Digital Dealmakerstag:www.tvweek.com,2009://412009-05-26T03:47:58ZMovable Type 3.33Michael Wayne, Co-Founder and CEO of DECAtag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.537662009-05-26T03:30:00Z2009-05-26T03:47:58ZThe player: Michael Wayne, co-founder and CEO of digital studio DECA. The play: DECA is a digital studio that funds, markets and distributes digital shows. The company makes money via advertising support for its shows. The pitch: DECA’s focus is...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Michael Wayne, co-founder and CEO of digital studio DECA.
The play: DECA is a digital studio that funds, markets and distributes digital shows. The company makes money via advertising support for its shows.
The pitch: DECA’s focus is on nurturing talent and personalities who are unique to the Web, Mr. Wayne said. In addition, DECA aims to bring brands early on into Web-centric content that they feel comfortable sponsoring. The company’s projects include Momversation, http://momversation.com Project Lore http://projectlore.com and Smosh. http://smosh.com These all have a Web ethos but are also brand-safe for many advertisers, Mr. Wayne said. DECA has stuck deals with brands including Activision, Bank of America, Blizzard, Falcon Northwest, IBM, Target, Verizon and Visa.
In the mix: DECA competes with other digital studios including Agility, Moderati, Next New Networks and Revision3.
The money guys: Founded in 2007, DECA is funded by Mayfield Fund, General Catalyst, Rustic Canyon and Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis. DECA closed a $15 million round of financing late last year.
The pros: Deca has carved out a handful of online niches already with mommy bloggers, online gamers and YouTube stars.
The cons: Like most digital studios, DECA is banking on advertisers making commitments to Web video during a time when they are reluctant to spend money.
Background: Mr. Wayne received his bachelor of arts in English literature from the University of the South. He previously worked as VP of strategic alliances for Sony Pictures Digital and Sony Pictures Television and also worked at Launch Media.
]]>
Yaniv Axen, Co-Founder of SundaySkytag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.535142009-05-18T04:00:00Z2009-05-18T04:18:03ZThe player: Yaniv Axen, co-founder of SundaySky, an online video technology firm that converts information on e-commerce sites into online videos for those sites. The play: SundaySky automates video production because its software takes existing text and visual content on...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Yaniv Axen, co-founder of SundaySky, an online video technology firm that converts information on e-commerce sites into online videos for those sites.
The play: SundaySky automates video production because its software takes existing text and visual content on a site and turns that material into videos. “Take an e-commerce site and it has all its production in an inventory with product images and prices and everything is structured. We can turn that into a video showcase,” Mr. Axen said.
The pitch: SundaySky is betting that its technology will appeal to larger e-commerce sites such as CNET, Amazon, Overstock and Walmart that want to automatically turn their content into videos. It’s a low-maintenance solution to add lots of video to a site, Mr. Axen explained.
In the mix: After its founding in Israel, SundaySky recently opened its New York office. The company signed a deal with a sport league as one of its first clients. SundaySky competes broadly with videographers and internal production teams at media companies and sites that might create their own videos.
The money guys: Mr. Axen founded the company two years ago with CEO Shmulik Weller and has raised $8 million in venture funding from Carmel Ventures and GlobeSpan Capital. Rather than charge a license fee, SundaySky makes money via a share of advertising revenue or transactions generated from the technology.
The pros: SundaySky’s technology creates video on the fly. “If you want to change 3,000 videos on a daily basis, we can do that,” Mr. Axen said.
The cons: A business model that relies on a share of ad revenue faces challenges in tough economic times, especially with so many other companies also looking to survive on a cut.
Background: Mr. Axen earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s in business administration from Tel Aviv University. He spent five years in the Israeli Defense Forces, then began working at tech startups. He also worked at technology firm Phillips before starting SundaySky.
]]>
Victor Bergonzoli, CEO of Dartfishtag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.533062009-05-11T04:00:00Z2009-05-11T04:00:15ZThe player: Victor Bergonzoli, CEO of Dartfish, a digital video software company focusing on sports. The play: Dartfish recently launched Dartfish.tv, an online video technology platform geared toward sports applications. Dartfish’s software is designed to enhance digital video content with...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Victor Bergonzoli, CEO of Dartfish, a digital video software company focusing on sports.
The play: Dartfish recently launched Dartfish.tv, an online video technology platform geared toward sports applications. Dartfish’s software is designed to enhance digital video content with additional features such as tags, drawings or even audio comments.
The pitch: After working in the television broadcast world for a decade, Dartfish is pushing into the online video business, Mr. Bergonzoli said. “The opportunity applies to a very large market, covering the space between the YouTube ‘generic’ social media type of application and high-budget professional production,” he said. “Between the high-profile content for large audiences, like the Olympics, and mass user-generated content, like YouTube, there is a full range of needs related to people who want to create video content and monetize it. The need is to provide a solution that matches the costs of production and diffusion with the size of the audience.” He added that at the last Olympics, 40% of the medal-winning athletes were Dartfish users.
In the mix: Broadcast users include ESPN and ABC as well as other sports leagues and federations. Since its launch in October, Dartfish.tv has worked online with World Taekwondo TV and helped produce private videos for Major League Baseball teams for scouting and player development. The company competes with XOS Technologies.
The money guys: Founded in 1999, Dartfish has gone through several rounds of funding. In November 2007, the company received a new $3 million investment from private investors for the rollout of Dartfish.tv.
The pros: Dartfish has a strong relationship with the Olympics. Mr. Bergonzoli said 90% of the United States’ Olympic teams are Dartfish users.
The cons: As video production becomes easier, Dartfish faces competition from do-it-yourself platforms like YouTube and Daily Motion.
Background: Mr. Bergonzoli earned a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Lausanne. He worked at Credit Suisse, Swisscom and Sterling Cellular of India before co-founding Dartfish in 2001. He speaks five languages and has served in the Swiss Army.
]]>
Scott Ehrlich, CEO of Agility Studiostag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.530552009-05-04T03:30:00Z2009-05-04T03:39:15ZThe player: Scott Ehrlich, CEO of Agility Studios, a digital production studio. The play: Agility Studios positions itself as a boutique shop for the development, production, management, distribution and sale of media properties that can be scaled from the Web...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Scott Ehrlich, CEO of Agility Studios, a digital production studio.
The play: Agility Studios positions itself as a boutique shop for the development, production, management, distribution and sale of media properties that can be scaled from the Web to TV to film and other mediums. Projects include the company’s “The Legion for Extraordinary Dancers,” produced in partnership with film director John Chu. Puma is on board as the sponsor for the show, which will include Web, mobile phone, TV and live event extensions when rollout starts later this quarter.
