LOS ANGELES -- Adult social networking and dating site AdultSpace has received $1.3 in funding from anonymous "angel investors" for company expansion.
The new funding brings the company's capital to $2.3 million since launching three years ago and will further its goals to take on competitors such as Penthouse-owned Adult Friend Finder, by offering a number of free services and greater interactivity as membership grows.
A good part of the funding will be used towards completing the development and launch of an AdultSpace mobile platform application and a mobile site. Additionally, the parent site, whose look will be revamped, will expand existing features and soon launch a marketplace as well as a new affiliate program.
"It should all be rolled out in 60 to 90 days," CEO Reuben Kane told AVN Online. "We been working on it about eight months, but with the influx of funding, we can make it happen"
The marketplace hopes to capitalize on the next generation of Web advertising, and members will reap benefits from referrals.
"People will be able to sell goods and services off the page, while basically, we'll turn all our members into affiliates by sending invites; they'll be paid a dollar for every profile sent our way," Kane said. This turns it all into a new viral machine, catapulting us into millions of members very soon."
AdultSpace will also expand its viral marketing campaigns with adult celebrities, which began with LolaBot an interactive avatar who strips and gets aroused. LolaBot based on adult star Brooke Banner.
"She's a virtual girl, and our members talk to her for hours," Kane said. "Plus, she learns.
Ask her questions and she learns; her brain keeps on growing. Those questions get sent to customer service to expand her knowledge."
Plans for Lolabot and other virtual girls include facial recognition when a user chats using a webcam.
"She'll remember your face, remember all the things you've said: your car, the color, the name of your girlfriend. She'll recognize you and remember the things you've talked about before," Kane said. "And the whole thing's a game. The goal is to get her temperature hot. It's been doing very well for us."
AdultSpace also plans to become a greater presence at consumer shows, such as the upcoming AdultCon in downtown Los Angeles at the end of March.
Founded by Kane three years ago as MyAdultSpace, the site changed its name after the giant MySpace.com stepped in to raise a ruckus. AdultSpace.com offers each member up to 1GB (and growing) of space in which to store free photo and video uploads, free cams and chatrooms, live shows featuring adult stars, classified adult industry personals and job postings, and various contests and giveaways. Comfort level options are offered in terms of posted and viewed content.
The company said its psychologist-developed member-matching profile system is on par with the level of analytical detail seen at mainstream dating site E-Harmony.
"We're so excited; we were celebrating yesterday," Kane told AVN Online. "This is a long time in the making. Now we have the right people on board to blow it up. We've had all these ideas for awhile."
