After providing over $130 million to charities across the world, fundraising platform Omaze has gained some funding of its own.
On Thursday, the Culver City-based company announced that it closed $30 million in a Series B funding round led by FirstMark Capital.
Omaze was founded in 2012 in order to raise money for charities, nonprofits and various forms of social impact. Originally, the company did this by giving away experiences with high-profile celebrities that participants would enter paid raffles to win. Some of these celebrities included Michelle Obama, Oprah and George and Amal Clooney.
While the company still raises money with the help of celebrities, it expanded over the past few years to include raffles for lavish trips, luxury homes and rare cars. After only giving away three cars in 2018, the company has already listed over 50 vehicles so far this year.
The company plans to use this funding to expand its home and vehicle giveaways in the future, which have proven to be successful verticals for the company. It also plans to use these funds to expand internationally, starting with Asia and Western Europe.
“We’re grateful to close this round during a challenging year and fundraising environment. It’s a testament to the resiliency of our team and the generosity of our community,” Omaze co-founder and CEO Matt Pohlson said in a statement. “These funds come at a critical inflection point for the company. We’re excited to accelerate our international expansion and scale our impact.”
Omaze has raised money for over 350 charities so far. The company is currently hiring for open roles in marketing, design, finance, sales, software engineering and more.
