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KickApps Secures Series B Funding to Extend Leadership in Hosted Social Media Platform Market
KickApps Secures Series B Funding to Extend Leadership in Hosted Social Media Platform Market |
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Continued Market Leadership, Product Innovation Attracts Series B Financing from SoftBank Capital, Spark Capital, Prism VentureWorks and Jarl Mohn NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2007—KickApps Corporation, the leading hosted social media platform, today announced that the Company has secured $11 million in Series B funding. The round was led by SoftBank Capital, with participation from existing investors Spark Capital, Prism VentureWorks and Jarl Mohn, former CEO of Liberty Digital, Inc. Concurrent with the investment, Jordan Levy, partner from SoftBank Capital's New York office, has joined KickApps’ Board of Directors. This latest funding round, which brings the total funding secured to date to $18 million, will be used to accelerate worldwide adoption of the KickApps platform, particularly in the Web developer community and the media and entertainment industries. KickApps will also invest in R&D and developer advocacy programs to ensure the Company continues to innovate and maintain exceptional levels of service while scaling to meet growing demand. Interest from large global media and entertainment brands and independent publishers in the KickApps hosted social media platform has risen sharply as companies realize the value in growing and sustaining engagement with consumers. “It’s exciting how quickly the market is embracing social media. It has changed the way publishers and brands interact with their customers and audiences,” said Jordan Levy, partner at SoftBank. “The winners will be consumers, brands that understand the value of social media and can execute effectively, and technology providers that deliver true value to businesses and consumers. We chose to invest in KickApps because it not only has a mature product offering and established user base, but it also truly understands the new rules and economics of this dynamic category.” “Since launching version 2.0 of the platform this year, thousands of professional Web developers, independent publishers and media and entertainment companies have used KickApps to obtain deeper engagement with their users”, said Santo Politi, founder and general partner at Spark Capital. “We are more excited than ever by the prospects for the business and are extremely enthusiastic about the company’s tremendous leadership, unique IP and ability to execute on its vision.” “KickApps-powered web sites demonstrate the real impact that social media can have on audience growth, customer relationships and revenue,” said Alex Blum, CEO of KickApps Corporation. “We’re at a pivotal and exciting time given the trajectory our business is taking and are fortunate to be working with such a stellar team of strategic investment partners who help extend our value to the masses. Adding Jordan to KickApps’ board is a perfect complement to our dynamic and engaged leadership team.” KickApps 2007 Milestones — January to June
About KickAppsKickApps provides on-demand social media applications that enable web publishers and marketers to grow, engage and monetize online audiences. Its SaaS platform is powered by the first Social Graph Engine™ for web publishers. The platform includes social networking, user-generated content, programmable video players, drag-and-drop widget building, WidgeAds™ and other applications that are tightly integrated with robust media moderation, member management and reporting. The KickApps Platform seamlessly integrates with any website using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, feeds, Widgets and APIs (REST and SOAP). Customers include: ABC Family, CW Television, Guinness World Records, Scripps Network Interactive, VIBE Magazine, HBO, Cinemax, Cox Television, the Phoenix Suns, the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers and thousands of other sites. For more information, visit www.kickapps.com and www.kickdeveloper.com. Media ContactTyler L. PerryThe Bateman Group (718)858-0250 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |

