London-based Emoticast, a maker of apps that allow users to share music and entertainment content, announced that it has raised $5 million from several angel investors. The angels include tech and entertainment leaders including Napster co-founder Sean Parker through Strangeloop Ventures, Black Eyed Peas co-founder will.i.am, DJ David Guetta, former Maker Studios CEO Ynon Kreiz, Jason Epstein, Nicole Junkermann through Montilla International Corporation, and Alan Cannistraro.
Emoticast is innovating the ways in which users share music and entertainment content across messaging platforms. The startup created the TuneMoji app, which incorporates GIFs with music and sound into messages. The company has already established global licenses with major music industry labels such as Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, as well as major publishing groups. The company is now widening its focus on entertainment content, to go beyond music GIFs to film and television.
"At Warner Music, we are excited about new, innovative opportunities to integrate music into social and messaging platforms and to adapt our content to evolving consumer behavior," said Ole Olbermann, Chief Digital Officer and Executive VP for Warner Music Group in a statement. "By partnering with Emoticast we enable our music to enrich billions of daily messaging interactions and we create new avenues for value creation and unique marketing for our artists and songwriters."
The company will use the new investment to continue to build partnerships in music and other entertainment fields, to increase original content collaborations with artists, and to expand its network of messaging partners.
"We're delighted to welcome such rock star investors to Emoticast," said Emoticast founder and CEO James Fabricant. "Emoticast is primed to become the micro-YouTube for messaging built on a foundation of premium licensed content. 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."
Read more: PR Newswire (Press release)
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