Creator-Built Funl Secures Nearly 20 Investors and $150,000 Grant to Accelerate Demand-Driven Event Platform Development

Funl, a demand-driven event platform that helps Creators understand what their fans want and are willing to pay for before committing to an event, has raised $2.5 million at a $10 million post-money valuation.

The funding round includes nearly 20 private investors and will support the continued development and expansion of Funl’s technology. The company has also received a $150,000 Nebraska Innovation Fund Prototype Grant through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development to further support platform development.

Funl was founded by longtime touring musicians Bryan Olesen and John Wooten, whose experiences with the band VOTA inspired the platform.

While touring, Olesen and Wooten frequently found themselves with open dates between larger shows while fans in nearby markets were asking for opportunities to see them perform. Booking additional traditional concerts required financial commitments without knowing whether enough fans would attend.

That experience led them to experiment with house concerts and smaller events between tour dates. The idea eventually became Funl: a platform that allows Creators to test demand and pricing before an event is produced.

“Funl really came from us trying to solve our own problem as Creators,” says Bryan Olesen, co-founder and CEO of Funl. “We experienced the uncertainty of committing to events without knowing if the demand was really there. At the same time, we had fans who wanted more unique and personal opportunities to experience the band. We started experimenting with house concerts and smaller events, and realized there was something much bigger in that idea.”

Turning Fan Demand Into Real Events

Funl allows Creators to propose unique experiences and gives fans the opportunity to back the events they want to see happen.

Fans submit private bids for experiences, helping Creators understand both demand and potential pricing before committing to an event. Fans are only charged if they become winning bidders and the Creator’s hidden reserve is met. If the reserve is not reached, the event does not take place and bidders are not charged.

The model can be used for a wide range of experiences, including concerts, rooftop performances, private training sessions, meet-and-greets, athlete experiences, professional workshops and other events that may not fit traditional ticketing models.

“Some of the most interesting experiences are the ones that might never be created under the traditional model because nobody knows whether the demand is there,” Olesen says. “Funl lets a Creator put an idea in front of their audience and ask, ‘Would you want this, and what would it be worth to you?’ The fans help provide the answer before the Creator takes the risk.”

Building a Demand Layer for the Creator Economy

The new investment and Nebraska Innovation Fund grant will help Funl continue developing its platform and make demand-driven events more accessible to Creators and their audiences.

With nearly 20 investors supporting the company and a $10 million post-money valuation, Funl is entering its next phase focused on technology development, Creator adoption and expanding the types of experiences that can be brought to life through fan-backed demand.

The company’s vision goes beyond traditional event ticketing. Funl aims to help Creators discover opportunities that may otherwise never happen because there is no reliable way to measure demand in advance.

“We think there are millions of potential experiences sitting between Creators and their audiences that never happen because neither side has had an effective way to discover the demand,” Olesen says. “Our goal with Funl is to create that connection.”

For fans, Funl provides a way to help bring unique experiences to life. For Creators, it offers a new way to test demand, explore market-driven pricing and make more informed decisions before taking on the financial risk of producing an event.