bugging IM, as reported in Red Herring

[Yeoh Yiu]

Fatbubble says, "Privacy? You're in control. You decide who sees where
you surf. Turn on fatbubble Invisibility when you need it. Your
buddies won't know you're there."

as seen in Red Herring ...

FATBUBBLE
http://www.fatbubble.com
San Francisco
FUNDING:   $370K
PRIOR FUNDING:   Low seed
ROUND:   1st
CATEGORY:   Software
DESCRIPTION:   Develops monitoring software applications for
instant messaging (IM) platforms.
LEAD INVESTORS:   Two Japanese angels, Jun Makihara and
Joichi Ito
OTHER INVESTORS:   None
THE HERRING TAKE:   Fatbubble has designed a monitoring
software solution that collects anonymous information on
users and sells it to marketers. But there's a twist.
Instead of following Net surfers, Fatbubble is tracking the
navigational habits of IM users. "We're building vast
behavioral maps that track the movements and influences
among a large network of users," says CEO and cofounder
Brady Bruce. The implications for marketers and consumers
are vast, and call into question privacy concerns. The
affable chief declares sternly that Fatbubble is not
intercepting IM discussions. Rather, the startup is charting
the Web destination points that IM users visit. Once this
information is collected, it'll sell it to marketers. Thus
far, that's Fatbubble's only revenue stream, as the software
is available for free. Mr. Brady harbors grand plans for his
modest startup and will launch his product first in the
States later this summer, and then take it to Japan and
Western Europe. Fatbubble is burning $8,000 per month and
has a post-money valuation of $3.5 million. The startup is
looking to raise $3 million for its second round. Mr. Brady
will consider all offers. --R.B.R.