Buzzd Gets Series A Funding To Bring Real Time Updates of City Happenings To Mobile Generation

Buzzd, a location-based cityguide and social
network on the mobile device, announced that it has completed its Series A
funding round, led by Greycroft Partners and Monitor Ventures.  The
company will use the proceeds from the Series A funding for product development
and distribution and Fern Mandelbaum of Monitor will join the firm’s Board of
Directors with Buzzd Co-Founders Nihal Mehta and Deepen Shah.

 

"Monitor and Greycroft have successfully guided digital
media start-ups from seed to success.  We are excited to have
partners who will roll up their sleeves and really work with
entrepreneurs," said Buzzd CEO Nihal Mehta.

 

”Buzzd provides a necessary utility
for users, helping them locate venues, interact with friends, and read reviews
on the mobile device,” said Alan Patricof, Managing Director of Greycroft
Partners.

 

Your city. Real time.

The New York based-startup answers the question, “What’s
going on around me right now?” and delivers location-sensitive, premium
editorial event and venue information, along with up-to-the-minute reviews and
ratings from friends and other members of the Buzzd
community.

 

Users can also browse and search continuously updated event
feeds which include pricing, location, and event details as well as the
firsthand ratings and reviews posted from the venue by other members. Events
and venues are available nationally and aggregated through partnerships with
CitySearch, Flavorpill, TimeOut Magazine, with plans to roll out more content
partnerships in local markets. User-generated feedback (or ‘buzzes’) for
'real-time' activity about venues and events is aggregated at the top of event
listings throughout the platform.

 

"Buzzd is the slick new way to find
the best local events and venues for the mobile generation," said Anna
Lee, Senior Manager of Content Services at Helio.

 

Getting a Tequila “Buzz”

Buzzd is also announcing that Hornitos Premium
Tequila is joining on as an advertising partner. Through the partnership, Buzzd
members can buy their friends Hornitos drinks and redeem the codes delivered
via SMS at hundreds of bars in association with BuyYourFriendADrink.com. The
partnership demonstrates a new way for brands to interact with consumers via
mobile device.

 

Available only in limited beta since February 2008, the
service has already won international recognition at the Mobile Monday Global
Peer Awards and Nokia's Mobile Rules 2008.

 

For more information on Buzzd
visit http://www.buzzd.com.
Users can register for the service immediately by texting ‘join’ to 96321, or
visiting http://buzzd.com/m from
their web or mobile browser.

 

About Buzzd

Buzzd (http://buzzd.com/m) is
a location-sensitive entertainment listings service with branded editorial and
real-time user generated content on the mobile device. "Your city, in
real-time," Buzzd
allows consumers to know what's happening at any venue right now, rate events,
and connect with friends and people in the area.

 

Buzzd partners
with carriers and content providers such as Helio, Citysearch, Flavorpill and
Time Out New York. The company is based in New York City and backed by Monitor Ventures and Greycroft
Partners. Buzzd was
founded by Nihal Mehta and Deepen Shah from ipsh!, one of the
world’s first mobile marketing agencies acquired by Omnicom Group.

 

About Monitor Ventures

Monitor Ventures is a venture
capital firm that partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to commercialize
technology into world-class products and services. With offices in Palo Alto and Los Angeles, the Firm leverages the investment, operating and
entrepreneurial experience of its partners with its privileged access to the
resources of the Monitor Group to accelerate portfolio companies’ path to
customers, capital and profitability.

 

About Greycroft Partners

Greycroft Partners is a
venture capital partnership formed to invest in promising digital media
companies, including both business and consumer-focused ventures. With offices
in New York and Los Angeles, Greycroft leverages an extensive network of media
and technology industry connections to help their portfolio companies gain
visibility, build strategic relationships, and successfully bring their
products to market.