The pitch: Mr. Ehrlich describes Agility as a pure studio. “We don’t compete with our distribution partners for traffic or revenue. Our focus is on scalable ideas that can become formats or franchises,” he said. Agility looks for digital media properties it can turn into viable businesses by finding ways to extend a property across mediums such as the Internet, live events, wireless, instructional video, film, television, licensing and merchandising.
In the mix: Agility Studios competes with a range of digital, traditional and multimedia production shops such as Generate, Deca, 60 Frames, Next New Networks, Moderati and Electric Farm Entertainment.
The money guys: The company is privately financed.
The pros: Members of the company’s management team have worked at Fox, NBC, Disney, AOL, Mark Burnett Productions, FremantleMedia and WPP.
The cons: Advertising money is tough to come by in this recessionary environment, especially for new-media ventures.
Background: Agility was founded by Scott Ehrlich, Keith Quinn and Larry Tanz. Mr. Ehrlich’s background includes time at News Corp., overseeing Fox.com, FoxNews.com, FoxSports.com and TVGuide.com. He also worked at Rivals.com and Real Networks before consulting on video and distribution strategies for companies including ABC, Sony and Weather Channel.
]]>
Anthony Bontrager, President of 1Casttag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.527692009-04-27T03:30:00Z2009-04-27T03:37:12ZThe player: Anthony Bontrager, president of 1Cast, an online video news aggregation service. The play: Tapping into the growing online news aggregation trend, 1Cast is working with news outlets to serve up their video reports in a targeted fashion on...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Anthony Bontrager, president of 1Cast, an online video news aggregation service.
The play: Tapping into the growing online news aggregation trend, 1Cast is working with news outlets to serve up their video reports in a targeted fashion on the Web. The 1Cast service lets users select news stories of personal interest to follow and then creates a video playlist that is updated throughout the day. “You don’t have to go clip by clip,” Mr. Bontrager explained. “You can just let it play or you can lean forward and see the first few or link to the others.” The site launched last year and will emerge from its beta test in the third quarter of 2009. 1Cast makes money by selling ads against the videos it delivers. The company splits ad revenue with its programming providers. Advertisers using 1Cast include Infiniti, Visa, Chili’s, Woolite and Lysol. Marketers can target by demographic, and the site is earning CPMs in the high double digits, Mr. Bontrager said.
The pitch: While RSS feeds, Google News Alerts and social media services are popular ways to find news, Mr. Bontrager is aiming to be the one-stop source for curating video reports online. He’s also betting on 1Cast’s three-screen approach–consumers can access the service online, on mobile phones like the iPhone and Google Android and on TV sets by year-end.
In the mix: 1Cast competes with popular online news sites like CNN.com, ABCNews.com and FoxNews.com, as well as news aggregation services like Google News. 1Cast news providers include CNBC, Reuters, BBC, Bloomberg, Associated Press, Dow Jones and others.
The money guys: Wireless pioneer Craig McCaw’s Eagle River Holdings has invested an undisclosed amount of money in 1Cast.
The pros: The service so far is posting high engagement numbers. Mr. Bontrager said 1Cast app users on mobile phones are accessing the service about five times a day and spending eight to 10 minutes per visit.
The cons: Building usage of the service is tough, especially in a crowded news environment.
Background: Mr. Bontrager earned a degree in business administration and finance from Seattle University. He previously worked at IPTV company Broadstream Communications, where he made deals with media companies including NBC Universal, Disney, Starz and Discovery. He also worked for a division of Fisher Communications.
]]>
Marc Ostrick, CEO and Co-Founder of eGuiders.comtag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.524932009-04-20T04:00:00Z2009-04-20T04:22:03ZThe player: Marc Ostrick, CEO and co-founder of eGuiders.com, an online video guide. The play: eGuiders relies on Web “tastemakers” to guide people to the best of online video programming. The site includes video guides, categories of video, links and...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Marc Ostrick, CEO and co-founder of eGuiders.com, an online video guide.
The play: eGuiders relies on Web “tastemakers” to guide people to the best of online video programming. The site includes video guides, categories of video, links and playlists to a range of Web programming, such as viral videos, original Web series and network shows online. “A lot of times it’s hard for people to find this stuff online, so we are the guide for all the network shows and what they are doing, as well as other content,” Mr. Ostrick said. The site is ad-supported and Mr. Ostrick also is striking deals with syndicators to carry its listings.
The pitch: Mr. Ostrick said the competitive differentiator for eGuiders.com lies in the editorial picks. “It’s sort of like the staff picks on the DVD store,” he said. Some of the “tastemakers” on the site include actor Jerry Stiller, TV producer Damon Lindelof, NPR’s Margo Adler and Alex Albrecht of Web show “Diggnation.” “Think of us as the arbiters of quality video content on the Web,” he said.
In the mix: eGuiders competes with a range of online guides, including Tilzy.tv, TubeFilter.tv, TVGuide.com and OVGuide.com. The site launched Feb. 17 and earned about 130,000 unique visitors in its first month. When eGuiders.com reaches 500,000 unique visitors, Mr. Ostrick will start pitching advertising opportunities, he said.
The money guys: The company has raised $250,000 in private equity and has three employees.
The pros: As the number of videos viewed online each month swells past 14 billion, consumers increasingly are looking to editorial directories for guidance on what to watch. “There is a plethora of great content out there that hasn’t been found yet and given the attention it deserves,” he said.
The cons: The company’s biggest challenges are growing an audience and winning ad dollars during the recession.
Background: Prior to eGuiders, Mr. Ostrick worked as a TV producer and documentary filmmaker. He also worked as a new-media producer at HBO. He graduated from New York University. Mr. Ostrick’s eGuiders.com co-founder is Evangeline Morphos, a professor at Columbia School of the Arts and also a television producer.
Editor’s note: Daisy Whitney contributes playlists to Eguiders.com.
]]>
Nathan Coyle, Agent at Creative Artists Agencytag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.522862009-04-13T03:30:53Z2009-04-13T03:42:30ZThe player: Nathan Coyle, agent in the business development department at Creative Artists Agency. The play: Mr. Coyle represents CAA clients who develop and produce original digital content. He also operates as a matchmaker between creators and brands, some of...Sergio Ibarratvweek.com
The player: Nathan Coyle, agent in the business development department at Creative Artists Agency.
The play: Mr. Coyle represents CAA clients who develop and produce original digital content. He also operates as a matchmaker between creators and brands, some of which are also CAA clients. Last summer, Mr. Coyle helped broker a deal with Columbia Pictures to include movie posters from the studio’s films “Pineapple Express,” “Step Brothers” and “The House Bunny” in Broadway Pictures’ Web series “The Line.” CAA makes money based on commissions.
