This is proving to be an eventful year for Splash founder and CEO Ben Hindman. He was named one of this year’s New York Venture Fellows. Now, Splash, the country’s fastest growing event marketing platform, has raised $6 million in Series A funding.
Then again, leave it to the former Thrillist Director of Events to come up with a platform that’s as dynamic and fluid as events themselves. And one that’s completely customizable. It’s no wonder that Splash is already powering events for some of the top brands in the world and is quickly becoming the go-to platform for the tech community.
Hindman tells us more about the funding, and this comprehensive event software for serious marketers.
Who were your investors and how much did you raise?
The investment round was led by Spark Capital. Early stage investors include: Thrillist co-founder Ben Lerer, Seamless Web CEO Jason Finger, Facebook former Sales Director Kevin Colleron, Zinga & Charity Water former VP of Product Pablo Paniagua. Techstars former Director David Tish, Local Response founder Nihal Mehta, Scott Belsky and Maveron Venture
We raised $6 million in Series A funding.
Tell us about your product.
Splash offers the world’s most powerful experiential software designed to track and optimize events at scale. It has evolved into a comprehensive marketing platform that empowers brands to control the event experience from planning to post-event management and measurement.Splash technology seamlessly consolidates all of the dynamic data gathered through in-person marketing. From on-demand customer service to live onsite enhancements, to the ability to track attendee behavior, Splash transforms the memories and impressions from an experience into quantifiable market research that is readily accessible and presentable through Splash’s scalable dashboard features and their experiential CRM. The result is a deeper understanding of a brand’s community and insights that drive smarter business decisions.
What inspired you to start the company?
My own needs as an event planner inspired this product.
How is it different?
Splash targets marketing/brand events which have larger goals, such as social awareness or community building, compared to other platforms (such as Eventbrite) that target ticketed events – which begin and end with the event.
How has being a New York Venture Fellow helped you and/or your company?
It has been really nice to speak with companies at this stage.
What market you are targeting and how big is it?
Marketers who believe in events. This equates to about 10% of the total marketing spend across the US.
What’s your business model?
SaaS- Subscription model.
What was the funding process like?
People who get it, get it. Those who don’t, don’t.
What’s your favorite NYC event venue, for someone wanting to make a splash?
Ramscal Gallery. The best space in the city.
What are the biggest challenges that you faced while raising capital?
We’re defining a category; it is always hard to break through.
What factors about your business led your investors to write the check?
We are a scaling SaaS business with a strong relationships.
What are the milestones you plan to achieve in the next six months?
Looking to solidify our team, product and or mobile strategy.
What advice can you offer companies in New York that do not have a fresh injection of capital in the bank?
Get clients. They are your best way to prove traction quickly.
Where do you see the company going now over the near term?
We are going to remind the world that a live experience is the greatest way to connect.
What’s your favorite New York craft beer?
Brooklyn Brewery
