Geomium, a new location-based social network, gets its official launch today, in London first but with other UK cites and then Europe and the U.S. to follow.
As with other such services, it lets users connect with friends, but it also emphasises meeting new people and throws in venue data such as bars, restaurants, etc., as well as local deals and events — all with a focus on real time. If anything the service is in danger of overwhelming the user while also coming across as another me-too offering: How is Geomium different to the likes of Facebook Places, Foursquare, Rummble, Yelp etc.? But actually, that’s why it might just work.
That’s because in effect it aggregates the features, and in some cases the actual data of those services – Yelp, Qype and Eventful – putting the user and their location at the centre rather than a single use-case, perhaps recognising that in real life we don’t compartmentalise our activities relative to location and things can be quite spontaneous. In fact, Geomium makes that even more possible.
Once logged-in to the website, Geomium offers four main sections and information can be viewed on a map or as a feed: People (all friends near your current location), Places (all the nearby bars and restaurants), Events (all nearby plays, festivals, concerts and parties, which can be filtered by type and date) and Deals (all the local deal, discounts and offers from nearby bars and restaurants).
So, for example, you might spot that there is an event in your locality that your friends are already at or attending. Afterward you want to find somewhere to eat/drink and see that there is a special offer at one particular establishment. That’s the idea anyway.
As well as the Web, an iPhone app is available at launch. Android, Blackberry, Nokia are to follow.
Geomium has raised seed funding from London-based angel investors and is currently in the process of raising an A-round.