INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
traffic and buzz, and help shift not just sentiment but often products for brands, giving boosts both to online engagement and commerce
Now, a London startup called Verve, which plays on the influencer theme in the area of selling tickets to experiences and events, has
raised a significant round of growth funding to expand its business.The company today is announcing that it has raised $60 million as it
rebrands to a new name, Pollen, to reflect a redoubled consumer focus
The company has sold 1 million experiences since being founded in 2014, with 330,000 sold this year, making tens of millions in revenue
across a footprint of about 20 countries and among a demographic that is mostly in the 18-28 range.Led by Northzone, the round also
included Sienna Capital, existing investors, including Draper Esprit, Backed and Kindred, and others.Pollen has now raised $100 million, and
about 3.7 times higher than in its previous round
different approach to how it interacts with these
The company is based around a members-only business model, with membership being free, but only open to those who have built networks of
people who look to them to make recommendations for interesting things to do
they music festival or concert organizers, nightclub events or destination events such as skydiving or chartering yachts, some 500 in all,
including Live Nation, MGM Resorts, TAO, Hakkasan, AEG - C3; and secured partnerships with Ticketmaster, Eventbrite, Priceline, StubHub and
Pollen.These people, in turn, decide which events they want to promote to their audiences
For those who manage to shift tickets (which are not sold by Pollen but by partners like Ticketmaster or Eventbrite), they get rewards in
the form of tickets to other events or other perks (but no cash)
events, like the Reading Festival
Our members might connect with people in bars or pubs or schools or on WhatsApp, or even the dark web
