The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.
Name: Roamz
Quick Pitch: Roamz is a discovery mobile application that aims to help locals and travelers alike find a region's hidden gems.
Genius Idea: Pulling real-time data and updates from Facebook, Foursquare, Instagram and the application's own data stream to show you what people are doing close by.
Imagine traveling to a foreign place for the first time and knowing your way around. Or living somewhere for years and discovering a new place that becomes a favorite haunt. Roamz is a global mobile application that aims to point you toward these experiences.
The location-based app aggregates data from social networks into its "Nearby" feed. Statuses, tips and photos are collected from people near you — not solely from who you know. This ensures there's access to data you wouldn't normally see.
Roamz curates info about hole-in-the-wall restaurants, little-known theaters, galleries and sights off the beaten path and puts them on an easy-to-read display. Large image thumbnails quickly show what's going on.
The startup's users in NYC may stumble across places such as low-profile cafes on a residential block or asecret burger joint hidden behind a curtain at the Le Parker Meridien.
Even with all the tools we have, it can be difficult to really know what's going on around you, Roamz CEO Jonathan Barouch tells Mashable. "You might come across something from Twitter, but often you miss places and events because you are not finding the right people," he said.
Sign-in with a Facebook account or an email. Find out about events, secret concerts, parties or a celebrity sighting that just happened. The version 2.0 of the web app just launched on March 2 at SXSW with a bold new redesign. Updates include a new commenting system plus an integration with Google Maps, which allows individuals to access directions.
"We want to help people engage and show them content that's relevant to them," Barouch says. "For us, it's sort of about the serendipitous nature of discovering places, activities and events."
How does Roamz differ from other social media data websites?
"I think there is a number of ways. It's aggregating from a number of sources and it's really intelligent looking for signals," he says. "It's building a history about you really quickly."
Part of the magic formula is an analysis of information from your connected social media accounts and items posted in Roamz.
"We eventually might know that you prefer Northern Italian food versus Southern, or that you like coffee in the morning but not after 3 p.m.," wrote Heather Snodgrass, Roamz head of marketing and communications, in a blog post.
Roamz's model revolves around getting people into new places, Barouch said. In the future, the team wants to use marketing and advertising-based models that allow businesses to sponsor posts. There will also be opportunities for small businesses to introduce special deals on Roamz or offer discounts to an interested network.
Image courtesy of Flickr, sarah_jordan
Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark
The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.
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