Roqbot recently landed a $1.2 million seed capital round led by downtown Detroit-based Detroit Venture Partners and the Silicon Valley-based start-up now plans to open an office in the M@dison Building next month.
"We're looking to tap into all of the talent that is in Detroit and the great start-up environment that is in the M@dison Building," says Garrett Dodge, CEO & co-founder of
Roqbot.
The 2-year-old start-up is creating a jukebox mobile app for bar, restaurants and retail stores that serves as a social media music service for businesses. Patrons at Roqbot locations use the app to check in, discover what's playing, request songs, vote on the queue, and see the venue's specials. Ultimately, customers crowd-source the music experience at that location while providing the business full control over what can be requested, continuous streaming unlike traditional jukeboxes, and full customization to match the venue’s vibe.
"It's kind of a group version of Pandora," Dodge says.
Roqbot was named Best Music Tech Company in the 2011 South By Southwest Accelerator and has been working with the likes of Miller Lite, Gap, Samsung and the rock band Mötley Crüe to grow its useage. It employs six people and an intern at its headquarters in Oakland, Calif. Its $1.2 million seed round was led by Detroit Venture Partners and Google Ventures, the venture capital arm of the ubiquitous search engine. Also participating in the seed capital round are Accelerator Ventures, T5 Capital and Penny Black.
Roqbot's new office in the M@dison Building will have three people and will handle the company company's customer support team and sales for the Michigan/Detroit markets.
Source: Garrett Dodge, CEO & co-founder of Roqbot
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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