Do@ Launches Revolution in Mobile Search at TechCrunch Disrupt

NEW YORK, May 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- TECHCRUNCH DISRUPT -- Do@, a company aimed at revolutionizing mobile search, today announced immediate availability of its breakthrough mobile search experience. Launched at TechCrunch Disrupt NY, the do@ platform changes mobile search in three fundamental ways -- the way results are delivered (apps instead of links), the sources delivering the results (direct from publishers) and the manner in which results are ranked (via do@'s "social radar"). The company also announced a $7M investment led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson with participation of DFJ Tamir Fishman and Seed investor BRM Group. DFJ Managing Director Tim Draper also has joined do@'s Board of Directors.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110523/SF06694LOGO)

"The accelerating growth of mobile means there is a tremendous need for search results delivered on-the-go to be as mobile-optimized, powerful, and exciting as mobile apps are," said Ami Ben David, do@ Co-Founder. "We believe the best resources to answer users' search queries are the publishers and app developers who create mobile applications and mobile-optimized web sites. Do@ provides a platform that enables direct communication between users and their trusted sources, delivering a search experience that is built for mobile."

A recent study produced by ROI Research for Publicis Group shows surging numbers for search on mobile devices. The 2011 Mobile Search Insights Study noted that 75 percent of respondents say mobile search makes their lives easier, 63 percent say it has changed how they gather information and 32 percent claim to use search on their mobile more than on their computer.

Do@ deconstructs the traditional search paradigm of web links and instead merges search and apps in real-time, delivering the top web apps that specifically answer any query a user posts. The result is a fundamentally different experience of search that shatters old concepts.

"Search will never be the same, " added Tim Draper, Managing Director of DFJ. "Do@ is an entirely different mobile search experience. Do@ delivers a much more intuitive mobile search for users, and allows publishers to communicate directly with their search users. This model of distributed search generates amazing results at a fraction of the cost."

Three core innovations are at the heart of do@:

Apps not links: Instead of delivering links for each query, do@ returns a series of HTML5 based "web-apps" from top publishers who specialize in the topic of the query. Each result is opened directly to the answer for the user's question within the app. Users can "flip" through the responses, gaining immediate access to dozens of web apps from one search box.

Empowering publishers: Do@ is an open platform, connecting directly to mobile optimized web apps developed by publishers and app developers. The platform launches with hundreds of web apps across the top 50 mobile "experience" categories. Some of these web apps include direct and API-based results from ESPN, Facebook, Fandango, Flixster, Foodspotting, Last.fm, MetroLyrics, Pandora, Reuters, Shopping.com, Soundcloud, Weather.com, Yelp, and Zagat.

Leveraging the Social Radar: Results from do@ are unique for every user and prioritized based on a user's preference and the preferences of their social networks. By letting users' define the publishers they trust most and then connect with the apps that their friends use, do@ delivers the first viable social search ranking, ensuring every response to every query will be delivered by the most trusted sources of information.

Greg Sterling, contributing editor for Search Engine Land, said, "Do@ provides the first search experience truly optimized for mobile, rather than one that has been adapted from a PC legacy."

Do@'s founders, Rami Kasterstein, Ami Ben David and Joey Simhon, know about launching start-ups. They are serial entrepreneurs each of whom has been involved in multiple start-ups over the last 20 years. Kasterstein brings substantial experience in business operations, leading strategic development and investor outreach to his role as do@'s CEO. Ben David heads do@'s product, user experience, strategic relationships and marketing, bringing extensive knowledge about growing user adoption. Simhon, do@'s CTO, rounds out the founding team skill set, with solid knowledge of product development, user interface and design along with vast experience in building large scale, complex web and mobile projects.

Do@ is available for free today at www.doat.com or via this link. Upcoming versions of do@ will support Android and other mobile devices and platforms.

ABOUT DO@

Do@ is the first search solution designed for mobile. Do@’s mission is to change the paradigm of mobile search and deliver results that give consumers and content creators a better experience. The do@ platform wholly changes the approach to mobile search by enabling publishers to provide answers directly to users; and by providing users with a personalized experience that integrates the first viable social search functionality into each experience. The company is based in Israel with offices in San Francisco. The company is funded by BRM Group, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and DFJ Tamir Fishman. To download do@ visit the company web site, or via this link. To see the product in action, check out this video. For more information on the company visit do@ at www.doat.com or join the conversation at www.twitter.com/doat.

About TechCrunch Disrupt

TechCrunch Disrupt NYC 2011(http://disrupt.techcrunch.com) is TechCrunch’s second annual conference in New York City attracting over 1,500 leading technology innovators and investors and over 150 new startups. The format combines top thought-leader discussions with new product and company launches. Morning executive discussions debate the most timely disruptions in media, advertising and technology. Afternoons host the Startup Battlefield where 25 new companies will launch for the first time on stage, selected to present from more than 500 applications received from around the world. Another 100 early-stage startups will exhibit in Startup Alley. TechCrunch will award a $50,000 grand prize along with other award recognitions at the conclusion of the conference. The conference is May 23-25, 2011, at Pier 94 located at 711 12th Avenue (at 55th Street & West Side Hwy) in Midtown New York.

TechCrunch (www.techcrunch.com) is a leading technology media network dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies. Founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, TechCrunch and its network of websites reach over 13 million unique visitors and more than 30 million page views per month. TechCrunch was acquired by AOL in 2011 and operates a global network of websites including dedicated properties in Europe and Japan, as well as specialized industry websites including MobileCrunch, CrunchGear, GreenTech, TechCrunchIT, and CrunchBase. TechCrunch's CrunchBase is the leading open database about startup companies, people, and investors. In addition to TechCrunch Disrupt, TechCrunch hosts other conferences and events, including the Crunchies Awards and various meet-ups worldwide, serving as community platforms for industry conversation and collaboration.

SOURCE do@