Career
During a career spanning 20 years, Smith has co-founded and developed a number of highly successful businesses in the digital media sector including Fantastic Corporation, The Optimistic Network, Static and PlayJam. Initially backed by BSkyB, Household Bank, Cazenove, PlayJam became the world’s largest television games network before being acquired by Open television in 2001 for $68 million. Smith re-acquired PlayJam from Open television in 2009, believing the shift to internet connected TVs would allow PlayJam to become one of the world"s pre-eminent games platforms.
The PlayJam Network is distributed to approximately 90 million televisions in over 100 territories by most major manufacturers including.
Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Sony. PlayJam recently launched GameStick, a highly acclaimed and low cost micro games console aimed at revolutionizing gaming in the living room.
PlayJam is backed by Endeavour Ventures, Gamestop one of the worlds largest software companies. Static 2358 Limited was a design and branding company set up by Jasper Smith and Mark Rock.
The company created visual identities for numerous television channels including Star television, Channel 4, Film Four and Canal+, incubated television networks such as YOYO and PlayJam and formed partnerships with agencies such as Saatchi and Saatchi.
The company also incubated and developed many television formats including Jamz and Flipside television The early stomping ground for a number of successful television celebrities such as Richard Bacon, Ian Lee, Alan Carr & Justin Lee Collins and Mary Anne Hobs. QuizNation was a dedicated quiz television channel that produced over 24,000 hours of television shows some of which were interactive.
The channel was ultimately sold. Smith initially trained as a sculptor at the Henry Moore Foundation.
Smith subsequently worked in senior roles within Norwegian Telecom, The Fantastic Corporation in Zug, Switzerland, a company focused on delivering multimedia content over broadband networks and Video Technology Marketing, the vehicle used to launch VideoPlus in the United Kingdom. In 1987, Smith set up a charity committed to creating an awareness of the seas – from environmental issues to exploration.
In 1989, Smith sailed a 55-foot yacht from Australia to Alaska via the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia, climbing 11 mountains along the way. He is a regular sailor, has 3 children and lives in London and San Francisco. In 2001 Smith was nominated as a finalist for the East&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Award.