Sometimes you just know when a start-up is on to something special. Take Lost My Name, the publisher of personalised children’s books and a former Elite Business One to watch. Upon securing the best ever equity deal on Dragons’ Den – with Piers Linney investing £100,000 for a 4% stake in the business – it was evident the future was bright for the London tech firm. And, just in case more proof were needed of its credentials, it’s secured an additional $9m in a series A funding round led by Google Ventures.
With further investment from Greycroft, the Chernin Group, Allen & Co and Cris Conde, the former president and CEO of SunGard, the multinational IT company, Lost My Name is now focused on building its global reach as it aims to become the world’s leading provider of personalised content, products and experiences for children.
The company’s first book, The Little Boy/Girl Who Lost His/Her Name, has sold upwards of 600,000 copies in over 135 countries in just over two years and Lost My Name is already hard at work on its second book, which is set to launch later this year. The company said the new picture book will engage children in the theme of belonging and their “place in the universe” and will harness more sophisticated types of technology to further enhance the personalisation aspect of the publishing, which has proven so popular with parents and children the world over.
“As a London-based startup with global ambitions we were keen to raise in the USA and connect to the networks and talent of the hugely important US market,” said Asi Sharabi, co-founder and CEO of Lost My Name.
“We assembled a dream team of backers from London, NYC, San Francisco and LA that bring true expertise and insight across the entertainment and technology sectors. To have such an amazing group put their faith in us is both energising and humbling. We believe our new partners will help us to scale our business globally and accelerate our mission to take personalised entertainment to an amazing new level, creatively and technically, and to make millions of magical bedtimes.”
Avid Larizadeh Duggan, general partner at Google Ventures, added: “The move toward customised content changes the way kids interact with books, video and toys. Lost My Name is on the path to personalise the world of children’s entertainment, bringing classic products to life in unexpected and delightful ways.”
The Lost My Name story may still be in its early stages but it only looks like having a happy ending.
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