Microsoft Acquires Jellyfish
I’m pleased to announce that we’ve been acquired by Microsoft. Microsoft announcement here. Brian and I view the acquisition as a great way to expand the vision of Jellyfish and we are thrilled to join the Microsoft team.
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:18 am
Congratulations to the entire JF Team- The fact that in such a short time you built something that not only got Microsoft’s attention but they actually acquired JF is amazing.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:01 am
Does this mean you can’t sell any more Apple products on the Smack??
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:02 am
Congratulations you guys put in the work and came up with a wonderful idea. I hope you guys made out like bandits and contact me for the next company! LOL Congrats on the payday and making such an awesome site for shopping encapsulate a great community!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:02 am
congrats guys. Don’t let them change your vision.
You hiring? virtual employees (I’m in Chicago). Seriously.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:03 am
Congrats, you deserve it, I love JellyFish and hope it never changes.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:03 am
congrats JF…. does this mean we can buy MS stock with our coins??
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:05 am
Congrats on the sale, having just gone through being acquired it is a great feeling to know you created something special. I hope that the vision you created is allowed to grow and flourish.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:05 am
Congratulations guys! Hope the site continues to grow and prosper while maintaining the sense of community which makes it so unique.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:06 am
Wish you all the best of luck and hope that the JellyFish vision will not be impacted by the acquisition. I kno whtere arre a lot of very loyal folks out there who are rooting for sucess, but apprehensive of the change.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:06 am
I could not be happier for a nicer group of people. All of you at Jellyfish have made a great place to come and shop. The community you have built is an extension of what it must be like to work there. I really hope that all Microsoft does is help you all continue to become a better site. Congrats you all. You deserve it!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:07 am
Truly amazing. I know that most start-ups don’t reach your level of success in such a short period of time. I am proud to have been part of it, at least in a small way, as a member of the Smack Shopping community.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:08 am
Way to go Mark & Brian! What a fantastic accomplishment, it has been really exciting watching evolve.
Congratulations.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:11 am
[…] Microsoft Buys Jellyfish.com I have been hanging out on Jellyfish.com once in a while. YOu can get great deals there. The site took off and is much better than woot.com. They did it in under a years time. Well Mr. Softie found them and bought them out. Jellyfish :: Blog Archive :: Microsoft Acquires Jellyfish __________________ You can not please everyone but we are trying the best we can! Have a Cigar there good to calm the Nerves No for the cigar, then how about a wall Vote for The Conch Man for President, He’s the man! […]
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:12 am
I am very happy for the JF team. They built a great site and community which is very rare. On the flip side, I don’t have much confidence in Microsoft, but congratz JF team!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:12 am
Oh great, as if the gaming shows already didn’t have enough xbox crap…
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:13 am
Nice work, guys and gals! Congratulations!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:16 am
Congratulations on making a great site. Good luck in your future plans.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:19 am
you guys are the best, my sincerest congratulations to a great group of friends.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:24 am
Congratulations guys. I’m ecstatic that something everyone has worked so hard on has paid off in such a great way! Keep up the great work JFers! And cheers to Smack Shopping!!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:36 am
Wow!! Congratulations!
Jellyfish is a great site
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:39 am
Congratulation Jellyfish on your hard work!! I look forward to more fun on the site. Great group of people on the site I look forward to getting to know better!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:39 am
Congrats to all in the Jellyfish team. If Microsoft can come in and help grow this site, without taking away any of the awesome features that brought the majority of us here, then we look forward to having many more loyal JF’rs in the near future.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:43 am
Congratulations to you, jellyfish! You are a fantastic website. I hope you continue to improve as you have in the past.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:47 am
Great finiancial move!!!!!!! Glad to be a part of it!!!! Hope it lasts?
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:50 am
Congrats Guys! I hope that means that you will make lots of trips out to the Pacific Northwest to visit the headquarters. There are a lot of smackers out here that would love to buy you guys a drink a give you a pat on the back for creating such a great site. Oh wait, no, I guess now the drinks would be on you guys! Congrats on the big day!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:50 am
Its weird, I just got done writing a review of Jellyfish.com for an assignment in one of my classes, adding this news to it before I hand it in should increase the class’s interest in jf.com even more than the draft did. Congrats on the hard work and making a noticeable mark in the shopping community. Keep up the good work!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:53 am
This is quite a compliment to you for such an innovative idea. Best wishes to you all!
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:55 am
Wow, more Microsoft in my life. Between Xbox Live and JF, I think technically Microsoft owns my soul now.
