WillCall

WillCall operated as a mobile-centric platform designed to simplify the discovery and purchase of last-minute tickets for live music events. The company was founded in 2011 by designer Donnie Dinch and developers Julian and Patrick Tescher. The idea originated when the founders, while listening to a radio station, realized they were unaware that a band they liked was playing locally, sparking a discussion about using mobile technology to solve the problem of concert awareness. Initially launched in San Francisco in February 2012 for Apple devices, the service focused on providing a curated list of shows and enabling ticket purchases with a few taps.

The business model centered on addressing the issue of unsold tickets, which CEO Donnie Dinch claimed accounted for nearly 40% of all event tickets. WillCall provided a platform for venues and promoters to sell this excess inventory, often at a discount, to spontaneous concert-goers. For users, the app offered a streamlined experience that included reading about artists, seeing which Facebook friends were attending, and purchasing tickets directly. The service expanded beyond just ticketing to include in-venue commerce, allowing users to tip artists and buy merchandise through the app. A feature called BarTab even used iBeacon technology to let fans open and close a bar tab on their phones.

WillCall's journey included securing over $2.1 million in seed funding from notable investors like 500 Startups, Sean Parker, and SV Angel. This financial backing facilitated its expansion to New York City and the launch of an Android version. In August 2014, the company was acquired by Ticketfly, a larger ticketing competitor, for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition was seen as a strategic move for Ticketfly to enhance its consumer-facing technology and gain data on in-venue spending. WillCall's CEO, Donnie Dinch, joined Ticketfly to lead its consumer experience division. However, in March 2016, Ticketfly announced it would be shutting down the WillCall app, intending to integrate its learnings into a new concert discovery app of its own.

Keywords: WillCall, live music, concert tickets, mobile ticketing, event discovery, last-minute tickets, Ticketfly, Donnie Dinch, in-venue commerce, music tech, San Francisco startup, concert discovery app, social ticketing, artist merchandise, BarTab, live events, show tickets, ticketing platform, music application, mobile payments