One of the best ISVs I saw at the World Mobile Congress is a cool startup called Vyond. This Israeli startup creates mobile virtual world experiences on the mobile phone. The company has a platform which can allow users to create avatars, virtual communities, play games, purchase mobile content and enable social networking within a 3D environment. This company is one of the first startups I have seen to introduce Second Life experiences in the mobile world. The company white labels its technology through partners and unlocks the true potential of next generation handsets. "End users and consumers will benefit from the ever evolving immersive 3-D environment containing a suite of entertainment and social networking features" the company says on its website.
The company is trying to target content partners looking for new and innovative ways to introduce their content, in this case via mobile virtual worlds. Their platform also has the capability for the purchase and distribution of different types of mobile content including ringtones, wallpaper, games and more. They are also looking to attract advertisers offering them two options:
- Ad Placement – allowing advertisers to place ads in designated areas including billboards, posters etc
- Sponsorship – an advertiser could choose to sponsor a specific region, enabling the placement of virtual products in that region and customize the overall appearance of that area.
How it works:
The companies has a small footprint, cross platform application that resides on the handset that when loaded connects to a server firm which downloads the appropriate content per region. The application can be distributed in various formats including WAP, SMS etc.
Check them out at http://www.vyond.com
Company Facts
Management Team – Adi Ashkenazy CEO & Founder, Amir Tertman, VP of Business Development
Location – Nes Ziona, Israel
Investors – Jerusalem Capital
