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Date published
July 9, 2011
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Wingu, a cloud-based collaboration system designed to improve the speed of scientific work, has caught the eye of Google. Google Ventures, the venture capital arm of the search giant, has stealthily invested in the startup.
More About Wingu
Collaboration has long been a root element for scientific research, so it’s only natural that this discipline should adopt new technology. Many collaborative tools that can be effective for scientific projects have existed in the cloud for some time, and specialized tools such as Academia.edu and Mendeley have previously attempted to create more niche tools for research.
So, what makes Wingu different?
Beyond a reference to spinal tap on the Wingu home page, Wingu boasts “more connective ways to get to the next decision point” and additional approaches to using the cloud-stored data. These objectives will primarily be met through the “enterprise-grade cloud platform dubbed Elements,” according to TechCrunch.
The value proposition for Wingu hits on four major points: easier management for cross-discipline teams; powerful analytics tools and workflows; easy sharing of data; and data security “backed and protected by leading systems and security experts.” Wingu’s end goal is to “accelerate the pace of science.”
Google’s Ninja-Like Investment
Unlike some investments, which receive fanfare and dance parties, Google’s investment in Wingu was done very quietly. The investment was confirmed when Google discussed four job opportunities that one of its “portfolio companies” was offering. These exact same job openings were posted to the Wingu job board.
Why so stealthy? As a venture capitalist group, there are times when silence really is golden. The hush may be an attempt to prevent over-exposure that could lead to copy-catting from competitors. Of course, it could just be that Google didn’t feel that the investment was worth mentioning too loudly. Since the company’s investments are spread across a variety of innovative internet technologies, hardware, software, health care, bio-tech, and other industries, it’s inevitable that some will go without mention.