Mike Volpi

Skype Litigation Settled; Sale by eBay to Investors to Proceed

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 6, 2009 - 8:35am.

San Jose, Calif. - Skype parent company eBay (NASD: EBAY) announced on Friday that litigation between an investor group looking to acquire Skype and the creators of the Internet telephone service has been settled, and that its sale of a majority stake in Skype will now proceed. As a result of the settlement, the acquisition deal has been restructured, and Skype creators Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis will now join the investor group, led by Silver Lake, and make a "significant capital investment" in exchange for a 14% stake in Skype.

Report: Skype Creators, eBay, Investors Near Settlement

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 4, 2009 - 9:29am.

San Francisco - Litigation between the inventors and former owners of Internet phone service Skype, current owner eBay (NASD: EBAY), and an investor group looking to acquire Skype from eBay, could be nearing a settlement, The New York Times reported, citing several people who have been briefed on the situation. Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis -- the inventors of Skype and the peer-to-peer technology behind file-sharing service Kazaa and video portal Joost -- sued the investor group in a bid to block their acquisition of Skype from eBay.

Skype Creators Seek Injunction Against Former Joost CEO Volpi

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 15, 2009 - 9:00am.

Wilmington, Del. - The creators of peer-to-peer services Kazaa, Skype and Joost have asked a federal court for an injunction against former Joost CEO Mike Volpi and Index Ventures, where he is now a partner, to prevent them from using trade secrets in their bid to acquire Skype from eBay. Developers Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis allege that Volpi breached his duties to Joost while employed there by dangling a prospective workaround -- that would eliminate the need for Skype to use Zennstrom's and Friis' peer-to-peer technology -- to investors looking to acquire Skype from eBay (NASD: EBAY).

Skype Creators Sue Former Joost CEO Volpi

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 18, 2009 - 10:14am.

Wilmington, Del. - The creators of Skype, Kazaa and Joost and their related companies have filed suit against former Joost CEO and chairman Mike Volpi and Index Ventures Management, alleging breach of contract and misappropriation of trade secrets, among other claims. The plaintiffs include Joltid, the company owned by Skype, Kazaa and Joost creators Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom; Joost US Inc.; and Joost N.V.

Volpi Out as Chairman of Streaming TV Service Joost

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 11, 2009 - 9:41am.

New York - After resigning as CEO in June, Mike Volpi has additionally stepped down from his position as chairman of peer-to-peer streaming TV service Joost, Silicon Alley Insider reports. Volpi now serves as a partner at Joost investor Index Ventures.

Former Joost CEO Mike Volpi Lands At Index Ventures

Authored by Jay Baage on July 6, 2009 - 10:55am.

London - Index Ventures today announced that Mike Volpi, until recently CEO of the online video platform Joost, has joined the firm as a partner. Volpi will be based in the London office as part of the venture team where he will lead early stage investments in the Internet, telecom/networking and media sectors and contribute to the firm’s later stage growth fund, according to a press release.

Joost to Become White-Label Video Provider; CEO Volpi Out

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 30, 2009 - 7:12am.

New York - Joost, the video distribution firm launched by the creators of Kazaa and Skype, announced on Tuesday that it will cut staff and turn its focus from an entertainment portal to being a provider of white-label video services. Chief executive Mike Volpi is stepping down, but will remain chairman, and will be replaced by former Comcast executive Matt Zelesko.

Buzz Watch: Mike Volpi on Advertising, P2P and why Joost is "Cool"

Authored by Jay Baage on August 24, 2007 - 5:59am.

Mike Volpi, new CEO of Joost, talks about the future of TV with Wallstrip host Lindsay Campbell. Interesting topics include what niche of the television market that Joost is going after, his views on television advertising and, of course, piracy. I think that this interview also proves that media executives, no matter how smart, should be well adviced not to talk about what is "cool". Leave that to the kids. The video is embedded below.

Buzz Watch: Mike Volpi Confirmed as Joost's New CEO

Authored by Jay Baage on June 5, 2007 - 8:58am.

The rumors that DMW reported on May 31 that ex-Cisco crown prince Mike Volpi had been appointed CEO of Joost were confirmed by the company today. Volpi succeeds the company's founding CEO, Fredrik de Wahl, who remains at Joost as chief strategy officer. Volpi will assume full operational responsibility for the company effective immediately. So what conclusions can be drawn about Joost's strategy in the hot online video space from the appointment of a high-tech M&A expert that acquired more than 70 companies during his tenure at router-maker Cisco? Read my analysis from last week here. GigaOM also managed to get five questions with Volpi this morning that you can read here.