Inmoji, the market leader for connecting brands with consumers on mobile messaging with branded interactive emojis, today announced it has raised $5 million in Series A funding led by renowned innovator Dr. John Wigneswaran with participation from technology luminaries within MIT Sloan School of Management community. Inmoji will use the funding to accelerate growth of its media network, on track to become the largest in the world, capitalizing on billions of users and monetizing trillions of messages globally.
'Inmoji is rethinking the way people connect, share and have fun on messaging platforms,' said Leonard S. Coleman, Jr., Inmoji investor, business executive and former president of the National Baseball League. 'We continue to be impressed by the team at Inmoji and believe they have the right approach to engaging consumers on messaging.'
The company's explosive growth is driven by increased demand from consumers who crave engaging content on messaging apps, the brands that want to reach them, and the messaging apps that seek new sustainable revenue streams. Among Inmoji's new messaging platform partners are Tango, Kik, Badoo and MeetMe. New brand partners include NBC Universal, iTunes, Interscope Records, Starbucks, Ticketmaster, MovieTickets.com and Walmart. Inmoji will collaborate with these partners to deliver a variety of rich media campaigns featuring geolocation, product discovery, music and video sharing, loyalty programs, games and mobile commerce. In addition to brands and platforms, Inmoji has formed strategic relationships with more than 40 award-winning media agencies including Omnicom Media Group, OMD Worldwide and Mullen Lowe.
'Inmoji's goal is to harness the power of messaging to connect people with the brands they love,' said Michael Africk, co-founder and CEO of Inmoji. 'This capital gives us additional resources to expand quickly and strategically into new markets, innovate rapidly and deliver on our vision around the world.'
Over the past year, Inmoji has opened new offices in San Francisco and Boston, doubled its team and achieved dramatic results with engagement rates topping 400 percent using its next generation Engaged Clicks ™ analytics measurement tool. Inmoji will continue to forge the future of messaging innovation and deliver platform-agnostic technology that helps messaging app developers bring seamless experiences to their users. To date, Inmoji has raised $7.5 million, including financing from original investors Atlas Venture, Paypal Start Tank and ex-Paypal Media COO and startup evangelist David Chang.
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About Inmoji, Inc.
Named one of Adweek's Top 5 Startups for Marketers to Watch, Inmoji harnesses the power of 3D Messaging™ to connect people around the world with the brands they love. Inmoji's branded and clickable icons make it easier for people to discover and share content, locations or links without having to interrupt their conversations. So whether friends are looking for a place to meet up for coffee or simply want to share a product they love, Inmoji puts brands into the conversation. To learn more, visit inmoji.com and follow Inmoji on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.