Led by a team of former Microsoft developers and execs, Avogadro launched today with the vision of building technology that connects the wired and wireless Internet, enabling businesses to provide a more meaningful experience for customers across all web devices.
Avogadro’s first round funding, totaling $7.5 million, was led by Ignition Corporation. Other investors of the company include Rob Glaser, founder and CEO of RealNetworks, Arthur van Hoff, co-creator of Java and CTO of Marimba, Max Metral, founder of Firefly and CTO of PeoplePC, Mike Slade, retired chairman and CEO of Starwave (Infoseek); and Neal Stephenson, noted author and futurist.
Avogadro has successfully attracted a world-class team that helped architect, build and ship business and consumer Internet technologies including Windows95, Internet Explorer, Netscape Proxy Server, Marimba Castanet and MSN Messenger.
Its founders include Thomas Reardon, CEO, a former Microsoft executive and World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) board member who launched Internet Explorer and played an instrumental role in defining Microsoft Internet strategies; John Cordell, VP engineering, one of the original developers of Internet Explorer and MSN Explorer; Sam McKelvie, chief architect, who was responsible for the architecture of Windows95 networking and MSN Messenger; and Robert Williams, CTO, who engineered Windows95 dial-up networking. Other key members of the team come from leading Internet companies such as Marimba, Netscape and Infoseek.
Avogadro’s initial product uses presence-based, real-time messaging that enables businesses to reach customers on both PCs and mobile web devices in a way that optimizes context and delivers the pertinent set of information and functionality.
One example involves communication to travelers. Avogadro will do more than deliver instant flight updates — it will deliver the right mobile application to an end user when and where it is needed. For travel, following the purchase of a ticket from your desktop, it includes an invitation to check-in via your phone as you approach the airport, the ability to re-schedule a canceled flight while in a cab or being notified at your desktop that your flight is running late.
Companies that will benefit most from Avogadro technology and services include wireless carriers, who can increase functionality for mobile data devices, create community and become the center of their customers’ Internet experience. Additionally, Avogadro technology will enable Fortune 500 companies and top websites to use the mobile web to significantly impact the quality of customer interaction to build satisfaction and loyalty.
“The wireless Internet has so much potential, but version 1.0 has significant limitations. Avogadro is building the technologies to fix it and help it explode,” said Reardon. “We have a unique approach to this space, one where the desktop and mobile experiences feed each other, creating a whole new value for businesses and the customers they’re trying to reach.”
