Tycoons Row

Company Background

Launched March 2004, Multiply is one of the few “privacy-based” social networks that allows you to share & communicate with your network of friends.  The company is based in sunny Boca Raton, Fl and is lead by founder, Peter Pezaris.  Last July, this company received their first Series A round of venture capital funding which was $5 million from venture firm,  Transcosmos.  This company focuses on privacy for its users and one unique feature is the live replies, being able to see who is commenting or replying on the your content in real time.

Features
Some of the social networking features include the ability to blog, photo & link sharing, adding music & video.  What makes the social network unique is that every relationship is defined.  What this means is that you will know the difference between a link that is a family member vs. a close friend vs. a distant friend.  These relationships are automatically given a value for you, showing you the most relevant information.  Another key feature is the ability to see live commenting.  I think this is very effective maneuver in the realm of social networks because people want instantaneous feedback & what a reaction quickly.  Other features include

• HTML Check - You will be able to learn HTML through the mistakes you make.  This feature checks on the closing tags so that you won’t have mistakes in creating your content.
• Customize site mode -  Create your themes, layouts & CSS on the fly while in customization mode.

Strategic Philosophy
The strategy today for Multiply is to enhance the user experience by creating quality features and maintaining a private network.   This will result in increased value as people decide to migrate to a more private network as they get older. With MySpace, you can get a tons of SPAM, but I think its users put up with it becuase MySpace was a first mover.  With Multiply, the user base is a bit older, and seek privacy not only in their lives but also within their community of friends.
Additionally, I think with the privacy of sharing & the exclusive networks that can be created, I think it offers a prime opportunity for advertisers to really hone in & target consumers.  For example, Multiply users can share movie & restaurant reviews.  Advertisers can now better understand an exclusive marketing group.  It’s like having a platform of consumers or focus group on a particular subject or topic.  With privacy, I think information & data is has more value.
Mission
Multiply’s mission is to be a great social network that allows you to share everything.  As this company grows, I think there will be more features to allow you to communicate, specifically in real time formats.  Additionally, making sharing easier & consistent with their focus: private.

Operations
Founder & President, Peter Pezaris started out with Daedalus World Wide Corp in 1995.  He has also has launched other companies; a fantascy sports statistics service (Commissioner.com).   In 199 DWWC merged into Sportsline.com.  Pezaris was also a software developer for Bankers Trust & Salomon Brothers.  He was name Forty under 40 in Sports Business Journal as a promising young sports business executive.