Woo Media
Encyclopedia
Woo Media was an online chat
and video
social network
which offered a variety of interactive sites that provided live social entertainment through a computer or mobile device.
The company raised $17 million in venture capital from several investors including Index Ventures
, Atomico
(founded by Niklas Zennström
and Janus Friis
), Mangrove Capital Partners, and Klaus Hommels
. One analyst valued Woo Media at $41 million at the time it was funded http://vator.tv/news/2011-11-04-dating-site-woome-acquired-by-zoosk-price-undisclosed. Online dating company Zoosk purchased Woo Media in November 2011. Zoosk purchased Woo Media for its properties’ commercial traction and for access to its 10 million active users.
, an American entrepreneur, technologist and executive in 2007 after a conversation with his sister about the difficulties using an online dating service
. Stokols had been working on new web based video technologies and used it to launch Woo Media’s first property, WooMe.com. Previously, Stokols served as the Vice President of new revenue opportunities at BT Group
where he was responsible for evaluating applications of browser-based voice and video technologies.
Upon launching the website at TechCrunch40 in 2007, the founding product, WooMe had an initial 1,000 users. The site’s user base grew to 1,000,000 users in the first twelve months. The site has since been featured in The Guardian
, Financial Times
, The New York Times
, TechCrunch
, Metro.co.uk, Times Online, Mashable
, Businessweek
, Wired
and PC Magazine
. Stokols grew the organization from 5 employees in 2007 to over 60 in 2011.
The company broadened its focus over the past 5 years and, at the time of its sale, included additional websites of various interactive video
experiences including one on one online chat
experience (WooMe.com), reality TV online video (WooMe.tv), peer-to-peer
video chat (ShufflePeople.com), and social
group video chat (MonsterChat.com). The Woo Media network had over 10 million active users with an average of 20 thousand registrants per day at the time of the sale to Zoosk.
based online dating platform, which enabled users
to meet in live interactive video sessions via webcam. WooMe requires no questionnaires, profile descriptions or software download. WooMe is allows users to meet new people around any shared interest.
The original product model included online speed dating
sessions which lets users create or join topical live speed video chat sessions, connecting with 3 people in 3 minutes. Currently, WooMe is a one-on-one video chatting product where individuals can meet in an online atmosphere.
WooMe offers a freemium
model that is free to register and browse profiles. Within this model, the product serves ads and offers a subscription service with premium features including reading messages, viewing interested profiles, sending gifts, the ability to tag WooMe profiles, to browse and search profiles by filtering
attributes including location and age, and to share profiles with friends on Facebook
.
, and social networking. It was a social entertainment destination where users participated in live interactive video introductions, shared them with friends or the world, and watched interactive video introductions of others. Users could watch live online video posted by users who have authorized access to their WooMe profile, share favorite videos with friends through social networks and interact with other user profiles by rating and commenting on user videos.
WooMe.TV amassed over 20 million total video views and 500,000 pieces of unique content before it was sold to Zoosk.
introductions site that, like ChatRoulette and Omegle, enabled people from around the world to meet. This website randomly paired users to interact through their web-based cameras. Users have the ability to move on to another conversation at any point. They can also connect with Facebook
to meet other users through a Facebook application. ShufflePeople was free and required no registration.
, Twitter
, Yahoo!
, Hotmail
and AOL
.
criticized Woo Media after his picture was used without permission one of the Woo Media properties. Woo Media removed the picture, issued an official apology to Crawford for the oversight, and introduced screening measures.
Online chat
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
and video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
which offered a variety of interactive sites that provided live social entertainment through a computer or mobile device.
The company raised $17 million in venture capital from several investors including Index Ventures
Index Ventures
Index Ventures is a venture capital investment firm based in Geneva, Switzerland, with offices in London, Jersey, and starting in 2011, Silcon Valley. The firm was founded in 1996 by Neil Rimer and Giuseppe Zocco. Since its inception, the firm has raised four main venture funds and a growth...
