Major backers launch interactive TV service

LONDON - The original investors in Skype, Joost, Google, Hotmail and Draper Richards have joined forces to launch a new venture, kyte.

is the first company to bring together user-generated content, mobile and TV. It allows people to create their own interactive TV channel on their website, blog, social network or mobile phone. Kyte is not a destination site, but aims to drive traffic to sites such as MySpace.

Users become their own channel "producer", customising their own TV channels. They can create real-time slide shows from their mobile camera and use instant messaging.

Kyte founder and CEO Daniel Graf said: "There is great potential to advertisers here. This is an ideal channel for brands to market their products to a highly targeted audience. The opportunity exists for brand channels, and fan channels building instant communities. Brands will have the luxury of viewing instant feedback following a new product launch, for example.

"The business model is comparable to ebay. We’ll start simply, with ad revenue and subscriptions on premium services, then build a marketplace. There has already been significant viral growth whilst Kyte has been in closed beta."

Kyte is backed by global investors including: Niklas Zennstrom's Atomico (co-founder of Skype and IPTV company Joost); Ron Conway (one of the original investors in Google, Ask Jeeves and Brightmail,); Tim Draper (Founder of Draper Richards Jurvetson and original investor in Hotmail, Baidu, and Overture) and Howard Hartenbaum of Draper Richards, (responsible for the founding investment in Skype).

Market Reports

Get unprecedented new-business intelligence with access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s new Advertising Intelligence Market Reports.

Find out more

Enjoying ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s content?

 Get unlimited access to ±±¾©Èü³µpk10’s premium content for your whole company with a corporate licence.

Upgrade access

Looking for a new job?

Get the latest creative jobs in advertising, media, marketing and digital delivered directly to your inbox each day.

Create an alert now

Partner content