uZoom Launches New Personal Live Streaming Video Service, Summer-Long Rollout Will Begin in Seattle and Culminate at Summer Games in Rio
Patent-Pending Mobile App Enables Users to Be Visually Present, Virtually Anywhere
SEATTLE(30 Jun 2016)
uZoom, the startup behind a live streaming mobile app that allows anyone with a smartphone to be virtually present anywhere in the world, today announced plans for a summer-long rollout that will begin in Seattle and culminate at the Summer games in Rio De Janeiro this August.
uZoom is based on an innovative, on-demand platform where users can request live streaming video in specific locations and settings around the world, just like reaching out for a driver on Uber. Users can also ‘be the driver’ by offering their services as the ‘Zoomer’ who is located in the area where the live video is being requested. The Zoomer is compensated at an attractive rate of approximately $.50 per minute, the equivalent of $30 per hour. Requesting a live video feed is based on location, not a user’s network of friends or people they know. No contact information is needed or exchanged to leverage the uZoom platform.
While live broadcast mobile streaming has garnered significant media attention over the past year via Periscope and Facebook Live, much of it has been based on content that has mass appeal. According to uZoom Co-Founder and CEO Dean Graziano, "The next iteration of video is not broadcast- or producer-controlled, but actually viewer-controlled. uZoom is a purpose driven platform that allows users to ask for the content they want to see, control that content, edit it in real-time and pay for that content. Periscope and Facebook Live are ‘lean back’ mediums comparable to TV; uZoom is a ‘lean-in’ medium providing complete end-user control."
uZoom’s launch begins with the introduction of its iOS app in mid-July, followed with the launch of its Android version in early August ahead of Rio, where Zoomers will be on the ground, ready to shoot user-directed live video and share the experience of the Summer games.
“In my many years as an early stage investor, it is quite rare to encounter an opportunity like uZoom -- an opportunity squarely in the middle of several burgeoning investment trends like streaming video, gig economy and virtual reality, requiring relatively little capital to execute yet massively scalable,” said Joseph Schocken of Broadmark Capital, the lead investor in the seed round completed earlier this year. “uZoom is truly unique and we are excited to see the team execute this summer.”
During the Summer games in Rio this August, users can request live streams of cultural activities taking place. During the weeks leading up to the games, visitors planning to attend the games can request streams that take them on a live visual tour of the neighborhood and areas where they’re planning to stay whether it’s a rental property, an awards ceremony, or one of the more interesting late night festivities.
Founded in 2015, uZoom is a unique entry in the rapidly-growing live mobile streaming category. The Seattle-based company has received seed funding from local-area angel investors and is launching this summer with a global event at the Summer Games in Rio.
Members of the public can get more information on the company and also access a beta version of the app by signing-up online at the uZoom website at www.uzoom.me. We also suggest viewing the uZoom videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaaEVfNIL3g