Liz Gannes

Recent Posts by Liz Gannes

Exitround Creates a Marketplace for Tech Talent Acquisitions

Exitround today launches an online matchmaking platform to help funded technology startups — some of which will inevitably stall out — find buyers.

Exitround founder Jacob Mullins

In a way, the site is a natural companion to the oh-so-many many crowdfunding platforms, startup accelerators, and sites like AngelList that help would-be entrepreneurs get their first boost off the ground. (I guess that means Exitround will bring them back to earth.)

Exitround makes introductions between early-stage startups and the M&A folks at potential acquirers. It’s specifically aimed at arranging “acqhires” where startup founders and employee teams join larger companies who want their talent and tech chops.

This is what’s known as a “soft landing” for a company that doesn’t have enough success to raise more money or become self-sustaining.

At this point, Exitround is just a four-month-old side project for a junior venture capitalist, so there’s no reason to get too worked up about the prospect of tech M&A becoming so commodified that it further encourages the creation of crappy built-to-flip companies. (Though you might want to keep that criticism in your back pocket if this site starts taking off.)

Exitround founder Jacob Mullins — by day, a senior associate at Shasta Ventures — said that the site will weed out applicants by only accepting companies that have previously raised money from professional investors or established startup incubators. It will also keep company information anonymized until serious introductions are made.

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I’m a giant vat of creative juices.

— David Pogue on why he’s joining Yahoo