LA-based live performance app Encore announced Wednesday that it raised $9 million in seed financing. The raise, led by Battery Ventures, coincides with the launch of the Encore Studio App.
Encore couldn’t be in better hands. The music platform was co-founded by Grammy Award-winning musician Kid Cudi, film director Ian Edelman and tech entrepreneur Jonathan Gray.
Encore’s app provides musicians with an extensive suite of tech tools to promote their music. Fans on the app can directly interact with some of their favorite acts and attend live performances. Those on the platform can also participate in said performances via gamified microtransactions. These transactions are referred to as claps and cost ten cents a pop.
Using Encore, musicians can take their performances to the next level with a handful of augmented reality features.
“My number one priority has always been inspiring others and providing them the space to tell their own stories in an authentic and meaningful way,” Cudi, CEO of Encore, said in a statement. “We created Encore as a space for artists to share their art, build community, while also being able to pay their rent.”
Encore has been well received while operating in private beta. A varied list of musicians including The Cool Kids, Too $hort and DC the Don have used the company’s tech to put on performances over the last year. Collectively, Encore’s featured list of talent has garnered the interest of tens of thousands of fans, according to the company.
Now, with $9 million in its coffers, Encore plans to further product development as it continues to scale. It also plans to expand its team and is now hiring for six open positions across its engineering, design and HR departments.
Encore is available to download on iOS devices.
Additional investors 468 Capital, Parade Ventures and Nomad Ventures participated in the raise, among others.
