Music promotion platform Groover has closed an $8 million Series A funding round.
The round was led by investors OneRagtime, Trind, Techmind, and MozzaAngels, and supported by historical backers, Partech, Bpifrance’s Tech & Touch fund, Verve Ventures, and Frenchfounders.
OneRagtime has previously invested in the likes of Medium and MatchTune.
Launched in 2019 by musicians and music journalists Dorian Perron, Rafael Cohen, and Romain Palmieri, Groover claims to offer artists direct networking opportunities with “key players” in the music industry.
Artists can use the Groover platform to find and connect with music professionals – with almost 3,000 music professionals and curators on the platform – to get “direct, constructive, and timely feedback on their work”. Groover claims that these connections “often [lead] to concrete development opportunities”.
Since its launch, Groover says it has attracted nearly 350,000 independent artists from over 180 countries, generating over 4 million personalized reviews.
Groover now aims to integrate two additional services to the platform: Groover Club and Groover Obsessions.
The Groover Club membership service offers coaching, masterclasses, and personalized follow-up sessions to 1,000 artists in France and the US to help artists increase their visibility with detailed advice.
Groover Obsessions is described as a “selective program” that provides career development opportunities to the “most promising artists on the platform”.
Among the 300 artists currently supported by the Groover Obsessions program are Gorillaz’s bassist, Seye Adelekan, indie band Faux Real, up-and-coming musician ZOLA, and Swiss Olympic snowboarder and indie folk artist Pat Burgene
With operations in the US, Canada, Italy, Brazil, the UK, France, and Germany, Groover says that it currently generates 80% of its revenue internationally.
With this new funding, the startup plans to strengthen its strategic presence in North America, Europe, and Latin America.
Following the launch of Groover’s New York office in early 2022, the company says that the US has become its top market, contributing to nearly 40% of its current revenue.
“Groover’s ability to connect artists with media and industry professionals is unique, and the vision of becoming the all-in-one platform for independent artists is particularly inspiring.”
Stéphanie Hospital, OneRagtime
“At OneRagtime, we are delighted to support Groover in this growth phase,” said Stéphanie Hospital, CEO, and founder of OneRagtime.
“Groover’s ability to connect artists with media and industry professionals is unique, and the vision of becoming the all-in-one platform for independent artists is particularly inspiring.
“We are confident that Groover will continue to redefine the landscape of music promotion, and we look forward to contributing to this success story.”
“The success of this funding round represents a crucial step in our journey.”
Romain Palmieri, Groover
“The success of this funding round represents a crucial step in our journey,” said Groover’s co-founder and CEO, Romain Palmieri.
“With these new investments, Groover is poised to write a new chapter, solidifying its position as a global reference in music promotion.
“Our goal is to provide independent artists with an all-in-one platform supported by innovative features and services and keep accelerating our international development in North America, Europe and Latin America.”Music Business Worldwide