GE/NBC Universal’s Peacock Equity Invests in Vivox, Leader in Voice Chat

Peacock Equity, a joint investment fund of GE Capital’s Media, Communications & Entertainment business and NBC Universal, today announced that it has invested $2 million in equity in Vivox, the world’s leading provider of voice chat services for social applications including online games and virtual worlds. Other investors in Vivox include Benchmark Capital, Canaan Partners, GrandBanks Capital and IDG Ventures. Peacock Equity’s investment in Boston-based Vivox comes at a time when communication in online social settings is becoming a significantly more important method of engaging audiences. Vivox will use this round of financing to fuel company growth, expand into new markets and enhance its portfolio of complementary offerings, which includes presence, text, virtual goods and audio advertising. “Vivox is on the cutting edge of communications and has already established itself as the preeminent company for engaging audiences through this powerful medium,” said Brian Keil, Managing Director of Peacock Equity. “With vibrant online communities already in place for much of NBC Universal’s content, we have some compelling opportunities to implement Vivox voice chat services to create a higher level of engagement among fans.” “Peacock Equity has its finger on the pulse of the interactive media space, and we see its investment in Vivox as a fantastic step for the company,” said Rob Seaver, CEO and Founder of Vivox. “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.” About Peacock Equity Fund Peacock Equity is a $250 million global capital fund jointly managed by GE Capital’s Media, Communications & Entertainment business and NBC Universal. Introduced in April 2007, the fund focuses on companies developing technologies, platforms or business models that are a strategic fit to NBC Universal and have high growth potential. Peacock Equity’s capital investments include advertising services, digital content and communities, and wireless and international platforms. For more information, visit: peacockequity.com About Vivox Vivox is the world’s leading voice chat service provider for online games, virtual worlds, social networks and other social applications and websites. The Vivox Network supports 30 million users in over 180 countries around the world. Through a combination of innovation and partnerships with customers, Vivox continues to advance its vision of making communications in the cloud a part of the increasingly synchronous Web. Customers include CCP Games, Linden Lab, Nexon, Realtime Worlds, Sony Online Entertainment and Wizards of the Coast. For more information, visit: vivox.com