Write on Virtual Walls with Your iPhone Using the Wallit App

Wallit's Augmented Reality App Launches to Enable People to Interact with Virtual Walls in Real-Life Settings; Opens up the Opportunity, for the First Time, to Preserve Location-Specific Experiences

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Wallit

Mar 06, 2012, 07:01 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, March 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Wallit today announced the general availability of its new iPhone application, which socializes augmented reality experiences. Wallit is a free geo-social app that enables people to create and exchange one-of-a-kind multi-media messages on virtual walls located around the world. Going far beyond a check-in, Wallit is a new kind of geo-social network that exhibits the character of places. Its virtual walls provide a canvas for people to discover and share sentiments. Wallit sparks intrigue as walls are revealed through smartphones, unveiling location-specific content and inviting the opportunity to connect with others who are there.

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"From prehistoric cave paintings to simply carving 'Tommy Was Here' into a tree, people have always felt a need to leave their mark to not only show others they had been there, but also to be a lasting part of a place," says Dr. Veysel Berk, founder and CEO of Wallit. "Today, Wallit is proud to say that we have developed an app that is very much like a 'Facebook wall for Places' to satisfy this timeless urge to interact with and add character to ones' surroundings through the latest location-based and augmented reality technologies. Whether it's showing your love for your favorite team at the stadium, a poignant observation while visiting a landmark, or a surprise message for someone else to discover, Wallit makes this possible."

Wallit allows users to view and "post" to virtual walls located around the world in the same way they do to a friend's or business's social network profile—providing a unique glimpse into a collection of content that was created by people who were actually there. Unlike other geo-location apps, Wallit allows people to see who else is present, interact with one another and leave their mark at settings as varied as a high school graduation to a first kiss shared below the Eiffel Tower. Another timely example includes the ability to write on Wallit walls located at Apple Stores during the upcoming iPad 3 launch. People can post their own reactions and discover what others are saying about the new product. Because the app is location-based, only those who are in Apple retail locations can write on the Apple Wallit walls. The possibilities for connecting with others at public virtual walls, or for businesses to capture customer sentiment, are endless.

While not an initial priority, Wallit's location capabilities also introduce obvious monetization opportunities through personalized advertising and offers, something other companies are struggling to do. In reference to the forthcoming Facebook IPO, The New York Times recently wrote, "Although more than half of its 845 million members log into Facebook on a mobile device, the company has not yet found a way to make real money from that use."

"I have always been intrigued by augmented reality services that can merge the digital and physical worlds in interesting ways," says Roelof Botha, former CFO of Paypal, venture capitalist with Sequoia Capital. "Wallit's idea of allowing for social communication based on location is an interesting example of what the neighborhood noticeboard of old will look like in a digital future."

Sanjay Subhedar, managing director and co-founder of Storm Ventures, says, "You are going to love this app and, after you have played around with it, drop us an audio, video or text note on our wall at Storm office. This is going to be whole new way of having conversations and interactions using virtual walls tied to physical locations."

Wallit has raised about $1 million in seed funding with notable investors including Masao Tejima, president of OpenTable Japan, Sharmila Mulligan, marketing executive who hails from HP and Netscape, David Kellogg and Daniel Terry, CEO, Pocket Gems, among others. The angel round also includes investment from Storm Ventures, Tenex Capital Fund, DBO Capital and Orrick Venture Fund.

"Wallit creates walls for places. Facebook introduced walls for connecting people, yet until now there was no way to connect people to places," says Dr. Berk. "At the same time, there is an extraordinary gap between mobile adoption and monetization. The contributions and enthusiasm we've received from this list of experienced investors indicate that Wallit is really on to something. This funding gives us the capital we need to bring the Wallit app to consumers and explore potential business use cases that could improve customer experience."

The Wallit app is free and does not require the creation of an account or user ID. You simply launch the app, view and create posts, anonymously or through a Facebook or Twitter handle. For more information or a list of virtual wall locations and images, please visit www.wallitapp.com or contact Kim Angell at [email protected].

About Wallit
Wallit socializes augmented reality experiences. Its geo-social app is a platform for people to create one-of-a-kind multi-media messages on virtual walls located around the world. Going far beyond a check in, Wallit is a new kind of geo-social network that exhibits the character of places. Its virtual walls provide a canvas for people to discover and share sentiments. Wallit sparks intrigue as walls are revealed through Smartphones, unveiling location-specific content and inviting the opportunity to connect with others who are there. By capturing people's sentiments on virtual walls created during the moments they spent there, Wallit's videos and observations open up, for the first time, the opportunity to preserve location-specific experiences.

Related Links:
Download the Wallit iPhone app
Wallit home page

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