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Jingle Networks Dials Up Venture Financing Following Rapid Growth of Its 1-800-FREE411 Service First Free Nationwide Consumer Telephone Directory Assistance Service Raises Series A Funding from Leading Investors

December 7, 2005 – Boston, Mass. and San Francisco, Calif. Jingle Networks, Inc., operator of 1-800-FREE411, the first free nationwide consumer telephone directory assistance service, today announced that it has closed it’s first round of equity financing. The Series A funding was provided by First Round Capital, IDG Ventures, Liberty Associated Partners and Lead Dog Ventures. As part of the funding, Josh Kopelman, managing director of First Round Capital, has joined the Company as Chairman; David J. Berkman, managing partner of Liberty Associated Partners, and Chip Hazard, general partner of IDG Ventures, have joined the Company’s Board of Directors. John Landry, managing director of Lead Dog Ventures has joined the Company’s Board of Advisors.

The 1-800-FREE411 service from Jingle Networks, Inc. revolutionizes the 411 directory assistance marketplace by offering consumers a free alternative to the high cost service provided by traditional carriers. The service is supported by advertising sponsorships from national and local merchants. In less than six weeks of availability, 1-800-FREE411 has already received hundreds of thousands of calls from nearly every state in the country, saving consumers an average of $1.25 per call. The service has also attracted nearly 40,000 merchants who have been able to cost effectively acquire new customers over the phone with little or no risk.

“When consumers are faced with choosing between getting directory assistance for free or paying $1.25, their decision will be an obvious one,” said Kopelman. “With over 6 billion directory assistance calls made each year, we believe that Jingle Networks has the opportunity to reinvent an industry.”

“We’re thrilled to join in the dramatic expansion of the 1-800-FREE411 service. We believe the company is well positioned to fundamentally alter the existing $8 billion per year 411 marketplace,” said David Berkman of Liberty. “They’ve achieved significant adoption in a short period of time, consumers clearly love the service and advertisers are enthusiastically leveraging this new form of marketing. Our capital and support will help them further accelerate their leadership position in the marketplace.”

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Scott and his team at Jingle Networks,” said Chip Hazard of IDG Ventures. “Having made investments in companies that Scott has founded in the past, I know the value and talent he brings to the company and look forward to helping the company re-define how companies and consumers connect to one another.”

“To have the support of IDG Ventures and Liberty as well as the experience and guidance of successful entrepreneurs like Josh Kopelman and John Landry open many doors for our company, enabling significant strategic relationships and opportunities,” said Scott Kliger, CEO & founder of Jingle Networks, Inc.

The proceeds of this round of equity financing will be used to fund a nationwide marketing campaign, further expand the team and fund ongoing operations as the business continues to grow.


About First Round Capital
First Round Capital is an early stage venture capital firm managed by Josh Kopelman, founder of Half.com and Howard Morgan, a founder of Idealab. First Round Capital provides seed-stage investment for innovative technology companies, often providing a company’s first outside capital. As former entrepreneurs, the principals understand the challenges of launching a new enterprise and look to take an active role in portfolio companies.

About IDG Ventures
IDG Ventures Boston is a leading venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage information and healthcare technology companies. With $280 million under management, the firm is an independent partnership making investments on behalf of its limited partners. The fund is affiliated with IDG Ventures, a global $1 billion network of funds spanning Asia, Europe and North America. International Data Group, the world’s largest IT media, research, and event company, is the flagship limited partner for IDG Ventures Boston. Through the IDG global network, IDG Ventures Boston is able to uniquely add value to its portfolio companies by facilitating revenue acceleration and global expansion and establishing relationships with key strategic partners. For more information, visit www.idgventures.com.

About Liberty Associated Partners
Liberty Associated Partners, LP is a private investment partnership focusing on investments in communications, media, Internet and related technology companies. Liberty Associated is managed by Associated Group, LLC, whose principals have extensive experience investing in, advising and operating emerging and established companies in numerous industries, including cable, local telecommunications, power line communications, Internet, radio and wireless communications and wireless location systems.

About Lead Dog Ventures
With 30 years of experience building world class software and software companies, John Landry manages Lead Dog Ventures, a disruptive new-age business accelerator, providing emerging technology enterprises access to a well-developed network of intellectual, relationship and financial capital. Landry has been the senior technology executive at Lotus Development, Dun & Bradstreet, Cullinet Software, Distribution Management Systems and McCormack & Dodge Corporation and was VP of Technology Strategy at IBM credited with creating the IBM’s e-Business strategy.

About Jingle Networks & 1-800-FREE411Jingle Networks, operator of the nation’s leading ad-supported directory assistance service 1-800-FREE411, has significantly changed the directory assistance market by giving consumers an anytime, anywhere source of free information on the phone. 1-800-FREE411 is for anyone who owns a phone and needs information but is dissatisfied with the high cost of directory assistance. Jingle Networks has changed the industry by creating an exciting new media channel through 1-800-FREE411. With nearly 130 million annual calls, 1-800-FREE411 offers advertisers highly targeted and timely promotional opportunities to reach a large but targeted customer base who are ready-to-buy, garnering a response rate twice that of other direct response media. For more information, visit: www.free411.com.

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Deann Mayeda
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