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Tomfoolery funding, valuation and investors
Mobile messaging startup (acquired by Yahoo 2014).
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Funding, valuation & investors
Answer-first snapshotLatest funding
Seed
Amount not disclosed · 2013
Latest known valuation
Not publicly disclosed
Total disclosed equity funding
Not publicly disclosed
Excludes debt, grants, acquisitions, secondaries, and IPO proceeds.
Current status
acquired
acquired
Investors in latest funding
Lead: Andreessen Horowitz
Overview
Tomfoolery was a mobile messaging startup founded by former AOL and Yahoo executives building next-generation communication apps. Andreessen Horowitz led seed funding in 2013. In January 2014, Yahoo acquired Tomfoolery primarily as an acqui-hire to bolster mobile messaging talent — similar to its Wit.ai and other mobile talent deals of that era.
Why Tomfoolery is interesting
Ex-AOL/Yahoo executives rebuilt mobile messaging — a16z seed before Yahoo acquihired the team months after launch.
Product & use cases
Tomfoolery developed mobile messaging applications — team and product talent targeted by Yahoo for mobile communication rebuild under Marissa Mayer.
- Mobile messaging experiments (pre-acquisition)
- Yahoo mobile team talent infusion post-acquisition
Key facts
- Acquired by Yahoo (Jan 2014) — acqui-hire (TechCrunch)
- Seed (2013) led by a16z
- Founded by ex-AOL/Yahoo messaging executives
Funding history (newest first)
Investors in our directory
Funds linked from Tomfoolery's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
Competitive landscape
Edge: Founder pedigree from AOL/Yahoo messaging era — acquihire value exceeded standalone product scale.
Consumer messaging was winner-take-most; Tomfoolery's Yahoo exit reflects talent acquisition strategy rather than product scale outcome.
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WhatsApp incumbent
Dominant mobile messaging at time of Tomfoolery.
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Facebook Messenger incumbent
Platform-scale messaging.
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Slack (emerging) adjacent
Team messaging different use case.
Notable stories
- Yahoo's Tomfoolery buy was one of several 2014 mobile talent grabs as Mayer tried to reset Yahoo's mobile footprint (TechCrunch).
Industries
Related funding articles
Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Tomfoolery's financing or category context.
FAQs about Tomfoolery
Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.
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