Flickr and Hunch Cofounder Caterina Fake Launches Pinwheel : Flickrfor Places

"Find and leave notes around the world" says the Pinwheel beta website about their platform. Caterina Fake, cofounder of Flickr and Hunch which were bought by Yahoo and eBay respectively has launched her new location-photo sharing startup Pinwheel.

"On Pinwheel you can find and leave notes all around the world. The notes can be public or private, shared with an individual, a group or everyone. They can be organized into sets, such as, say, the “Tales from the Road: KISS’s 1974 Hotter Than Hell Tour”, “Best Spots for Butterfly Hunting”, “Every place that you told me that you loved me, circa 2008″ or “Find me a Nearby Toilet NOW”. You can follow people, places and sets. And in the future, you will get notifications on your phone from who and what you choose" said Caterina in a blog post.

They are opening it up in private beta on the web and mobile web. An iOS version is coming next. You can sign up to be a beta tester/contributor at Pinwheel.com.

"Part of why making Pinwheel is so fun, is so exploding with possibility, is that a note, like a photo, can be a container for all kinds of things. It is the perfect social object. Stories, advice, jokes, diatribes, information, memories, facts, advertisements, love letters, grocery lists and manifestoes can all be put into a note. It is the perfectly constrained, perfectly open thing that you can make into what you want" said Caterina calling Pinwheel a 'Flickr for places'

They plan to monetize the platform through sponsored notes. People and businesses will be able to drop notes around the world, highlighted for all to open and see. As an example Caterina talks about Alex Clark, a realtor with Zephyr Real Estate who is leaving sponsored notes of his properties for sale, things coming on the market, notable things in neighborhoods his clients should notice, and general area knowledge to promote his real estate business.

Click here to visit their website and participate in their private beta.