Cola enters private beta to bring app-like interactivity directly into texting
SAN FRANCISCO — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 12, 2015 — Cola today emerged from stealth with a $1.3 million round of seed funding. Cola is led by a team of Silicon Valley veterans who have worked on some of the world’s most recognized tech products, such as the iMac, iPhone, Photoshop, and Nest, joining to advance texting beyond simple text, links, and pictures.
As the world’s first Messaging OS, Cola introduces interactive “Cola Bubbles” directly into the messaging stream, designed to make texting more convenient and give users access to the full functionality of their smartphone without ever leaving the conversation. Cola also serves as a platform for developers to create their own Cola Bubbles, bringing new interactive experiences into text conversations and extending the functionality of existing products into Cola.
“Cola’s mission is to make your day-to-day life as convenient as sending a text message. Everyone can relate to a conversation that starts with a simple request and spirals into an endless, out-of-control thread,” said Cola CEO, David Temkin. “We think of Cola as ‘autocomplete for your day’ – you can do with one Cola Bubble what would usually take 10 or even 100 texts.”
Cola combines the ease and immediacy of texting, with the precision and interactivity of an app; it is the only messaging app designed specifically for getting things done. Cola Bubbles make it easy to get input from everybody on your thread. A typical use case allows a Cola user to eliminate sending a batch of text messages to figure out when people can meet, where they’d like to eat, or their ETA; instead, just send a Cola Bubble with options they can see and tap.
The founding team of Cola includes:
- David Temkin, founder of Laszlo Systems and GM of AOL Mobile and Mail;
- Marc Canter, founder of Macromedia and prominent tech influencer;
- Mike McEvoy, leader of Adobe’s Imaging and Video team, including Photoshop;
- Jeremy Wyld, a key member of Apple's original iPhone engineering team;
- Brian Maggi, founder of Postini and technology manager for the original iMac.
"A few years ago,” Mr. Temkin continued, “every tech company shouted from the rooftops that they were suddenly ‘mobile first’ because everyone recognized that people wanted to live 100% on their mobile device, not on their laptops. We are pioneering a ‘Texting First’ path for the very same reason: now everyone wants to live 100% in texting. No one else is meeting that demand of ‘everything I want, right in my line of sight’, and that’s what Cola delivers.”
Naval Ravikant led the funding round, with participation from Tribeca Angels and Ravikant’s AngelList syndicate, which includes AOL founder Steve Case, Brad Garlinghouse, and other prominent angel investors.
“I backed and believe strongly in Cola because of the stellar team they’ve assembled and the market opportunity they’ve identified,” said Mr. Ravikant. “This is a rare opportunity to change the way consumers interact with the core functionality of their phone while also providing developers with a platform where they can create brand new experiences.”
Cola for iPhone is launching in limited beta and those interested in testing the app or joining the developer community can sign up at cola.io.
About Cola
Cola is the world’s first Messaging OS designed to make texting more convenient and give users the full functionality of their smartphone without ever leaving the app. Cola is founded by a team of seasoned Silicon Valley veterans. Cola is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
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