The Summly tale
by Startacus Admin
At Startacus we like to give you a variety of articles. Sometimes we’ll write about a successful business. Sometimes we’ll write about an inspirational story in which the odds were stacked heavily against someone. Today, we have the happy opportunity to wrap the two into one.
Summly, when it was created, was akin to a 
drop in the metaphorical ocean of the internet. That it was sold then, for a reported £19m to Yahoo is a bit of a surprise. That it was set up by a 15 year old in 2011 should make it more surprising still. And at the same time, it’s not. Founder Nick D’Aloisio has actually been in the technology business in one form another since he was 12. He began programming then and released an app for Apple’s iStore a few years later which became popular. Now 17, D’Aloisio is currently trying to decide which A-Levels to take at school. His business meanwhile, is chaired by Bart Swanson – a previous GM at Amazon, and hires a multitude of personnel from all over the world.
It’s telling that after 200 words, we still haven’t told you what Summly actually does. Its concept is relatively straightforward; it redefines news for the mobile world with, and we’re quoting here, ‘algorithmically generated summaries from hundreds of sources’. In other words, it tries to make reading the news whilst on the move with your mobile easy and enjoyable. Users select which news sources and topics they prefer, and Summly shortens it before sending it to you.
If we were to use it for this article then, I guess it would be along the lines of: Well done Mr. D’Aloisio. Summly is a great product, and we’re all very happy – and a little jealous – of your fantastic expansion.
Ethan Loughrey
If you like what you see here on Startacus and want to get involved yourself, why not become a member of our growing community by joining for free here!
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Bring! is a digital grocery tool that simplifies grocery shopping for you and anyone you are shopping for.
In a bid to help brands during the current pandemic, the GreenJinn grocery app makes some rapid changes to its service
Coronavirus & furloughing employees. Nichola Hailes of Payfit looks to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the job retention scheme.
For startups entering the food industry, here's why accurate labelling on ready-to-eat food products is important.
Whether you’re looking to create a frugal startup, or it’s already up and running, here are 4 tips to reduce costs while keeping the work environment pleasant.
The Belfast-based startup that provides a fully managed 24/7 Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for securely storing and sharing assets, packages and containers.
The insolvency technology startup secures funding to help support the UK's most vulnerable consumers to avoid bankruptcy
Darren Hockley, MD of Delta International on how millennials may be helping businesses face the current COVID-19 pandemic
The innovative startup that's enabling businesses to connect with their customers via personalised handwritten communication
The lowdown on the Estonian startup that has created a multiplayer game to help kids practice math facts in a fun way...
Published on: 5th April 2013
.png)
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.
- Cerebreon the Irish deep learning startup raises £1.5m in seed funding 31st Mar 2020 The insolvency technology startup secures funding to help support the UK's most vulnerable consumers to avoid bankruptcy
- Chivas Venture divides this year's $1m Venture Fund between 26 global Startups 23rd Mar 2020 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chivas Divides its $1m No-Strings Venture Fund Between 26 Startups
- The open-source design of emergency ventilators for COVID-19 patients 20th Mar 2020 World Wide Community of over 500 designers engineers & medics finalising prototypes for safe scalable manufacture & rapid field deployment..
- Positive-ish reaction from small business and startup community to UK Chancellor’s Corona budget 11th Mar 2020 New UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak just delivered his first UK Budget. We took a look at first reactions from small business and startup leaders.