Great work! I wish you all the very best.
-
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I want to see more 360 games now, with higher discounts. Hooah!
Kidding, but I do hope this is a big benefit and does not cause JF to change up too much.
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:06 pm
SD… this is a great news. You made a huge stride in joining hands with Microsoft. Hope to see the same SD and same jake supporting staff as always.
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Congrats Guys!! Wonderful news…Zoe
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Nice Job! In a world that creates change I feel strongly that the Jellyfish team will embrace this event as growth and not as decline.
Hard work pays off! Happy Smack Shopping Everyone!
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:28 pm
This is tremendous! What a huge accomplishment to go from development to sale in such a short time. Congratulations to your whole team! Carl too — nice job cooking the numbers!
I wish you each great success under a new parent organization.
David
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Does this mean Bill Gates is throwing the next SmackFest??
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:57 pm
This doesn’t mean that we’ll have to use Internet Explorer to access the site right?
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Congratulations Mark and Brian. I can always say, I knew you when!
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:33 pm
When does Bill Gates fill in for smackdaddy?
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Congratulations on your accomplishments. You and your Team have done an outstanding job. My only regret is that I’m not one of them. Perhaps some day you will need a representative from Florida. LOL
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Go Gazelle!!! Congratulations Jellyfish!
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Congrats! This is quite an accomplishment after just over 1 year of operations. I hope the site will continue to grow even faster than it has in the past year. I hope all the JF team members stay on board as they are a great asset to this site.
To celebrate, lets have a hockey/NHL show. I hear Bill Gates is a big hockey fan and would approve.
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:42 pm
congrats to JF - however, I think my JF time is going to go down with the man running the shows.
October 2nd, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Jellyfish deserves good things, they worked so hard to develop this site and wonderful community. I wish the best to the staff, hope things don’t change with Microsoft at the helm. Looking forward to a bright Jellyfish future.
October 2nd, 2007 at 3:26 pm
It was only a matter of time. This website is genius and is getting me through the rough days at work. Keep up the great work.
October 2nd, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Oh Noes! Now we have to deal with Microsoft. The community is going to be trashed. Pron bots, spammers, trolls… the works. Well, it’s been fun.
October 2nd, 2007 at 3:52 pm
ACK!!! Great to be acquired, but by MICROSOFT?!?!?? Oh my… must… sit… down… Don’t let my precious Jellyfish become just another brick in the wall… another cog in the wheel of a heartless machine… Breathe, breathe… =) Good luck, JF!
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:14 pm
I think JF owes its success to its programming team! Congrats JF!
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:41 pm
I will add my two coins to the pot here without reservations; no telling what the future holds for Jellyfish. It has grown to be a big part of my life, I hope that future is bright and fun.
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:44 pm
Well, congratulations. It’s been fun watching the jfish evolution & of course, becoming addicted to the site. It’s always interesting…I’m still available to write the Jellyfish Story for you, but the price just went waaayyyy up. I’m truly happy for you all. Thanks for creating such an ingenius site & allowing me to become a part of the Smack family.
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Congrats guys! You did an amazing job with this site! I hope Microsoft can do as good a job as you two! Congrats to all the JF’ers! You are an amazing bunch of people.
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Congratulation J.F. team!! Who knew the smack would be gobbled up by the vast Ocean known as Microsoft. Apparently sm1 at the top recognized what a fantastic site Jellyfish.com is. Take the cash and throw a big party. Enjoy….
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:50 pm
I am so happy for you guys. Jellyfish has been a part of my life for the last year. I have gotten great deals and have made some good friendships. Hope to continue this connection for many years to come. Thanks again and good luck.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:00 pm
microsoft officially owns my virtual life now
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Wow congratulations to all!!! I knew this was and will still be a very special site. To all who questioned the point and validity of JF.com, hehe “I told you so!”. Anyhow this should all be a great compliment to the entire Jellyfish.com Team. Please keep up the good work we are here to stay!!!
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Congrats, Jellyfish!
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:29 pm
[…] Jellyfish, "the buyout search engine" was recently acquired by Microsoft. Jellyfish’s targeted a niche market, on providing more efficient search results on discount shopping. The details of the deal were not yet revealed. Here are the announcements on Jellyfish Blog and LiveSearch Blog: […]
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:30 pm
What I thought was a passing fad, and would only lose my interest, has made me a believer in the web, especially this one! Let’s hope the new owners learn from the past ones and don’t ‘tool’ it up. Congratulations to the ones who had a vision and made it a reality!
