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Coupons Get a Move On Yowza!! matches merchants with customers on the go.

By Jason Ankeny

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Coupons Get a Move On

When Greg Grunberg first entered the pop culture consciousness playing aspiring entrepreneur Sean Blumberg on the hit prime-time drama Felicity, it was a classic example of art imitating life. Felicity co-creator J.J. Abrams, Grunberg's lifelong friend, drew inspiration for Sean's crackpot business schemes--among them edible marzipan boxer shorts, flavored pen caps and the mysterious condiment Smoothaise--directly from Grunberg's own pre-fame professional pursuits, including Yogurt Runners, a frozen yogurt delivery service catering to Hollywood studios and agencies.

Now a television fixture thanks to subsequent roles in Alias and Heroes, Grunberg has another breakout hit to add to his résumé: Yowza!! , the mobile coupon solutions startup he founded with veteran software developer August Trometer. Already downloaded by more than a million iPhone and iPod touch users since launching in June 2009, the free GPS-based Yowza!! application identifies special offers and discounts within a consumer's immediate vicinity. Merchants work with the company to tailor deals, and cashiers redeem the Yowza!! barcode no differently than they would scan a traditional paper coupon.