NBC U Invests in 4INFO

NBC Universal’s venture group Peacock Equity has taken an equity stake in SMS startup 4INFO. As part of the deal, San Mateo, Calif.-based 4INFO will be NBC’s “preferred mobile publishing and advertising partner,” enabling voting shows and fan clubs. Bringing added interactivity to television is a huge opportunity, so this is a good alliance for both companies.

4INFO, which claims the “largest SMS ad network in the United States,” offers ad-supported SMS for alerts and sports scores, responses to mobile search queries, and “send-to-phone” features on services like Evite.

4INFO had announced a $10 million Series D funding in June. Investors include U.S. Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Gannett. For other Peacock Equity (GE) investments, see our recent compilation of media companies’ investments in online video.