The pitch: The talent agency brings its Hollywood and brand connections to bear for its digital clients, including pairing creators with corporate clients, Mr. Coyle said. CAA played a key role in landing sponsors for client Electric Farm Entertainment’s digital series “Gemini Division,” including Microsoft, Acura, UPS and Cisco, a CAA corporate client. Mr. Coyle also brought Neutrogena into the mix in a product integration deal in the “LonelyGirl15” Web series.
In the mix: CAA competes with ICM, Endeavor, William Morris, UTA and other talent agencies. Mr. Coyle’s clients include Electric Farm Entertainment, Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Media, Broadway Video, Alloy Entertainment and Cisco.
The money guys: CAA is a profitable sports and entertainment agency that makes money via standard agency fees.
The pros: “It’s an exciting time for artists who have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to create in this new and emerging media,” Mr. Coyle said.
The cons: Marketers are extremely risk-averse and their funding is key to most digital media ventures, Mr. Coyle said.
Background: Mr. Coyle earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wayne State University in Detroit. Before joining CAA, Mr. Coyle served as a lead strategist with Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve trend-forecasting firm and also worked at advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi.
]]>
Jon Vlassopulos, CEO of Moderatitag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.519742009-04-06T03:30:00Z2009-04-06T03:34:23ZThe player: Jon Vlassopulos, CEO of digital studio Moderati and general manager for North America for Bellrock Media, Moderati's parent company. The play: Moderati develops branded entertainment projects for digital media. It’s best known for the virtual Zippo lighter iPhone...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Jon Vlassopulos, CEO of digital studio Moderati and general manager for North America for Bellrock Media, Moderati's parent company.
The play: Moderati develops branded entertainment projects for digital media. It’s best known for the virtual Zippo lighter iPhone app, which has had more than 3 million downloads so far, and A&E’s “Paranormal State” iPhone app, which has generated more than 40,000 downloads, representing a high portion of the iPhone-using audience for the show, Mr. Vlassopulos said. “That has launched the broader business of engaging with brands and agencies and doing app development and branching back into television as well,” he said. Moderati makes money via agency fees, distribution fees and via a revenue share for applications.
The pitch: “We understand production, talent, the creative process, and our DNA is digital,” Mr. Vlassopulos said. The firm can produce all projects from start to finish and also can offer clients an entrée into the Japanese market, where its parent company is based.
In the mix: As a digital agency, Moderati competes with a broad range of companies, from big media agencies to boutique firms, as well as online-centric content studios like Hitviews, 60 Frames, Deca and others. Besides Zippo and A&E, Mr. Vlassopulos has worked with brands including Coca-Cola, Panasonic, Sony BMG, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, NBC and Ashton Kutcher’s original programming project “24 Hours at Sundance,” which received more than 1 million views.
The money guys: Moderati is a wholly owned division of Bellrock, a strategic venture between Yahimoto and Intel Capital.
The pros: Moderati has made an early mark in digital media with its successful iPhone apps and Mr. Vlassopulos has strong connections in the television business.
The cons: In addition to the agencies angling for a piece of brand budgets, Moderati faces competition from brands themselves creating new interactive applications and features on their own.
Background: Mr. Vlassopulos graduated from Durham University with a degree in Chinese, economics and Korean. He most recently was senior VP of digital media and branded entertainment at Endemol and led digital initiatives for shows including “Deal or No Deal.” He previously worked at AT&T Wireless. He currently serves on the board of the National Association of Television Program Executives.
]]>
Braxton Jarratt, CEO of Clearleaptag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.516622009-03-30T03:30:00Z2009-03-30T03:42:14ZThe player: Braxton Jarratt, CEO of Clearleap, an Atlanta-based technology firm. The play: The company’s Web-based technology brings online shows and national and local programming to cable operators and telcos to run on-air. Service providers can pick and choose programs...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Braxton Jarratt, CEO of Clearleap, an Atlanta-based technology firm.
The play: The company’s Web-based technology brings online shows and national and local programming to cable operators and telcos to run on-air. Service providers can pick and choose programs from Clearleap content partners to run on their video-on-demand tiers or on newly created linear channels. The company makes money by licensing its technology to service providers.
The pitch: The company is betting its Internet-television-in-reverse proposition will be a selling point for cable operators and telcos that need to fill their menus with content. “We make it easy and profitable to bring new kinds of content to all the different platforms like cable and telcos and over-the-top connected TVs,” Mr. Jarratt said. Clearleap also lets providers embed ads with its technology using drag-and-drop ad insertion tools that reduce the cost and time to insert ads, Mr. Jarratt said.
In the mix: Initial customers include a handful of cablers and telcos, though Mr. Jarratt declined to name them. Competitors include ActiveVideo, AppleTV and, to a lesser extent, companies like Roku and ZillionTV.
The money guys: Clearleap has raised more than $12 million in funding from Trinity Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank and Noro-Moseley.
The pros: Clearleap is one of the first companies to market with its Brightcove-for-TV offering.
The cons: Market demand for online programming and local content on TVs is unknown.
Background: Mr. Jarratt earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Dartmouth. Before founding Clearleap, he was a senior VP at Tandberg Television.
]]>
Matt Freeman, CEO of Betawave Corp.tag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.513602009-03-23T03:30:00Z2009-03-23T03:37:02ZThe player: Matt Freeman, CEO of Betawave Corp., a network of Web publishers in gaming, virtual worlds and social and entertainment categories targeting kids, moms and the 18-to-34 demographic. The play: Betawave connects mom-friendly and kid-friendly sites in its publishing...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Matt Freeman, CEO of Betawave Corp., a network of Web publishers in gaming, virtual worlds and social and entertainment categories targeting kids, moms and the 18-to-34 demographic.
The play: Betawave connects mom-friendly and kid-friendly sites in its publishing network with advertisers looking to reach their audiences. Betawave, which grew out of a company formerly known as GoFish, recently launched Betawave TV, focusing on selling brands into “family-friendly” syndicated Web programming. The company makes money on revenue-sharing against ads on sites in its portfolio, including Miniclip, Shutterfly, IMVU, Cartoon Doll Emporium, Minyanland, Hallpass, GameGecko and Meez.
The pitch: Rather than sell reach, Betawave sells based on engagement and consumer attention, Mr. Freeman said. The company boasts that its users spend an average of about 54 minutes in its network of sites each month. “Our theory is an impression is not an impression if it doesn’t make one,” he said.
In the mix: Competitors include a broad range of online ad networks such as Broadband Enterprises, Tremor Media and Brightroll. Betawave also competes with portals because of their ability to attract brand advertisers. Betawave’s portfolio of casual gaming, virtual world and entertainment publishers reaches 30 million users in the United States each month. Betawave is targeting Fortune 500 advertisers and has worked with Nintendo, Kellogg’s, Sears, Pepsi and others.