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:49 pm
Big, warm, semi-moist pats on the backs of the entire Jellyfish team. You guys all made the most addictive internet shopping site ever.
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:50 pm
RIGGED………..LOL good work better than NameProtect
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I just wanna know…. will there be another NEW shirt and hat design? Are these old ones worth anything on ebay now?
Congrats!!
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Don’t let them change too much!! Congratulations.
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Congrats JF! What an amazing thing. Bill, please don’t change things too much, we love JF just the way it is! Hey maybe I’ll get picked for outwit!
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Congrats JF team glad to here can we get first preference in JF stocks??
October 2nd, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Hmm. I don’t know about these Microsoft guys, I’ve never heard of them. How long have they been around, anyway? Are they reputable? Will they pay me when I get enough to cash out? How do I know they won’t just close up shop tomorrow and keep my money?
Seriously, Mark, Brian, and all your team: Congrats. Job well done. Proud to say I’ve been along for all but day 1 of the ride, and I’m looking forward to seeing what JF can become with Microsoft’s resources bankrolling you.
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Congrats. Is there anyway you can put me in touch with the powers that be at Microsoft so that they can buy my company as well? In ay case, don’t spend it all in one place.
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:19 pm
I’m ecstatic for the entire Jellyfish community! Congratulations and thank you for an amazing site! Cheers!
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Great job getting bought out. It’s the quickest way to grow big. And lots of businesses are started in hopes that their product gains such recognition.
Now. Take the money and run.
I’m not pro or anti MS but more things they’ve acquired have lost their identity than have stayed recognizable. Hotmail? Great Plains Software?
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Congratulations! You should be quite proud of yourselves. You have created a most unusual shopping site that is fun and fruitful for all. It’s what made you different and a wonderful option for Microsoft to buy.
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:40 pm
Congratulations to the Jellyfish team! It was insightful of Microsoft to see the opportunity Jellyfish offers. This is one of the most innovative websites I have run across and am looking forward to what Microsoft can bring to the table.
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:52 pm
This could not have happened to a more deserving group of people. I’m very proud of you guys and wish you many more successes. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for jellyfish.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:56 pm
THIS IS SUCH A BUMMER, ANOTHER COMPANY SWALLOWED BY MICROSOFT AND NOW WILL CHANGE FOR THE WORSE. IT IS TOO BAD THAT SMALL BUISNESS OWNERS CAN’T KEEP THIER DREAM ALIVE AND ARE EITHER PRESSURED TO SELL OF ARE ONLY DRIVEN BY THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR. FARWELL JELLYFISH AS WE KNOW IT…CHANGES WILL BE COMING.
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:52 am
i agree with pdog… thats lame
BOOOOO
October 3rd, 2007 at 2:57 am
Congrats to Brian and Mark and to Microsoft for recognizing a groundbreaking shopping site… it’s not just a place to shop — it’s a community! Let’s hope Microsoft recognizes that and leaves any “tweaks” to a minimum. There’s a reason it’s succeeded thus far.
I look forward to seeing Brian and Mark onstage with Bill Gates at his final CES keynote address this coming January in Las Vegas — any chance at a VIP pass for the keynote, guys??
October 3rd, 2007 at 5:14 am
Congrats Brian & Mark. I always knew that your site had a great potential. Great job guys.
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:41 am
Congratulations to the JF team on the acquisition. I’m sure it will help provide for your families for some time to come.
Sadly, I didn’t get to know JF all that well, but if Microsoft’s history is any indication, the life and spirit of JF is soon to be sucked away in a monoculture steered by committee dedicated to the pursuit of the almighty dollar.
Unfortunately, nothing great is ever achieved for want of profit.
Here’s hoping the JF founders do not find their inspiration quashed, and can utilize their short-term gains to their greater benefit in the future.
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:50 am
[…] As you all know by now, we have been acquired by Microsoft. We are thrilled about this partnership and we just want to say thanks again for supporting us and helping us grow - we couldn't have done it without ALL of you. Looking through your comments on our Jellyfish blog was better than reading a Hallmark card or the signed pages of yearbook. Thank you for the well wishes! […]
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Wow, big news and exciting times for Jellyfish!
I’ve always been quite impressed with your ingenious ideas and how well they’re executed on/integrated into the website. You had me from hello. :p
I’ve loved all the fun I’ve had here from 1) chatting with great and entertaining people, 2) winning some cash and prizes via outwit, the wheel, etc., and 3) especially the substantial amount of money I’ve saved on all my purchases with you.
