YouNow operates a real-time broadcasting platform that lets anyone stream live video with no time limit and enables viewers to comment, rewind, or fast-forward until the broadcaster restarts. The service emphasizes intimate, participatory interactions between broadcasters and audiences and highlights discovery of new talent and publisher use (e.g., Huffington Post, BuzzFeed). It reports about 100 million user sessions per month and powers roughly 150,000 live broadcasts per day; the average broadcast is about 20 minutes and users spend roughly 50 minutes per day on the platform. Demographics skew young and female: about 70% of users are under 24 and roughly 55% are female, with ~65% English-speaking and the remainder in Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. YouNow does not sell advertising directly; its built-in virtual-goods economy (Bars) lets audiences purchase items — packages range from $0.99 to $49.99 — and broadcasters earn proceeds from those sales. Broadcasters may also arrange brand deals directly and keep 100% of that revenue. The company says it is exploring additional revenue sources and continues to position itself as a complementary platform to other social services. YouNow is a live video platform that mixes elements of YouTube/Justin.tv with The Gong Show, allowing performers to broadcast musical acts or talks while the audience votes in real time. Thumbs-up votes buy a performer more time on stage, while thumbs-down votes remove them. The service includes a tipping mechanism intended to allow talented performers to earn money. Performances can be streamed from the web or from mobile devices, and mobile apps were expected to be ready in a couple of weeks. The team describes the product as "social television" and says it will improve as scale brings more viewers and votes, potentially becoming a realtime 'American Idol' on the web. The service has raised $1 million so far from Union Square Ventures and Founders Collective.

Total raised

$16M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Oct 2015