Red Herring's top 200

Some good news today in that Mydeo has been announced as a finalist in the Red Herring 100 Europe 2007 awards. Its a good one to be mentioned in as the great and the good of the investment community always seem to be involved in the event. The full list is here - about five down in the left hand column on the second page you'll see us, you'll also see we are one of the few who kept our ".com" intact - more by accident than design though it must be said! There'll be a press release imminently but that's the highlight..

Serial second placers

Well, another night and another close second it seems for Mydeo and for Cary and I. The ISPA's were good fun, with Lee Hurst providing the right sort of incentive to keep the acceptance speeches short - professional heckling! With him in the chair it was rare that anyone muttered much more than 'thank you' and the awards fair rattled along. He had basically shown fear of no man in his opening piece and that set the tone for the evening.

We were flatteringly up for the 'Best streaming service' award again this year, largely due to doing so well in the technical and performance tests that go to provide the shortlisting process for the awards. Unfortunately the judging criteria include a range of other production and consultancy services that we don't provide so it was with little surprise that we saw the awards won by astream; although i have to admit we thought we could win for 10 minutes or so leading up to the announcement.

I was sat next to the chairman of the judges John Fisher this year so hopefully we'll be a better known quantity next year and you never know, the criteria might even change... Anyway on to the next one and monday holds some hope for us with the Sharp Edge awards I already mentioned - there has been some particular scrutiny around this one so I really hope we get it and break our duck with a nomination that comes good. Wish us luck!

Living life on the sharp edge...

So, next week Mydeo are a finalist in the Sharp Edge Awards for the Best E-company and as a result get to go to a swanky dinner and get interviewed by duncan the dragon for various bits of tv he's appearing in. We are up against an online local directory service and a ticketing exchange so there's a pretty varied bunch and the criteria are a mystery. Best of luck to all, and I fully expect to add to our growing list of marginal second places. :)

Fingers crossed

This afternoon we are up for another award. This time its the IWA (the International Webcasting Association's) Best Streaming Innovation Award and we are up against some completely different propositions so it will be a tough one to call. Hopefully our attempts to open up quality streaming to all consumers and small businesses, our very different approach both to managing the rights of users' content, and to not exploiting the distribution of their content will hold us in good stead. Cary Marsh will be there to pick up the award if we are that fortunate, or otherwise to network at the ceremony and the Video Forum also going on today.

Startups Awards 2006

Another big day for Mydeo on Friday when we are nominated for the best use of technology at the Startups Awards 2006. Lets hope the Gootube purchase has the same effect on our chances as it has on our valuation...

Kingston company named South East's best business

A Kingston company has been named the South East's top business in a bank's Start-up Stars award.

Internet-based firm Mydeo was crowned regional winner of the awards at a ceremony held today at Newick Park Hotel and Country Estate.

Cary Marsh set up the company which provides video streaming facilities for homes and businesses 16 months ago.

She had been inspired to start the company after setting up a website to let friends and family watch the progress of her new baby.

So she could show off her new arrivial she wanted to include video footage that could be seen by people around world.

She knew there was technology avaliable to allow people to do this without having to put up with lengthy downloads.

The technology was then only avaliable to professionals but Cary realised there must be thousands of people like her would like to stream personal videos on home websites, so set up Mydeo to allow them to do it.

The business was launched in March 2005, just after the birth of Cary's second child, and has already won a Department of Trade and Industry Technical Innovation Award - making Cary one of four women to receive the accolade.

The company now has more than 30,000 members in more than 160 countries worldwide with membership growing by 25 per cent each month.

Cary's company will now go forward to the award's national judging panel who will select the top 10 national finalists.

The 10 national finalists will win a prize package worth £4,000.

The Start-up Stars Awards are organised by HSBC.

Simon Wainwright, head of business banking for the bank, said: "Last year HSBC helped the entrepreneurs behind nearly 80,000 new businesses get started that's one every six minutes - so we understand what it takes to set up a new venture and go it alone.

"Starting your own company isn't easy, and we hope the success of Mydeo in this year's HSBC Start-UP Stars Awards will help the firm go from strength to strength."

"We've been impressed by the vision and determination shown by Cary, and hope that other budding entrepreneurs in the area will be inspired to take control of their own lives by becoming their own boss."

Kingston Guardian