Bloomington startup lands third IU Ventures investment
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A Bloomington-based startup that bills itself as “LinkedIn for the performing arts,” is set to receive its third investment from IU Ventures. Stagetime plans to use the funding to fuel product refinement and further customer acquisition.
Stagetime’s digital platform provides networking benefits for people in the performing arts industry. The company says instead of a traditional resume format, users can showcase their artistic talent through photos, video and audio.
IU Ventures did not say specifically how much it is investing in Stagetime in this latest round. The funding is being awarded through the IU Philanthropic Venture Fund, which supports early-stage startups with IU connections.
Jennie Moser, founder and CEO of Stagetime and a graduate of the IU Jacobs School of Music, says IU Ventures and its chief venture officer, Jason Whitney, have been a major source of support since the startup was launched.
“They have been thoughtful advocates for Stagetime since our earliest days and have been remarkably diligent in getting to know us over the years so that they could best support us,” Moser said in written remarks. “As we’ve seen our industry finally return to live performance with gusto this summer, this new investment from IU Ventures allows us to be proactive in supporting artists and creative professionals when they need it most.”
IU Ventures has made two previous investments in Stagetime through the IU Angel Network, which is designed to connect startups with prospective investors. IU Ventures participated in Stagetime’s $1.5 million Series A funding round last fall, which followed the initial investment in September 2020.
Stagetime currently has more than a dozen employees, though it’s not clear if the new funding will lead to additional jobs.
The company says it is planning to launch new features to help arts organizations find top talent, including a “casting tool” to allow users to plan for future talent needs.