The money guys: Betawave raised $22.5 million in December from Panorama Capital, Rustic Canyon and Rembrandt Partners.
The pros: In its favor are strong engagement figures, a sought-after metric by advertisers.
The cons: Making money on revenue-sharing is tougher in this climate, with ad budgets shrinking.
Background: Mr. Freeman earned a bachelor’s degree in English and art history from Dartmouth College. He was the founder and CEO of Omnicom Group’s Tribal DDB Worldwide and ran that ad agency for a decade. He also has worked for MTV and taught high school English. He lives in New Jersey.
]]>
Bismarck Lepe, CEO of Ooyalatag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.511222009-03-16T03:50:00Z2009-03-16T03:51:29ZThe player: Bismarck Lepe, CEO of online video technology platform Ooyala in Mountain View, Calif. The name of the company means “cradle” in Telugu, a Southern Indian language. The play: Aiming to bring the best of Web services like a...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Bismarck Lepe, CEO of online video technology platform Ooyala in Mountain View, Calif. The name of the company means “cradle” in Telugu, a Southern Indian language.
The play: Aiming to bring the best of Web services like a Brightcove or TubeMogul under one roof, Ooyala offers a range of online video services including a video player, video delivery, syndication tools, interactivity, analytics, transcoding, encoding and content management. The company makes money via software and service fees.
The pitch: Ooyala users can upload more than a dozen kinds of file formats to the system, which then flips them into the proper format depending on the end use. The company is betting that its competitive edge lies in providing a full suite of services from start to finish for video producers and media companies.
In the mix: Ooyala faces competition from a broad swath of companies such as Brightcove, thePlatform and Digitalsmiths and measurement firms including TubeMogul and Visible Measures. Customers include Joost, AOL, TV Guide, Electronic Arts U.K. and National Geographic.
The money guys: Ooyala has raised $10 million in venture funding from Sierra Ventures and private investors.
Pros: While its competitors have been in business much longer, Mr. Lepe considers that an advantage: They’ve done the heavy lifting in building the market for online video services, he said.
Cons: Ooyala is late to market and competitors such as Brightcove have had five years to mine revenue from media companies.
Background: Ooyala launched the service in a beta test in late 2007, then commercially last summer. Mr. Lepe earned his bachelor’s degree at Stanford and most recently worked at Google as a senior product manager for AdSense.
]]>
Rob Lane, CEO and Co-Founder of Overlay.tvtag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.508362009-03-09T04:00:00Z2009-03-10T18:47:13ZThe player: Rob Lane, CEO and co founder of Overlay.tv, an online video technology provider based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The play: Overlay.tv creates tools that let online video creators add interactivity to their videos, such as animation, text, widgets...Sergio Ibarratvweek.com
The player: Rob Lane, CEO and co founder of Overlay.tv, an online video technology provider based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
The play: Overlay.tv creates tools that let online video creators add interactivity to their videos, such as animation, text, widgets and narration over the video. The company is best known for its work with the band Jonas Brothers, for whom Overlay.tv created tools that let fans online sing along with the band’s new single “Lovebug” and record themselves as they sing. Mr. Lane said 54% of people who visited Jonasbrothers.com during a monthlong period created their own karaoke video. “The majority of our business is all about getting people to engage more with the content,” he said. The services and platform are free; Overlay.tv charges a fee to partners who use its technology or white-label capabilities.
The pitch: Mr. Lane said Overlay.tv’s tools are sophisticated enough to allow for more graphics, animation and rich media than its competitors.
In the mix: As a provider of interactive Web video tools, Overlay.tv competes with big names such as Google and YouTube, which offer text animation for videos, and with smaller companies such as Veeple. Besides the Jonas Brothers, Overlay.tv’s customers include Disney, Nettwerk Records and Canadian media company Transcontinental.
The money guys: Overlay.tv has raised $7.7 million in two rounds of funding from investors Celtic House Ventures, Edgestone Capital Partners and Tech Capital Partners.
The pros: The engagement rate for Overlay.tv customers is high so far.
The cons: Overlay.tv is competing against big incumbents like YouTube and nimble startups like Veeple for a small piece of the online video market.
Background: Mr. Lane co-founded the company in 2007 with Tyler Cope and Nadav Zin. The beta service launched a year ago. Before co-founding Overlay.tv, Mr. Lane worked at Tropic Networks, Marconi and Fujitsu. He holds a master in business administration from Cranfield School of Management at Cranfield University in the U.K. He lives in Ottawa.
(Updated second paragraph to clarify Overlay.tv's fee structure)]]>
Sean Barger, CEO of Equilibriumtag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.505192009-03-02T03:30:00Z2009-03-02T03:42:03ZThe player: Sean Barger, CEO of San Francisco-based software company Equilibrium The play: Equilibrium works with major media and television companies such as AOL, Disney and Discovery to help them manage thousands of images and video assets that are often...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Sean Barger, CEO of San Francisco-based software company Equilibrium
The play: Equilibrium works with major media and television companies such as AOL, Disney and Discovery to help them manage thousands of images and video assets that are often repurposed for Web sites and mobile devices, Mr. Barger said. The company makes money by licensing its software to media companies and will also add a revenue-sharing component when it rolls out at the National Association of Broadcaster’s conference in April a tool that will let content owners insert targeted ads in real-time into mobile and Internet video.
The pitch: Creating content quickly for new mediums is essential in this tight economy, Mr. Barger said. “By being able to quickly repurpose, reconfigure, recode and dispatch content to Web sites and mobile devices, content owners can keep Web and mobile viewers coming back for more fresh entertaining content,” he said.
In the mix: Equilibrium competes with companies as diverse as Harris and Image Folio. Equilibrium’s latest product will compete with services like Freewheel that insert dynamic video ads into content. Equilibrium’s customers include AOL, Disney, Discovery Communications, Omnicom, Sony, Universal and others. Ad agencies use the software to manage ad campaigns for their clients running on TV and in print. TV networks use the software to help promote new shows with local station partners.
The money guys: Founded in 1989, Equilibrium relaunched in 2004 and has since raised $3.5 million in venture funding from Celartem. The company plans to raise an additional $10 million and expects to be profitable next year.
The pros: With video proliferating on the Web and mobile phones at a rapid rate, media companies need solutions to manage the videos.
The cons: Competition is stiff in the video asset management business.
Background: Mr. Barger spent more than 20 years in management, engineering and production in the software industry. He’s been with Equilibrium since 1989 and prior to that handled the $120 mullion public software distribution company. He lives in Marin County, Calif.
