Kaioo
kaioo is a non-profit social network website that started in November 2007 as a beta version in English and German. It is unique in that all its advertising revenue will be donated to charities chosen by the users. It was founded by the German executives Thomas Kreye and Rolf Schmidt-Holtz.
kaioo offers its users standard features of social networking websites. They can create profiles, communicate with friends, join groups, upload pictures, etc. The site features a "match" function first seen on Orkut: a user can express interest in another user, but that user will only learn about it if he/she in turn expresses interest in the first user.
The unique feature of kaioo is that all advertising revenues are donated to charities. Users can form and join groups favoring specific charities, and the ten charities with the largest groups receive donations at the end of the year, proportional to their support among the kaioo users. The operating costs of the sites are covered by donors.
The site saw some problems during the early beta test phase. It is planned that all features will be implemented by the end of 2007. The site will then allow video uploads and be available in six languages.
The concept and its execution are due to Thomas Kreye, who quit his job as director of Business Development at Bertelsmann early in 2007 to pursue the "dream of a truly social, democratic and completely independent internet community". Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, CEO of Sony BMG who knew Kreye from his time at Bertelsmann, donated 500,000 Euros of his private money to cover the project's first year costs. The organization, based in Hamburg, has received non-profit status by German tax authorities.
Sources
- Flirten für den guten Zweck, Spiegel Online, 17 November 2007.
- Kaioo - The Really Social Network Launches, de.blognation.com, 18 November 2007
See also
- List of social networking websites