Business

Vurbl Makes Noise with Investor Lineup and $1 million in Pre-Seed Funding

Published

5 years ago

October 28, 2020

A new audio streaming platform is coming to town. Vurbl is set to shake things up as the company goes head to head with other popular platforms like Apple and Spotify. The goal of the platform is to become the “YouTube of Audio.”

Vurbl is a creator-first, free streaming audio platform for all audio types, including user generated audio. Similar to YouTube, Vurbl allows content creators to upload, earn subscribers and monetize their work. Vurbl will provide listeners that are looking to connect with new voices and information with personalized playlists and stations across 40 categories.

Recently, Vurbl’s CEO and co-founder, Audra Everett Gold, completed its pre-seed round closing at $1.3 million. The round was led by AlphaEdison, a knowledge-driven VC firm that invests in early-stage companies. Vurbl also attracted other investors including Halogen Ventures, TEN13, Angelist and other businesses within the audio, advertisement and entertainment industries.

Nick Grouf, managing partner at AlphaEdison stated, “We believe Vurbl is opening up an entirely new audio market for listeners, creators and brands. This platform has the potential to change the way we consume audio on the internet and the timing is spot on. If anyone can pull this off this enormous opportunity, it’s the team at Vurbl.”

Gold launched Vurbl at the beginning of the year and once COVID-19 hit, the team opt-ed to work from home to stay safe and healthy. Gold and her team then doubled-down to develop Vurbl’s platform. Gold single handedly embarked on a journey to gain investor interest and secured funding during the pandemic mostly by way of Zoom calls.

The pre-seed funds are being used to develop and launch the Vurbl platform with over 25 million pieces of audio and podcasts. This will span across hundreds of categories and subcategories creating a sanctuary for content curators and listeners.

Gold is confident in the market demand for a streaming platform like Vurbl and stated, “Audio is scattered all over the internet in hard to find places, much of it costs money or is not findable, is not easy to playback, etc. We see millions of audio queries on Google and YouTube that reflect demand for audio of all types. The vast majority of these searches return subpar audio results or no audio results at all.”

Vurbl is uniquely positioned to win over audio aficionados with its promise of value added services and attractive revenue share program for creators.

Vurbl is set to launch its web-based platform experience in Q4 2020 with millions of discoverable audio, playlists and human-curated audio stations. The company also plans to announce additional updates including the launch of new mobile apps, a downloadable desktop app, and connected in-home devices for listeners to enjoy audio streams anytime and anywhere.

Business

Geivon “E.G.” Cisneros Expands Zooly AI Into the NHL Playoffs

Published

9 hours ago

May 4, 2025

Matthew Wiles

When the stakes are highest, innovation shines brightest. As the NHL Playoffs brought an electric energy to the ice, entrepreneur Geivon “E.G.” Cisneros and his tech company Zooly AI delivered a first-of-its-kind fan experience for the Tampa Bay Lightning, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of real-time AI engagement in professional sports.

Leveraging Zooly’s flagship product, Photobomb, fans inside Amalie Arena during playoff games were given an entirely new way to connect with their team. With a simple QR code scan, spectators instantly received dynamic, personalized photos featuring the Lightning mascot ThunderBug, seamlessly inserted into their memories-no app download required, just pure surprise and delight.

In a setting where emotions run high and every moment matters, the Photobomb activation proved that artificial intelligence can enhance the magic of live events rather than distract from it. Fans flooded social media with their custom playoff memories, helping amplify the Lightning’s home-ice advantage beyond the rink and into the digital world.

“The playoffs are where legends are made,” said Geivon “E.G.” Cisneros, founder of Zooly AI. “It was important for us to show that AI can make these moments even more personal, not mechanical. We wanted fans to feel like they weren’t just spectators-they were part of the story.”

The activation drew massive engagement, with QR code scans and social shares surpassing expectations-proving that fans are eager for real-time, culturally connected experiences when the stakes are at their highest. For the Lightning, it deepened fan loyalty. For Zooly, it validated a vision: building the connective tissue between live emotion and intelligent digital interaction.

As Zooly AI continues expanding its footprint across professional sports, the Tampa Bay Lightning playoff activation stands as a landmark moment-one where culture, technology, and tradition collided under the brightest lights.

About Zooly:

Zooly AI is a next-gen artificial intelligence company redefining how fans, brands, and creators connect in real time. With products like Daily Vibes and Photobomb, Zooly blends culture, creativity, and technology to create unforgettable interactive moments. From arenas to digital campaigns, Zooly is powering the next generation of engagement.