]]>
Edward Boddington, CEO of Harvest Mediatag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.501962009-02-23T04:00:00Z2009-02-23T04:01:01ZThe player: Edward Boddington, CEO of Harvest Media, the United Kingdom-based company that owns United States mobile media company Telescope. The play: Telescope manages mobile phone, landline and Web voting for some of television’s highest-profile competition shows, including Fox’s “American...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Edward Boddington, CEO of Harvest Media, the United Kingdom-based company that owns United States mobile media company Telescope.
The play: Telescope manages mobile phone, landline and Web voting for some of television’s highest-profile competition shows, including Fox’s “American Idol,” NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.” With the growth in mobile video in recent months, Telescope will be adding rich-media capabilities to also make money on mobile video services. Telescope generates income via fees and revenue shares based on the size of the campaigns it manages; it will add advertising-based revenue sharing in the future. Telescope has managed more than 3 billion votes cast via landlines and mobile phones for “American Idol.”
The pitch: Telescope distinguishes itself from competitors with its analysis, metrics and data, Mr. Boddington said. “We have very accurate counting and analysis and high-volume capabilities in a short amount of time,” he said.
In the mix: The company competes with a broad rage of mobile technology firms, including LiveVote, MobileStorm, GreyCell, Pollimath and others.
The money guys: Investors in holding company Harvest Media include executive management and venture firm Fleming Family & Partners, the literary rights-holder to the James Bond franchise. Harvest has been profitable since it started in 2003.
Pros: The company’s technology works across services and enables mobile voting, Web voting and voice-mail voting.
Cons: “You have to manage the business for the current time and remain profitable and also invest for the future,” Mr. Boddington said.
Background: Mr. Boddington earned a business degree from Nottingham University. Before starting Harvest, he worked at an independent marketing company and in interactive media. He lives in England with his wife, three children and his pet Dachshunds.
]]>
Seth Kenvin, CEO of Market7tag:www.tvweek.com,2009://41.498872009-02-16T04:00:00Z2009-02-16T04:01:37ZThe player: Seth Kenvin, CEO of Market7, which makes software that lets video creators collaborate on online video and television production projects. The play: Market7’s software allows video producers, show hosts, writers, directors, editors, attorneys and anyone else whose input...Vlada Gelmanhttp://www.tvweek.com
The player: Seth Kenvin, CEO of Market7, which makes software that lets video creators collaborate on online video and television production projects.
The play: Market7’s software allows video producers, show hosts, writers, directors, editors, attorneys and anyone else whose input is needed on a video to work together to manage the project. That includes reviewing footage, assigning tasks and sharing storyboards, Mr. Kenvin said. Market7 makes money on a monthly subscription fee for its Web browser-based software.
The pitch: The software is accessible via a browser and doesn’t require a download. Market7 lets multiple producers collaborate on video production. Some competing solutions do not support this degree of collaboration, Mr. Kenvin said.
In the mix: Market7 competes with software from Adobe and Apple. Market7 has been used by customers servicing a top-10 Web property, a major software vendor, broadcast and cable networks, major league sports teams, several large retailers and the video production shop Pixel Corps, Mr. Kenvin said.
The money guys: Mr. Kenvin has raised $1.4 million in funding from individual investors. The company is not actively pursing venture capital at the moment.
The pros: Video production needs are increasing, as both big brands and small businesses adopt Web video strategies. Also, Market7 is a lean company with only four full-time employees.
The cons: Market7 squares off against big competitors in Adobe and Apple.
Background: Mr. Kenvin earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Cornell and an MBA from Stanford. Most recently he was VP of strategic marketing and corporate development for BigBand Networks. Before that he was a principal of venture firm Cedar Funds. He lives in San Francisco.
]]>
The play: DECA is a digital studio that funds, markets and distributes digital shows. The company makes money via advertising support for its shows.
The pitch: DECA’s focus is on nurturing talent and personalities who are unique to the Web, Mr. Wayne said. In addition, DECA aims to bring brands early on into Web-centric content that they feel comfortable sponsoring. The company’s projects include Momversation, http://momversation.com Project Lore http://projectlore.com and Smosh. http://smosh.com These all have a Web ethos but are also brand-safe for many advertisers, Mr. Wayne said. DECA has stuck deals with brands including Activision, Bank of America, Blizzard, Falcon Northwest, IBM, Target, Verizon and Visa.
In the mix: DECA competes with other digital studios including Agility, Moderati, Next New Networks and Revision3.
The money guys: Founded in 2007, DECA is funded by Mayfield Fund, General Catalyst, Rustic Canyon and Skype founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis. DECA closed a $15 million round of financing late last year.
The pros: Deca has carved out a handful of online niches already with mommy bloggers, online gamers and YouTube stars.
The cons: Like most digital studios, DECA is banking on advertisers making commitments to Web video during a time when they are reluctant to spend money.
Background: Mr. Wayne received his bachelor of arts in English literature from the University of the South. He previously worked as VP of strategic alliances for Sony Pictures Digital and Sony Pictures Television and also worked at Launch Media.
]]>
The play: SundaySky automates video production because its software takes existing text and visual content on a site and turns that material into videos. “Take an e-commerce site and it has all its production in an inventory with product images and prices and everything is structured. We can turn that into a video showcase,” Mr. Axen said.
The pitch: SundaySky is betting that its technology will appeal to larger e-commerce sites such as CNET, Amazon, Overstock and Walmart that want to automatically turn their content into videos. It’s a low-maintenance solution to add lots of video to a site, Mr. Axen explained.
In the mix: After its founding in Israel, SundaySky recently opened its New York office. The company signed a deal with a sport league as one of its first clients. SundaySky competes broadly with videographers and internal production teams at media companies and sites that might create their own videos.
The money guys: Mr. Axen founded the company two years ago with CEO Shmulik Weller and has raised $8 million in venture funding from Carmel Ventures and GlobeSpan Capital. Rather than charge a license fee, SundaySky makes money via a share of advertising revenue or transactions generated from the technology.
The pros: SundaySky’s technology creates video on the fly. “If you want to change 3,000 videos on a daily basis, we can do that,” Mr. Axen said.
The cons: A business model that relies on a share of ad revenue faces challenges in tough economic times, especially with so many other companies also looking to survive on a cut.
Background: Mr. Axen earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a master’s in business administration from Tel Aviv University. He spent five years in the Israeli Defense Forces, then began working at tech startups. He also worked at technology firm Phillips before starting SundaySky.
]]>
The play: Dartfish recently launched Dartfish.tv, an online video technology platform geared toward sports applications. Dartfish’s software is designed to enhance digital video content with additional features such as tags, drawings or even audio comments.
