Location based social network IRL Connect gets seed capital
Written on April 10, 2008 – 12:10 pm
Ernst-Jan Pfauth, editor in chief
Everything about Dutch start-up IRL Connect revolves around one question: Where are you? It’s a location based social network that is expected to go into private beta in June. Co-founder and CEO Frank Schuil mailed me today that IRL got seed funding from IntoBeta and private investment company Van de Wijgerd. Both companies took a share in IRL and will advice Schuil and his team on how to develop the service. Schuil: “The investment of IntoBeta BV and Van de Wijgerd BV enables us to move forward. Both parties have extended experience and know what it takes to build a solid web application and raise venture capital. This means a short and long term advantage.”
Frank Schuil signs the contract
Joost van de Wijgerd about the investment in IRL: “I’m convinced that Location Based Social Networking, Social Network Aggregation and developments such as OpenSocial are the big thing for 2008 and 2009. IRLConnect combines these items in a slick visual app with a cool interaction model.”
The ambitions of IRL sound good: by connecting MySpace, Facebook and other social networks with Google Maps, IRL wants to make your friends from social networks visible on a map. So IRL Connect makes a link between your online and off line life. I do think that they may better hurry, since similar initiatives are popping up. For example, Yahoo is developing FireEagle. A service that is also all about letting know where you are. It’s the new hype, obviously, and I hope for IRL Connect that they find a way to stand out from the crowd.
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By Jerry Houtman on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Congratulations Frank and the others!! I’ve been watching IRL for a while now, I hope they do succeed. This should be a firm step in the right direction.
As for FireEagle; I requested an invite over a month ago. Does it really take that long?
By Danny Bull on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
We’ve believed in location based social networking at My Neighbourhoods for a while now and it’s good to see some serious funding going into the area elsewhere in Europe.
By Rutger Docter on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Congrats Frank!
By Aaron Peters on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Frank is a nice, passionate and smart guy. I’m sure he can pull this off and make IRL Connect into a success.
Congratulations!
By Peter Evers on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Congratulations Frank! Good luck!
What about IRL on mobile? Location information is obviously very relevant to the mobile medium…
By Frank Schuil on Apr 10, 2008 | Reply
Thank you all very much!
@danny bull: nice to hear. Good luck with your service!
@peter evers: we are well aware of that. It’s one step at a time for us.
By edgar neo | BViT incubators & lead investors on Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
hi frank,
congratulations. let’s sit down real soon to see what role BViT can have in this…..
with entrepreneurial regards,
edgar neo