Voyager, Steamboat Ventures line up behind secretive Ground Truth |
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Voyager, Steamboat Ventures line up behind secretive Ground Truth
Last week, we reported on the secretive mobile analytics startup Ground Truth, noting the involvement of some heavy hitters from the Seattle tech startup scene. At the time of that post, we reported that a venture round was nearing completion with Voyager Capital.
Well, today documents were filed with the SEC indicating that the company has raised $2.6 million. Listed in the filing as directors are Erik Benson and Tom Huseby, investment professionals at Voyager. Also listed as a director is Beau Laskey of Burbank, Calif. Laskey is listed as the managing partner of Steamboat Ventures, the venture arm of The Walt Disney Co.
Now, the key question is: Why would Steamboat -- which invests in consumer-oriented companies -- be interested in a mobile analytics startup?
Laskey does have some experience in the mobile realm, previously investing in companies such as Zyray Wireless. He's also a board member at Seattle-based Ontela, a mobile photo sharing services that also is backed by Huseby.
The company was founded by Michael "Luni" Libes, who previously co-founded mobile search startup Medio Systems. Ground Truth's president is Sterling Wilson, a former executive at Qpass and Concur Technologies.
UPDATE: In an email, Libes confirmed that the deal is closed but he said the amount listed in the filing is incorrect. He said they are not ready to announce the actual funding amount or the company's backers, but he did note that they are moving ahead in terms of building the team and the product.
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