Monday, May 12, 2008

The Pitch

SchoolPulse seeks funding for school community Web 2.0 platform

SchoolPulse Inc.

Headquarters: Concord

Employees: 8

Founded: 2008

Web: www.schoolpulse.com

E-mail: jb@schoolpulse.com

Phone: 978-371-3200

The Pitch: SchoolPulse said it wants to

research and build its version 2.0 platform,

refine a scalable user acquisition model,

establish deals with monetization partners and expand its core team.

PITCHING THE TECHNOLOGY

Social media company SchoolPulse says its mission is to strengthen school communities by providing an advertising-supported website where parents, teachers and students can gather online.

PITCHING THE PEOPLE

Who is on the management team? John Boynton, CEO, formerly of Forrester Research, Yandex, CompTek and Infinet Wireless; Preston Carey, COO, formerly of Monitor Group and Forrester Research; Pamela Rosenthal, VP community, formerly of Communispace and Digitas.

Have executives been involved in a cashout prior to this venture? Boynton was involved in cashouts at Yandex and CompTek.

Who is on the board of advisers? SchoolPulse has not announced a board of advisors.

PITCHING THE BUSINESS

How much investment is being sought? SchoolPulse is seeking $1 million to $2 million to research and build its version 2.0 platform, refine a scalable user acquisition model, cement deals with monetization partners and expand the core team.

What partnerships, collaborations or affiliations are already in place? None.

List any federal or state grants, contracts or awards received: None.

What's the market size being pursued? The company describes its market as 50 million parents and teachers of school-aged children in the United States.

Who are the likely competitors, direct or indirect? SchoolPulse said its competition includes CafeMom, iVillage and GreatSchools. The company also said it has to compete with existing behavior, as its audience can be more focused on their kids than the next cool technology.

Is the company profitable? No.