Tech Startup Targeting Podcast Marketing

(image courtesy of Casted)

A startup launched from Indianapolis-based venture studio High Alpha says it is the first of its kind. Casted has received nearly $2.4 million in seed funding to grow its Software-as-a-Service marketing platform for branded podcasts. The funding round includes investments from High Alpha Capital and Elevate Ventures in Indy, as well as Michigan-based Tappan Hill Ventures and other angel investors.

The company says the platform allows users to host, organize, distribute, and measure the performance of their branded podcast shows and episodes.

Chief Executive Officer Lindsay Tjepkema tells Inside INdiana Business the platform builds upon information that is already provided for podcasters.

“It’s fantastic that there are players like Apple, Google, Spotify out there to really amplify your shows that you’re creating. So we meet the industry where they are there and we host and syndicate and provide any and all metrics that those players will provide back to us,” said Tjepkema. “Then we also create within the platform every time you upload a show, there’s a landing page created for that episode and…we’re able to provide a lot more information about how those individuals are engaging with your brand, how they’re interacting with your content, how they’re consuming and sharing your content.”

Casted plans to use the seed funding to grow its product, sales, and marketing teams, as well as continue to expand the platform. Tjepkema says the company is in full growth mode and having local and regional investors is huge.

“It really is just further proof of the incredible community that’s here in and around Indianapolis and in and around the Midwest to support companies like ours and our growth. That has really acted as a springboard to us and they’ve provided us access incredible resources that will help us really just springboard into the future. Not only the investor community, but also the talent pool that’s here has really, really been incredible.”

Tjepkema adds while there is a lot of competition for top talent in the Indianapolis tech space, that competition is good for all involved. 

Casted currently has more than a dozen customers and Tjepkema says the company plans to double down on its current momentum to bring in more users and grow the platform even further.