Startups.co.uk chose Blue Dot as one of their top 20 start-ups of 2011. Here’s what they had to say…

“For many businesses last year growth had been hit by the economic permafrost, but that hasn’t stopped a number of green shoots from pushing through. The economic conditions have proved to be a catalyst for many innovative new start-ups – after all, the best business ideas tend to provide a solution to a problem.

As Startups introduces our 20 best UK start-ups of 2011, we acknowledge the tenacity, creativity and resilience of these entrepreneurs, many of whom are not only employing good business models but are also giving back, putting responsible trading at their core.

From graduate entrepreneurs to high-flying execs abandoning job security to go it alone, the start-up founders of 2011 displayed great courage, vision and determination – and for this we salute them.”

Check out the Blue Dot feature here.

Blue Dot founder, Chris Ward was also interviewed by startups too and we thank them for choosing us as one of their top businesses. Roll on 2012!

Top artists including Coldplay, Snow Patrol and One Direction all recorded exclusive performances in November last year in aid of Children of Need.  

The stars recorded live backstage performances exclusively for Blue Dot users to get when they donate £5 or more to BBC’s Children In Need. By donating just £5 to help children across the UK, music lovers, fans, and those wishing to help a good cause, then received their Blue Dots which they used to give them full access to all 10 of these very special recordings by the bands, perfored behind their locked dressing room doors…

This helped contribute to Children in Need raising their biggest every amount of over 26million pounds! And there’s still time to help them raise even more and get access to the videos…

The ten performances include:
- JLS performing an acapella version of ‘She Makes Me Wanna’
- An acoustic rendition of ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ from One Direction 
- Gary & Nathan from Snow Patrol with a soulful performance of ‘Lifening’
- A unique and amazing band performance of ‘Us Against The World’ from Coldplay
- Westlife performing an acapella version of ‘What About Now’
- The Saturday’s performing a unique acoustic version of ‘All Fired Up’
- Guy & Craig from Elbow performing ‘The River’
- Rizzle Kicks playing a cover version of ‘What a Day for a Daydream’
- James Morrison performing a unique cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Knocks Me Off My Feet’

Fans can view sneak previews of the Children in Need videos on the Blue Dot Facebook page and get extra Blue Dots by ‘liking’ Pudsey and BlueDotWorld’s Facebook pages too.

There’s still time to help Children in Need and get access to these great exclusive performances as well as other great offers and competitions too. Once you have these performances you will be able to view them as many times as you like and they will stay in your personalised vip content area on Blue Dot long after they are no longer available to get online.

The videos will not be available much longer so if you want them go get them now at http://bluedotworld.com/pudsey