Bright Live Inc., a startup that hosts ticketed live Zoom events for celebrities, artists and influencers, raised $15 million with investments from many of its high-profile Hollywood clients.
Founded by former YouTube exec Michael Powers and investor and music manager Guy Oseary, the company made the announcement Aug. 26 with a statement detailing contributions from investors Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, Amy Schumer, fashion designer Rachel Zoe, and television personality Bethenny Frankel, who is also an adviser. Many of their investments follow events they signed on to host through the company’s platform.
“Through Bright, talent can better engage authentically with audiences by sharing their own knowledge and bringing their many interests and passions to the foreground,” Powers said in a statement. “We are excited to roll out our new features to continue elevating our platform and mission.”
Sound Ventures, Oseary’s investment firm with Ashton Kutcher, led the funding round with RIT Capital Partners and Regah Ventures, Salesforce.com Inc. Chief Executive Marc Benioff’s Time Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Globo Ventures and Twilio Inc. co-founder and Chief Executive Jeff Lawson also contributed.
Built on top of the Zoom Video Communications Inc. videoconference platform, Bright provides interactive experiences for audience members with performers, celebrities and subject matter experts.
Sessions run from one to two hours at ticket prices ranging from $25 to $150, costs that are set by each host. Unlike the video-sharing website Cameo, which operates as a digital marketplace for fans to interact with celebrities and request personalized messages, Bright allows multiple users to join in for “master class” sessions tailored to the personality, experiences or expertise of each host.
More than 300 celebrities, artists and influencers have agreed to host sessions on the platform since its launch in May, including Madonna (who Oseary manages), Naomi Campbell, D-Nice, Laura Dern, Deepak Chopra, Lindsey Vonn, Diego Boneta, Jason Bolden, Chef Ludo Lefebvre, Shawn Mendes, and “Property Brothers” Drew and Jonathan Scott.
