Phonedeck

Draper Investment Company is an international venture capital firm that recently relocated its corporate headquarters from Zurich, Switzerland to Doha, Qatar. Over the years, the organization has invested in a number of early-stage computer software and IT technologies. In 2011, Draper Investment Company established a critical funding partnership with Phonedeck, a mobile communications firm based in Berlin, Germany.

Phonedeck was founded in 2010 by leading executives Frank Fitzek, Gerrit Schulte, Jens-Philipp Klein, and Christophe Maire. Once in place, this management team quickly attracted top telecommunications and mobile application professionals from across the continent of Europe.

Driven by the belief that the various benefits of smart devices can be optimized within a single “environment,” Phonedeck developed a contact book for mobile phones that automatically maintains contacts, keeps personal information up-to-date, and makes social communication significantly easier. The company was a 2011 finalist for the Bully Award and a 2010 finalist in the LeWeb Startup Competition.

Draper Investment Company: A Brief Introduction to FriendCaller

A venture capital firm based in Switzerland, Draper Investment Company actively invests in early technology companies, including those in the telecommunications and computer science-based industries. Draper Investment Company specializes in early-stage financings and operations, preferably in the Seed or First Round of fund-raising. For almost two years, Draper has supported C2Call (Click-to-Call), the company which facilitates peer-to-peer communications in the cloud space via FriendCaller.

Based in Germany, C2Call is renowned for its FriendCaller technology, which allows individuals to conduct video chats without installing additional software or plug-ins such as Adobe Flash. The Java tool enables any web browser to become, in essence, a voice communications device. The system offers compatibility with the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) standard recognized by firms such as Vonage, Cisco, Nokia, and Avaya.

To utilize the system, a caller sends another person a web link. The recipient clicks on the link, which prompts a call to the sender. FriendCaller allows users to communicate by initiating contact through links on websites, in e-mail, or through instant messaging.

The service is free, with exception of communication via landlines or mobile devices.

To learn more about FriendCaller, connect with the tool’s team on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Google Plus.

Draper Investment Company Imagini & plista

Led by a successful team of entrepreneurs that includes General Partner and founder William (Bill) H. Draper, III and Swiss-based Managing Director Don Plaisted, Draper Investment Company has a long history of financially backing promising startup technology companies. Over the past decade, Draper Investment Company has funded a number of acquired or merged firms located in Europe and Asia, including Skype, which was acquired by Ebay as well as Plazes acquired by Nokia. Below are just two portfolio companies that Draper Investment has recently funded:

Imagini: Headquartered in London, Imagini leads development of VisualDNA technology a method of understanding emotions through images. Imagini currently has three patents pending for technology that harnesses the power of VisualDNA as a tool for online marketing. Imagini’s VisualDNA works by translating the results of user profile quizzes directly into marketing data. Imagini’s VisualDNA technology is based upon user feedback from visual-based quizzes. At www.visualdna.com, advertisers and publishers can find information on how the technology works, case studies analyzing the effectiveness of VisualDNA, and information on some of the company’€™s most recent breakthroughs.

Plista: Founded in July 2008, Berlin-headquartered Plista builds successful online advertising campaigns for companies and their networks. Plista’€™s Publisher and Advertiser programs allow for innovative marketing methods designed to boost website traffic. Research presented on the company website has shown that plista technology creates click-through rates between 8 percent and 12 percent. Plista has been used to increase traffic to more than 100 websites. Learn more at www.plista.com.

Group Calling Through FriendCaller, by Draper Investment Company

In 2010, Draper Investment Company, along with other European investors, invested $2 million in C2Call, a German firm developing technology for voice/video chats. Draper Investment Company concentrates its investment portfolio in information technology and telecommunications, which are industries that offer sizable and fast-growing markets.

FriendCaller, developed by C2Call, enables individuals to connect online without installing proprietary software. Users simply send links vie e-mail or instant messaging, or post them on websites. Unlike some other services, FriendCaller does not charge for this service.

Sometimes, a group of people may want to hold a conversation from several locations simultaneously. For example, four friends wish to make plans for later in the day. FriendCaller facilitates such communication through its Group Video Calling functionality.

The tool works worldwide on numerous platforms, including Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and WebPhone (online). Callers can establish and manage their own groups for repeated calling ability.

To launch a call, a user can visit the FriendCaller website, scroll to the bottom of the home page, and click on Groups. The next page provides a link called “Start a Group Video Call.”

An Interview with Draper Investment Company Regarding C2Call GmbH

Q: How did Draper Investment Company become involved with C2Call GmbH?
A: Draper Investment Company provides venture capital funding for early-stage information technology and software companies worldwide. With C2Call GmbH, we knew its technology would change the way users made phone calls, enabling them to easily reach out to friends, family, and colleagues more easily than ever before, and we wanted to be a part of their success.

