| Founded | Cape Town, South Africa (February, 2008) |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Sheraan Amod Jaco de Wet Michael Champanis |
| Headquarters | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Key people | Sheraan Amod (CEO) Jaco de Wet (COO) |
| Industry | Internet |
| Slogan | Your Life in Print |
| Website | www.personera.com |
| Type of site | Personalized Print Product Creation |
| Launched | 11 November 2009 |
Personera is a technology startup based in Cape Town, South Africa. It allows the use of variable data printing technology to create on-demand print products which are personalized with a user’s Facebook content (such as photos, events and friends’ birthdays). These products are then printed in high quality by commercial printers and delivered anywhere in the world.[1]
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Personera was co-founded in February 2008 by Sheraan Amod and Jaco de Wet, both MSc students at Stellenbosch University. Michael Champanis, a University of Cape Town graduate, also joined the team as a co-founder. On 11 November 2009, Personera launched its public beta – the world's first hard-copy, personalized Facebook calendar, which includes users’ photos, birthdays and events. The launch included coverage from TechCrunch and other internet media channels.[1][2]
The company's headquarters are currently located in Cape Town, South Africa.
Personera's personalized print platform is built using variable data printing technology and Facebook’s API. Users' Facebook content is placed into predesigned layouts, with users having the ability to choose which specific photos to use and to manually input additional events. Personera's method of producing a printed product is currently patent pending under the World Intellectual Property Organization.[3][4]
Personera has secured $9k in seed funding and $125k in angel funding to date. Investors include Vinny Lingham, Michael Leeman and Tom Van den Berckt.[5]
Personera currently competes with companies such as Pixable, Shutterfly and lulu.com.[6]