UPshow Finalizes $1.5 Million Angel Round
Led By comScore CEO Gian Fulgoni and 1871 CEO Howard Tullman
UPshow's TV-powered
social marketing platform drives additional revenue and customer traffic for
venues.
What makes UPshow special is how the
technology enhances and facilitates every active consumer's natural desire to
be seen by more people through the vehicle of social media without requiring
them to learn or adopt any new behaviors. - Howard Tullman
CHICAGO,
IL (PRWEB) APRIL 11, 2017
UPshow, the leading
in-venue social media display network in the United States, announced today
that it has closed its strategic angel investment round, bringing total funding
to $1.5 million. Participants in the round include prominent CEO's and
executives like comScore CEO Gian Fulgoni, Fieldglass Founder Jai Shekhawat,
Edgewater Funds Managing Director Dave Tolmie, eHealth CEO Scott Flanders, and
1871 CEO Howard Tullman.
With over 3,200
screens in restaurants, sports bars, entertainment venues and leading family
attractions, UPshow allows patrons to showcase their social media posts
instantly on TVs within a venue. This gives the business a vastly increased
social media presence by maximizing customer-generated posts, while also
serving as an easy-to-use digital signage platform to feature new products,
promotions, events, trivia and interactive games.
Howard Tullman, CEO of
Chicago's technology mega-incubator, 1871, knows consumer social behavior
intimately because he lives it every day. 1871 has more than 20,000
hyper-connected visitors a month and has deployed UPshow within its space.
"What makes UPshow special is how the technology enhances and facilitates
every active consumer's natural desire to be seen by more people through the
vehicle of social media without requiring them to learn or adopt any new
behaviors. Businesses using UPshow will rapidly see that their brand will be
more broadly shared and amplified on social media which should drive both
increased onsite engagement and more customer traffic in the door in the long
run," said Tullman.
Since launching in the
Summer of 2015, UPshow has experienced continual growth in new customers, while
expanding its install base from local businesses like Fatpour Taphouse in
Chicago and Crossfit Solace in New York; to national brands like
Margaritaville, iFly, Blackfinn Ameripub and Tilted Kilt.
"The way that
UPshow plugs into existing screens in venues, and grabs consumers’ attention
with social media and brand content is unique and powerful. UPshow has a
compelling opportunity to engage consumers on behalf of businesses because it
can communicate with consumers at the point of purchase," said Gian
Fulgoni, CEO of comScore. comScore is a leading company measuring consumer
trends on the Internet and social media.
UPshow’s platform also
builds a robust Social Media CRM for its customers, dynamically identifying a
brand's most influential customers and providing re-marketing tools to drive
additional purchase or repeat visits.
Adam Hirsen, CEO of
UPshow, was previously in residence with Sterling Partners, a Chicago based
private equity and venture capital firm, that focuses intensely on building a
network of highly talented board members and advisors for each company.
"We have taken a
page from the playbook I learned at Sterling Partners, by surrounding ourselves
with exceptional C-suite angel investors, all who are highly accomplished
business leaders that will add incredible strategic value to the company. We
feel blessed to have help and advice from people that have all built large
businesses many times over."
UPShow is using the capital
to grow its team, accelerate product development and expand sales into new
markets.
