weblin gets Red Herring 100 Europe 2008
RED HERRING REVEALS COMPANIES SELECTED FOR THE RED HERRING 100 EUROPE 2008

Malta, April 15th, 2008

Award Recognizes the 100 "Most Promising" Companies Driving the Future of Technology

Red Herring today announced that Zweitgeist with its product weblin is a recipient of the Red Herring 100 Europe, an award given to the top 100 private technology companies based in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region each year.

Descubra a Internet humana:
Os avatars Weblin estão a habitar a Net

Hamburgo, Dezembro de 2007

A navegação na Internet está a começar a ganhar vida: o weblin permite inovadoras formas de comunicação e não conhece quaisquer limites. Pessoas com ideias semelhantes agrupam-se rápida e facilmente na Internet: cada utilizador, representado pela sua própria imagem virtual, o seu weblin, é visível para os restantes weblins que estão a visitar a mesma página da Web na mesma altura. O universo sem vida e anónimo da World Wide Web está a começar a ganhar vida, é mais colorido, um lugar de comunicação simples e directa. Basta um clique do rato e pode iniciar uma conversa com outro avatar. O weblin funciona em todas as páginas da Web, incluindo YouTube, Google, eBay e facebook – juntando pessoas com os mesmos gostos, interesses e necessidades. A Net, qualquer página da Web torna-se um ponto de encontro.

Weblin Frees Avatars to Roam the Web
New Social Browsing Application Is Registration Free

Boston, Mass., May 14, 2008

NEWS FACTS

Weblin, a universal avatar solution that allows you to communicate on any site as you surf the Web, today announced the launch of an online version of their award-winning Weblin product.

Weblin.lite (Lite.Weblin.com) is a tool that allows Web surfers to make themselves visible to other users by assigning an avatar, or “weblin” to depict a user at the bottom of a Web site. With the application, any weblins who are on the same site at the same time will see each other and be able to communicate. Weblins are able to chat, move and display a range of emotions in 3D.

T-Online Venture Fund invests in zweitgeist
Weblin well on its way to becoming international

Bonn/Hamburg, November 5th 2007

The T-Online Venture Fund is investing in the Hamburg company zweitgeist. Weblin, the Web 2.0 application developed by zweitgeist, makes a completely new, entertaining form of contact and interaction possible. With the aid of a virtual character, Internet users are able to communicate with one another quickly and easily on any website. The start-up founded in 2006 is thus further expanding its cooperation with the Deutsche Telekom group which had already got off to a successful start when weblin entered into a cooperation with Gamesload, Germany’s leading online portal for PC game downloads.

Acclaim for weblin from Business 2.0 :
zweitgeist one of the high potentials of worldwide start-ups

Hamburg, August 6, 2007

The internationally renowned business magazine Business 2.0 considers weblin’s potential to be very high: the social software business idea of the Hamburg company zweitgeist is listed there as one of “10 world shaking business models“.

In the August online issue of Business 2.0 on the homepage of CNN Money, zweitgeist is also counted among the 31 most exciting Web 2.0 companies outside the United States. The 2006 start-up therefore represents Germany as one of two companies on the company map.

Life in the Web is taking shape:
New weblin features for an international public

Hamburg, August 3, 2007

The social software weblin is gaining momentum: avatar users are delighted with the numerous new features. Contact lists can now be drawn up to see what friends and other contacts happen to be on-line. An enhanced social bookmarking system helps with spreading the news of Web finds. Weblin now meets international demand and translates its products into several languages. And, to top all that, there are a large number of new avatars.

The contact list differentiates between friends and contacts. The user adds contacts to his list and can attach small notes to them. If you wish that contact to have the status of friend, that contact must give his approval. You can then see if your friend is on-line at the same time; you can send that friend a private message at any time, it does not matter whether he happens to be on the same website or elsewhere. By clicking “my weblin” on the homepage www.weblin.com, you can keep the lists like a small address book. And, with a click, you can tell your friend where you are and you can both explore the website together.

Second Life avatars break out:
weblins inhabit SLinfo.de

Hamburg, July 25, 2007

Whoever wishes to be virtually present prefers to do so in the virtual world Second Life. With weblin, Second Life is now cleverly enhanced: With the free of charge software from the Hamburg company zweitgeist, weblin avatars will in future be present on the web page of the largest German speaking Second Life community. Other Second Life fans are encouraged to limit their presence as avatar not only to Second Life but, thanks to weblin, to communicate on any web page at all. The way there is very user-friendly: after registering free of charge, avatar owners can see one another on the currently visited page - and they can chat with one another, dance and interact in many different ways. SLinfo.de thus becomes a befitting portal in the digital second world. The SLinfo.de branded avatars carry this message through the whole network: a click on the branded avatar suffices and one is on the community web page.

