You might not think that the world needs another social network, but the good people behind Australian-based startup PlayUp disagree.
Launched globally last October, the premise behind PlayUp is pretty simple – you choose a sporting encounter that you’re watching, and you set-up a virtual, private hangout to discuss all aspects of the game with your buddies. Or, if you feel like gatecrashing other rooms and chatting with complete strangers, you can do.
Thus far, the app has been iOS-only, but it is now rolling out for Android devices too, which should see its uptake spike significantly.
The Android launch follows hot on the heels of a major upgrade (version 2.0) to its iOS app a couple of weeks back, which ushered in more customization and the ability to follow games, leagues and teams. There’s also now a Web app in beta, for those preferring to access via their PC.
Headquartered in Australia, the startup has international offices in the US, India, UK, China, Japan and Brazil. And since its launch last year, PlayUp has been a top 5 app in 29 countries around the world.
In 2010, PlayUp raised a whopping $50m from investors based on a US$200m pre-money valuation and now that it’s available on Android, effectively doubling its potential user-base, you can expect to be hearing a lot more about the company in the coming months.
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