The pitch: After working in the television broadcast world for a decade, Dartfish is pushing into the online video business, Mr. Bergonzoli said. “The opportunity applies to a very large market, covering the space between the YouTube ‘generic’ social media type of application and high-budget professional production,” he said. “Between the high-profile content for large audiences, like the Olympics, and mass user-generated content, like YouTube, there is a full range of needs related to people who want to create video content and monetize it. The need is to provide a solution that matches the costs of production and diffusion with the size of the audience.” He added that at the last Olympics, 40% of the medal-winning athletes were Dartfish users.
In the mix: Broadcast users include ESPN and ABC as well as other sports leagues and federations. Since its launch in October, Dartfish.tv has worked online with World Taekwondo TV and helped produce private videos for Major League Baseball teams for scouting and player development. The company competes with XOS Technologies.
The money guys: Founded in 1999, Dartfish has gone through several rounds of funding. In November 2007, the company received a new $3 million investment from private investors for the rollout of Dartfish.tv.
The pros: Dartfish has a strong relationship with the Olympics. Mr. Bergonzoli said 90% of the United States’ Olympic teams are Dartfish users.
The cons: As video production becomes easier, Dartfish faces competition from do-it-yourself platforms like YouTube and Daily Motion.
Background: Mr. Bergonzoli earned a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Lausanne. He worked at Credit Suisse, Swisscom and Sterling Cellular of India before co-founding Dartfish in 2001. He speaks five languages and has served in the Swiss Army.
]]>
The play: Agility Studios positions itself as a boutique shop for the development, production, management, distribution and sale of media properties that can be scaled from the Web to TV to film and other mediums. Projects include the company’s “The Legion for Extraordinary Dancers,” produced in partnership with film director John Chu. Puma is on board as the sponsor for the show, which will include Web, mobile phone, TV and live event extensions when rollout starts later this quarter.
The pitch: Mr. Ehrlich describes Agility as a pure studio. “We don’t compete with our distribution partners for traffic or revenue. Our focus is on scalable ideas that can become formats or franchises,” he said. Agility looks for digital media properties it can turn into viable businesses by finding ways to extend a property across mediums such as the Internet, live events, wireless, instructional video, film, television, licensing and merchandising.
In the mix: Agility Studios competes with a range of digital, traditional and multimedia production shops such as Generate, Deca, 60 Frames, Next New Networks, Moderati and Electric Farm Entertainment.
The money guys: The company is privately financed.
The pros: Members of the company’s management team have worked at Fox, NBC, Disney, AOL, Mark Burnett Productions, FremantleMedia and WPP.
The cons: Advertising money is tough to come by in this recessionary environment, especially for new-media ventures.
Background: Agility was founded by Scott Ehrlich, Keith Quinn and Larry Tanz. Mr. Ehrlich’s background includes time at News Corp., overseeing Fox.com, FoxNews.com, FoxSports.com and TVGuide.com. He also worked at Rivals.com and Real Networks before consulting on video and distribution strategies for companies including ABC, Sony and Weather Channel.
]]>
The play: Tapping into the growing online news aggregation trend, 1Cast is working with news outlets to serve up their video reports in a targeted fashion on the Web. The 1Cast service lets users select news stories of personal interest to follow and then creates a video playlist that is updated throughout the day. “You don’t have to go clip by clip,” Mr. Bontrager explained. “You can just let it play or you can lean forward and see the first few or link to the others.” The site launched last year and will emerge from its beta test in the third quarter of 2009. 1Cast makes money by selling ads against the videos it delivers. The company splits ad revenue with its programming providers. Advertisers using 1Cast include Infiniti, Visa, Chili’s, Woolite and Lysol. Marketers can target by demographic, and the site is earning CPMs in the high double digits, Mr. Bontrager said.
The pitch: While RSS feeds, Google News Alerts and social media services are popular ways to find news, Mr. Bontrager is aiming to be the one-stop source for curating video reports online. He’s also betting on 1Cast’s three-screen approach–consumers can access the service online, on mobile phones like the iPhone and Google Android and on TV sets by year-end.
In the mix: 1Cast competes with popular online news sites like CNN.com, ABCNews.com and FoxNews.com, as well as news aggregation services like Google News. 1Cast news providers include CNBC, Reuters, BBC, Bloomberg, Associated Press, Dow Jones and others.
The money guys: Wireless pioneer Craig McCaw’s Eagle River Holdings has invested an undisclosed amount of money in 1Cast.
The pros: The service so far is posting high engagement numbers. Mr. Bontrager said 1Cast app users on mobile phones are accessing the service about five times a day and spending eight to 10 minutes per visit.
The cons: Building usage of the service is tough, especially in a crowded news environment.
Background: Mr. Bontrager earned a degree in business administration and finance from Seattle University. He previously worked at IPTV company Broadstream Communications, where he made deals with media companies including NBC Universal, Disney, Starz and Discovery. He also worked for a division of Fisher Communications.
]]>
The play: eGuiders relies on Web “tastemakers” to guide people to the best of online video programming. The site includes video guides, categories of video, links and playlists to a range of Web programming, such as viral videos, original Web series and network shows online. “A lot of times it’s hard for people to find this stuff online, so we are the guide for all the network shows and what they are doing, as well as other content,” Mr. Ostrick said. The site is ad-supported and Mr. Ostrick also is striking deals with syndicators to carry its listings.
The pitch: Mr. Ostrick said the competitive differentiator for eGuiders.com lies in the editorial picks. “It’s sort of like the staff picks on the DVD store,” he said. Some of the “tastemakers” on the site include actor Jerry Stiller, TV producer Damon Lindelof, NPR’s Margo Adler and Alex Albrecht of Web show “Diggnation.” “Think of us as the arbiters of quality video content on the Web,” he said.
In the mix: eGuiders competes with a range of online guides, including Tilzy.tv, TubeFilter.tv, TVGuide.com and OVGuide.com. The site launched Feb. 17 and earned about 130,000 unique visitors in its first month. When eGuiders.com reaches 500,000 unique visitors, Mr. Ostrick will start pitching advertising opportunities, he said.
The money guys: The company has raised $250,000 in private equity and has three employees.
The pros: As the number of videos viewed online each month swells past 14 billion, consumers increasingly are looking to editorial directories for guidance on what to watch. “There is a plethora of great content out there that hasn’t been found yet and given the attention it deserves,” he said.
The cons: The company’s biggest challenges are growing an audience and winning ad dollars during the recession.
Background: Prior to eGuiders, Mr. Ostrick worked as a TV producer and documentary filmmaker. He also worked as a new-media producer at HBO. He graduated from New York University. Mr. Ostrick’s eGuiders.com co-founder is Evangeline Morphos, a professor at Columbia School of the Arts and also a television producer.
Editor’s note: Daisy Whitney contributes playlists to Eguiders.com.
