Koozoo is a San Francisco-based platform that asks users to set up old smartphones in windows or other public-facing locations to capture crowdsourced 24-hour video of public spaces. The product aims to provide live local information — weather, crowd levels, on-the-ground views during events or unrest — and potential reporting tools for media. Koozoo enforces rules and a curation system to exclude private or inappropriate content and is building an advisory board of privacy and computer science experts to guide edge cases. The company is currently running a closed beta in San Francisco and plans a public launch there in early 2013, with expansion to additional geographies afterward. Koozoo sees competitors in services like Localmind and Banjo but believes live video feeds offer unique real-time value. The startup acknowledges challenges around recruiting contributors with spare smartphones and scaling the network and plans to tap other sources and contribution methods in the future.

Total raised

$3M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Dec 2012