Gizmoz Raises $6.5 Million Second Round; Moves Avatars Into Asia and Mobile

Gizmoz, which allows users to create animated 3D characters online, said today it has raised $6.5 million in a second round of funding to expand into Asia and onto the mobile phone. Investors in the round include DoCoMo (NYSE: DCM) Capital, ngi capital, Benchmark Capital and Columbia Capital. The round follows a $6.3 million investment from Benchmark Capital and Columbia Capital in May.

CEO Eyal Gever said the company will soon introduce a full set of mobile services that will allow animated 3D talking characters based on photographs to be delivered to any mobile device that supports video. Consumers will be able to create the avatars online and send them to their mobile phones, or create them on the phone using a WAP interface and send them to other devices. Gizmoz, which has offices in Menlo Park, Calif. and Ramat Gan, Israel, also announced an agreement with AOL (NYSE: TWX) today that will allow AIM users to create talking 3D characters. 

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