Vancouver-based HootSuite has had a banner year. The company successfully raising a massive $165 million Series B venture capital last October, then went on a hiring spree and also acquired Cambridge, Massachusetts-based uberVU. To keep the progress and innovation moving, HootSuite has launched “HootSuite Labs,” which will be a dedicated “team focused on developing the next generation of social technologies.”
Michael Tippett, HootSuite’s director of new products, said “We’re bringing together world-class designers, developers and product people to make the future of social media a reality. We’re lean, agile, disruptive and world-changing. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
HootSuite Labs will focus on 3-key areas:
- Developing disruptive products that provide customers with the tools and edge to win against the competition;
- Experimenting with emerging technologies for future innovation;
- Promoting lean innovation through events such as hackathons, design sprints and workshops.
The first product to come out of HootSuite Labs is a free Chrome extension called Hootlet that allows users to easily share and schedule content to several social networks from anywhere on the web.
To bolster the ideas, HootSuite is also continuing its hiring and looking for innovators the team.