Zivity - An adult social net gets $1 million in funding from investors. Web 2.0 - GoFuckYourself.com

Pornwolf · 08-20-2007, 07:49 PM

A while back I said that we in adult were missing the boat. A lot of insanely large (and usually stupid) Web 2.0 deals are happening and we aren't getting any of the money that's floating around.

Well, here's one company that's getting in on the action:

Quote:

Zivity, a social network that aims to occupy the intersection of Playboy, MySpace and American Idol, has raised a $1 million first round financing from private investors. The San Francisco-based company, currently in private beta, seeks to match professional photographers and models willing to pose for risque pictures. While that's nothing new, Zivity claims to be the only social net that lets its members distribute royalties. Zivity members decide what photos are published on the site by casting votes for models and photographers. Aside from determining who and what gets posted, the votes will also decide who gets paid and how much.

The site was co-founded by Scott Banister, who previously started IronPort Systems, an anti-spam company acquired earlier this year by Cisco for $830 million. The company also says that Banister helped create the bid-for-placement model used today by Google Adwords and co-inventor of the e-mail payment system used on eBay. Release

First round funding is usually the smallest of the official rounds. If they got $1mil now they can expect around $7mil for the second round 6 months to a year later if they get some traction in the marketplace. Some companies can even go for a third if the idea really takes off. Usually, they end up selling to a larger company before the third round though.

I'm not saying that this idea is a great one and I'm not saying they will get the types of numbers I mentioned for a second round... I haven't studied it enough to really give an opinion. But I do know that this is the first one to combine adult with Web 2.0 sensibilities that has gotten a seven figure first round and went public with that info.

Shooters, what do you think about this deal and the site?

Can you see any more companies on the horizon? Not necessarily like this business model but that can garner this kind of initial investment?

Young · 08-20-2007, 07:50 PM

Zivity? So I'm assuming we are running out of domain names?

munki · 08-20-2007, 07:51 PM

Great for them... kudos

fuzzylogic · 08-20-2007, 07:54 PM

thx for the news

4Pics · 08-20-2007, 07:57 PM

If he sold for $830mil, why would he need 1mil of other peoples money to start it.

tical · 08-20-2007, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Pics

If he sold for $830mil, why would he need 1mil of other peoples money to start it.

why use ur own money

Pipecrew · 08-20-2007, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Pics

If he sold for $830mil, why would he need 1mil of other peoples money to start it.

thats what i was wondering.

Pornwolf · 08-20-2007, 08:03 PM

Those are valid points and I can't figure it out either.

None of the management makes sense to me. Why are they doing this?

Take a look at them http://zivity.com/about

NONE of them are from the adult industry.

Doctor Dre · 08-20-2007, 08:05 PM

Maybe he financed it himself and he's just sending out press releases to get some attention...

Serge Litehead · 08-20-2007, 08:16 PM

this one mil makes a good pr though

Pornwolf · 08-20-2007, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holograph

this one mil makes a good pr though

Absolutely.

But, It's kinda like Marc Andreesen. He has a shitload of money... hundreds of millions from Netscape and his recent 1.6 billion Opsware sale.

Yet, he still takes comparitively small investments for his newer companies like Ning.

Go figure. Other people's money is the way some of these guys like to go.

Brujah · 08-30-2007, 04:42 AM

Bump. I like the royalty distribution concept. Anyone get invites to this yet?

zyorker · 12-31-2007, 06:42 AM

Update on Zivity on Techcrunch:

Quote:

Zivity is definitely one of the most controversial startups of 2007. It?s the first (as far as we know) adult site to have received Silicon Valley backing, including an announced $1 million angel round. And they certainly livened things up at the TechCrunch40 conference a few months ago. They went last, and their democontained enough nudity to make much of the crowd shift uneasily in their chairs.

But that isn?t the end of the controversy. The site, which we first covered in August, allows models to upload photos to the site and gain followers. As people vote for models, real dollars flow to the model and photographers who were involved in the shoot. And one of those models is co-founder Cyan Banister. She?s uploaded one set of photos for the beta period, without nudity. Next week, she says she?ll add another set that includes topless photos, and may go completely nude in the future.

Banister says that a few years ago she would not have even considered taking her clothes off for a camera. But she isn?t new to getting attention for her looks. In 2000, when she was just 22, she won the ?Sexiest Geek Alive? award. When starting Zivity, though, she knew she had to, as she puts it, ?eat her own dog food.? For most founders that just means actually using their own product. But for Cyan, it also means taking off her clothes and modeling for Zivity.

FredIsMe · 12-31-2007, 07:36 AM

That's great news.

pip · 12-31-2007, 12:47 PM

So its bascially a stock image site for adult?

