Christian P. Pewitt Blogs: Emoticast Raises $5 Million As Sean Parker, will.i.am, David Guetta Back Mobile Music Messenger

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Emoticast Raises $5 Million As Sean Parker, will.i.am, David Guetta Back Mobile Music Messenger

Emoticast believes it has found the best way make sure that music and music marketing take advantage of the current explosion in mobile messaging. Today, a group of all-star investors showed their belief the company with a $5 million investment in the startup.

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Mobile music messenger Emoticast has announced a $5 million super angel round. The startup had previously raised $1.2 million in a November 2015 equity round.

The new funding was led by tech and entertainment heavyweights including Napster co-founder Sean Parker through Strangeloop Ventures, will.i.am, David Guetta; former Maker Studios CEO Ynon Kreiz; Jason Epstein, board member for Rhapsody; Nicole Junkermann through Montilla International and Alan Cannistraro.

Emoticast is the creator of TuneMoji apps and bots that enable "say it with song" music GIFs on major messaging platforms including iMessage, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Kik. Mobile users can send "snackable" music GIFs with sound, The company has also produced original content with Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Snoop Dogg and others.

Emoticast has global licenses with major label groups Universal Music and Warner Music; and major publishing groups, including Sony ATV, Warner Chappell, Universal, Sony BMG and PRS/Impel.

Emoticast was founded by music industry serial entrepreneur James Fabricant, the former Head of MySpace Europe. The company will use the funding to widen its focus on entertainment messaging content beyond music GIFs to film and television.

"Emoticast is primed to become the micro-YouTube for messaging built on a foundation of premium licensed content" said Fabricant. "The backing of such high-profile individuals from the worlds of music, technology and entertainment is validation of the company's success in catalyzing partnerships across the entertainment and messaging industries."