It may be less than a year since SoundCloud took $60m in new funding, but according to the Wall Street Journal, it may be returning to VCs for an even bigger round. In fact, it suggests SoundCloud is in talks to raise $150m in its new round, valuing the company at $1.2bn – up from $700m in January. No surprises to see the company’s ongoing negotiations with major labels Universal and Sony referenced in the piece, with only Warner Music having so far struck a licensing deal with SoundCloud. But there are other pressing reasons for more funding: SoundCloud is preparing to launch a subscription service in 2014, entering into the battle between cash-rich Apple and Google, and VC-cash-rich Spotify. With SoundCloud’s advertising business in its infancy, if VCs are willing to up their investment, it is hardly surprising that SoundCloud is in talks. Of course, the other impact of Wall Street Journal chatter about new funding and a rapidly-growing valuation may be to flush more potential acquirers of the company out into the open…
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Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…