District-area investment firm applies keiretsu strategy

Filed under: WASHINGTON , Melissa Frederick , keiretsu
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Aug 23, 2007 3:00 AM (81 days ago) by Melissa Frederick, The Examiner
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Corporate talk of synergy and relationship-building can be found just about everywhere you go, but the Bethesda-based investment firm WashingtonVC’s work moves beyond catch phrases.

The company, which owns 12 different technology firms, most based in the D.C. area, operates according to the Japanese philosophy of keiretsu. This refers to interlocking business relationships, explained Michael Mann, WashingtonVC’s founder, meaning one firm might provide legal services to the entire group of companies, while another will help out with Web design.

X3O, a Rockville-based firm under WashingtonVC’s umbrella, has helped other firms owned by the company with technical training services. In exchange, they’ve received web application services from BrowserMedia, and search engine optimization from SEO.com

“At the end of the day, that’s how we make each other successful; it would cost twice as much to go outside our organization, and we’re not going to find the same level of capabilities in much cases,” said X3O President Michael Feldman.

Though most of WashingtonVC’s companies have a technological bent, they have different markets. For example, WashingtonVC owns HappyBirthday.com, which focuses on e-cards and other novelties, and TakeItOrLeaveIt, an online furniture warehouse.

WashingtonVC also has a special focus on charity. It manages a charity fund called Make Change! Trust, which focuses on technology-related philanthropy. Mann is also the founder of Grassroots.org, which provides free tech services to nonprofits.

“Our goal is to sign up 10,000 nonprofits and provide each $10,000 a year of free services,” Mann said. So far, the company has helped around 1,000 nonprofit organizations.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com