Quick Pitch: Beluga lets you send instant group messages, photos and location information across multiple platforms.
Genius Idea: For years, a major advantage for BlackBerry owners was BBM, which allows users to chat with each other instantly and without charge. But as developers get smart about group messaging, BBM is slowly being imitated (replaced?) by products that can include friends who prefer devices outside of the RIM family.
Kik, for instance, allows users to send instant messages across native iPhone and Android apps and, like BBM, notifies the sender when the messages are read. GroupMe allows users to create groups that can exchange text messages easily.
Considering that about 2 million people downloaded Kik within three weeks of its launch and GroupMe announced a $10.6 million round of funding today, it's probably safe to say that Beluga -- something of a combination between the two services -- is onto something promising.
Beluga's features set it apart from these two services in a couple of significant ways. Photo sharing is extremely easy and similar to Brightkite's approach: Just select a photo from your phone and zap it into the conversation.
The same goes for your location, which can be plotted on a map along with that of other people in a pod (think about being lost at a concert).
There's also an SMS option for friends without smartphones who you want to be part of your conversation. Unlike GroupMe, all other messages are spared text messaging charges.
The company also has plans for features that extend far beyond group messages.
"We want to build Beluga into what Gmail was for SMS. We want to make it truly cross-platform, accessible from anywhere, fully searchable so you never lose your messages unless you actively delete them. And we want to tackle the bridge between public and private sharing," says the startup's co-founder and president, Lucy Zhang.
If Beluga does win group-messaging users over services like GroupMe and Brightkite, it will need to figure out a way to monetize the platform.
One factor that might stand its way is RIM. When Kik developed its BBM-like app, the device manufacturer reacted by pulling it from BlackBerry App World and suing the startup. Self-funded Beluga hasn't attempted to tread on BlackBerry's app turf yet, but if its service takes off, it could be interesting to see how RIM reacts.
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Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Bliz
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