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AOL (s aol), the New York-based media company that is the corporate parent of The Huffington Post and TechCrunch, is looking to spin out CrunchBase, the Techcrunch-owned database of technology companies and people that has become a useful resource for the technology business.

I had heard about the possibility of AOL spinning out the CrunchBase earlier this summer and lately talks have reached an advanced stage. Many of the folks who are working on the data offering are likely to be part of the spun-out operation. There is no denying that CrunchBase could benefit from more resources, but I believe that the asset is more valuable as part of the technology blog.

“It seems like an interesting idea as long as TechCrunch stays involved,” said Eric Eldon, co-editor of Techcrunch. Eldon has been a big proponent of developing data-driven editorial products, and he viewed CrunchBase as a crucial part of the Techcrunch strategy.