Q: What is C2Call GmbH?
A: C2Call utilizes a technology called VoIP, Voice Over Internet Protocol. Using VoIP, users can make phone calls through their Internet connections, resulting in crystal-clear conversations often unachievable on cell phones due to shaky service and poor service areas. The creators of C2Call trumped current VoIP standards by removing requirements such as software installation, registration, and exchanging IDs with the user one wishes to call.

Q: How can users take advantage of C2Call, and how does it work?
A: After building C2Call GmbH, its creators launched FriendCaller.com as a more compact and efficient alternative to VoIP services such as Skype and America Online’s instant messenger. Instead of installing a program, users download a tiny Java applet that runs quickly and takes up less than one megabyte of space. FriendCaller also works as an iPhone app, allowing iPhone users to make and receive calls for free in certain cases and for an affordable rate in others.

Q: Since C2Call does not require users to exchange IDs as other VoIP programs do, how does a user call someone specific?
A: FriendCaller uses CallMe links, a special tag that users can pin to their favorite social networking service accounts. By clicking a user’s CallMe link, one can get in touch with that user even if he or she does not use FriendCaller.

The Draper Investment Company Portfolio: About C2Call GmbH and VoIP Technology

Focused on the information technology sector, the venture capital firm Draper Investment Company takes pride in providing financial capital for startup companies hard at work on developing groundbreaking and disruptive technologies. Of particular interest in recent years is VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, an Internet-based method of transmitting voice and like media over online networks. Draper Investment Company proudly supports Germany-based startup C2Call GmbH, whose FriendCaller service provides an accessible way to communicate between subscribers, as well as those with landlines and mobile devices.

The Draper Investment Company portfolio has followed VoIP since near its inception, demonstrating the company’s enthusiasm for IT ventures. More simply defined, VoIP refers to communication services streamed over the Internet rather than the rapidly fading public telephone network. Draper Investment Company invested in C2Call GmbH and various other VoIP-savvy companies due to the investor’s belief that VoIP will likely one day eclipse the more traditional telephony methods.

Even users who do not recognize the term “VoIP” have likely used software that incorporates the technology. Popular instant messaging clients such as AIM and Internet-calling software Skype have become nearly ubiquitous in online communication. SMS messages, more commonly known as text messages found on mobile phones, are also distributed via VoIP. Where C2Call’s FriendCaller service distinguishes itself from those and other competitors is in its straightforwardness. Users go to FriendCaller.com, sign up for an account, and receive a unique link that others can use to call them, thereby eliminating the need for memorizing phone numbers and user names to get in touch with others.

To foster growth of C2Call’s FriendCaller service, the company raised more than $2 million in funding during the early months of 2010. Draper Investment Company participated in the funding.

Groundbreaking Developments in Online Communication – C2Call GmbH’s FriendCaller.com (2/2)

After perfecting FriendCaller’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) platform, C2Call GmbH applied a great deal of time and resources toward constructing ensured network compatibility with a wide array of standard and mobile computing devices. Individuals who own Apple products such as the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch can enjoy the same connective perks built into FriendCaller’s browser-based version, as well as the service’s VoIP downloadable version. All information contained within a user’s browser-based FriendCaller account links directly to FriendCaller for iPhone, iPad, and iPod, protecting from lost contacts or call credit.

C2Call GmbH’s FriendCaller for Android operating systems allows users to experience the power of VoIP through Google’s Android OS. Manufactured by companies like Motorola and HTC, Google-supported Android smart phones can easily download FriendCaller in the form of a free application, facilitating cost-effective calling to contacts across the country and around the world. People who own a Nokia Series 40 device can make the most of FriendCaller as well. The Nokia Series 40 provides users with a set-up wizard for navigating the installation process, although C2Call gives users the choice of foregoing set-up wizard assistance prior to making calls with FriendCaller SIP.

C2Call GmbH’s FriendCaller is also compatible with Facebook, the world’s largest social networking site. FriendCaller.com’s Facebook VoIP app takes the hassle out of inviting friends to join C2Call’s VoIP network, offering a host of benefits beyond FriendCaller’s highly affordable communication solutions. Facebook users can go to the new “Offer Wall” on FriendCaller.com’s page to earn credit toward future calls. Simply “like” FriendCaller.com today to receive special offers exclusively available to Facebook members.

For those who place the bulk of their phone calls from home or work computers, C2Call GmbH’s WebPhone version complies with all browser-powered VoIP protocol, concurrently expanding modes of installation. FriendCaller’s WebPhone can be permanently saved on almost any desktop computer free of charge. For a full explanation of the benefits extended to FriendCaller VoIP system members, visit www.friendcaller.com today.