There have been so many exciting changes since I joined, really not that long ago. It’s been a fascinating ride thus far, and I can’t wait to see where else it takes us!
Congratulations on your well-deserved recognition and payoff!
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:47 pm
What’s next?
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Oh no. No more Apple products, no more Nintendo products (Xbox, ya know!). And the site will crash every other day!
October 3rd, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Please post how I can delete my entire account.
This is not a joke.
October 3rd, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Brian,congrats on your new group manager position at microsoft.
best of wishes in your future endeavors.
October 3rd, 2007 at 8:23 pm
[…] The battle for terrain in the lucrative Internet Search Market continued on Tuesday with Microsoft revealing it has baught Jellyfish, a US firm specialising in comparison shopping online.. […]
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Great deal…will we have to call Bill Gates smack daddy now?
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:50 pm
[…] Finally, Microsoft decided to move itself quickly in order to close the gap with Google. They have released the overhauled version of search engine, with main emphasis on vertical search. And today, they acquired an e-commerce search engine, Jellyfish for an undisclosed sum. Jellyfish was created with a little more than an excellent business concept and an experienced founding team. It was based in Wisconsin and previously raised $5 million in a round A financing led by Kegonsa Capital Partners and Clyde Street Investments. Founded in January 2006 with a principle of “we share,” this startup was capable to establish itself by sharing with its customer at least half of all revenue derived from sales through the Jellyfish site. The adoption of 100% cost-per-action model, albeit that sometimes mistaken as a cash back-focused affiliate marketing strategy, successfully create more tangible value by form of rebates to the Jellyfish customers. Google followed a similar strategy in this year by opening “pay-per-action” advertising opportunities within their AdSense network. […]
October 4th, 2007 at 12:02 am
Congratulations, JF Team! This is a testimony to the hard work that you have put into this site and this community. I can only hope that MS will let you continue to hold the reins, so to speak - and that I will meet some of you wonderful people at Smacktoberfest here in Seattle!
October 4th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
This is cool … congratulations…
So we should be seeing a microsoft show similar to the Knott show.. That will be great …
October 7th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
I just hope all the good stuff doesn’t change
October 8th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
Congrats guys. MSFT made a smart purchase by getting such an innovative and wonderful company. Maybe I’ll consider buying some MSFT stock, if they don’t change too much. Now maybe you guys can fix it so I can smack on my stupid Nokia 770 computer pad. Good luck guys you deserve it for coming up with such a neat and fun idea. PS. if Bill Gates , or Brian wants to hire me for their next great company I’m available for the right price.
October 9th, 2007 at 8:45 am
Good move and greetings! I am sure the Live engine will extend the reach of Jellyfish WW!
October 9th, 2007 at 10:49 am
how much did MSFT buy JF for?
October 9th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Thanks for selling out guys. Bought out is one thing, but by MS…yuck, and to quote lil’ Jimmy “It stinks, and I don’t like it!”
October 9th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
[…] Microsoft acquires Jellyfish […]
October 9th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Jellyfish is the only site I spend over 12 hours a day on. You have created a site that not only gives amazing deals to everyone, but created a community that no one can compare to. Thanks & congratulation!!!
October 18th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
Thanks to everyone for the great comments. We are so thankful for the great community of users at Jellyfish.
November 20th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Is there a way to remove all my information from the site? I do NOT trust MS with my purchasing or personal data.
Congrats on getting the monetary reward you guys deserve, but man, talk about a bad partnership… I’m sorry.
December 12th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Congratulations to you. Very impressive. Personally, though, I’m disappointed. I live in Middleton within walking distance of your office and had you guys on my radar for future employment. Part of the appeal was the small, entrepreneurial nature of your company and I don’t think that will continue as part of MS.
January 6th, 2008 at 5:28 am
[…] You can also share opinions on popular topics and see how they match up with others, discuss and rate subjects as wide ranging as politics to new movies, and take part in a growing online community. The best part is … it’s all 100% free! Check them out here: Join Hey Nielsen! Microsoft Acquires Jellyfish saved by 1 others prammaven bookmarked on 01/06/08 | www.jellyfish.com New Robot Jellyfish Kit saved by 1 others prammaven bookmarked on 01/06/08 | www.tokyomango.com Return of the giant jellyfish saved by 1 others menitamenita bookmarked on 01/06/08 | www.pinktentacle.com […]
January 21st, 2008 at 10:55 am
Congrats guys
January 21st, 2008 at 10:56 am
Good~