Launch site targets mature surfers

Vavo.com, which is set to go live in mid-September, will attempt to

create an online community where older people can share interests and

advice, look up old friends and lobby for greater rights.

Specific versions for Germany, France and the US will roll out three to

six months after the UK launch.

The site will contain six main areas - health, travel, finance,

community, games and campaigning - and is aiming to sign up 500,000

users in its first year. Visitors will be polled about their interests

and the kind of material they would like to see on the site. There will

also be a shopping channel, featuring a range of goods targeted at

specific age groups.

Figures from BMRB Internet Monitor showed that the 45-plus community on

the net grew from 18% of the user base in December 1995, to 22% by the

end of 1998, and the UK has a gradually ageing population.

This has been reflected in the popularity of sites such as SeniorNet,

thirdage.com and agenet.com in the US, but, so far, there has been

little attempt in the UK to target the older market.

Vavo is headed by Richard Spinks, formerly business development director

at the portal company, Lycos. He quit just over three weeks ago to

devote more time to the venture.

Spinks has managed to secure an initial dollars 2m (pounds 1.3m) in

venture capital funding from an unnamed US company, and is currently

looking for an advertising agency.

Revenue is expected to come from a mixture of advertising and e-commerce

activities. The company is in talks with a travel operator and a

healthcare company, with a view to sponsorship.

’Until recently, everything on the internet has been geared to young

male users. Over-50s are the fastest-growing group on the web, and these

people are not being catered for,’ said Spinks.

’Women and older people have been under-represented in terms of

offerings on the internet, but it’s catching up now,’ added Neil

Bradford, director, Fletcher Research.

Vavo’s web address will be www.vavo.com.