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Republication of LEGO Company press release of Apr 6, 2000:
http://www.lego.com/info/press.asp
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LEGO Company Acquires Zowie Intertainment
To bring kids of all ages the best in technology-driven toys
LEGO Poised to Dominate Smart Toy Category with Acquisition of Designer
and Developer of Critically-Acclaimed Interactive Playsets
LEGO Company, headquartered in Billund, Denmark, just announced the
multi-million dollar purchase of the assets of Zowie Intertainment,
designers and developers of smart toys and other technology-based
edutainment products. LEGO Company will integrate Zowie’s proprietary
sensing and recognition technology across all segments, categories and
markets worldwide.
Additionally, LEGO Company will tap the expertise of Zowie’s seasoned
team of product development and engineering professionals, who will
contribute to the company’s global research and development initiatives.
Together with the LEGO MINDSTORMS brand and development operation in
Marin, California, this agreement will firmly establish LEGO Company’s
presence in the San Francisco area, and enable the company to further
explore opportunities for new ventures and partnerships in the Silicon
Valley.
Zowie’s technology enhances a child’s play and learning experience by
blending virtual and physical worlds through the power of the computer and
Internet. LEGO Company will now capitalize on this technology and
integrate it into its next generation of children’s smart products that
are expected to debut in 2001.
“Zowie’s proven ability to create affordable interactive toys made the
company’s know-how an ideal alignment for us, which will further position
LEGO Company as a leader in providing quality products for children, where
we combine the physical and the virtual world in new ways,” said Torben B.
Sorensen, Executive Vice President of LEGO Company.
“We’re looking forward to working with the strong creative and technical
teams at Zowie to expand our smart toys offerings and to bring them to
millions of consumers under the familiar LEGO brand. These products will
really stimulate children’s creativity, imagination and learning.”
“This alignment with LEGO Company creates access to an internationally
recognized toy brand that can truly leverage our technology,” said Amy
Francetic, CEO and Co-founder of Zowie Intertainment. “By becoming part of
such an established and globally well-known company, we’ll bring our
technology and creativity to new smart toy product segments and retail
outlets in a more powerful way than if we had continued to go it alone.”
Zowie’s sensing and recognition technology was the result of years of
research from Interval Research Corporation. “Zowie has accomplished a
tremendous amount since spinning off of Interval two years ago, including
the introduction of Zowie technology to consumers nationwide,” said Bill
Savoy, President of Vulcan Ventures Inc., Paul Allen’s venture capital
group which is the primary Zowie shareholder.
Zowie’s premiere offerings, Ellie’s Enchanted Garden™ and Redbeard’s
Pirate Quest™, debuted in the fall of 1999 and were enthusiastically
embraced by retailers, consumers and media, with Newsweek heralding the
toys as the “It Toy of ’99.”
--------------------------
About Zowie Intertainment
Zowie Intertainment, Inc. designed and developed smart toys and other
technology-based entertainment products. Headquartered in the Silicon
Valley, Zowie Intertainment, Inc. has a portfolio of proprietary
technologies that allow children to play and control on-screen activities
through traditional play. The portfolio of Zowie Power™ technologies and
the company’s first products are the results of years of research from
Interval Research Corporation.
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The LEGO Company
The family-owned LEGO Company was founded in Denmark in 1932. The company
is the world leader in providing quality product and experiences that
stimulate children's creativity, imagination and learning. It does so
through activities that encourage hands-on, minds-on creation, fun,
togetherness and sharing of ideas. These activities include the
development and marketing of computer-based play and educational materials
such as the award-winning LEGO MINDSTORMS™ range. By the year 2005, the
company wants the LEGO brand to be the strongest in the world among
families with children.
---------------
Media Contacts:
LEGO Company:
Eva Lykkegaard
Global Information & Public Relations
00 45 79 50 74 24
eva.lykkegaard@europe.lego.com
Ellen Leo or Julie Mathis
Manning Selvage and Lee
001 (323) 782-6600
eleo@mslpr.com
jmathis@mslpr.com
Zowie Intertainment:
Amy Francetic, CEO
Zowie Intertainment, Inc.
001 650-294-8110
francetic@zowie.com
© 2000 LEGO Company TM and ® indicate trademarks of the LEGO Company
Page updated April 5th, 2000
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