At its simplest, Maker Studios produces content channels for YouTube. But Maker Studios is more than just a multi-channel network. It aims to be the United Artists of the online video age. Like UA, Maker provides a means for talented artists to build their own reputations, this time through the power of Internet video channels. Currently under siege, multi-channel networks are said to be on their way out-no longer a way for artists or studios to make decent money.

SoundCloud has its roots in the techno scene of the mid-2000s. Its founders, fans of the eclectic world of electronica, were finding it difficult to create and share music online, and, like so many of technology’s great disruptive ideas, developed SoundCloud to ease their own problems. The site grew into a specialized audio service to a full web platform, with hosted audio channels that’s attracting big-name acts.

AlwaysOn is proud to announce its seventh annual OnHollywood 100, representing the top companies that are disrupting the establishment and creating viable business models for the digital entertainment marketplace. The AlwaysOn editorial team, along with partners in the venture capital and investment community and entertainment industry experts across the globe, went out into the entrepreneurial ecosystem to find the top 100 private companies in digital entertainment that are continuing to innovate an increasingly digital Hollywood and disrupt an entrenched legacy institution.

This year, the AlwaysOn editorial team has identified 50 digital entertainment companies to watch during the coming year. Representing a wide range of sectors—advertising, marketing, consumer services, gaming, mobile, and more—these up-and-comers have solid, early-stage backing and the potential to hit $200 million in revenue during the next few years, indicating substantial returns for their inventors and rapid revenue growth in the short-term.

The AlwaysOn Power Players in Digital Entertainment list honors the most influential people in the banking, venture capital, legal, and accounting world who support technology entrepreneurs that are bringing massive technology breakthroughs to the digital entertainment world. These individuals and their firms are the infrastructure workhorses behind the ideas that make the Global Siliconn Valley an incubator for success, creating strong companies that are building forward-thinking, indispensable products.

AlwaysOn is excited to announce the third annual OnMobile 100, representing the top companies that are disrupting the establishment and creating viable business models for the mobile marketplace. The AlwaysOn editorial team, along with partners in the venture capital and investment community and industry experts across the globe, went out into the entrepreneurial ecosystem to find the top 100 private companies in mobile that are bringing together countless devices and creating an entirely new technology paradigm.

The AlwaysOn Mobile Power Players list honors the most influential people in the banking, venture capital, legal, analytical, and accounting world who support the startup entrepreneurs who are bringing technology breakthroughs and disruption to the mobile and wireless world. These individuals and their firms are the infrastructure workhorses behind the ideas that make the Global Silicon Valley an incubator for success, creating strong companies that are building forward-thinking, indispensable products.

The companies represented in this year’s 11th annual AlwaysOn Global 250 are opening up a new era in worldwide innovation that’s not only changing the way people live, it’s bringing a bright, new vision to the business world. Thousands of new ideas are making their mark in the Global Silicon Valley, thanks to an expanding venture economy and a wide range of options available to entrepreneurs with the tenacity to take their idea from concept to market.

Welcome to the fourth annual OnMobile! This year, ROADURON is streaming the event live from the Fox Theatre in Redwood City, CA. You can view our webcast coverage of the OnMobile main stage during our exciting event beginning today at 11:30am (PDT).

This year, we’re welcoming a group of exciting innovation technology CEOs, founder, entrepreneurs, and venture captialists to speak at the event, including an amazing kick-off panel “The Workplace of the Future.” Ten venture capitalists and mobile app CEOs will debate three key areas of change likely to evolve in the enterprise environment.

As the public cloud evolves to address more enterprise IT operating requirements it will have to evolve into being a strategic part of a hybrid cloud operating model. Enterprises will demand agility and control for the vast majority of their critical apps, and that is where the cloud opportunity is greatest.

The ability to leverage the cloud when and where needed with minimal constraints and maximum control is perhaps the most disruptive IT capability to be unleashed since the dawn of the PC era.

Over the years, universities, government agencies, hospitals and alike have developed massive amounts of IP aimed research, defense, medicine, among other areas, without specifically targeting commercial purposes. Over time, some of this IP has made it to market helping create new products and industries. Many of the technologies and innovations we take granted today came from such research. And many more should.

There has been a trend over the past several years to proactively commercialize, monetize, and otherwise create companies using this IP. Results have been mixed. The policy of most such institutions ensures that the ideas, discoveries, and technologies arising from such research are used in the best interest of that institution. And that is short-term thinking.