, Atomico
Atomico
Atomico is an international technology venture capital firm headquarted in London, with offices in Shanghai and São Paulo.The company focuses on new consumer technologies that have the potential to transform markets, and places an emphasis on strong management teams.Its co-founder and CEO is Niklas...
(founded by Niklas Zennström
Niklas Zennström
Niklas Zennström is an entrepreneur best known for founding several high-profile online ventures with Janus Friis including Skype and Kazaa. More recently he founded the investment group Atomico and has become a significant figurehead for entrepreneurs in the tech sector.-Career:Zennström started...
and Janus Friis
Janus Friis
Janus Friis is a Danish entrepreneur best known for co-founding the file-sharing application KaZaA, and the peer-to-peer telephony application Skype. In September 2005, he and his partner Niklas Zennström sold Skype to eBay for $2.6B...
), Mangrove Capital Partners, and Klaus Hommels
Klaus Hommels
Klaus Hommels is a seed and early-stage venture capitalist based out of Zurich, Switzerland. He has founded his own venture capital fund by the name Hommels Holding through which he has been investing mainly in Internet businesses. He has been involved in successful internet investments such as...
. One analyst valued Woo Media at $41 million at the time it was funded http://vator.tv/news/2011-11-04-dating-site-woome-acquired-by-zoosk-price-undisclosed. Online dating company Zoosk purchased Woo Media in November 2011. Zoosk purchased Woo Media for its properties’ commercial traction and for access to its 10 million active users.
Overview
Woo Media was created by Stephen StokolsStephen Stokols
Stephen Stokols is an American entrepreneur, technologist, and executive located in Oakland, California. Stokols was Chief Executive Officer of Woo Media, which he co-founded with George Berkowski, until its sale to Zoosk in November 2011. The idea for Woo Media was spurred by his sister's...
, an American entrepreneur, technologist and executive in 2007 after a conversation with his sister about the difficulties using an online dating service
Online dating service
Online dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal, romantic, or sexual relationship...
. Stokols had been working on new web based video technologies and used it to launch Woo Media’s first property, WooMe.com. Previously, Stokols served as the Vice President of new revenue opportunities at BT Group
BT Group
BT Group plc is a global telecommunications services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the largest telecommunications services companies in the world and has operations in more than 170 countries. Through its BT Global Services division it is a major supplier of...
where he was responsible for evaluating applications of browser-based voice and video technologies.
Upon launching the website at TechCrunch40 in 2007, the founding product, WooMe had an initial 1,000 users. The site’s user base grew to 1,000,000 users in the first twelve months. The site has since been featured in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, TechCrunch
TechCrunch
TechCrunch is a web publication that offers technology news and analysis, as well as profiling of startup companies, products, and websites. It was founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, and was first published on June 11, 2005....
, Metro.co.uk, Times Online, Mashable
Mashable
Mashable is an American news website and Internet news blog founded by Pete Cashmore. The website's primary focus is social media news, but also covers news and developments in mobile, entertainment, online video, business, web development, technology, memes and gadgets...
, Businessweek
BusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
, Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
and PC Magazine
PC Magazine
PC Magazine is a computer magazine published by Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009...
. Stokols grew the organization from 5 employees in 2007 to over 60 in 2011.
The company broadened its focus over the past 5 years and, at the time of its sale, included additional websites of various interactive video
Interactive video
The term interactive video usually refers to a technique used to blend interaction and linear film or video.-Interactive video on broadband:Since 2005, interactive video has increased online as the result a number of factors including:...
experiences including one on one online chat
Online chat
Online chat may refer to any kind of communication over the Internet, that offers an instantaneous transmission of text-based messages from sender to receiver, hence the delay for visual access to the sent message shall not hamper the flow of communications in any of the directions...
experience (WooMe.com), reality TV online video (WooMe.tv), peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
video chat (ShufflePeople.com), and social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
group video chat (MonsterChat.com). The Woo Media network had over 10 million active users with an average of 20 thousand registrants per day at the time of the sale to Zoosk.
