HubDub’s fantasy league for news

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by Mike Butcher

on January 28, 2008

Hubdub, which launches formally at the DEMO conference today, is a news forecaster that allows users to track news stories, predict their outcomes and compete with other news junkies. The Edinburgh (Scotland) startup has as it’s CEO Nigel Eccles, the guy who was previously behind the Flutter betting exchange acquired by Betfair. Once you know that, you realise where this startup might be heading.

In theory, this predicting process turns you from being a passive news consumer into an active news participant. Think fantasy leagues for news, or a Google News wrapped around a Betfair. Try Wiki Media versus Mahalo for instance (if you have an invite code). And if want to know whether Hubdub will deadpool by the end of the year, they have that covered too.
The site will be targeted at US news initially to because of the size of the potential market and its a market which produces a lot of news so a tracking engine like HubDub might come in handy. Apparently there is also an election going on.

Founded in November 2007, HubDub is currently in private beta, but aims to go into a public in late January. As well as Eccles there is Tom Griffiths (Product Director), Rob Jones (Creative Director) and Chris Stafford (Technical Director). Hubdub closed a round of seed financing from a group of Scottish technology investors including Kevin Dorren (previously CEO of Orbital software) and Ian Ritchie. Hubdub is – apparently – only the third Scottish company to be invited to DEMO. Go team.

Ad funded now, HubDub could move into a fantasy league model, assuming people really are as passionate about news as about sport, which is debatable.

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