Þorsteinn B. Friðriksson
Þorsteinn B. Friðriksson | |
---|---|
Nationality | Icelandic |
Alma mater | University of Oxford (MBA) |
Occupation | CEO and Founder of Plain Vanilla Games |
Known for | QuizUp |
Þorsteinn B. Friðriksson, sometimes anglicized as Thor Fridriksson, is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Plain Vanilla Games,[1] an Icelandic mobile game studio with offices in Reykjavík, Iceland and San Francisco, USA.[2] Þorsteinn is most notable for producing the mobile app QuizUp.[3][4][5]
Personal life
Þorsteinn, a native Icelander,[6] received his MBA from the University of Oxford in 2009.[2] After returning to Iceland from his studies in the United Kingdom, Þorsteinn established Plain Vanilla Games in 2010.[7]
Career
Þorsteinn was working with the broadband-ISP startup Hive until it was purchased by Vodafone in 2007.[8] Deciding to explore a different industry, Þorsteinn became a local TV news reporter.[1][8] After studying at the University of Oxford, Þorsteinn started Plain Vanilla Games in Reykjavík, Iceland during the Icelandic financial crisis.[9] Þorsteinn and his team at Plain Vanilla Games spent over a year developing an educational app for children called The Moogies[8] that failed to gain popularity on the App Store.[10] Shortly after, Þorsteinn got the idea for a new app and wrote it down on the back of an over-due electricity bill that is now framed and hung in the Reykjavík office.[8] Despite the country's economic issues, Þorsteinn has decided to keep the Plain Vanilla headquarters located in Reykjavík to help support job growth and other start-up companies.[9]
QuizUp
QuizUp is a mobile trivia app similar to the game Trivial Pursuit.[1] Plain Vanilla Games released QuizUp for iOS November 7, 2013.[11] An Android version of the app was released March 6, 2010[10] In 2012, Þorsteinn traveled to the United States seeking funding[12] and eventually opened a second office in San Francisco.[7] Þorsteinn has said that the concept behind QuizUp was to create a different kind of social network concentrated around people's interests.[7]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Lora Kolodny (Dec 26, 2013). "QuizUp Takes Over Where Trivial Pursuit Left Off- The Mobile Generation". Wall Street Journal.
- 1 2 "Plain Vanilla- Thor Fridriksson". StartUp Phenomenon.
- ↑ JILLIAN D'ONFRO (Mar 20, 2014). "After Getting 1 Million Android Downloads In A Week, Here's Addictive Game Quizup's Plan To Dominate The Rest Of The World". Business Insider.
- ↑ Rachel Weber (14 March 2014). "QuizUp's Thor Fridriksson: The man with all the answers". Games Industry Biz. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ↑ David Lumb (28 February 2014). "How The Creator Of QuizUp Turned A String Of Foolish Moves Into A 10 Million-User App". Co.Labs. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
- ↑ Erin Griffith (March 6, 2014). "How hit trivia app QuizUp survived the hype cycle". CNN.
- 1 2 3 Kjartan Orn Olafsson (panelist), Thor Fridriksson (panelist), Vala Halldorsdottir (panelist), Sesselja Vilhjalmsdottir (panelist), John Biggs (interviewer) (2013). Startup Iceland 2013- Panel Discussion among Startup Entrepreneurs (Startup Iceland). Iceland: TechCrunch.
- 1 2 3 4 Jen Vilaga (May 12, 2014). "Most Creative People 2014: Thor Fridriksson". Fast Company.
- 1 2 JENNA GOTTLIEB (March 6, 2014). "Startup's success with QuizUp app a bright spot for Iceland's economy". The Seattle Times.
- 1 2 Katie Roof (March 6, 2014). "QuizUp Debuts On Android; How An Icelandic Game Became An Overnight Success". Forbes.
- ↑ Jonah Bromwich (December 20, 2013). "If You Need a New Addiction, Try QuizUp". New York Times.
- ↑ Keith Wagstaff (November 19, 2013). "Does QuizUp Have all the Answers? Social Trivia Game Nets a Million Fans in a Week". NBC News.