5 ms·

Mark Bao's startup Atomplan acquired. Congratulations!

64 points by kirubakaran 17y ago

yan 17y ago
Firstly, awesome for Mark. That man is an inspiration. Secondly, I'm confused about something. If you check the Atomplan's Company page, two people are listed under Management: Mark and Christian Owens. If you check Christian Owens' personal page, the first post you see starts with: 'Branchr, My advertising startup ...' Does that mean this acquisition was just a change in legal definitions or was it an actual acquisition? edit: unless this was edited post-acquisition?
- lrm242 17y ago
  I'm thinking its more of a faux acquisition, honestly. But shrug.
  - byrneseyeview 17y ago
    http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:6XIR1glduqEJ:avecoraondemand.com/company+site:avecoraondemand.com&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:6XIR1glduqEJ:avecoraonde... Here's the old site. Only Bao is mentioned.
  - mikeryan 17y ago
    Its also a weird combination from a core business perspective. Why does an ad network need/want a small business organization tool?
- markbao 17y ago
  Edited post-acquisition. I thought it was a good idea to edit the page quickly after it happened. However, Christian wanted me to keep my position and run Atomplan (under Branchr), so I did.
Mystalic 17y ago
Mark Bao, you've got to stop this. You're making all of us 20 and 30something entrepreneurs look bad!
kirubakaran 17y ago
TC link if you prefer that : http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/26/branchr-advertising-acquires-crm-tool-atomplan/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/26/branchr-advertising-acq...
paraschopra 17y ago
One thing that I have tried understanding in the past is why is there secrecy around financials as far as acquisitions are concerned. I mean, what could be possible negatives associated with revealing that information?
- fnid 17y ago
  Maybe they only paid $50,000 for it or something. When people see "Acquires, yada yada..." they expect it is for millions. If someone sees 5 figures there or even 6, they are disappointed.
  - maurycy 17y ago
    In some cases, acquisition might be a better and cheaper PR than going directly to newspapers, as it signals that acquirer has money, is aggressive and allows to use, at least for a while, acquired company's PR karma.
- icey 17y ago
  What could be the possible positives with revealing that information?
  - paraschopra 17y ago
    Perspective on what the prevailing market rates are for startups of this scale and scope.
    - icey 17y ago
      Maybe I should clarify - what are the positives for the involved parties? In other words, what do they gain from posting that information?
    - idlewords 17y ago
      These kind of sales don't meet the definition of a market.
- deleted 17y ago
fnid 17y ago
I really do not intend to take away from the awesomeness of this announcement, but I am curious. How big are these companies? Bing Search (3,150 results) http://www.bing.com/search?q=avecora&go=&form=QBLH&qs=n http://www.bing.com/search?q=avecora&go=&form=QBLH&#... Google (30,000): http://www.google.com/search?q=avecora http://www.google.com/search?q=avecora That doesn't seem like a lot of hits to me. Googling "Avecora Ondemand" only has 708 hits: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=avecora+ondemand&aq=f&oq=&aqi= http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=avecora+ondemand&#3... I guess, I'm just trying to understand how "big" this news really is.
- auston 17y ago
  Additional "data": http://siteanalytics.compete.com/avecora.com+avecoraondemand.com+leadlogsys.com/ http://siteanalytics.compete.com/avecora.com+avecoraondemand... disclosure: I used to work for leadlogsys.com
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]
markbao 17y ago
Wow, it was quite nice to wake up to this. Thank you all. And thanks, kirubakaran :)
- rokhayakebe 17y ago
  Congrats. Can you please give us more details on the acquisition and the relationship between the companies (partnership, distribution etc...) prior to the offer?
  - markbao 17y ago
    Sure. I can't give you much more information than I told TechCrunch or that is in our pr about the acquisition (cash+equity deal, I stay CEO, etc. -- b/c of nda) Christian and I are relatively new friends, and we both had and currently have advertising companies. Avecora OnDemand was a property that I was looking to move to a bit of new management, since Avecora is moving into consumer electronics, and Christian inquired and made an offer, which after negotiations I accepted. Shortly thereafter, I moved it to Atomplan and made a bunch of fixes, and got the ball rolling. Paperwork and whatnot later, we finally released. Fun experience, if not stressful.
- DTrejo 17y ago
  Mark Bao is getting into college. :)
andrewhyde 17y ago
Congrats Mark!
JimmyL 17y ago
Check out this ad for buying Avecora OnDemand - http://www.dealasite.com/buy-sell-website-16385.html http://www.dealasite.com/buy-sell-website-16385.html Interesting quote: I'm selling a startup of mine, Avecora OnDemand. We currently have no customers, so this is purely a technology sale. It is the result of hundreds of hours of work. Considering it's got a listing price of $10K, and that this deal is announced as "cash and equity", I think it's safe to assume that the acquisition was for <$10K. I'm also curious what Mark will do staying on as CEO - if it's solely a tech sale (as the listing suggests) and there are no customers, his role will be...transitioning the new developer(s) onto the system? Not to diminish Mark's work, but this sure sounds like a small payment to buy some technology, and a press release to make both parties sound like much larger entities than they are.
- ashishk 17y ago
  That's actually pretty funny-- nice find. @markbao, no one can deny that you are on the right path for success... but it's important to realize that transparency and modesty are more important than talent. save the TC post* for your first 7 figure sale =) *http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/26/branchr-advertising-acquires-crm-tool-atomplan/#comments http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/26/branchr-advertising-acq...
  - lrm242 17y ago
    I'd say TC got hoodwinked on this one. Must have been a really slow news day. +1 on getting press, though :).
- fallentimes 17y ago
  It all comes back to this: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=756529 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=756529
roder 17y ago
Congrats Mark!