]]>
The play: Mr. Coyle represents CAA clients who develop and produce original digital content. He also operates as a matchmaker between creators and brands, some of which are also CAA clients. Last summer, Mr. Coyle helped broker a deal with Columbia Pictures to include movie posters from the studio’s films “Pineapple Express,” “Step Brothers” and “The House Bunny” in Broadway Pictures’ Web series “The Line.” CAA makes money based on commissions.
The pitch: The talent agency brings its Hollywood and brand connections to bear for its digital clients, including pairing creators with corporate clients, Mr. Coyle said. CAA played a key role in landing sponsors for client Electric Farm Entertainment’s digital series “Gemini Division,” including Microsoft, Acura, UPS and Cisco, a CAA corporate client. Mr. Coyle also brought Neutrogena into the mix in a product integration deal in the “LonelyGirl15” Web series.
In the mix: CAA competes with ICM, Endeavor, William Morris, UTA and other talent agencies. Mr. Coyle’s clients include Electric Farm Entertainment, Ashton Kutcher’s Katalyst Media, Broadway Video, Alloy Entertainment and Cisco.
The money guys: CAA is a profitable sports and entertainment agency that makes money via standard agency fees.
The pros: “It’s an exciting time for artists who have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to create in this new and emerging media,” Mr. Coyle said.
The cons: Marketers are extremely risk-averse and their funding is key to most digital media ventures, Mr. Coyle said.
Background: Mr. Coyle earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wayne State University in Detroit. Before joining CAA, Mr. Coyle served as a lead strategist with Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve trend-forecasting firm and also worked at advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi.
]]>
The play: Moderati develops branded entertainment projects for digital media. It’s best known for the virtual Zippo lighter iPhone app, which has had more than 3 million downloads so far, and A&E’s “Paranormal State” iPhone app, which has generated more than 40,000 downloads, representing a high portion of the iPhone-using audience for the show, Mr. Vlassopulos said. “That has launched the broader business of engaging with brands and agencies and doing app development and branching back into television as well,” he said. Moderati makes money via agency fees, distribution fees and via a revenue share for applications.
The pitch: “We understand production, talent, the creative process, and our DNA is digital,” Mr. Vlassopulos said. The firm can produce all projects from start to finish and also can offer clients an entrée into the Japanese market, where its parent company is based.
In the mix: As a digital agency, Moderati competes with a broad range of companies, from big media agencies to boutique firms, as well as online-centric content studios like Hitviews, 60 Frames, Deca and others. Besides Zippo and A&E, Mr. Vlassopulos has worked with brands including Coca-Cola, Panasonic, Sony BMG, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, NBC and Ashton Kutcher’s original programming project “24 Hours at Sundance,” which received more than 1 million views.
The money guys: Moderati is a wholly owned division of Bellrock, a strategic venture between Yahimoto and Intel Capital.
The pros: Moderati has made an early mark in digital media with its successful iPhone apps and Mr. Vlassopulos has strong connections in the television business.
The cons: In addition to the agencies angling for a piece of brand budgets, Moderati faces competition from brands themselves creating new interactive applications and features on their own.
Background: Mr. Vlassopulos graduated from Durham University with a degree in Chinese, economics and Korean. He most recently was senior VP of digital media and branded entertainment at Endemol and led digital initiatives for shows including “Deal or No Deal.” He previously worked at AT&T Wireless. He currently serves on the board of the National Association of Television Program Executives.
]]>
The play: The company’s Web-based technology brings online shows and national and local programming to cable operators and telcos to run on-air. Service providers can pick and choose programs from Clearleap content partners to run on their video-on-demand tiers or on newly created linear channels. The company makes money by licensing its technology to service providers.
The pitch: The company is betting its Internet-television-in-reverse proposition will be a selling point for cable operators and telcos that need to fill their menus with content. “We make it easy and profitable to bring new kinds of content to all the different platforms like cable and telcos and over-the-top connected TVs,” Mr. Jarratt said. Clearleap also lets providers embed ads with its technology using drag-and-drop ad insertion tools that reduce the cost and time to insert ads, Mr. Jarratt said.
In the mix: Initial customers include a handful of cablers and telcos, though Mr. Jarratt declined to name them. Competitors include ActiveVideo, AppleTV and, to a lesser extent, companies like Roku and ZillionTV.
The money guys: Clearleap has raised more than $12 million in funding from Trinity Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank and Noro-Moseley.
The pros: Clearleap is one of the first companies to market with its Brightcove-for-TV offering.
The cons: Market demand for online programming and local content on TVs is unknown.
Background: Mr. Jarratt earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Dartmouth. Before founding Clearleap, he was a senior VP at Tandberg Television.
]]>
The play: Betawave connects mom-friendly and kid-friendly sites in its publishing network with advertisers looking to reach their audiences. Betawave, which grew out of a company formerly known as GoFish, recently launched Betawave TV, focusing on selling brands into “family-friendly” syndicated Web programming. The company makes money on revenue-sharing against ads on sites in its portfolio, including Miniclip, Shutterfly, IMVU, Cartoon Doll Emporium, Minyanland, Hallpass, GameGecko and Meez.
The pitch: Rather than sell reach, Betawave sells based on engagement and consumer attention, Mr. Freeman said. The company boasts that its users spend an average of about 54 minutes in its network of sites each month. “Our theory is an impression is not an impression if it doesn’t make one,” he said.
In the mix: Competitors include a broad range of online ad networks such as Broadband Enterprises, Tremor Media and Brightroll. Betawave also competes with portals because of their ability to attract brand advertisers. Betawave’s portfolio of casual gaming, virtual world and entertainment publishers reaches 30 million users in the United States each month. Betawave is targeting Fortune 500 advertisers and has worked with Nintendo, Kellogg’s, Sears, Pepsi and others.
The money guys: Betawave raised $22.5 million in December from Panorama Capital, Rustic Canyon and Rembrandt Partners.
The pros: In its favor are strong engagement figures, a sought-after metric by advertisers.
The cons: Making money on revenue-sharing is tougher in this climate, with ad budgets shrinking.
Background: Mr. Freeman earned a bachelor’s degree in English and art history from Dartmouth College. He was the founder and CEO of Omnicom Group’s Tribal DDB Worldwide and ran that ad agency for a decade. He also has worked for MTV and taught high school English. He lives in New Jersey.
]]>
The play: Aiming to bring the best of Web services like a Brightcove or TubeMogul under one roof, Ooyala offers a range of online video services including a video player, video delivery, syndication tools, interactivity, analytics, transcoding, encoding and content management. The company makes money via software and service fees.
The pitch: Ooyala users can upload more than a dozen kinds of file formats to the system, which then flips them into the proper format depending on the end use. The company is betting that its competitive edge lies in providing a full suite of services from start to finish for video producers and media companies.