Groundbreaking Developments in Online Communication – C2Call GmbH’s FriendCaller.com (1/2)

A person-to-person Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service provider based in Germany, C2Call GmbH offers users a simple, affordable and effective alternative to existing VoIP communication tools. Available either free or at a cost of as low as only two cents per minute for overseas connections, C2Call’s VoIP platform allows users to place local and international phone calls from their homes or offices, saving 80 to 90 percent in comparison to fees charged by traditional phone companies. In February of 2009, C2Call introduced FriendCaller.com into the digital communications marketplace, earning instant recognition for its innovative contribution to the ever-changing social networking industry.

Rather than registering in a closed system online community, FriendCaller.com members gain the power to reach out to any person with access to the Internet. One of many innovations specific to FriendCaller.com, all Callme links perform at optimal capacity operations without necessitating FriendCaller membership on both ends.

Hosted by Amazon.com, C2Call GmbH’s FriendCaller operates based on a patent-pending, integrated module known as Callme links. Callme links establish an instantaneous connection between users and can be sent via instant message or email. In addition to these properties, a person can install Callme links on his or her social media profile or blog. Moreover, nearly every popular browser supports Callme links with no up-front set-up fees whatsoever. FriendCaller’s global Telephone Network comprises over 400 countries and territories spread across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Draper Investment Company – Dialcom Networks & BharatMatrimony.com

Since its early beginnings, Draper Investment Company has funded quality businesses in rapidly growing and emerging industries of the European and Asian technology marketplaces. Two of Draper Investment Company’s many successes are listed below:

Dialcom Networks: One of Draper Investment Company’s portfolio companies, Dialcom Networks, produces cutting-edge, multiuser communication tools, including software that enables instant messaging, multiparty IP videoconferencing, voice over IP and/or teleconference, interactive file sharing, and whiteboarding. Dialcom products, including the company’s popular Spontania collaboration suite, allow for greater corporate in-house and remote communication. Spontania, which is compatible with existing communication infrastructures, provides users with a contact center platform for web-based interaction via texting, voice, video, or remote desktop. Learn more about Dialcom Networks by visiting www.dialcom.com.

BharatMatrimony.com: BharatMatrimony.com is a trusted name in building harmonious relationships, which often result in marriage. The Limca Book of Records listed BharatMatrimony.com as a facilitator of a record number of marriages. Moreover, BharatMatrimony.com was recognized by PC World as the Best Matrimony Website of 2007. BharatMatrimony.com has established a network of marriage bureaus across 22 states in India, as well as over 100 cities in the country. Individuals seeking matchmaking assistance and expertise have access to 36 BharatMatrimony.com locations in India, as well as major operations in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and United Arab Emirates. At www.bharatmatrimony.com, individuals will find more than just matchmaking services – wedding directories, honeymoons specials, pre-marital and marital counseling services, and an insightful relationship blog are all available through the website. Learn why JuxtConsult.com, an online market research firm, rated BharatMatrimony.com as the preferred site for matrimonial searches.

The Draper Family

The Draper family’s involvement in the venture capital industry dates back to 1958 when General William H. Draper, Jr. founded the firm Draper, Gaither & Anderson. The first professional venture capital firm on the West Coast of the United States, Draper, Gaither & Anderson quickly benefited from William H. Draper Jr.’s economic acuity having worked on the reconstruction of Germany and Japan under the Marshall Plan. William H. Draper Jr.’s son, William H. Draper III (Bill Draper), entered the venture capital industry as an associate at his father’s firm shortly after it began operations. Bill Draper left Draper, Gaither & Anderson four years later to co-found Draper and Johnson Investment Company, which enjoyed considerable success. In 1965, Bill Draper partnered with Paul Wythes to found Sutter Hill Ventures. Throughout his career, Draper invested in many important technology companies including Apollo Computer, Activision, Integrated Genetics, Quantum, and Hybritech. In the early 1980s, Bill Draper left the venture capital industry when he was appointed Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Five years later, Bill Draper was chosen to head the United Nations Development Program.

Bill Draper returned to the venture capital industry in 1995 with the inception of Draper International, which was the first U.S. venture capital firm to single out innovative technology companies with ties in both India with a bridge to the West as its primary investment objective. A year later, Bill Draper refocused on American technology companies when he founded Draper Richards L.P. with Robin Richards Donohoe. Inspired by Draper International’s success in India, Bill Draper then launched Draper Investment Company. Draper Investment Company expanded Bill Draper’s international interests, targeting markets and emerging technologies around the globe while locating its management center in Zürich, Switzerland. Focusing on sustainable technical innovation, Draper Investment Company invests in early-stage technology entrepreneurs with motivated and experienced teams. Draper Investment Company’s portfolio includes companies like Plista, Dialcom Networks, and Imagini.

Tim Draper, Bill Draper’s son, embarked on his own venture capital career. In 1985, Tim Draper launched Draper Fisher Jurvetson, an early-stage Silicon Valley venture capital fund that is now a global venture firm with a global network program in several countries.