Los Angeles-based social group ticketing platform Fanimal, which was launched in 2019, has secured $4m (£3.2m/€3.7m) in its latest round of funding, led by Bullpen Capital.
Early investors include venture capital and private equity company Burst Capital and venture capital partner Pear VC.
When purchasing multiple tickets from the Fanimal platform, one person does not need to pay for all the tickets, as it uses ticketing technology that allows fans to create a group with a specified minimum size for a concert, with each individual able to pay for their ticket.
Fanimal also allows users to talk to each other via a chat function to discuss the logistics of purchasing a ticket, as well as discussing their impending experience.
Jonny Halprin, Fanimal chief executive and co-founder, said: “Nobody goes to live events alone, but the only way to buy tickets is alone. We’ve changed that. Our group purchase technology has made buying tickets part of the social experience, less about the transaction and more about who you’re going with.”
Halprin added: “This new capital injection will allow us to accelerate our product development. Before long, the group buying experience will be much more powerful because it will be taking place in a mobile app.”
Ann Lai, general partner at venture capital fund Bullpen Capital, said: “Fanimal approaches event ticket purchasing from a fundamentally differentiated framework.
“These days, we go to events craving in-person social experiences. Fanimal has proven that people do not want to buy alone, and these purchasing groups naturally evolve into the foundations for ephemeral, event-based social interactions, from chatting about the event, to organising logistics, exchanging playlists, sharing photos, etc.”
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