In the mix: Ooyala faces competition from a broad swath of companies such as Brightcove, thePlatform and Digitalsmiths and measurement firms including TubeMogul and Visible Measures. Customers include Joost, AOL, TV Guide, Electronic Arts U.K. and National Geographic.
The money guys: Ooyala has raised $10 million in venture funding from Sierra Ventures and private investors.
Pros: While its competitors have been in business much longer, Mr. Lepe considers that an advantage: They’ve done the heavy lifting in building the market for online video services, he said.
Cons: Ooyala is late to market and competitors such as Brightcove have had five years to mine revenue from media companies.
Background: Ooyala launched the service in a beta test in late 2007, then commercially last summer. Mr. Lepe earned his bachelor’s degree at Stanford and most recently worked at Google as a senior product manager for AdSense.
]]>
The play: Overlay.tv creates tools that let online video creators add interactivity to their videos, such as animation, text, widgets and narration over the video. The company is best known for its work with the band Jonas Brothers, for whom Overlay.tv created tools that let fans online sing along with the band’s new single “Lovebug” and record themselves as they sing. Mr. Lane said 54% of people who visited Jonasbrothers.com during a monthlong period created their own karaoke video. “The majority of our business is all about getting people to engage more with the content,” he said. The services and platform are free; Overlay.tv charges a fee to partners who use its technology or white-label capabilities.
The pitch: Mr. Lane said Overlay.tv’s tools are sophisticated enough to allow for more graphics, animation and rich media than its competitors.
In the mix: As a provider of interactive Web video tools, Overlay.tv competes with big names such as Google and YouTube, which offer text animation for videos, and with smaller companies such as Veeple. Besides the Jonas Brothers, Overlay.tv’s customers include Disney, Nettwerk Records and Canadian media company Transcontinental.
The money guys: Overlay.tv has raised $7.7 million in two rounds of funding from investors Celtic House Ventures, Edgestone Capital Partners and Tech Capital Partners.
The pros: The engagement rate for Overlay.tv customers is high so far.
The cons: Overlay.tv is competing against big incumbents like YouTube and nimble startups like Veeple for a small piece of the online video market.
Background: Mr. Lane co-founded the company in 2007 with Tyler Cope and Nadav Zin. The beta service launched a year ago. Before co-founding Overlay.tv, Mr. Lane worked at Tropic Networks, Marconi and Fujitsu. He holds a master in business administration from Cranfield School of Management at Cranfield University in the U.K. He lives in Ottawa.
(Updated second paragraph to clarify Overlay.tv's fee structure)]]>
The play: Equilibrium works with major media and television companies such as AOL, Disney and Discovery to help them manage thousands of images and video assets that are often repurposed for Web sites and mobile devices, Mr. Barger said. The company makes money by licensing its software to media companies and will also add a revenue-sharing component when it rolls out at the National Association of Broadcaster’s conference in April a tool that will let content owners insert targeted ads in real-time into mobile and Internet video.
The pitch: Creating content quickly for new mediums is essential in this tight economy, Mr. Barger said. “By being able to quickly repurpose, reconfigure, recode and dispatch content to Web sites and mobile devices, content owners can keep Web and mobile viewers coming back for more fresh entertaining content,” he said.
In the mix: Equilibrium competes with companies as diverse as Harris and Image Folio. Equilibrium’s latest product will compete with services like Freewheel that insert dynamic video ads into content. Equilibrium’s customers include AOL, Disney, Discovery Communications, Omnicom, Sony, Universal and others. Ad agencies use the software to manage ad campaigns for their clients running on TV and in print. TV networks use the software to help promote new shows with local station partners.
The money guys: Founded in 1989, Equilibrium relaunched in 2004 and has since raised $3.5 million in venture funding from Celartem. The company plans to raise an additional $10 million and expects to be profitable next year.
The pros: With video proliferating on the Web and mobile phones at a rapid rate, media companies need solutions to manage the videos.
The cons: Competition is stiff in the video asset management business.
Background: Mr. Barger spent more than 20 years in management, engineering and production in the software industry. He’s been with Equilibrium since 1989 and prior to that handled the $120 mullion public software distribution company. He lives in Marin County, Calif.
]]>
The play: Telescope manages mobile phone, landline and Web voting for some of television’s highest-profile competition shows, including Fox’s “American Idol,” NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew.” With the growth in mobile video in recent months, Telescope will be adding rich-media capabilities to also make money on mobile video services. Telescope generates income via fees and revenue shares based on the size of the campaigns it manages; it will add advertising-based revenue sharing in the future. Telescope has managed more than 3 billion votes cast via landlines and mobile phones for “American Idol.”
The pitch: Telescope distinguishes itself from competitors with its analysis, metrics and data, Mr. Boddington said. “We have very accurate counting and analysis and high-volume capabilities in a short amount of time,” he said.
In the mix: The company competes with a broad rage of mobile technology firms, including LiveVote, MobileStorm, GreyCell, Pollimath and others.
The money guys: Investors in holding company Harvest Media include executive management and venture firm Fleming Family & Partners, the literary rights-holder to the James Bond franchise. Harvest has been profitable since it started in 2003.
Pros: The company’s technology works across services and enables mobile voting, Web voting and voice-mail voting.
Cons: “You have to manage the business for the current time and remain profitable and also invest for the future,” Mr. Boddington said.
Background: Mr. Boddington earned a business degree from Nottingham University. Before starting Harvest, he worked at an independent marketing company and in interactive media. He lives in England with his wife, three children and his pet Dachshunds.
]]>
The play: Market7’s software allows video producers, show hosts, writers, directors, editors, attorneys and anyone else whose input is needed on a video to work together to manage the project. That includes reviewing footage, assigning tasks and sharing storyboards, Mr. Kenvin said. Market7 makes money on a monthly subscription fee for its Web browser-based software.
The pitch: The software is accessible via a browser and doesn’t require a download. Market7 lets multiple producers collaborate on video production. Some competing solutions do not support this degree of collaboration, Mr. Kenvin said.
In the mix: Market7 competes with software from Adobe and Apple. Market7 has been used by customers servicing a top-10 Web property, a major software vendor, broadcast and cable networks, major league sports teams, several large retailers and the video production shop Pixel Corps, Mr. Kenvin said.
The money guys: Mr. Kenvin has raised $1.4 million in funding from individual investors. The company is not actively pursing venture capital at the moment.
The pros: Video production needs are increasing, as both big brands and small businesses adopt Web video strategies. Also, Market7 is a lean company with only four full-time employees.
The cons: Market7 squares off against big competitors in Adobe and Apple.
Background: Mr. Kenvin earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Cornell and an MBA from Stanford. Most recently he was VP of strategic marketing and corporate development for BigBand Networks. Before that he was a principal of venture firm Cedar Funds. He lives in San Francisco.
]]>