WooMe
WooMe was a Adobe FlashAdobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
based online dating platform, which enabled users
User (computing)
A user is an agent, either a human agent or software agent, who uses a computer or network service. A user often has a user account and is identified by a username , screen name , nickname , or handle, which is derived from the identical Citizen's Band radio term.Users are...
to meet in live interactive video sessions via webcam. WooMe requires no questionnaires, profile descriptions or software download. WooMe is allows users to meet new people around any shared interest.
The original product model included online speed dating
Speed dating
Speed dating is a formalized matchmaking process or dating system whose purpose is to encourage people to meet a large number of new people. Its origins are credited to Rabbi Yaacov Deyo of Aish HaTorah, originally as a way to help Jewish singles meet and marry. "SpeedDating", as a single word, is...
sessions which lets users create or join topical live speed video chat sessions, connecting with 3 people in 3 minutes. Currently, WooMe is a one-on-one video chatting product where individuals can meet in an online atmosphere.
WooMe offers a freemium
Freemium
Freemium is a business model that works by offering a product or service free of charge while charging a premium for advanced features, functionality, or related products and services...
model that is free to register and browse profiles. Within this model, the product serves ads and offers a subscription service with premium features including reading messages, viewing interested profiles, sending gifts, the ability to tag WooMe profiles, to browse and search profiles by filtering
Filter (higher-order function)
In functional programming, filter is a higher-order function that processes a data structure in some order to produce a new data structure containing exactly those elements of the original data structure for which a given predicate returns the boolean value true.-Example:In Haskell, the code...
attributes including location and age, and to share profiles with friends on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
WooMe.tv
WooMe TV combined reality TV, interactive videoInteractive video
The term interactive video usually refers to a technique used to blend interaction and linear film or video.-Interactive video on broadband:Since 2005, interactive video has increased online as the result a number of factors including:...
, and social networking. It was a social entertainment destination where users participated in live interactive video introductions, shared them with friends or the world, and watched interactive video introductions of others. Users could watch live online video posted by users who have authorized access to their WooMe profile, share favorite videos with friends through social networks and interact with other user profiles by rating and commenting on user videos.
WooMe.TV amassed over 20 million total video views and 500,000 pieces of unique content before it was sold to Zoosk.
ShufflePeople
ShufflePeople was a random interactive videoInteractive video
The term interactive video usually refers to a technique used to blend interaction and linear film or video.-Interactive video on broadband:Since 2005, interactive video has increased online as the result a number of factors including:...
introductions site that, like ChatRoulette and Omegle, enabled people from around the world to meet. This website randomly paired users to interact through their web-based cameras. Users have the ability to move on to another conversation at any point. They can also connect with Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
to meet other users through a Facebook application. ShufflePeople was free and required no registration.
MonsterChat
MonsterChat was a group video chat room site that enabled friends to video chat with up to 16 people simultaneously. Users could create or join existing video chat rooms with up to 24 users to engage simultaneously around trending topics and interests. They could also connect with friends through an integrated buddy list including FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
, Hotmail
Hotmail
Windows Live Hotmail, formerly known as MSN Hotmail and commonly referred to simply as Hotmail, is a free web-based email service operated by Microsoft as part of its Windows Live group. It was founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith and launched in July 1996 as "HoTMaiL". It was one of the first...
and AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
.
Controversy and criticism
In August 2008, Chace CrawfordChace Crawford
Christopher Chace Crawford , better known as Chace Crawford, is an American actor. He currently portrays Nate Archibald on the CW television drama Gossip Girl.-Early life:...
criticized Woo Media after his picture was used without permission one of the Woo Media properties. Woo Media removed the picture, issued an official apology to Crawford for the oversight, and introduced screening measures.