THE FOUNDERS of music video website Muzu.tv, Ciarán Bollard and Mark French, have been named the 2009 Net Visionaries by the Irish Internet Association (IIA).
Muzu was launched in July 2008 and has deals in place with record labels including Sony BMG, and EMI. It provides free access to video content such as live performances, official music videos and documentaries.
Maeve Kneafsey, IIA chairwoman, said Muzu showed it was possible to build “world-beating businesses” that are founded and funded in Ireland.
“Muzu TV is an inspiration to the current and future generations of internet entrepreneurs who know that the internet means that there are no boundaries on what we can do in Ireland; the only limit being our imagination.”
Mr Bollard said the award was the “icing on the cake” on what has been an amazing year for the business.He said that as well as signing new deals with major and independent record labels the site had seen strong growth in users from Britain and Ireland.
The Net Visionary Awards were presented at a dinner in Dublin’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Thursday night as part of the IIA’s annual conference.
At the event Realex Payments managing director Colm Lyon announced details of the Internet Growth Alliance, a new initiative to grow Irish internet businesses of scale. One of its first initiatives is the establishment of an Internet Growth Acceleration Programme by Enterprise Ireland.
The alliance also includes the IIA, the Institute of European Affairs and the Irish Software Association.
Its advisors include Mr Lyon, Arthur Cox partner Rob Corbet, former Demonware chief executive Dylan Collins, and serial internet entrepreneur Ray Nolan, who recently launched Worky.com.
