Social Video Publisher Keli Network Raises $2M to Fuel Expansion
Funding Led by Partech Ventures; Other Investors Include Broadway Video Ventures, Jean-Marie Messier’s OneRagTime and More
NEW YORK (27 Mar 2017)
Keli Network, the fast-growing video publisher that builds vertical social channels and distributes engaging content for millennials, has raised $2M from investors including Partech Ventures, Broadway Video Ventures, OneRagTime (the venture platform co-founded by Jean-Marie Messier), and several angel investors.
This funding will help power even greater expansion and exposure of Keli Network’s videos on mobile and social platforms, which in just one year has grown to more than 500 million monthly views, mostly in the US. Leveraging its in-house proprietary trend detector technology “Keli Pulse,” Keli intents to reach over 1 billion monthly videos views in the coming months.
Keli has achieved this rapid scale by concentrating on its vertical strategy to reach its Millennial audience.The company creates 1,000 videos per month for its social brand channels Gamology, one of the top gaming channels on social; the premier soccer destination Oh My Goal; and Genius Club, which focuses on innovation, inventions and gadgets. The beauty channel Beauty Studio will launch later this month.
The bulk of Keli’s content - all of which is distributed via social media - is produced in-house, while 30% is generated by users. The company also has a new Live Talent series that invites influencers to submit their best live videos for distribution on Keli’s channels.
Said Michael Philippe, CEO and co-founder, Keli Network: “We wanted to create a media company that resonates with our generation, creating engaging and entertaining content for mobile and social platforms, where we spend most of our time. By focusing on a vertical channel strategy, Keli has grown rapidly and is on pace to hit 1 billion monthly videos views, positioning us as a key player in the market. We’re happy to have these strategic investors on board to support our vision.”
Commented Boris Golden from Partech Ventures: "The media space is experiencing a major disruption in the way content is consumed, and we strongly believe that Keli Network is uniquely positioned to take over this massive opportunity. We have been genuinely impressed by their vision, and the growth of the company in the past months has been absolutely outstanding. Keli is on track to become one of the major social video publishers worldwide in the next few months, at a speed and capital-efficiency never seen before in the space.”
Added David Birnbaum, President, Broadway Video Ventures: "The team at Keli has created a proprietary technology platform that enables them to scale vertically focused video channels quickly. We are big believers in the value of these audiences on top of existing platforms and the opportunity that exists today to be a first mover. We look forward to helping Keli create innovative video formats and strategies on top of its large and engaged audience."
Keli Network was founded by Michael Philippe, Robin Sabban, and Swann Maizil. Prior to creating Keli, Philippe and Sabban founded LeKiosk, a successful European digital newsstand app offering 200,000+ subscribers access to 200+ publishers including Conde Nast and Hearst.
About Keli Network
Headquartered in New York, Keli Network is a fast-growing social video publisher that creates and distributes engaging content for millennials across vertical channels. Using its own unique proprietary tech tools, Keli aims to shape the future of media by creating meaningful, engaging brands that reach millennials where they are – on mobile and social platforms. Leveraging the market’s shift from traditional broadcast to social platforms, Keli Network’s content is 100% socially-distributed. Since its launch in early 2016, Keli’s videos have grown to more than 500 million monthly views and a reach of 225 million unique users in February 2017.