Lancia goes Web 2.0:
First on-line press conference with weblin avatars on own web page

Hamburg / Milan, June 28, 2007

The very first on-line press conference took place today: Lancia presented the cooperation between weblin and Lancia on the home page of the Lancia Momo Design Project www.ypsilonsportmomodesign.it Subject and presentation form were identical: a Lancia hostess, a weblin avatar in the service of the Italian car makers, welcomed the virtually present journalists. They also appeared as weblins and were given an insight into the functionality and potential of the weblin software.

Through the cooperation with weblin, Lancia shows how recommendation marketing can function on-line: Lancia offers four exclusive branded weblins. The avatars appear in the Lancia style and with the auto brand’s logo. Should one meet a virtual counterpart in this outfit, one can click on the small Lancia logo and gain direct access to the home page of the Lancia Momo Design Project - on the recommendation of a fellow weblin. There, there is always a winged Lancia hostess present to welcome the weblins and inform them of the cooperation. The weblin download is also advertised prominently by a banner on lancia.it. The cooperation with Lancia (FIAT Group Automobiles S.p.A.) was accompanied by the Italian web agency Testawebedv (Armando Testa Group).

Nikolai Roth is new Business Development Manager at zweitgeist GmbH

Hamburg, Mai 24, 2007

zweitgeist GmbH is putting their money on Nikolai Roth as new Business Development Manager. Roth, born in Göttingen, has been supporting the social software weblin team since the beginning of May.

After obtaining his degree in communications management, Roth managed a team of six as Head of Music at arvato mobile GmbH. In addition to managing the international music licenses, he was responsible for the strategic alignment of the music department.

From September 2005 to January 2006, Nikolai Roth worked for Indicium Technology Group Pty Ltd as Mobile Entertainment Consultant in Sydney. He then returned as Director B2B to arvato mobile GmbH in April 2006. Not only was he responsible for the worldwide acquisition of new customers but also for the sale of arvato mobile services.Nikolai Roth takes over the business development and sales sectors.

Award: zweitgeist is awarded special prize by Baden-Württemberg for the most innovative founder concept

Stuttgart, Mai 16, 2007

zweitgeist GmbH from Karlsruhe has been awarded the CyberOne Award 2007. At the ninth award ceremony, the original weblin software company received the special prize for the most innovative founder concept from Minister-President Günther Oettinger in the name of the technology network Baden-Württemberg: Connected (bwcon). "The jury was especially impressed by the new entertainment and advertising format for the Internet. The software works on any web page without the involvement of the web page operator", was the comment of the jury members when awarding the prize to zweitgeist GmbH.

Beastly good!
The new avatars of the weblin community

Hamburg, Mai 11, 2007

weblin has been inspired by the enthusiasm surrounding the little polar bear Knut. The large number of animated avatars available at weblin has therefore been enhanced with animal characters: brand new motives of four-legged friends are now available. Roam the Web as dog or show yourself as a purring cat to the other weblin users. With funny animations such as wagging their tails, giving a paw or cleaning their coats, the cuddly animals liven up the Internet. The range of figures available will be continually expanded in the course of the next few months: you will soon be able to strut around the search engines as a king penguin or mark out your territory in e-shops as noble wild cat. To make sure that you do not miss out on the many new avatars from the animal world, it is worth your while to regularly visit the weblin home page.

Millions of people surf through the Internet every day but, unfortunately, you cannot see who may also be interested in a certain subject. These users become visible with weblin. weblin users appear as a small avatar in the form of their own photo or a self-selected figure and see all other weblins visiting the same site in the World Wide Web at the same time. With its animated and individualisable avatars, weblin is forerunner in the still small group of virtual presence technologies and is already showing how Web 2.0 can appear in the future: human, very imaginative and definitely lively.

Cool action hero or powerful magic elf?
The new weblin models show everyone what you are playing at!

Hamburg, Mai 11, 2007

Showing your own alter ego in the virtual gaming world to other Web users - this is now possible with the brand new, fully animated weblin avatars. Fans of action, role playing or sports games can thus recognise one another immediately and can see at first glance whether the other weblin prefers the same genres.

A weblin is the virtual alter ego of a user, giving the user a virtual presence in the Internet. If you are surfing with other weblins on the same web page, they become visible as figures. With weblin, you can meet friends and get to know new people directly on the web pages. And, with the new game motives, there are now even more cool animation figures available. Fans of action games can give their weblin the appearance of a very tough cop, ready to jump into action on the screen. If you prefer experiencing adventures in mystic worlds as on-line role player, you can give your weblin the appearance of a mighty elf or strong warrior. Every other Internet surfer with weblin software can see your avatar and, with just one click of the mouse, start chatting to you. In addition to chatting, one can show numerous emotions and actions with the ready-made animations. The range of available avatars will be continually expanded in the next few months: Manga figures, Ninjas, wizards and lots of other casual weblins from the games universe turn the screen into a lively playground. It is therefore worth your while to visit the weblin home page regularly so that you do not miss out on the new figures.

weblins conquer Windows Live Messenger!
Windows Live starts cooperation with zweitgeist GmbH

Unterschleißheim/Hamburg, March 29, 2007

zweitgeist GmbH and Windows Live Messenger, one of the most popular fast communication tools for young people, announced the start of their cooperation today. With 7 million users in Germany alone, the new Instant Messenger, with features such as contact list, emoticons and immediate contact with friends, is one of the most popular forms of communication. Exclusive avatars and completely branded clients are just two of the many possibilities Windows Live Messenger provides its community.

