http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/talkingtech/story/2012-04-18/caa-startup-incubator-moonshark/54394716/1
LOS ANGELES – When Matt Kozlov walks through the halls of the super-powerful Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency each morning, he works alongside agents and managers for George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. His job? Helping to create celebrity-based apps for the Apple and Android mobile platforms.
Kozlov is CEO of Moonshark, a new start-up set to release its first titles in the summer. His firm is being incubated at CAA, best-known for its muscle in getting huge paydays for its A-list talent roster in movies, TV shows, music and sports.
CAA has also recently ventured into Internet start-ups, founding companies it hopes will one day see the type of paydays exhibited recently by photo-sharing appmaker Instagram, which was bought by Facebook for $1 billion.
“We’re really active in developing companies we think will make a difference, and that we can take to the next level with CAA,” says Michael Yanover, CAA’s head of business development.
Yanover, who previously worked in new media at software firm Macromedia before it was acquired by Adobe, acts as an in-house broker, putting folks together from both CAA’s client list and contacts he’s picked up through the years.
CAA’s biggest hit is Funny or Die, a top comedy website owned by Sequoia Capital, CAA, actor Will Ferrell (Elf) and his production partners.
The idea started with Sequoia, which wanted to do a sequel to YouTube, which it helped finance, with professional content. Yanover put the Silicon Valley investors together with Ferrell.