INDIANPOLIS (CelebrityAccess) — Mandolin, a live-streaming platform that debuted in the early days of the pandemic in 2020, announced that as of April 17th, 2023, the company has ceased business operations.
“We’ve spent the last three years building an award-winning fan engagement platform across both Fan Navigator and Fan Experiences,” company co-founder Mary Kay Huse in an email sent on Monday. “And while it’s true that we have seen incredible momentum in livestreaming and Fan Navigator usage, the macroeconomic situation has rendered us unable to continue building our capabilities to serve the industry. We spent the better part of the last year fundraising to sustain and grow our business and, unfortunately, we were unable to secure further commitment to our vision.”
Co-founded by Mary Kay Huse, Robert Meitus, and Steve Caldwell, Mandolin quickly found a niche as the live entertainment industry shut down amid the early response to the coronavirus pandemic. The company struck partnerships with City Winery and the International Entertainment Buyers Association, as well as with festivals such as the Pitchfork Music Festival and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
The company also launched a partnership with Ground Control Touring, providing marketing and livestreaming services for artists from the agency’s roster such as Waxahatchee, Current Joys, and Ani DiFranco, as well as GCTV, a series launched by Ground Control in 2020 to allow their artists to present ticketed live and pre-recorded streaming concerts.
In 2021, Mandolin raised $12 million in series A funding, part of the more than $17 million the company drew in from investors over its short run. Mandolin used the infusion of new capital to acquire the festival streaming platform NoonChorus.
Despite their early growth, Mandolin faced the hammer and anvil of the resurgance of the live concert industry after pandemic occupacy restrictions were lifted, along with the sharp rise in interest rates as the Federal Reserve seeks to get a handle on inflation.
The company did not respond to a request for additional comment on Tuesday.
