Bloomington performing arts startup receives funding
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – A Bloomington-based web design startup has received a $20,000 investment from Indianapolis-based Elevate Ventures. Stagetime says it will use the funding from the organization’s Community Ideation Fund to further develop its online professional network for the performing arts.
Stagetime says it is beta testing the network, with initial testing expected to end in August. When complete, the product will roll out to more than 750 users.
Stagetime founder and Chief Executive Officer Jennie Moser started Stagetime in 2019. Previously, Moser designed websites, building more than 100 websites over the last year and eventually, created templates for individuals to create their own, which led to the development of the professional network.
“The funding from Elevate Ventures is the difference between pre-product and product,” said Moser. “Stagetime is an interesting business in that we’ve been able to get closer to product-market fit faster than a lot of startups at this stage. The funding will allow us to develop the product and move forward with something we already know is a good fit for our audience.”
Moser says Stagetime is an online network where artists, agents and artistic administrators can grow and maintain relationships through engagement with industry professionals, media showcasing and interactions with colleagues and collaborators.
According to Moser, Stagetime’s model provides a level playing field for those in the industry and can save time and money for artists who are not able to create their own websites.
The startup graduated from the Elevate Ventures pre-accelerator program Elevate Origins in the first quarter of 2020. Stagetime is a member of Bloomington coworking space, The Dimension Mill.