DigiScents(TM) Secures 10M USD Funding From Pacific Century CyberWorks
Companies to Stream Scents to Internet, E-Commerce and Interactive Television Market Across Asia
OAKLAND, Calif. and HONG KONG, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- DigiScents, Inc., (www.digiscents.com), the pioneer of Digital Scent Technology(TM), announced today that it has raised US$10 million in cash financing from Hong Kong-listed Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited (Hong Kong: 1186; ``PCCW''). PCCW is the technology flagship of the Pacific Century Group.
(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991020/SFW058-a )
PCCW's investment represents a 12.5 percent stake in DigiScents, the most substantial financial investment in Digital Scent Technology(TM) to date. This strategic cooperation between the two companies will bring DigiScents Digital Scent Technology(TM) to the Asia-Pacific market via Pacific Century Convergence or PCC's fully converged broadband digital video and Internet service, NOW (Network of the World, to be launched mid-2000).
``This deal opens the exciting opportunity to introduce DigiScents Digital Scent Technology to the Asia-Pacific market via PCCW's enormous Internet network,'' states Joel Bellenson, CEO of DigiScents. Bellenson adds: ``Just as sound has become an integral part of the online entertainment experience and soundtracks have become a necessity in movies, we believe that over time, digital scent will also become ubiquitous in most forms of media. The same way you can click on and hear a song over the Internet, now you can click on an image and smell it with a computer speaker-sized device. The applications in advertising and education are huge.''
In the coming months, DigiScents will unveil its revolutionary ScentStream(TM) software and iSmell(TM) computer peripheral device, bringing scent to web sites, DVDs, games and all manner of digital media.
Alex Arena, Group Managing Director, Pacific Century CyberWorks, said: ``This is an exciting development for PCCW as we continue to pioneer the Internet revolution in Asia. Our investment in DigiScents fits our strategy for providing unique and compelling content to the Internet and interactive television users of our NOW service.''
About DigiScents, Inc.
DigiScents is partnering with leading web sites and interactive media companies to scent-enable the Internet. With DigiScents Digital Scent Technology, consumers will be able to enjoy more lifelike and memorable experiences with scented Web sites, e-mail, movies, music, e-commerce, interactive games, and online advertising.
In October 1999, DigiScents first announced its complete solution for digitizing and broadcasting scents over the Internet. Through a partnership with RealNetworks®, DigiScents ScentStream software will be auto-downloaded to almost 100 million Real Player users.
DigiScents is a privately held corporation located in Oakland, California. The company was founded in February 1999 by Dexster Smith and Joel Bellenson. Bellenson and Smith also founded DoubleTwist (www.doubletwist.com), formerly Pangea Systems Inc., a leading biotechnology company.
About the Pacific Century Group
Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited (PCCW), the Hong Kong-listed technology flagship of the Pacific Century Group (www.pcg-group.com), is comprised of three main businesses: Pacific Convergence Corporation, CyberWorksVentures and the Cyber-Port project.
Pacific Convergence Corporation (PCC) plans to be the leading provider of broadband Internet services in Asia, serving 130 million cabled households. PCC's NOW (Network of the World) will offer the world's first fully converged service with interactive digital video viewing and Web access during 2000.
CyberWorksVentures (CWV) invests in Asian and Western Internet companies. CWV investments are currently worth more than US $1.5 billion.
The Pacific Century Group is developing with the Government of Hong Kong, the approximately US $1.6 billion Cyber-Port project (www.cyber-port.com), a strategic cluster of IT and services companies in Hong Kong.
CONTACT: David Libby of DigiScents, 510-625-4305, or davidl@digiscents.com; or Joan Wagner of Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd. in Asia, 852-2514-8883, or 852-9128-1155, or joanwagner@pcg-group.com
SOURCE: DigiScents, Inc.
Companies to Stream Scents to Internet, E-Commerce and Interactive Television Market Across Asia
OAKLAND, Calif. and HONG KONG, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- DigiScents, Inc., (www.digiscents.com), the pioneer of Digital Scent Technology(TM), announced today that it has raised US$10 million in cash financing from Hong Kong-listed Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited (Hong Kong: 1186; ``PCCW''). PCCW is the technology flagship of the Pacific Century Group.
(Photo: www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19991020/SFW058-a )
PCCW's investment represents a 12.5 percent stake in DigiScents, the most substantial financial investment in Digital Scent Technology(TM) to date. This strategic cooperation between the two companies will bring DigiScents Digital Scent Technology(TM) to the Asia-Pacific market via Pacific Century Convergence or PCC's fully converged broadband digital video and Internet service, NOW (Network of the World, to be launched mid-2000).
``This deal opens the exciting opportunity to introduce DigiScents Digital Scent Technology to the Asia-Pacific market via PCCW's enormous Internet network,'' states Joel Bellenson, CEO of DigiScents. Bellenson adds: ``Just as sound has become an integral part of the online entertainment experience and soundtracks have become a necessity in movies, we believe that over time, digital scent will also become ubiquitous in most forms of media. The same way you can click on and hear a song over the Internet, now you can click on an image and smell it with a computer speaker-sized device. The applications in advertising and education are huge.''
In the coming months, DigiScents will unveil its revolutionary ScentStream(TM) software and iSmell(TM) computer peripheral device, bringing scent to web sites, DVDs, games and all manner of digital media.
Alex Arena, Group Managing Director, Pacific Century CyberWorks, said: ``This is an exciting development for PCCW as we continue to pioneer the Internet revolution in Asia. Our investment in DigiScents fits our strategy for providing unique and compelling content to the Internet and interactive television users of our NOW service.''
About DigiScents, Inc.
DigiScents is partnering with leading web sites and interactive media companies to scent-enable the Internet. With DigiScents Digital Scent Technology, consumers will be able to enjoy more lifelike and memorable experiences with scented Web sites, e-mail, movies, music, e-commerce, interactive games, and online advertising.
In October 1999, DigiScents first announced its complete solution for digitizing and broadcasting scents over the Internet. Through a partnership with RealNetworks®, DigiScents ScentStream software will be auto-downloaded to almost 100 million Real Player users.
DigiScents is a privately held corporation located in Oakland, California. The company was founded in February 1999 by Dexster Smith and Joel Bellenson. Bellenson and Smith also founded DoubleTwist (www.doubletwist.com), formerly Pangea Systems Inc., a leading biotechnology company.
About the Pacific Century Group
Pacific Century CyberWorks Limited (PCCW), the Hong Kong-listed technology flagship of the Pacific Century Group (www.pcg-group.com), is comprised of three main businesses: Pacific Convergence Corporation, CyberWorksVentures and the Cyber-Port project.
Pacific Convergence Corporation (PCC) plans to be the leading provider of broadband Internet services in Asia, serving 130 million cabled households. PCC's NOW (Network of the World) will offer the world's first fully converged service with interactive digital video viewing and Web access during 2000.
CyberWorksVentures (CWV) invests in Asian and Western Internet companies. CWV investments are currently worth more than US $1.5 billion.
The Pacific Century Group is developing with the Government of Hong Kong, the approximately US $1.6 billion Cyber-Port project (www.cyber-port.com), a strategic cluster of IT and services companies in Hong Kong.
CONTACT: David Libby of DigiScents, 510-625-4305, or davidl@digiscents.com; or Joan Wagner of Pacific Century CyberWorks Ltd. in Asia, 852-2514-8883, or 852-9128-1155, or joanwagner@pcg-group.com
SOURCE: DigiScents, Inc.
