Hoofddorp, 7 May 2013 - SanomaVentures invests in start-up Fosbury: a platform to design, manage and distribute Apple Passbook campaigns. Companies can set up and maintain their Passbook campaigns within minutes via a simple web application. Fosbury also offers an API for integration with corporate applications. Passbook campaigns can contain mobile coupons, loyalty cards or gift vouchers.
Herman Kienhuis, Investment Director SanomaVentures: “Apple’s Passbook, the app for digital vouchers, is still in its early days but is already reaching millions of users across the world. We are convinced this is a very interesting medium for companies to communicate with customers in an effective, personal and location-based way. Fosbury offers companies easily accessible tools for global deployment of this platform and in the near future also Samsung’s equivalent: Samsung Wallet.”
On the Dutch market SanomaVentures also sees cooperation opportunities with Scoupy, the leading consumer application for mobile couponing, in which it invested in 2012.
Lucas Tieleman, CEO Fosbury: “This investment is a great step for Fosbury. With Sanoma as investor we have both the means to further develop and accelerate our product, as well as a strategic partner to strengthen and market it.”
Fosbury was launched on March 28; more than 300 corporate customers signed-up already, creating and distributing thousands of Passbook passes. It has been founded by Willem Spruijt, Martijn de Kuijper and Lucas Tieleman. Willem and Martijn previously founded Yunoo, in which Sanoma also invested. The start-up, selected as Dutch website of the year in 2011, was sold to AFAS software in 2012. Lucas was co-founder of 94Wines and Repudo, winner of an Accenture innovation award in 2011.
About Fosbury
The Fosbury platform offers companies a central point to activate and reach their existing users via a Passbook; a platform for design, management and distribution of iOS Passbook campaigns. The simple web application enables companies to rapidly and easily design stunning Passbook campaigns, distribute these via all relevant platforms including Facebook, Twitter, newsletters and websites and review progress on a dashboard. www.fosbury.co | twitter.com/wearefosbury
About SanomaVentures
SanomaVentures is an international initiative from European media company Sanoma to support innovative start-ups in the areas of digital information, entertainment and education by offering capital, media exposure, expertise, network, and strategic and financial support. It focuses on companies that have passed the initial start-up phase, are seeking further growth and have developed an online consumer services, e-commerce, mobile & tablet services, video & TV, online advertising or e-learning product. The Dutch SanomaVentures branch, located in Amsterdam, was established in 2012 and focuses on the Dutch start-up scene. SanomaVentures has invested in Vault79.com, Scoupy, Peerby, Truly Yours, VirtuaGym.com and Brandkids.com.