• e27

  Participated · Series A · Jul 2016

  E27 is best known for its e27.co news site and its long-running Echelon events business. Founded in 2007, the company also operates newer products including a job listings service, a Crunchbase-style database and a marketplace for third-party bundled deals. E27 endured a rough past year that included layoffs and restructuring, and it plans to redevelop its tech-focused news website and events business. CEO and co-founder Mohan Belani intends to make new hires across editorial and events teams and to strengthen those newer businesses to create an online-to-offline ecosystem. Financially, E27 closed a SG$3 million (US$2.2 million) Series A after prior seed rounds, the most recent being a $650,000 raise last summer. The company plans to focus more heavily on the Southeast Asia market while leveraging investor ties for regional tie-ins. E27 publishes technology and startup news across Asia and runs an events business anchored by its flagship two-day Echelon conference. The company is using editorial coverage and live events as its core product offering. This year Echelon was sponsored by Braintree, reflecting the events-business component of its model. E27 closed a $650,000 bridge round from existing investors and is preparing to raise a larger round later in the year. The team says it is "hunkering down" and focusing on what it believes is right for the ecosystem as it evolves. Sources told TechCrunch that E27’s traffic is significantly below a rival’s claimed 2.4 million monthly pageviews, though E27 declined to disclose its own metrics. The company has previously raised $615,000 in 2013. e27 operates a news site focused on Asian tech startups and organizes conferences, with its flagship event called Echelon. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in Singapore. e27 plans to expand into Southeast Asia and hire editorial staff in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Management said the company will maintain its focus on the annual Echelon event. Last year Echelon attracted about 3,000 attendees, 50 startups and 150 investors. Financially, e27 has been largely bootstrapped apart from a small angel round in early 2012, and it has now raised additional external funding.

No current team members are available.