feeling you get after buying the daily deal from Groupon, LivingSocial, or any of their countless competitors. Either you no longer want the deal, or you can't take advantage of it for some reason. (The school play is the same night as those Cirque du Soleil tickets? Damn!)

Fortunately, several sites now offer you the chance to get some or all of … Read more

Why tech needs more IPOs like Zynga's $1B offering

Zynga has finally put numbers to what it wants to raise in an IPO: anywhere from $.85 billion to $1.15 billion. That's 100 million shares at a range of $8.50 to $10 a share.

Before you conclude that this is just another manipulative march of the high tech financiers, take another look. In a number of ways, Zynga is breaking with startup-looking-to-go-public business as usual. The likely reason is the number of newly-public tech companies that have already seen their stock prices drop below IPO levels. Maybe it signals a new direction for tech IPOs, and that … Read more

The 404 955: Where we steal this record (podcast)

Leaked from 404 Podcast 955:

Elvis Costello tells fans to "Steal this record." Little Printer chews your feeds into a bite-size newspaper. Groupon stock is tanking, and Jill's here to tell us why! Facebook IPO coming next spring? Bathroom break video 1: Using Siri and Viper to start a car. Bathroom break video 1: Girl totally owns the treadmill.

… Read more

Groupon shares fall off a cliff, down 42 percent since IPO

When Groupon went public earlier this month at $20 per share, the daily-deals provider saw its stock soar. But now, Groupon has become a losing proposition for its shareholders.

The company's shares yesterday dropped 9.01 percent, or $1.51, to settle at $15.24. That's despite the fact that Nasdaq was up 3.5 percent yesterday.

Since Groupon went public, the company's stock has declined 41.63 percent, and by the look of things, the drop could continue until shareholders start to see some positive financial news come out of the company.

The issue is, Groupon … Read more

Groupon falls well below IPO price

Groupon shares have broken below their initial public offering price of $20 and may cast a pall over other technology debuts on the public markets.

Groupon shares were most recently trading today just above $17.

What's happened since Groupon's first day of trading on November 4?

For starters, Groupon has significant question marks as a business and competition from Amazon.com-backed Living Social will be tough. In addition, it's easier to borrow shares of Groupon to short them, reported Bloomberg. A short sale occurs when you borrow shares betting that they will fall. You sell shares back … Read more

The 404 947: Where we are the keyboard cowboys (podcast)

Apple's update to iTunes 10.5.1 brings a new scan-and-match service for music that gives users a way to stream their entire collection across multiple devices in the Apple family.

Even better, Apple will actually fill in the blanks of your files' metadata and replace your "matched" files with high-quality 256k-encoded AAC files--an audiophile's dream!

The three of us are so excited that it sounds like we're hosting an infomercial, but check out today's episode to hear more details about iTunes Match.

Also leaked from today's episode: LivingSocial gets into home food delivery with Room Service, PETA puts Mario and his Tanooki suit in its crosshairs, and more events unravel in the ongoing War Against Infographics!… Read more

Get a 16x20-inch photo canvas for $45

Couple quick housekeeping items. First, my sincere thanks for all the incredibly kind words of condolence yesterday. I'm deeply touched and endlessly appreciative, and my family feels the same way. Thank you.

Second, I know the Cheapskate newsletter has arrived unusually late the last few days, and many of you missed deal opportunities as a result. My apologies for that. I'm still working with the CNET crew to come up with a better, more timely system for newsletter delivery. Stay tuned!

Third, if you haven't yet checked out CNET's new Marketplace page, home to a steady … Read more

Yelp reportedly getting closer to IPO

Yelp, the user-generated reviews site, has chosen Goldman Sachs and Citigroup to lead an initial public offering that could value the company at about $2 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The startup hasn't been shy about its desire to tap into the equity markets, and Groupon's IPO last week has likely made Yelp executives more confident that they can have a successful offering. Others in the wings include Zynga, Angie's List and, the potential biggie of them all, Facebook.

The Journal says Yelp plans to file its IPO plans in the next few weeks with … Read more