Six years after leaving online gambling company Playtech Cyprus Ltd. (LSE:PTEC), where he served as CEO and board member, Avigur Zmora is returning to the world of Internet as an entrepreneur. In recent years, he invested in a number of companies and start-ups, and now he is returning to center-stage with the start-up Funzing, a website that recommends unique events and experiences, based on age and location. He founded the company, in which he invested tens of thousands of dollars, with Eran Along (CEO) Noa Moscati and Yaron Sagiv.
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“I found myself frustrated with Google when I was looking for something to do with my kids, or when I wanted to go out with my wife. You always get the same results – a movie, a jamboree, or a hike. Nothing out of the box. Nothing different that you can do week after week, ” Zmora explained when telling “Globes” why he founded Funzing.
“I looked around, and I saw there are a lot of people doing interesting things, but they are not sufficiently promoted on Google, or at all. So we decided to create a social arena, where activity organizers can upload their varied content, and where users can find the things that are relevant for them.”
Funzing’s advantage is its ability to filter activities by matching them to various ages – whether for small children, teens, or adults, and it also divides results based on location, distance from home, and, of course, date. “We reverse the search, and you can say you are looking for activities for a three-year old girl after daycare, or a morning activity for your older son, or a Friday morning with your wife, ” explains Zmora. Among the activities you can find on Funzing: Salsa lessons, vegetarian cooking classes, Go-cart driving lessons, an introduction to agri-circus, photography workshops with kids, and more.
According to Zmora, “We give creators a web-based platform with which they can upload photos, describe activities, and list prices and location. Then, we promote and advertise their activity on our website, on social networks, and on other websites.”
Zmora explains that Funzing benefits not only users, but also activity organizers. “You get easy access to a world of business from something that until now was your passion or your hobby, and you can make money from it, without investing in your own website, or in marketing or advertising it.”
Activity organizers are paid by credit card via the website, and the company serves as payment processor. The business model is based on charging 20% of the event organizer’s revenue, and each activity that is uploaded is verified through a conversation with its creator, and an inspection of the workshop itself.
The website has been active for the past three months, and the company is currently working on it its launch outside of Israel.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com
