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§ Private Profile · Mountain View, CA, USA
A mobile ticketing technology company that enabled discovery and purchase of tickets for live music, sports, and entertainment events.
Applauze was a San Francisco, California-based technology company that operated a mobile ticketing application for discovering and purchasing tickets to local concerts, sports, and theater events. The platform aggregated ticket inventory from primary sellers and secondary markets like StubHub to provide users with personalized event recommendations and facilitate seamless mobile transactions directly within the application. Before its acquisition, the company raised approximately $7.2 million in Series A funding and built upon the success of its earlier iOS applications, such as Band of the Day, which had reached over five million users. The startup received financial backing from notable institutional investors including True Ventures, Tencent, and Kapor Capital before ultimately being acquired by Ticketmaster in 2016 to enhance its mobile product capabilities. Applauze was originally founded in 2010 by Kiran Bellubbi, TJ Zark, and Kyle Oba.
Applauze has raised $10.3M across 3 funding rounds.
Applauze has raised $10.3M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Applauze has raised $10.3M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Applauze's investors include ACME Capital, Canvas Ventures, Casa Verde Capital, Fifth Wall, Fyrefly VC, General Atlantic, Gigascale Capital, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Khosla Ventures, Pear VC, QueensBridge Venture Partners, Sherpa Ventures.
Applauze has raised $10.3M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $7.0M Series A in October 2013.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2013 | $7M Series A | — | ACME Capital, Canvas Ventures, Casa Verde Capital, Fifth Wall, Fyrefly VC, General Atlantic, Gigascale Capital, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Khosla Ventures, Pear VC, Queensbridge Venture Partners, Sherpa Ventures, SoftBank Investment Advisers, Summit Partners, ThirdLove, Uncorrelated Ventures, Webb Investment Network, Shervin Pishevar, Jeff Fluhr, M8 Capital, JON Callaghan | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2012 | $3M Seed | — | Betaworks Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Obvious Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, James Joaquin, Dave Mcclure, CrunchFund, Felicis Ventures, Kapor Capital, M8 Capital | Announced |
| Mar 5, 2011 | $250K Seed | Dave Mcclure | — | Announced |
# Applauze: High-Level Overview
There appears to be ambiguity in your query, as the search results reveal two distinct companies using similar names: Applause (crowdtesting platform) and Applauze (event ticketing platform). Based on your reference to "Applauze," I'll address the event management company, though I'll note the distinction.
Applauze is a technology-driven direct-to-fan ticketing platform serving artists and event organizers[4]. The company focuses on innovative event management solutions that enhance audience engagement and simplify event planning[3]. Applauze operates as both a web and mobile platform, positioning itself at the intersection of live events and digital commerce—helping creators and venues manage ticket sales, fan relationships, and event logistics in an increasingly digital entertainment landscape.
The company addresses a fundamental problem in the events industry: the friction between artists/venues and their audiences. Traditional ticketing intermediaries take substantial cuts and create distance between creators and fans. Applauze's direct-to-fan model aims to reduce this friction, allowing artists to retain more revenue while building deeper fan relationships through owned channels.
# Core Differentiators
# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
Applauze operates within the creator economy and live events digitization trend. As live entertainment increasingly integrates with digital platforms, and as creators seek greater autonomy from traditional gatekeepers, direct-to-fan ticketing platforms address a genuine market need. The shift toward creator ownership and fan-direct relationships reflects broader changes in how entertainment is distributed and monetized—similar to trends in music streaming, content creation, and digital commerce where intermediaries are being disintermediated.
# Quick Take & Future Outlook
Applauze's success depends on achieving critical mass among both creators and fans. The company must compete against entrenched players like Ticketmaster while demonstrating superior economics and user experience. Growth will likely hinge on partnerships with mid-tier and emerging artists who have the most to gain from direct relationships, and on building network effects where fan bases migrate to the platform.
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Note: If your inquiry concerns Applause (the crowdtesting platform with 1.7M+ testers), that company operates in enterprise software quality assurance and serves major brands like Western Union and Intermarché[1][2]. Please clarify if you'd like analysis of that company instead.