Sir Richard Branson backed groundbreaking interactive video start-up set to change the face of online video

• Branson-backed start-up embeds slick interactivity into online video
• First commission from Virgin Media goes On The Line

London, UK,  04-10-2013 — /EuropaWire/ — Storygami, a groundbreaking interactive video company, launched today with the premiere of its first major commission. The new British company, which has received the financial backing and support of Sir Richard Branson, aims to revolutionise online video viewing and storytelling with its unique new embedding technology.

Founded by London husband and wife team Guy Gunaratne and Heidi Lindvall, Storygami allows content creators to insert interactive elements and applications¹ within online videos. Using their self-created HTML5 in-house editor, Storygami gives video producers the power to show the context behind their content, enabling viewers to explore what they’re watching from within the video.

29 year old co-founder Guy Gunaratne said: “Other than getting shorter, online video has barely evolved in terms of technological capabilities or the viewer experience since YouTube came to the fore. Storygami has been developed to help content creators engage and retain audiences by enabling viewers to interact with the content in a way that has never been possible before.”

Heidi Lindvall, 28, co-founder of Storygami and current Women of the Future Awards 2013 finalist², added: “Being documentary makers by trade, we’d become frustrated by the lack of tools out there for layering interactive elements into our videos. Existing solutions either meant having a clunky pop-up like an advert, or giving the viewer a few hyperlinks in the finishing credits. So we decided to develop Storygami from a storyteller’s point of view, to create something that’s led by the design, look and feel of the final videos rather than the tech that’s under the bonnet.”

Guy and Heidi are members of the Virgin Media Pioneers community of entrepreneurs and the duo behind the award-winning documentary film company, Codoc. Their first commission is for a Virgin Media documentary series called On The Line³. The series follows another Virgin Media Pioneers company, Elephant Branded, as its co-founder pushes his ethically-made bag company to new heights.

Ernestina Hall, head of brand for good at Virgin Media said: “We commissioned Heidi and Guy because Storygami gave us the ability to bring the story behind Elephant Branded to life in a truly interactive way. Our series was transformed from a linear story into something viewers could explore without leaving the video player. Viewers can click on peoples’ names to discover their stories, or on tags to mini-videos that delve into more detail, or even to vote for product prototypes they like the most. The ability to pull a Twitter feed into the video itself was also a big draw as a great way to drive social engagement with our series.”

Guy and Heidi are currently partnering with brands, media outlets and educators to explore digital storytelling and how they can use Storygami in the best way possible. They are also actively seeking their first round of funding to take the company to the next level, which will involve developing an online editor that others can use to create interactive video content.

Notes to editors
¹ A full list of elements available with Storygami is as follows:

² Heidi has been shortlisted in the ‘Media’ category – you can see the full shortlist here.

³ On The Line is available to watch at www.virginmediapioneers.com/on-the-line. Twitter conversations at #OnTheLine

About Storygami
Storygami is an online video company that helps content creators and brands make interactive videos by adding elements such as text, images, video and even social media streams to their online videos. These elements are designed to enhance the viewing experience by allowing the user to access relevant information around the content they are watching.

Storygami was founded by Guy Gunaratne and Heidi Lindvall. Having produced documentaries in some of the most hostile environments in the world while heading up production company CODOC, Guy and Heidi began looking at the potential of interactive online video as a medium to explore complex issues and tell stories of great depth.

Under the Virgin Media Pioneers entrepreneurship scheme, they began developing Storygami’s interactive video technology to overcome existing challenges in terms of video length and drop off rates and went on to receive financial backing and support from Sir Richard Branson.

Storygami is currently seeking to partner with brands, media companies and other organisations to create interactive branded videos and is actively seeking its first round of investment to develop an online authoring tool, which will enable content creators to add interactive elements to their own videos.

Find out more on: www.storygami.co

About Virgin Media Pioneers
The Virgin Media Pioneers programme launched in March 2010 to help fledging entrepreneurs kick-start successful businesses. Through a thriving online community of 5000 likeminded people, members use videos and blogging to create a peer to peer network and support service.

The Virgin Media Pioneers scheme is free to join and includes business from all sorts of industries – from fashion to digital to catering. It produces original content especially targeted for early-stage entrepreneurs, including the online Pioneers TV series. In addition, regular free events and unique opportunities are on offer, such as the annual Pitch to Rich event, which sees Pioneers pitch for investment and mentoring support to a panel of prestigious judges, including Sir Richard Branson.

Find out more at www.virginmediapioneers.com
About Virgin Media
Virgin Media is the first provider of all four broadband, TV, mobile phone and home phone services in the UK.

The company’s cable network – the result of multi-billion pound private investment – delivers ultrafast broadband to over half of all UK homes, with speeds of up to 120Mb, as well as market leading connectivity to thousands of public and private sector organisations across the country.

Virgin Media has developed the most advanced interactive television service, bringing together broadcast TV, thousands of hours of on demand programming and the best of the web in a single set-top box powered by TiVo. The company was the first to offer HD TV and 3D on demand to millions of British households.

The world’s first virtual mobile network was launched by Virgin Media and it is also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the country.

Virgin Media is a part of Liberty Global plc, the world’s largest international cable company. Together Virgin Media and Liberty Global serve 25 million customers across 14 countries, helping connect people to the digital world and enabling them to discover and experience its endless possibilities.

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Sir Richard Branson backed groundbreaking interactive video start-up set to change the face of online video