SparkBridge: Boston-based startup funded jointly by FableVision Studios (Boston) and the Vancouver Aquarium. The SparkBridge deal is intriguing: the Vancouver aquarium, Canada's largest, is a self-supporting nonprofit. That's made it acutely aware of the need to build revenue and to foster its relationship with customers even once they've walked out the door. It's also got a treasure trove of content and a million or so visitors every year. The hope is that by partnering with a winning media and story designer, the for-profit FableVision, the pair will devise an app--and a rollout plan--that will engage millions. First app is due out in Q2. Overseeing it is freshly recruited CEO Scott Triola, formerly with Blue Fang Games. They're not fessing up to the funding but Scott says he has good runway to launch. Another sign that the age-old distance between for-profits and nonprofits may be more of a mirage than a chasm.