Many integrations with Windows Live Messenger and Spaces make it easy for the user to download MSN Messenger's successor. All users of Windows Live Messenger are now offered the chance to quickly and easily create a really cool avatar with a weblin figure. Whoever registers free of charge with weblin on the web page of Windows Live Messenger is given an animated figure designed in the typical stylish Messenger look focused on the target group of 14 to 29 year-old users. The avatar range has been exclusively designed for weblin's cooperation with Windows Live Messenger and is available exclusively to Windows Live Messenger users. (Addendum for the trade: The cooperation partners are already thinking of the future. weblin for Windows Live Messenger has further large growth potential: innovative, interactive advertising messages will in future support the target-orientedcommunity approach.)

Find out more http://messenger.weblin.com and download the Windows Live Messenger version of weblins for free.

Beta phase successfully completed
zweitgeist becomes weblin

Hamburg, March 21, 2007

zweitgeist GmbH has completed the successful Beta phase of its social software zweitgeist and now announces that the software has been renamed "weblin". In view of the international alignment of the company's strategy and the user groups targeted in future, the change of name is an important step to make the consumer software also known to non German-speaking users worldwide.

Federal Ministry of Economics awards prize to zweitgeist
as exemplary multimedia project

Berlin/Hamburg, March 6, 2007

Outstanding award for zweitgeist GmbH: on the occasion of the Founder Congress Multimedia 2007 in Berlin on 6th March, the start-up company received the prize for the lighthouse project of the High-Tech Gründerfonds (Founder Fund) in the category multimedia from parliamentary state secretary Dagmar Wöhrl. Following the "Innovation Prize Web 2.0" from the State of Baden-Wurttemberg in the category "Digital Life", this was already the second award for zweitgeist in the last six months.

High-Tech Gründerfonds invests in zweitgeist GmbH

Bonn/Hamburg, 26 January 2007

The High-Tech Gründerfonds has invested in zweitgeist GmbH to support the development of the company. zweitgeist develops and markets a social software of the same name which makes people visible on web pages and context-related communication possible.

zweitgeist aims to make the use of the Internet more personal and emotional for private users. The software brings together people with similar interests: Modelled on the real world, zweitgeist users can see each other whenever they are in the same room at the same time. In the Internet, the room is the web page. zweitgeist users are visible to one another as avatars. With the new social software users can create their own individual virtual character. The users can either select their virtual figure from an avatar palette or upload their own photo. The avatar palette also includes animated figures. These figures can run, show emotions, wave and clap.

zweitgeist wins Innovation Prize Web 2.0
in the category Digital Life

Karlsruhe, November 17, 2006

zweitgeist wins the Innovation Prize Web 2.0 in category 2: "Digital Life - new forms of social interaction in the second generation Web". The prize was awarded on the occasion of the doIT Congress on 16th November in Freiburg.

The "Innovation Prize Web 2.0 is awarded by the MFG for successful second generation Internet applications. In the category "Digital Life", focus was on new forms of interaction, individual participation possibilities and the degree of innovation. The MFG Baden-Wurttemberg held the competition for the first time in the course of the project "Innovation Programme Web 2.0". The award is given to innovative, next generation Internet applications from Baden-Wurttemberg. zweitgeist, the alter ego which is visible on every web page, succeeded in convincing the jury in category 2: Digital Life - new forms of social interaction in the second generation Web. The zweitgeist software provides a new method of communication across all web pages.

Jan Andresen new CEO of zweitgeist GmbH

Hamburg, January 9, 2007

Jan Andresen is the new CEO of zweitgeist GmbH. The 30-year-old has been supporting the two founders Dr. Heiner Wolf and Christine Stumpf since December. The zweitgeist idea of making people visible on web pages convinced the entrepreneur and business angel to become involved in the company, with full responsibility.

Andresen founded the company elkware in 1994 while he was still at school. Following his studies (industrial engineering and management), the company was realigned to the mobile games sector. elkware quickly became an international market leader with subsidiaries and offices in New York and London. More than 100 mobile phone games had been published by 2004. The titles were installed on mobile terminals more than 100 million times worldwide. At the end of 2004, elkware GmbH was sold to the American group Infospace Inc. for 26 million US Dollars.