Guide (software company)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Technology, Software |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Freddie A. Laker |
| Defunct | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Miami , United States |
Key people | Freddie A. Laker (CEO), Leslie Bradshaw (COO) |
| Products | Multimedia newsreader application |
Number of employees | 7 (2013) |
Guide was an American tech startup focused on creating a newsreader application that converts written content from digital news outlets, blogs, and social media into streaming audio and video formats. The application featured narrators represented by animal avatars. Established in 2012 under the leadership of CEO Freddie A. Laker, Guide released a private alpha version of its mobile app in February 2013. The company ceased operations in 2014.
Guide app
Guide served as a multimedia newsreader designed for desktop computers, mobile devices, and Smart TVs, utilizing text-to-speech and avatar technology to turn text-based news, blog posts, and social media updates into video presentations. This approach allowed the creation of broadcast-style news episodes incorporating visuals or images sourced directly from the original content, with articles voiced by a digital news presenter. Content was categorized into "channels" corresponding to each news outlet or website, with individual posts presented as separate episodes.
Users had access to three virtual presenters within the standard app, with additional avatars and newsroom settings available for purchase. A private alpha release limited to iPad users took place on February 8, 2013.
Background
Freddie Laker, previously vice president of strategy at Sapient Nitro and founder of the digital agency iChameleon Group, initiated Guide’s development in 2011 after observing the emergence of Smart TVs and their content at CES. He recognized that existing Smart TV applications did not offer a format optimized for television viewing and sought to build an app that delivered an authentic "TV experience." In January 2013, Leslie Bradshaw joined the team as chief operating officer. The company operated out of Miami, Florida, employing seven staff members .
In February 2013, Guide completed its seed funding round by securing $1 million from investors such as Sapient, the Knight Foundation, MTV co-founder Bob Pittman, Google founding team member Steve Schimmel, and actor Omar Epps. These funds were designated for further development of the Guide app and for pursuing technology patents. That same month, Guide was among 65 companies selected from a pool of 500 applicants to present its app at the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Accelerator event in Austin.