# Genius

> Genius (formerly Rap Genius) built crowd-sourced text annotation starting with hip-hop lyrics before MediaLab acquired it for $80M in 2021.

## Why it 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.

## Profile

- **Stage:** acquired
- **Status:** acquired
- **Industries:** generalist-tech
- **Coverage:** full
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-24

## 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

- https://venturecapitaltracker.com/fund/andreessen-horowitz

## Related articles

- https://venturecapitaltracker.com/2026-a16z-hot-portfolio-companies

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Source: https://venturecapitaltracker.com/startup/genius