Startup profile · funding coverage
Skout funding, valuation and investors
Mobile social network for meeting new people nearby.
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Funding, valuation & investors
Answer-first snapshotLatest 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.
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)
Investors in our directory
Funds linked from Skout's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
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.
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Tinder / Match Group direct
Dating apps captured social discovery use cases.
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MeetMe direct
Merger partner; combined into The Meet Group.
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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
Market / IPO context
Editorial / static context — not a live quote.
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.
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