Motorola Mobility has announced that it will be investing in a hot new startup that will probably grow dramatically in 2012: Shaker.
Shaker is a different kind of social networking experiences that brings your friends together in a virtual environment (think Habbo Hotel or IMVU but in a bar setting) to chat with friends and meet new friends of friends. It won the award for best startup at TechCrunch Disrupt for 2011, although I like to think that oh-so-clever “Where Things Happen” slogan is contributing greatly to its success.
Just as TechCrunch clearly saw potential in Shaker, so does Motorola Mobility. In a press release, the company is calling Shaker’s functionality “innovative” and “groundbreaking.” Shaker hints that Motorola’s investment will likely go toward expanding the social service onto more platforms and devices — possibly mobile apps? “As more people start using social media sites on their smart phones, Motorola Mobility offers us exciting support and expertise to expand on all platforms,” CEO of Shaker Yonatan Maor said in a prepared statement.
Shaker is going to be one of those startups that either flies or dies; people are either going to love or hate the concept of entering a virtual bar to mingle with friends. So far, with numerous funds backing it, things are looking positive for Shaker.
Motorola Mobility did not disclose the amount of money it invested. What do you think? Is Shaker the type of app or service that you’d like to use on your Motorola phone in the future?
