Splashcast
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
SplashCast was a Portland media syndication startup founded in 2006 by Mike Berkley and Kimberly Oates, an evolution of their earlier company QMIND. It let anyone create streaming media channels that combined video, music, photos, narration, text and RSS feeds, playable and syndicable on any website, blog or social network page. The free, web-based service partnered with premium content owners such as Hulu, Sony BMG, Universal and MTV, and sold sponsorships to brands including Nissan, Nike and Red Bull.
02 / Splashcast FAILURE REASONS
Failure reasons
The company discontinued its original user-created media product after finding that users were more interested in consuming content than making it. A failed Series B financing attempt also led management to seek a buyer.
03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Company founded
Mike Berkley and Kimberly Oates found SplashCast in Portland, evolving it from their company QMIND.
- Product launch
SplashCast launches its media-channel service for creating streaming channels syndicable across websites and social networks.
- Operations ended
Despite raising over $4 million, SplashCast closes its doors in 2009.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
Material for this section is being gathered and checked. It will appear here once ready.
Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN
How the factors connect
- 01
Media channels mixing video, music, photos and feeds
- 02
Syndicable to any website or social page
- 03
Premium content deals and brand sponsorships
- 04
Raised over $4M; closed in 2009