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§ Private Profile · San Mateo, CA, USA
Online ticket search engine aggregating live event tickets from primary and secondary marketplaces for comparison.
FanSnap has raised $16.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Key people at FanSnap.
FanSnap has raised $16.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Based in Palo Alto, California, FanSnap operated as an online search engine that aggregated live event ticket listings from primary issuers and secondary resale marketplaces to streamline the consumer purchasing process. The platform enabled users to compare sports and entertainment ticket options across multiple prominent providers, including StubHub, while also partnering with Microsoft to integrate its ticket data directly into Bing search results. The business model generated revenue through direct sales channels and referral fees from various ticket sellers, supported by over $15 million in venture capital funding led by General Catalyst Partners. Following its initial acquisition by e-commerce provider NexTag in December 2011, the company's underlying technology and user audience were subsequently purchased and integrated by competitor SeatGeek in late 2013. FanSnap was officially founded in 2007 by former corporate executive Mike Janes.
FanSnap has raised $16.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Series B in August 2009.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 1, 2009 | $5M Series B | — | ACME Capital, Balderton Capital, Band OF Angels, DCM, Fusion Fund, General Catalyst, Hannah Grey, Harrison Metal, MassMutual Ventures, Molten Ventures, Moonshots Capital, Scalebridge Capital, Shasta Ventures, Version ONE Ventures, Esther Dyson, Greg Kidd | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2009 | $5M Series A | — | DCM, Fusion Fund, General Catalyst, Hannah Grey, Harrison Metal, Moonshots Capital, Shasta Ventures, Version ONE Ventures, Greg Kidd | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2008 | $6M Series A | — | DCM, Fusion Fund, General Catalyst, Hannah Grey, Harrison Metal, Moonshots Capital, Shasta Ventures, Version ONE Ventures, Greg Kidd | Announced |
FanSnap has raised $16.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
FanSnap's investors include ACME Capital, Balderton Capital, Band of Angels, DCM, Fusion Fund, General Catalyst, Hannah Grey, Harrison Metal, MassMutual Ventures, Molten Ventures, Moonshots Capital, Scalebridge Capital.
Key people at FanSnap.
FanSnap was a pioneering live event ticket search engine designed for fans, aggregating tickets from multiple secondary market sellers to deliver comprehensive, accurate, and fast searches.[2][3] It served event-goers seeking the best deals across concerts, sports, and shows by displaying options from various vendors on a single screen, solving the problem of fragmented ticket marketplaces and highlighting secondary market value over primary sellers.[3] Launched around 2007, FanSnap raised over $15 million in venture funding, built a formidable team with notable advisors, and established ticket comparison as a standard feature in the industry before being acquired and integrated into SeatGeek around 2012-2013.[3]
FanSnap emerged in the late 2000s as one of the earliest players in event ticket aggregation, predating competitors like SeatGeek by two years and casting a significant shadow with its $15 million in venture capital and strong advisory board.[3] The founding team, though not named in available records, focused on creating a user-friendly search engine amid the fragmented online ticket sales landscape.[2][3] Early traction came from introducing multi-seller comparisons, which educated users on secondary market benefits and positioned FanSnap as a leader; it was recognized as one of the top 100 alternative search engines by 2009.[2] The company's path culminated in its acquisition by Wize Commerce (its parent at the time) and subsequent purchase by SeatGeek, which sunsetted the standalone site and redirected traffic to enhance a unified platform.[3]
FanSnap rode the early 2010s wave of marketplace aggregation in live events, capitalizing on the shift from siloed ticket vendors to unified search platforms amid rising online secondary markets.[3] Its timing was ideal as digital ticketing exploded with concerts and sports booming, exposing inefficiencies in fragmented sales and paving the way for modern tools like SeatGeek's apps and recommendations.[3] Market forces favoring FanSnap included venture capital influx into fintech-adjacent consumer tech and growing fan demand for transparency, which it amplified by influencing competitors to adopt comparison models.[2][3] By proving the viability of ticket search engines, FanSnap shaped the ecosystem, enabling consolidations like its own acquisition and fostering innovations in mobile search and personalized event discovery.
FanSnap's legacy endures through SeatGeek, where its aggregation DNA powers ongoing dominance in a maturing $50B+ secondary ticket market fueled by live events recovery and tech like VR seating previews. Next steps likely involve AI-driven personalization and blockchain for secure resales, trends that amplify FanSnap's original mission amid streaming competition and experiential spending. Its influence evolves from standalone innovator to foundational element in a consolidated landscape, reminding us how early movers like FanSnap unlock the power of connected discovery for fans everywhere.[3]