The audio news startup HearHere has rasied $1.7 million. Investors include The Associated Press, A. H. Belo Corporation, Whittier Ventures, Ringleader Ventures, and individuals including family, friends, and Chicago VC Steve Miller.
“Not only are we using these funds to bring smart audio news to more people,” said CEO John McLeod in a statement, "we’re working diligently to optimize proprietary technology that better understands listeners’ interests and delivers them exactly the news they care about.”
HearHere's core product is Rivet News Radio, a smartphone app featuring content from Crain's, the AP, The Chicago Reporter, The Chicago Sun-Times, and Chicago Public Media. McLeod's team also develops original content. It brings the old-fashioned storytelling and 'driveway moments' of terrestrial radio to the pockets of Chicagoans who follow the news via their ears.
The popularity of podcasts and the downward slide of print journalism has slowly pushed newspaper outlets to try new ways to distribute their reporting. Local publications like the Chicago Sun-Times have been especially hard hit and that may be why they are eager to invest. Audio could be an effective way for readers, now listeners, to consume legacy outlet news in the car for example.
Rivet News Radio is free for the iPhone and recently released an Android version in Beta.
“We’ve hit encouraging benchmarks in the eight months since launching our iOS app,” McLeod said, “attracting more than 100,000 users around to world to hear news and information from our growing content team.
“I’m confident we’re entering the most exciting period yet in this sector’s brief history. And Rivet heralds the total re-imagining of how audio content can be delivered and personalized.”
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