81808 Media debuts urban SMS service

Boston-based startup 80108 Media launched a free SMS-based messaging service promising timely missives targeted to 18-to-34-year-old mobile consumers in 15 urban U.S. areas. Subscribers who opt in to the service by signing up at 80108.com will receive text messages announcing upcoming events in content categories including local music, fashion and sports--according to 80108 Media, it will transmit roughly three messages per week per category, each written by "mobile correspondents" touted as insider experts on their particular area of reporting.

According to The Boston Globe, 80108 Media has already raised $12 million in venture funding. "What we're looking to do is not to fill, but really to create a service by and for this generation of mobile users who are very active socially, who tend to be out and about quite a bit," co-founder and CEO Rob Adler told the newspaper. "As much time as they spend online, they spend a lot of time offline--but they're always on their mobile."

For more on 80108 Media:
- read this Boston Globe article

Related article:
- Forecast: SMS revenues to hit $67B by 2012