64 points by kirubakaran 17y ago

yan 17y ago

Firstly, awesome for Mark. That man is an inspiration. Secondly, I'm confused about something. If you check the Atomplan's Company page, two people are listed under Management: Mark and Christian Owens. If you check Christian Owens' personal page, the first post you see starts with: 'Branchr, My advertising startup ...' Does that mean this acquisition was just a change in legal definitions or was it an actual acquisition? edit: unless this was edited post-acquisition?

lrm242 17y ago
I'm thinking its more of a faux acquisition, honestly. But shrug.
- byrneseyeview 17y ago
  http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:6XIR1glduqEJ:avecoraondemand.com/company+site:avecoraondemand.com&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:6XIR1glduqEJ:avecoraonde... Here's the old site. Only Bao is mentioned.
- mikeryan 17y ago
  Its also a weird combination from a core business perspective. Why does an ad network need/want a small business organization tool?
markbao 17y ago
Edited post-acquisition. I thought it was a good idea to edit the page quickly after it happened. However, Christian wanted me to keep my position and run Atomplan (under Branchr), so I did.

Mystalic 17y ago

Mark Bao, you've got to stop this. You're making all of us 20 and 30something entrepreneurs look bad!

kirubakaran 17y ago

TC link if you prefer that : http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/26/branchr-advertising-acquires-crm-tool-atomplan/ http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/26/branchr-advertising-acq...

paraschopra 17y ago

One thing that I have tried understanding in the past is why is there secrecy around financials as far as acquisitions are concerned. I mean, what could be possible negatives associated with revealing that information?

fnid 17y ago
Maybe they only paid $50,000 for it or something. When people see "Acquires, yada yada..." they expect it is for millions. If someone sees 5 figures there or even 6, they are disappointed.
- maurycy 17y ago
  In some cases, acquisition might be a better and cheaper PR than going directly to newspapers, as it signals that acquirer has money, is aggressive and allows to use, at least for a while, acquired company's PR karma.
icey 17y ago
What could be the possible positives with revealing that information?
- paraschopra 17y ago
  Perspective on what the prevailing market rates are for startups of this scale and scope.
  - icey 17y ago
    Maybe I should clarify - what are the positives for the involved parties? In other words, what do they gain from posting that information?
  - idlewords 17y ago
    These kind of sales don't meet the definition of a market.
deleted 17y ago

fnid 17y ago

I really do not intend to take away from the awesomeness of this announcement, but I am curious. How big are these companies? Bing Search (3,150 results) http://www.bing.com/search?q=avecora&go=&form=QBLH&qs=n http://www.bing.com/search?q=avecora&go=&form=QBLH&#... Google (30,000): http://www.google.com/search?q=avecora http://www.google.com/search?q=avecora That doesn't seem like a lot of hits to me. Googling "Avecora Ondemand" only has 708 hits: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=avecora+ondemand&aq=f&oq=&aqi= http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=avecora+ondemand&#3... I guess, I'm just trying to understand how "big" this news really is.

auston 17y ago
Additional "data": http://siteanalytics.compete.com/avecora.com+avecoraondemand.com+leadlogsys.com/ http://siteanalytics.compete.com/avecora.com+avecoraondemand... disclosure: I used to work for leadlogsys.com
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]

markbao 17y ago

Wow, it was quite nice to wake up to this. Thank you all. And thanks, kirubakaran :)

rokhayakebe 17y ago
Congrats. Can you please give us more details on the acquisition and the relationship between the companies (partnership, distribution etc...) prior to the offer?
- markbao 17y ago
  Sure. I can't give you much more information than I told TechCrunch or that is in our pr about the acquisition (cash+equity deal, I stay CEO, etc. -- b/c of nda) Christian and I are relatively new friends, and we both had and currently have advertising companies. Avecora OnDemand was a property that I was looking to move to a bit of new management, since Avecora is moving into consumer electronics, and Christian inquired and made an offer, which after negotiations I accepted. Shortly thereafter, I moved it to Atomplan and made a bunch of fixes, and got the ball rolling. Paperwork and whatnot later, we finally released. Fun experience, if not stressful.
DTrejo 17y ago
Mark Bao is getting into college. :)

andrewhyde 17y ago

Congrats Mark!

JimmyL 17y ago

Check out this ad for buying Avecora OnDemand - http://www.dealasite.com/buy-sell-website-16385.html http://www.dealasite.com/buy-sell-website-16385.html Interesting quote: I'm selling a startup of mine, Avecora OnDemand. We currently have no customers, so this is purely a technology sale. It is the result of hundreds of hours of work. Considering it's got a listing price of $10K, and that this deal is announced as "cash and equity", I think it's safe to assume that the acquisition was for <$10K. I'm also curious what Mark will do staying on as CEO - if it's solely a tech sale (as the listing suggests) and there are no customers, his role will be...transitioning the new developer(s) onto the system? Not to diminish Mark's work, but this sure sounds like a small payment to buy some technology, and a press release to make both parties sound like much larger entities than they are.

ashishk 17y ago
That's actually pretty funny-- nice find. @markbao, no one can deny that you are on the right path for success... but it's important to realize that transparency and modesty are more important than talent. save the TC post* for your first 7 figure sale =) *http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/26/branchr-advertising-acquires-crm-tool-atomplan/#comments http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/26/branchr-advertising-acq...
- lrm242 17y ago
  I'd say TC got hoodwinked on this one. Must have been a really slow news day. +1 on getting press, though :).
fallentimes 17y ago
It all comes back to this: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=756529 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=756529

roder 17y ago

Congrats Mark!