NOICE, a multi-vertical audio platform for Indonesian listeners, announced today it has secured an undisclosed ‘7-figure USD’ in pre-Series A round co-led by Alpha JWC Ventures and Go-Ventures.
As per a press statement, Kinesys Group, Kenangan Fund, and several unnamed business angels participated in this round.
Additionally, the company has announced that former Google Asia Pacific’s executives Rado Ardian and Niken Sasmaya joined NOICE as its CEO and CBO, respectively.
According to CEO Ardian, NOICE will use the new capital to build the platform’s new live audio feature, develop original content and hire talents across the region to accommodate users beyond Jakarta.
It also plans to expand its content distribution, set up content creation and monetisation tools and increase in-app community engagement.
NOICE is owned and operated by Mahaka Media Group, which was created by Erick Thohir, Indonesia’s minister of state-owned enterprises.
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Launched in June 2018 as a radio streaming platform, NOICE streams local audio content, including radio, music, audiobooks and podcasts, to registered listeners across Indonesia.
NOICE differentiates itself from its global rival Spotify through the platform’s hyperlocal in-house content.
“Our USP is our high-quality original content that is only available on NOICE with numerous talented content creators, ranging from imaginative first-timers to well-known celebrities,” said CBO Sasmaya. “These individuals realise their dreams by showcasing their artistic skills across a range of genres, such as comedy, music, religion, horror, parenting, lifestyle and edutainment.”
According to the company, NOICE is “Indonesia’s largest podcast network”, with 800,000 people tuning in and 100+ original shows being broadcast.
By Q3 2021, NOICE boasts over one billion minutes of audio content streaming, showing high levels of engagement and consumption on the platform.
“While digital content consumption has been growing in Indonesia, there is a significant gap in the audio content vertical, especially for hyper-local content. As more people are working, learning and being entertained at home, demand for quality content has increased exponentially,” said Aditya Kumar, SVP of Investments at Go-Ventures. “NOICE is well-positioned to address this unmet need, becoming Indonesia’s leading audio platform.”
NOICE said it clocked a 144 per cent surge in the number of users over the past year, which was achieved “without any major marketing spend.”
Last year, the startup received funding from Alpha JWC Ventures and Kinesys Group.
The audio streaming market has ramped up over the past years in Indonesia. According to Nielsen research, in February 2020, more than 3.6 million Indonesians is listening to podcasts.
Meanwhile, the global streaming platform Spotify also witnessed a 149 per cent increase in Indonesian users from June 2019 to June 2020, alongside a 220-per-cent hike in music streaming across Southeast Asia.
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Image credit: NOICE
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