Surkus

Surkus operates as a technology-driven, multi-sided platform focused on experiential marketing, connecting brands with their target audiences for events and promotional campaigns. Established in 2015 by Stephen George, Jin Woo Yu, and Roberto Menendez, the company originated in Los Angeles and provides a mobile application that facilitates this connection. Stephen George, a serial entrepreneur and one of the co-founders of Groupon, brought extensive experience in scaling technology startups to his role as CEO. His background includes managing global operations and angel investing, which informed the strategic direction of Surkus. Jin Woo Yu's expertise in producing experiential events with celebrity integration was foundational in the company's early strategy.

The company's business model centers on a value exchange. It offers members free access to a variety of events—such as brand launches, comedy shows, and movie screenings—in exchange for engagement, which might include social media promotion or providing feedback. For its business clients, who range from small and medium-sized enterprises to major corporations like Netflix and Amazon, Surkus provides a tool to acquire their ideal crowd for events, generate authentic product feedback, and increase brand visibility. The platform utilizes proprietary algorithms and data points to match its user base with events that align with their interests and demographics, aiming to deliver a high return on investment for marketing expenditures. Revenue is generated through a success-based pricing model, where clients are billed based on the achievement of specific engagement goals.

Surkus has secured significant funding, raising a total of $18.5 million over three rounds from investors including Capital Union Investments and EOS Global. A major funding milestone was a $10 million Series B round in 2018, which was intended to support international expansion, starting with Hong Kong, and the integration of blockchain technology. The company has also grown through acquisitions, such as the 2018 purchase of Craze Promotions, a company specializing in distributing last-minute, unclaimed ticket inventory for live events. This acquisition enhanced Surkus's offerings in the live music and entertainment sector. The platform has expanded its geographical reach, launching in the UAE in 2019 to serve the Middle East market from a base in Abu Dhabi.

Keywords: experiential marketing, event promotion, audience engagement, mobile marketing platform, brand activation, crowd-casting, customer acquisition, social media promotion, live events, data-driven marketing, user engagement, targeted marketing, event technology, promotional campaigns, audience matching, influencer marketing, market expansion, startup funding, brand-to-consumer, digital engagement