The deadline to submit your application to be a part of the next i/o ventures startup program is Monday, January, 16th.

San Francisco-based i/o ventures is an early stage startup program that focuses heavily on mentorship. They work closely with founders from product launch through the next stage of company development, sharing what has proven to work for product scaling, revenue growth and fund raising.

They’re a great team so we recommend you check them out.

Been thinking about getting your hands on that brand-spanking new Nintendo DSi that’s shipping this weekend ?  Or how about replacing that fridge that keeps fritzing?  Is it time to get a new bling watch?  If you’ve got the patience and smarts to do a bit of homework and build your strategy, you could well land an incredible deal on brand-name, brand-new consumer goods at an average of 65% off MSRP at Swoopo.  And while you score on Swoopo, Swoopo has scored funding with venerable August Capital, the venture capital firm behind such behemoths as Microsoft, Intuit, Seagate, Sun and Symantec.

Related articles:

• August’s $10 million swoop on auction site (Financial Times)
• VCs pump money into eBay rivals like Swoopo (PaidContent)
• Swoopo raises $10 million more for “entertainment shopping” (VentureBeat)
• Swoopo wins new funding for auction site (Dow Jones VentureWire)
• Swoopo raises new round from August Capital (Vator.tv)