Karma offers consumers a portable “Karma Score” that measures the reliability of people they transact with across peer-to-peer services such as Craigslist, Airbnb, DogVacay, eBay, Etsy, RelayRides and Vayable. The score is derived from a proprietary algorithm that weights recent reviews, the level of personal interaction on each marketplace, social-network verifications, and direct vouches from other Karma users. A Chrome and Firefox browser extension surfaces these scores directly on supported sites, eliminating the need for users to visit Karma’s website. The product is free to use and has just moved from private to public beta, indicating an early go-to-market phase focused on user adoption. Future plans hinted at in the launch include expanding support to additional marketplaces and deepening trust signals by linking more aspects of users’ digital identities. Financially, Karma has secured $800,000 in external funding to finance product development and growth. The company’s advisory board features high-profile executives such as former Microsoft CMO Mich Mathews, SpotRunner founder Nick Grouf, and Susa Ventures GP Eva Ho, lending strategic guidance as it scales. Karma is headquartered in Los Angeles.

Total raised

$1M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

May 2015