Startup profile for Skout: latest funding, latest known valuation, total disclosed funding, investors, status, sources, and why the company is interesting. Part of the Venture Capital Tracker startup directory.
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Skout funding, valuation and investors

Mobile social network for meeting new people nearby.

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Funding, valuation & investors

Answer-first snapshot

Latest funding

Series C

$22M · 2011

Latest known valuation

Not publicly disclosed

Total disclosed equity funding

$22M

Excludes debt, grants, acquisitions, secondaries, and IPO proceeds.

Current status

acquired

acquired · San Francisco, California

Investors in latest funding

Lead: Andreessen Horowitz

Latest tracked event: Merger (2016). It is shown separately because it is not counted as disclosed equity funding.

Sources: latest funding Last verified: 2026-07-25

Overview

Skout operated a mobile social network for meeting new people based on location and interests — one of the early smartphone-era social discovery apps. Founded in San Francisco, Skout raised a $22M Series C in 2011 led by Andreessen Horowitz. The company merged with MeetMe in 2016; the combined entity later went public and rebranded as The Meet Group, operating social discovery and live video products.

Why Skout is interesting

Early location-based social app — a16z-backed before MeetMe merger and public listing as The Meet Group.

Product & use cases

Skout's mobile app let users browse profiles, chat, and meet people nearby or globally — combining location features with social networking before dating apps dominated discovery.

  • Location-based social discovery
  • Mobile chat and friend finding
  • Live social networking for Gen-Z and millennials

Key facts

  • Merged with MeetMe (2016) — later The Meet Group public company
  • Series C (2011): $22M led by a16z — TechCrunch
  • Early location-based mobile social network
  • Global user base in pre-Tinder social discovery era

Funding history (newest first)

Merger

2016
  • MeetMe (lead)

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/26/meetme-acquires-skout/

Series C

2011 $22M

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2011/04/07/skout-raises-22m/

Investors in our directory

Funds linked from Skout's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.

Andreessen Horowitz

Competitive landscape

Edge: Early mover in mobile social discovery with global user base before Tinder-style dating apps owned the category.

Mobile social discovery fragmented into dating (Tinder), messaging (Snap), and live video (Meet Group). Skout's merger with MeetMe was consolidation play in a tightening category.

  • Tinder / Match Group direct

    Dating apps captured social discovery use cases.

  • MeetMe direct

    Merger partner; combined into The Meet Group.

  • Facebook incumbent

    Social graph incumbent reduced need for standalone discovery apps.

Notable stories

  • Skout was among the first apps to combine GPS location with social networking on smartphones — a16z Series C in 2011 validated mobile social before dating apps won discovery.
  • The 2016 MeetMe merger created a public social video company (The Meet Group) rather than standalone Skout IPO.

Industries

Consumer Media & Entertainment

Related funding articles

Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Skout's financing or category context.

FAQs about Skout

Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.

Skout was a mobile social network for meeting people nearby or globally — an early location-based social discovery app.
Skout merged with MeetMe in 2016; the combined company became The Meet Group.
Andreessen Horowitz (/fund/andreessen-horowitz) led the $22M Series C in 2011.
Skout brand may still operate under Meet Group ownership; no longer independent venture company.
Skout was broader social discovery; Tinder focused on dating. Dating apps eventually dominated the use case.
2016 per TechCrunch reporting.
San Francisco, California, founded 2007.
Christian Wiklund and Niklas Lindstrom co-founded Skout.
2011 — led $22M Series C.
We track a16z-backed consumer exits.
Website All startups Funding news

By Venture Capital Tracker

Last updated:

Editorial note: AI tools assisted with research, structure, or drafting. Venture Capital Tracker retains human editorial responsibility for factual accuracy, relevance, and source quality before publication.