Voice Chat Firm Vivox Lands $2M from Peacock Equity

Vivox, the Natick, MA-based voice software startup, said today it has received a $2 million equity investment from Peacock Equity, a fund that is run jointly by GE Capital’s Media, Communications & Entertainment business and NBC Universal. The company says the money will be used to fuel its growth, expand into new markets, and enhance its offerings in virtual goods and audio advertising.

In February, Vivox announced it had raised $6.8 million in third-round venture funding from IDG Ventures SF, Benchmark Capital, Canaan Partners, and GrandBanks Capital. The company was founded in 2005 and is best known for providing voice chat software that lets inhabitants of virtual worlds like Second Life, EVE Online, and EverQuest talk with each other over the Internet. Its focus is on gaming and social networking communities.

“This partnership further solidifies our ongoing growth efforts and signals Peacock’s intention to provide the NBC Universal audience with the most engaging online experience possible,” said Vivox co-founder and CEO Rob Seaver, in a company statement.

Author: Gregory T. Huang

Greg is a veteran journalist who has covered a wide range of science, technology, and business. As former editor in chief, he overaw daily news, features, and events across Xconomy's national network. Before joining Xconomy, he was a features editor at New Scientist magazine, where he edited and wrote articles on physics, technology, and neuroscience. Previously he was senior writer at Technology Review, where he reported on emerging technologies, R&D, and advances in computing, robotics, and applied physics. His writing has also appeared in Wired, Nature, and The Atlantic Monthly’s website. He was named a New York Times professional fellow in 2003. Greg is the co-author of Guanxi (Simon & Schuster, 2006), about Microsoft in China and the global competition for talent and technology. Before becoming a journalist, he did research at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence Lab. He has published 20 papers in scientific journals and conferences and spoken on innovation at Adobe, Amazon, eBay, Google, HP, Microsoft, Yahoo, and other organizations. He has a Master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT, and a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.