Alive falls victim to market downturn

<p>HONG KONG: Multimedia travel and learning company Alive Networks has </p><p>failed in its attempts to attract new funding and has ceased operations </p><p>seven months after it was launched (media, May 11). </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The company had been talks with the Dah Sing Bank about a rescue </p><p>package. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>But the discussions ended without any deal being struck. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Co-founder and chief executive Ian Henry said the closure was due to the </p><p>fact that "our ability to raise additional funds has been crippled by </p><p>the current worldwide market downturn and lack of investor appetite for </p><p>new and innovative businesses". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A veteran broadcasting industry observer added: "Alive has been likened </p><p>to a dotcom and investors are wary about putting money into a company </p><p>like it in this economic climate." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Alive was launched amid much fanfare at the Cable and Satellite </p><p>Broadcasting' Association of Asia annual conference in Singapore. Using </p><p>television, print, personal handheld devices and the internet, Alive's </p><p>rationale was to sell travel-related products, with, for example, a </p><p>viewer watching Alive's TV service then going online to book a </p><p>customised travel package. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Media directors said Alive suffered from the fact that it had little or </p><p>no support from the travel industry. OMD China managing director Robert </p><p>Fitzgerald said Alive's business proposition was solid since a similar </p><p>operation in the UK, TV Travel Shop, is thriving. "Travel Shop is doing </p><p>very well because the travel industry is pumping holiday packages </p><p>through it. Alive didn't have this type of support and so it fell by the </p><p>wayside." </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Alive was set up to leverage Asia's USdollars 500 billion travel </p><p>industry. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Its downfall has been attributed to a poor investment climate and a </p><p>higher than expected burn rate, said to be more than USdollars 1 million </p><p>a month. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>