Startup profile · funding coverage
Genius
Genius (formerly Rap Genius) built crowd-sourced text annotation starting with hip-hop lyrics before MediaLab acquired it for $80M in 2021.
Stage
acquired
Status
acquired
Coverage
full
Why Genius is interesting
Ben Horowitz’s rap-fan thesis backed “annotations for everything” — the platform expanded to news and poetry but sold below total capital raised.
Key facts
- Series A (Oct 2012): $15M led by a16z (Reuters, TechCrunch)
- Series B (Jul 2014): $40M with a16z participation; renamed Genius (TechCrunch)
- Exit (Sep 2021): Acquired by MediaLab for $80M (Bloomberg)
Investors in our directory
Funds linked from Genius's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
Industries
Generalist Technology
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Related funding articles
Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Genius's financing or category context.
Last updated: 2026-07-24