StumbleUpon offers auto discovery of online videos

By Eric Auchard

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - StumbleUpon, which helps Web users discover sites based on the ratings of users with similar tastes, on Wednesday said it was offering a way to create personalized channels for viewing online video.

Stumble Video (http:/www.stumblevideo.com) provides a way to watch a stream of videos from popular video sites YouTube, Google Video and MySpace that are automatically matched to individual interests, the company said.

While online video search systems have proliferated over the past year, discovering what to watch typically depends on simple popularity rating systems or text searches that count on the user guessing what terms were used to label the video.

"What we realized is there is no great way to discover personally relevant videos," David Feller, Stumble's vice president of marketing, said in an interview.

Digging down into the growing number of videos ranging from professional programming from major media companies to home-grown comedies and other creative fare remains like finding a needle in a haystack.

StumbleUpon relies on the ratings of Web sites, photos and videos from a growing network of 1.65 million registered users, who are encouraged to rate items by clicking on a simple "thumbs up"/"thumbs down" recommendation system.

The number of users have tripled over the past year.

Stumble comprehends what types of videos users like (or dislike) and delivers videos matched to personal preferences.

"It's much more like watching TV, but the videos brought to you are more personally relevant," Feller said.

StumbleUpon's existing services require users to download software to retrofit either a Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer browser. Stumble Video requires no special software, allowing any Web user to enjoy the service.

StumbleUpon is a five-year-old company founded in Calgary, Alberta. It moved its offices to San Francisco a year ago.

Investors include Ram Shriram, an early backer of Google Inc., Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corp., Josh Kopelman, founder of Half.com and angel investor Ron Conway. It has received a little under $1.5 million.