G-Rotica · 12-31-2007, 12:51 PM

You realize with Web 2.0 comes dot com bubble burst 2.0

TTiger · 12-31-2007, 01:20 PM

im reading and have some difficulty to understand how this site work..

Evil E · 12-31-2007, 04:06 PM

I see nothing 2.0 on their website... THE SITE DOESN'T EVEN EXIST YET.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zivity

Thanks for your interest in Zivity. We're happy to add you to
the email announcement list for our beta launch.

Thanks for the spam. I wanted TO TRY your website that is NOT online yet.

Evil E · 12-31-2007, 04:09 PM

Anyways, nice marketing ... that 1 million funding is probably just that... marketing. Hopefully this site will have suicidegirls die.

papill0n · 12-31-2007, 04:13 PM

I predict huge growth in adult social networking sites.

Scootermuze · 12-31-2007, 04:57 PM

I can already see a major problem...

If a voting/rating system is what determines who gets paid, it will be a total train wreck... Endless rigged votes.. people being paid to vote for their buddies.. yada yada...

I've not seen a rating/voting system yet that didn't become a site's biggest problem.. especially when money is involved...

tony286 · 12-31-2007, 04:58 PM

Now paying 10 bucks a month allows you vote, so if you dont pay do you get to look and not vote? IF thats the case I see very few voters.

Drake · 12-31-2007, 07:13 PM

Yeah, I'm lost on how the site actually works. Sounds complicated but maybe in practise it's a piece of cake.

08-20-2007, 07:50 PM	#2
Young Bland for life Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 10,468	Zivity? So I'm assuming we are running out of domain names? __________________ ★★★

08-20-2007, 07:51 PM	#3
munki Do Fun Shit. Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OC Posts: 13,393	Great for them... kudos __________________ “I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.” -Oscar Wilde

08-20-2007, 08:03 PM	#8
Pornwolf Drunk and Unruly Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hollywood Posts: 22,712	Those are valid points and I can't figure it out either. None of the management makes sense to me. Why are they doing this? Take a look at them http://zivity.com/about NONE of them are from the adult industry. __________________ I've trusted my sites to them for over a decade... Webair, bitches.

08-20-2007, 08:16 PM	#10
Serge Litehead Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Behind the scenes Posts: 5,190	this one mil makes a good pr though __________________ SilverCrocodile.com Adult web design since '05

08-30-2007, 04:42 AM	#12
Brujah Beer Money Baron Industry Role: Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: brujah / gmail Posts: 22,157	Bump. I like the royalty distribution concept. Anyone get invites to this yet? __________________ Free Premium Domain Lists and Tools at Clickmojo.com For Sale: Obscenity.com

08-20-2007, 07:54 PM	#4
fuzzylogic Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: buffalo, las vegas. icq: 285808879 Posts: 4,796	thx for the news

08-20-2007, 07:57 PM	#5
4Pics Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 7,952	If he sold for $830mil, why would he need 1mil of other peoples money to start it.

12-31-2007, 07:36 AM	#14
FredIsMe So Fucking Banned Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Livin' in America Posts: 2,406	That's great news.

12-31-2007, 12:47 PM	#15
pip So Fucking Banned Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Netherlands Posts: 468	So its bascially a stock image site for adult?

12-31-2007, 12:51 PM	#16
G-Rotica Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 4,258	You realize with Web 2.0 comes dot com bubble burst 2.0

12-31-2007, 01:20 PM	#17
TTiger Confirmed User Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: quebec, canada Posts: 3,030	im reading and have some difficulty to understand how this site work.. __________________

12-31-2007, 04:09 PM	#19
Evil E Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Lazyness is a lifestyle Posts: 3,201	Anyways, nice marketing ... that 1 million funding is probably just that... marketing. Hopefully this site will have suicidegirls die. __________________ A girl once told me "Give me 8 inches and make it HURT". So, I fucked her twice and hit her with a brick.

12-31-2007, 04:13 PM	#20
papill0n Unregistered Abuser Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 15,547	I predict huge growth in adult social networking sites.

12-31-2007, 04:57 PM	#21
Scootermuze Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 4,513	I can already see a major problem... If a voting/rating system is what determines who gets paid, it will be a total train wreck... Endless rigged votes.. people being paid to vote for their buddies.. yada yada... I've not seen a rating/voting system yet that didn't become a site's biggest problem.. especially when money is involved...

12-31-2007, 04:58 PM	#22
tony286 lurker Industry Role: Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: atlanta Posts: 57,021	Now paying 10 bucks a month allows you vote, so if you dont pay do you get to look and not vote? IF thats the case I see very few voters.

12-31-2007, 07:13 PM	#23
Drake Hello world! Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 12,508	Yeah, I'm lost on how the site actually works. Sounds complicated but maybe in practise it's a piece of cake.