Shine began as a messaging bot delivering daily life advice and positive reinforcement via SMS and Facebook Messenger and has expanded into a freemium iOS app offering meditations, affirmations, and five-minute "Shine Stories" voiced by influencers. The company reports 2 million users across 189 countries, with 88% under 35 and 70% female. Shine experimented with a paid life-coaching subscription that did not scale, then relaunched subscriptions in December as a freemium model ($59.99/year or $7.99/month) though founders declined to disclose exact conversion rates, saying they are on par with industry standards. The team is eight people and plans to double headcount this year, launch an Android app, and develop additional products and audio offerings while avoiding ads in audio content near-term. The product roadmap includes exploring broader audio distribution (e.g., podcasts or voice platforms) but the team has not committed to a single approach. Shine provides a free daily messaging service that delivers personalized well-being "intentions" via SMS, Facebook Messenger and Kik. The Shine bot collects and analyzes custom inputs to tailor short messages users receive at set times to practice or meditate on. The cofounders emphasize text messaging for its high open rates and position the product toward millennials. The company is testing monetization strategies while keeping sign-up free on its website. Shine plans to expand the team and develop new products, including a voice-based product built with Betaworks. Founded in 2016, the startup currently has four employees. Shine is an NYC startup that sends a daily text message intended to help millennials live with more intentionality and mindfulness. Its product delivers curated, conversational morning messages about confidence, daily happiness, mental health, and productivity, designed to feel like a trusted friend. The service is interactive (users are encouraged to reply) and places particular focus on serving millennial women. Founders Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi developed the idea from their work at DoSomething.org and leverage that experience in messaging to young people. The company recently closed a seed round led by Flybridge Capital Partners with participation from Comcast Ventures and BBG Ventures. Over the next six months Shine's primary milestone is growth.

Total raised

$8M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Apr 2018