While Yelp is busy raising more cash, AT&T is preparing to launch a competing service called Buzz.com (it’s currently in private beta). The site aims to help users find the “best places to go or businesses to call,” and it will be a companion with AT&T’s existing YellowPages.com site. (Or will it be a competitor?)
Yelp, meanwhile, made its own news by announcing a $25 million infusion from Elevation Partners, which said it hopes to “increase its total investment in Yelp to $100 million through a planned purchase of shares from vested employees and other eligible shareholders,” according to VentureBeat.
In related news, a new site called ALikeList rasied $5 million. AlikeList is apparently hoping to improve on the local recommendation experience by making its recommendations more personal. Which is the same strategy that AT&T says its pursuing with Buzz.com, bragging that the site will “help you tap your social net for business recommendations from the people you trust most.” And let’s not forget that Yelp recently introduced “check-ins” to match Foursquare.
You think it’s easy trying to keep tabs on Apple’s new gadget? Try following this space. You can expect much more in 2010 as all sorts of companies battle for the ever-elusive local advertising dollar.
