GigFinesse lands $3.6M Seed funding to connect live music venues with artists

It’s refreshing to see tech startups making positive impacts in the world. Last year, we wrote about Songclip, a San Francisco, California-based tech startup that is working in partnership with the music industry to properly protect and monetize music IP and help creators, musicians, and songwriters get rewarded for their hard work.

But Songclip is not alone. GigFinesse is another tech startup that works with entertainment venues in major metropolitan cities and musical artists and helps them book more shows. GigFinesse partners with venues all across the country committed to giving independent artists the opportunity to perform live. The best part of it is that GigFinesse’s platform is free and easy to use for all artists.

Today, GigFinesse announced it has secured a $3.6m seed funding round to transform the antiquated talent booking market and make it easier for both artists and venues across the country to collaborate on live entertainment experiences. The round was led by Bessemer Ventures Partners, with additional backing from Cosmic Venture Partners, amongst many others. GigFinesse works with entertainment venues in major metropolitan cities and musical artists to help take the hassle out of booking shows.

Founded by co-founder and CEO Mir Hwang, GigFinesse team is made of musicians who recognize firsthand the challenges that come with performing in the live music industry. The platform connects live music venues of all sizes and tastes with thousands of artists from all across the country, allowing them to curate shows that are perfectly suited to their music preferences. GigFinesse serves as a one-stop solution that streamlines the booking process and aggregates hard day-of-show data to produce the optimal event outcome for everyone involved.

In a statement, Hwang said: “GigFinesse is committed to helping artists and venues around the nation connect and book performances, as well as analyze unique fan data and enable frictionless experiences. We are proud that our technology is playing a pivotal role in the entertainment venue space and putting more power in the hands of the music world.”

Independent live music venues offer a huge opportunity for up-and-coming artists or even the classics to perform for their community. GigFinesse’s platform optimizes the booking process by removing the middleman to create a stronger matchmaking process that connects the best venues and artists. This also allows talent and venues to maximize their returns by leveraging proprietary data from event-goers. The seed funding round is helping the company scale across different cities where the demand for GigFinesse has increased, and the team will continue to work on new technology to facilitate the most optimal artist venue fit.

“GigFinesse has built a product that is streamlining how venues discover and book entertainers,” said Jeremy Levine, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners. “We look forward to partnering with Mir and Ryan as they change the antiquated booking market and turn it into an incredible opportunity for artists and venues alike.”

“GigFinesse has managed to maintain an incredible business even throughout the pandemic when most businesses had to close their doors,” said Michael Montero, Founder of Struck Studio & Montero Ventures. “Over the last several years that I’ve worked with GigFinesse, I’ve been able to see firsthand the value, power, and ease of its platform. The way GigFinesse approaches the management of venues and events makes the experience more tech-driven and satisfying, which is why so many people have opted to use its system as live entertainment and events return to normal post-pandemic.”

“What really sets GigFinesse apart and what drew me to work with them in the first place, is that they are truly going to battle for the artists,” said Jason Hollis, Owner of The Eighth Room in Nashville, TN. “The pandemic did the live entertainment industry no favors and made a lot of people’s jobs a lot harder and more overwhelming. GigFinesse handles the tedious logistics and backend data analytics that are crucial to a seamless event, allowing venue owners like me the flexibility to focus on creative curation.”

“GigFinesse is reinventing how musicians and venues book live events,” said Matthew Rutler of Cosmic Venture Partners. “Their technology enables more opportunities for artists to play live and make money, and it helps venues fill up their calendars faster. GigFinesse provides metrics in advance that inform venues of important details like what drinks to stock up on per night and how to staff the evening properly, which is imperative to maintaining a seamless business. As a musician, I can speak from experience that having this type of platform would have been incredibly beneficial to me in the earlier days of my career.”