ScreenPop, Backed By $3.2 Million, Lets You Message Friends From Your Phone’s Lockscreen
Summary
The new app, which grew to 15,000 users during two months of beta testing, is designed to allow anyone to send photos, doodles, emoji and more after just a quick swipe on their phone’s screen. The startup is also announcing the close of their $3.2 million seed round, which included investment from Tyra Banks, Turner Broadcasting, Great Oaks and various N.Y.-area angel investors. Some portion of that fundraise was previously announced, but Locket didn’t close on the round until late 2014, explains CEO Yunha Kim. But the app later transitioned away from the pay-per-swipe business model to instead allow users to customize the content they received on their lockscreens, to include things like breaking news, funny pictures, or inspiring stories, for example. But Kim says the plan is to take advantage of iOS 8’s new notification system in some way, while also creating an experience that’s similarly focused on allowing users to quickly send photos and other messages.