Phonio provides phone numbers for public figures so fans can dial in to sign up for live or recorded calls; there is no app or website — just old-fashioned phone calling. VIPs can broadcast a call to all subscribers, record and review messages before sending, or randomly call one fan for a two-way conversation using a pre-authorized phone. Early users and testers include Lil Wayne and Young Money artists, NextGen Climate, the Sacramento Kings, Chris Daughtry, and Drake Bell. The startup raised an undisclosed funding round—described in the article as somewhere in the ballpark of $750,000—which funded development of its call-routing technology. Phonio is free to both stars and fans today and is experimenting with monetization options including text-delivered ads and a potential subscription for an ad-free experience. The company was founded by Dan Soha with Matt Caspari and Conrad Decker involved in leadership and product development; Bee Partners connected Soha with Caspari and Decker.

Total raised

$1M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Oct 2014