JUN 30
SendMe Inc. Closes Oversubscribed Series-A Round With True Ventures
Investment Funds To Be Used To Further Develop Infrastructure and Establish Company's Leadership in Direct-to-Consumer Mobile Entertainment Market
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – June 30, 2006 – SendMe, Inc. (www.sendmemobile.com), an emerging leader in the direct-to-consumer mobile entertainment space, today announced that it closed an oversubscribed first round of funding led by True Ventures. Also participating in the round were Amicus Ventures and angel investors such as Scott Kurnit, founder of About.com.
“These funds will enable continued development of our core platform and accelerate the introduction of our new premium-SMS entertainment services,” said Russell Klein, co-founder and CEO of SendMe. “It’s all about having fun with your phone using ubiquitous technologies like SMS which are accessible by almost every single mobile user in the US today. We’ve also earmarked a substantial portion of our funding to efficiently scale up and manage our member base through best-in-class acquisition and retention marketing programs.”
The company further announced the election of Jon Callaghan, a founding partner at True Ventures, to its board of directors. “We’re thrilled to make our largest investment to-date with this top-flight management team,” says Jon Callaghan, of True Ventures. “The market for lightweight mobile entertainment services is going to explode in the coming years, and we look forward to helping SendMe become the leader in this space.”
Founded in mid-2006, SendMe’s mission is to become the leading developer and publisher of premium SMS “direct-to-consumer” entertainment-oriented applications targeted to the teen and college-age demographic. SendMe will launch its first services in the fall of 2006 at the website www.sendmemobile.com, with subsequent services to become available through the Company’s owned-and-operated websites as well as through the websites of key partners and affiliates.
SendMe reunites a founding team of three successful entrepreneurs who worked closely together in the past:
• Russell Klein, Co-Founder & CEO, was most recently Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy for HandsOn Mobile (f/k/a Mforma Group). Prior to that, he was an entrepreneur-in-residence for General Catalyst Partners, one of the early investors in Mforma, and prior to that was Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at CNET Networks.
• Markus Mullarkey, Co-Founder & Head of Operations, was formerly Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Ebates Shopping, a leading loyalty and affiliate commerce portal. Prior to that, he was General Manager of CNET Networks’ email newsletter and subscription publishing businesses.
• Tom Santosusso, Co-Founder & Head of Product Development, was most recently a consultant on strategy and partnerships for HandsOn Mobile (f/k/a Mforma). Prior to that, he was Vice President of Global Business Development for CNET’s International Media Group, where he oversaw the company’s worldwide partnership initiatives.
About SendMe
SendMe, Inc. turns any mobile phone into a portable playground. As the premier mobile media company, SendMe's family of destination sites lets you take the fun from the Web to your mobile phone with the broadest and best content, entertainment and community out there. SendMe's three properties — SendMeMobile.com, SoLow.com and mbuzzy.com — deliver content from today's pop culture sensations, niche independent creations, and stuff from our own community that will keep you coming back for more. Included in our premium content at SendMeMobile.com are wallpapers, one-of-a-kind mobile games, and the hottest, latest ringtones. Whether you're searching for MP3 ringtones or music ringtones, SendMe brings it all to you — how you want it, when you want it. So when you're looking for new ways to show your personal style, eager for some mobile gaming excitement, or trying to stay connected to the people and things you love the most, turn to SendMe. Founded in 2006 by three veteran online and mobile entrepreneurs, SendMe is funded by GrandBanks Capital, Spark Capital and True Ventures. For more information, visit www.sendmemobile.com.
For more information, please visit www.sendmemobile.com or email to us at marketing@sendmemobile.com.
SendMe, SendMeMobile and/or the logos and icons associated with each of these names are trademarks of SendMe, Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
“These funds will enable continued development of our core platform and accelerate the introduction of our new premium-SMS entertainment services,” said Russell Klein, co-founder and CEO of SendMe. “It’s all about having fun with your phone using ubiquitous technologies like SMS which are accessible by almost every single mobile user in the US today. We’ve also earmarked a substantial portion of our funding to efficiently scale up and manage our member base through best-in-class acquisition and retention marketing programs.”
The company further announced the election of Jon Callaghan, a founding partner at True Ventures, to its board of directors. “We’re thrilled to make our largest investment to-date with this top-flight management team,” says Jon Callaghan, of True Ventures. “The market for lightweight mobile entertainment services is going to explode in the coming years, and we look forward to helping SendMe become the leader in this space.”
Founded in mid-2006, SendMe’s mission is to become the leading developer and publisher of premium SMS “direct-to-consumer” entertainment-oriented applications targeted to the teen and college-age demographic. SendMe will launch its first services in the fall of 2006 at the website www.sendmemobile.com, with subsequent services to become available through the Company’s owned-and-operated websites as well as through the websites of key partners and affiliates.
SendMe reunites a founding team of three successful entrepreneurs who worked closely together in the past:
• Russell Klein, Co-Founder & CEO, was most recently Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Strategy for HandsOn Mobile (f/k/a Mforma Group). Prior to that, he was an entrepreneur-in-residence for General Catalyst Partners, one of the early investors in Mforma, and prior to that was Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at CNET Networks.
• Markus Mullarkey, Co-Founder & Head of Operations, was formerly Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Ebates Shopping, a leading loyalty and affiliate commerce portal. Prior to that, he was General Manager of CNET Networks’ email newsletter and subscription publishing businesses.
• Tom Santosusso, Co-Founder & Head of Product Development, was most recently a consultant on strategy and partnerships for HandsOn Mobile (f/k/a Mforma). Prior to that, he was Vice President of Global Business Development for CNET’s International Media Group, where he oversaw the company’s worldwide partnership initiatives.
About SendMe
SendMe, Inc. turns any mobile phone into a portable playground. As the premier mobile media company, SendMe's family of destination sites lets you take the fun from the Web to your mobile phone with the broadest and best content, entertainment and community out there. SendMe's three properties — SendMeMobile.com, SoLow.com and mbuzzy.com — deliver content from today's pop culture sensations, niche independent creations, and stuff from our own community that will keep you coming back for more. Included in our premium content at SendMeMobile.com are wallpapers, one-of-a-kind mobile games, and the hottest, latest ringtones. Whether you're searching for MP3 ringtones or music ringtones, SendMe brings it all to you — how you want it, when you want it. So when you're looking for new ways to show your personal style, eager for some mobile gaming excitement, or trying to stay connected to the people and things you love the most, turn to SendMe. Founded in 2006 by three veteran online and mobile entrepreneurs, SendMe is funded by GrandBanks Capital, Spark Capital and True Ventures. For more information, visit www.sendmemobile.com.
For more information, please visit www.sendmemobile.com or email to us at marketing@sendmemobile.com.
SendMe, SendMeMobile and/or the logos and icons associated with each of these names are trademarks of SendMe, Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.