We are delighted to announce that our GSV X Fund recently closed the books on a three-year track record of +57.2% (net of 2% and 20% fees) that we are very proud of (vs. the S&P 500 being up +50.7% during the same period). The GSV X Fund is a long/short hedge fund that makes public equity investments in many of the same businesses we highlight in A 2 Apple every week. Learn more about investing in the GSV X Fund.

The AlwaysOn X Fund portfolio advanced 0.9% last week, the NASDAQ was up 0.7%, and the S&P 500 was down -0.1%. Year to date, the AO X Fund is up 68.6%, the NASDAQ is up 26.1%, and the S&P 500 is up 18.5%.

Evernote is an application that lets users capture, store, organize, and find information across multiple platforms. The “capture” experience is as wide as a user can make it, allowing for anything from actual note-taking, to clipping web pages, to creating task lists, to taking photos, to recording audio. The service also provides OCR on any printed or handwritten text, including text embedded in images. The Evernote app syncs up all the disparate data in its web service, then makes it available to clients, whether they’re using a desktop web portal or wireless platform.

Lyft is a ride-sharing application that was created as a spinoff from founders Logan Green and John Zimmer’s Zimride, a service for between-city trips. The service is designed to enable local ride-sharing within cities and urban regions. Passengers simply sign up for Lyft and download the app onto their mobile device. When they want a ride, the app pairs the passenger with an available driver.

Drivers sign up with Lyft and complete a phone interview, in-person interview, background, and DMV check. Additional requirements include sufficient insurance, a minimum age, and a newer car in good working order. An emphasis is placed on fun, friendly people interested in a community experience.

The AlwaysOn X Fund portfolio advanced 0.8% last week, the NASDAQ was up 0.2%, and the S&P 500 was down -1.1%. Year to date, the AO X Fund is up 67.2%, the NASDAQ is up 25.2%, and the S&P 500 is up 18.6%.

Google quietly unveiled a new search algorithm—Google Hummingbird—to drive as much as 90% of all search queries on its network. The new algorithm will especially improve complex search questions—something that is becoming a necessity in the modern Internet age. For the week, GOOG dropped 3.0%.

In my last post I pointed out that many of the media commentators who have criticized the YouTube video network companies as not having strong businesses were mistaken.

The main thrust of the post is that with YouTube taking a 45% of revenue and talent taking 70% of the remaining revenue, YouTube Networks didn’t have sustainable businesses unless they invested heavily in technology as a tool to increase margin and provide defensibility.

This post looks at how the best in industry are moving well beyond the 16.5% margin range to more sustainable 50-60% margin businesses.

When I wrote Four Steps to the Epiphany and the Startup Owners Manual, I believed that Life Sciences startups didn’t need Customer Discovery. Heck how hard could it be? You invent a cure for cancer and then figure out where to put the bags of money. (In fact, for oncology, with a successful clinical trial, this is the case.)

But I’ve learned that’s not how it really works. For the last two and a half years, we’ve taught hundreds of teams how to commercialize their science with a version of the Lean LaunchPad class called the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps. Quite a few of the teams were building biotech, devices or digital health products. What we found is that during the class almost all of them pivoted – making substantive changes to one or more of their business model canvas components.

Runway is the amount of time you have until you run out of cash. Or until you raise another round. Or until you can get the business self sustaining/profitable. Runway is survival. And so everyone in the startup world is obsessed about runway.

And yet, if you wanted to make your runway as long as possible you would raise as much cash as you could and/or you would keep your expenses as low as possible. I have seen teams do both and you know what? Neither works too well.

The big news in the tech world this morning is that Microsoft has bought Nokia’s devices division for $7.2bn or $7.7bn, depending on who you believe. Either way it is a lot of money and these are two iconic brands that dominated the tech landscape in the 1990s. Sadly both have been in decline since then and both need to do something exciting if they are to revive their fortunes. This deal isn’t it.

The AlwaysOn X Fund portfolio advanced 3.7% last week, the NASDAQ was up 1.4%, and the S&P 500 was up 1.3%. Year to date, the AO X Fund is up 65.8%, the NASDAQ is up 25.5%, and the S&P 500 is up 20.8%.

Electric car maker Tesla continues to be on the roll. CEO Elon Musk tweeted he is looking to hire top engineers to work on developing an autopilot system for the Tesla S, which analysts expect to be on the market in two to three years. TSLA shares surged 10.8% for the week and are up 441% in 2013.