Google invests $1 million in Israeli-Chinese firm
Investment in Maxthon browser apparently part of deal for strategic cooperation between companies, TechCrunch blog on technology start-ups reports
According to the report, the investment is apparently part of a deal for strategic cooperation between the two companies.
Netanel Jacobsson, senior VP for Maxthon, refused to confirm the report, but said that "the cooperation between companies began several months ago."
The Maxthon browser software has registered about 82 million downloads, about half of them in China, 25 percent in the United States, and the rest in Europe.
The browser was developed by programmers from the Beijing University.
The Maxthon browser, which enables surfers to block advertisements, is very successful in China. According to the company's data, about 25 percent of searches which use Baidu, China's largest search engine, are carried out with the search toolbar incorporated into the browser.
Maxthon employs about 20 workers in its development center in China. Netanel Jacobsson, who immigrated to Israel from England about five and a half years ago, is in charge of the company's marketing and business development.
Maxthon managed to raise close to $5 million before Google's investment. The initial funds came from WI Harper and Morten Lund, while CRV invested $5 million in March 2006.
The web browsers market is controlled by Microsoft's Explorer software, which has recently been challenged by Firefox and other software.
