kyte.tv Receives Strategic Investment From Swisscom and Holtzbrinck Ventures

kyte.tv Receives Strategic Investment From Swisscom and Holtzbrinck Ventures

kyte.tv extends its list of global top-tier backers with experienced investors in telecommunications and new media

SAN FRANCISCO, May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Following its recent launch, kyte.tv today announced new investors: Switzerland's leading telecommunications provider Swisscom and Holtzbrinck Ventures, the venture capital arm of one of Germany's leading media companies. kyte.tv brings together user-generated content, social networking, and mobile services in a unique way, enabling users to easily create interactive TV channels, both online and on the go. kyte.tv shows are instantly broadcast to any website, blog, social network, and mobile phone, allowing users to connect and socialize in real-time through features such as chatting and voting -- wherever and whenever.

Beside Swisscom and Holtzbrinck Ventures, kyte.tv has also received investment from Klaus Hommels, Oliver Jung, and Peter Schupbach, all amongst the top angel investors in Europe. These new investors join kyte.tv's founding investors, including: Atomico (co-founded by Niklas Zennstrom), Draper Fisher Jurveston (investors in Hotmail, Baidu, Overture, and Skype), Draper Richards (founding investor in Skype), and Ron Conway (one of the early investors in Google).

"Both Swisscom and Holtzbrinck Ventures are great partners with strategic importance, especially in the European market," said Daniel Graf, co-founder and CEO of kyte.tv. "Investment into kyte.tv on behalf of such important media and telecommunications companies is a great endorsement of the fact that kyte.tv is the first company to bring together user-generated content, social networking, and mobile services."

Swisscom's subsidiary Swisscom Mobile is the first mobile network operator to offer kyte.tv within its product portfolio. Earlier this year the companies started a limited free user trial, enabling its customers to use kyte Mobile without additional data fees for the time of the trial.

"We have invested in kyte.tv because we strongly believe in kyte.tv's vision of reinventing TV for a generation who spends more time in front of the computer or on their mobile phone than they do watching traditional TV," said Peter Trinkl, Head of Strategy & Business Development of Swisscom Mobile. "kyte.tv allows anybody to share their life experiences via pictures or video in a highly social and interactive way, wherever or whenever."

Based in Germany, Holtzbrinck Ventures focuses on early stage investments in media-oriented business models which employ digital technologies. The company's portfolio includes, amongst others, 'studiVZ,' Europe's largest and fastest growing student network and PARSHIP.de, one of the successful online agencies in Europe.

"kyte.tv uniquely integrates mobile and interactive TV with social networks, websites, and blogs. We look forward to integrating kyte.tv across our portfolio companies," said Martin Weber, General Partner and Managing Director of Holtzbrinck Ventures.

About kyte.tv

kyte.tv is the first service to bring together user-generated content, mobile, the Internet, and TV to allow consumers to create their own interactive TV channels and make them accessible by mobile, PC, and eventually on TV. The service is accessible via www.kyte.tv. The service is operated by decentral.tv, a San Francisco-based company backed by global investors, including: Atomico (co-founded by Niklas Zennstrom), Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Draper Richards, Ron Conway, Swisscom, and Holtzbrinck Ventures. kyte was recently presented with the prestigious Red Herring 100 Award.

About Swisscom

With revenue of CHF 9,7 billion in 2006 and a workforce of 17'068 full- time employees, the Swisscom Group is Switzerland's leading telecoms company. Swisscom is present nationwide, delivering all services and products for mobile, fixed and IP-based voice and data communications.

About Holtzbrinck Ventures

Since 1998, Holtzbrinck Ventures has invested venture capital in early stage companies in the new media sector and has been a partner to over 26 companies making it one of the largest early stage investors with a focus on internet, mobile and broadband in the German market. Active mentoring and long-term support of the investments, as well as leveraging established brands and media services from Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, enables the company to provide value throughout the entire investment lifecycle.

Source: kyte.tv

CONTACT: Kathy Johnson of Consort Partners, +1-415-823-9566,
kyte@consortpartners.com, for kyte.tv; or Swisscom Media Relations,
+41 31 342 91 93, media@swisscom.com; or Sven Achter of Holtzbrinck Ventures,
+49 89 206 077 85, Sven.Achter@Holtzbrinck.net

Web site:

http://www.kyte.tv/

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