Anchor offers an app that simplifies recording and distributing audio and includes a discovery platform across categories like news, sports, music, and tech. The product supports multi-party conversations by enabling calls directly in the app and lets listeners dial in and participate. Anchor holds music rights through partnerships with Apple Music and Spotify and allows content to be posted to Apple Podcasts, Google Play and devices like Alexa. The company says it built the product to be the easiest way to create, share, and interact with audio and has primarily gained users via word-of-mouth since launching last year. Anchor is working on a monetization plan to allow both the startup and its creators to make money from content, but it is not generating revenue yet. The article notes that roughly a quarter of Americans listen to podcasts monthly, underscoring the market opportunity. Anchor is an audio social network that lets creators record and transmit interactive, station-style audio content. The platform provides creator tools including an audio feedback effect called Applause, clipping of external sound bites, mixing full-length tracks from Spotify and Apple Music, call-ins, in-app interludes and sound effects. It also offers instant video creation to share audio on social networks and uses a Watson partnership to transcribe audio into text for video distribution. Anchor recently extended allowable recording lengths while limiting how long broadcasts remain on the platform to encourage fresh content. The company has launched a number of dedicated stations and streams from publishers and individual creators as part of its product expansion. Financially, Anchor raised $2.8 million in a new funding round to invest in the platform and further product development. Anchor is an iOS app that lets users record and transmit short, interactive audio clips called “waves,” enabling listeners to reply with one-minute responses. The product is designed to democratize voice publishing and make radio- and podcast-style audio interactive, similar to comment threads on visual platforms. Anchor supports two-minute initial messages and one-minute replies, and waves can be embedded and shared. The company launched with early adoption from established audio brands such as WNYC and Radiolab as initial users. Founders Nir Zicherman and Michael Mignano began building the product in January 2015 and left Adobe in July 2015 to work on Anchor full time. The startup emphasizes bringing in-person conversations online and expanding the reach of broadcasters to new audiences. Anchor has raised external funding to support its launch and growth.

Total raised

$14M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Sep 2017