ATLANTA, May 24, 2012 – Scoutmob, a startup revolutionizing how consumers use their mobile devices to connect to local businesses, announces today that they received $3.25 million in financing from a group that includes AOL Ventures, Capitol Broadcasting, Cox Enterprises, Inc., Ben Lerer of Thrillist, and New Atlantic Ventures. Scoutmob also announces they are teaming up with payments company First Data Corporation to help close the loop between offer, purchase and loyalty for local merchants.

“Our vision has always been to combine a strong brand with new methods to connect locals with their cities. This announcement confirms both media and transaction leaders recognize the power of our disruptive model,” said Scoutmob co-founder and CEO Dave Payne. “With a base of well over a million users, we will leverage these partnerships to continue pushing our mission forward.”

Founded in 2010, Scoutmob pioneered the evolution from first generation pre-purchased daily deals to free, spontaneous mobile offers. The Scoutmob app guides users to locally-owned businesses through exclusive offers and curated content, directly motivating millions of offline purchases. The new funds will support the next wave of product development as Scoutmob evolves as a mobile media company.

See the video on the Scoutmob mission.

Combining Scoutmob’s strength in mobile offers with First Data’s strength in payment technology presents a powerful opportunity to innovate the way that consumers interact at the point of sale. The partnership with First Data gives Scoutmob the ability to work with First Data’s network of over four million U.S. merchant relationships, allowing Scoutmob to link the consumer’s intent to their resulting purchase with the First DataSM OfferWiseSM solution. The transaction will connect through an API developed by payments infrastructure company CardSpring. This continues the Scoutmob mission of solving issues of friction for both consumers and merchants. 

“All of the necessary pieces are now in place with First Data to close the redemption loop. We can build a smarter solution by cutting through the challenges of integration with the payments stack - bypassing seldom-used technologies and clunky in-store hardware. It’s one of the big opportunities to be disrupted soon in the local mobile space” said Scoutmob co-founder and Chief of Product Michael Tavani. “We have some aggressive product plans.”

“Scoutmob has built an awesome brand in a great category, and as a result has seen spectacular consumer engagement. I think everyone knows there’s massive opportunity at the intersection of content and commerce and Scoutmob is perfectly positioned to do this as well as anyone on the local level,” commented Ben Lerer, Co-Founder and CEO of Thrillist.com.

About Scoutmob
Scoutmob connects you to the local experience in an authentic, real-time way. With exclusive, location-based deals, fresh daily content and curated experiences, the mobile app acts as a compass for everyday exploration in your city, giving plenty of good reason to get out and experience what’s around you. Founded in 2010, Scoutmob is based in Atlanta and funded by AOL Ventures, Capitol Broadcasting, Cox Enterprises, Inc., Ben Lerer, and New Atlantic Ventures. To get the app or for more information, go to Scoutmob.com.

Press contact:
Michael Tavani
Scoutmob Co-Founder
770.722.8258 michael@scoutmob.com

About Scoutmob:

Scoutmob connects you to the local experience in an authentic, real-time way. With exclusive, location-based deals, fresh daily content and curated experiences, the mobile app acts as a compass for everyday exploration in your city, giving plenty of good reason to get out and experience what’s around you.

Scoutmob mission video:

http://vimeo.com/scoutmob/wehavebigplans

Scoutmob logo:

App Image:

Need more? Press contact:

Michael Tavani, Scoutmob co-founder and Chief of Product

770.722.8258

michael@scoutmob.com

Scoutmob co-founder Michael Tavani talked with Street Fight about Facebook’s second attempt at a self-service offers product. 

CNN came to Scoutmob HQ for a fireside chat with co-founder Michael Tavani:

“Daily deals 1.0 is over, it was won by Groupon and LivingSocial. But that phase is over, now we’re on 2.0 with local mobile and we want to be a player.”

Michael Tavani shared our story of launching and growing a company in Atlanta with local TV affiliate 11 Alive, photobombs and all.

You know you want to watch this sweet video

“By serving as a pocket guide for all things local, Scoutmob has positioned itself as more than just a deal site in the eyes of many consumers.”

Using Scoutmob to Reach Plugged In-Customer, American Express Open Forum

And so do we. Thanks Street Fight. High-quality hyperlocal content, now available on the freshly updated Scoutmob iPhone app.

Thanks for the nod, Mashable. You’re #1 in our hearts.

Cheap Eats: 5 iPhone Apps for Frugal Foodies:

Scoutmob is the first on our list of iPhone apps for frugal foodies. Eat for free or try new restaurants in your area using 50% off deals. Every restaurant we’ve been to per ScoutMob reviews has been a delicious experience.

A host of claims, conjectures and sweeping generalizations have been made as to the future of mobile marketing, social commerce, daily deals, hyperlocal content and who the heck is using Google+. What can we expect for 2012?

Feels like everything.

Food Online: Restaurant dining and cooking will continue to digitize according to the LA Times, with Scoutmob and Foodspotting helping diners peruse digital daily specials.

Is Google+ Armed For Mobile Marketing Conquest? VentureBeat and Business 2 Community discuss Google’s addition of Scoutmob-esque mobile location based check-in deals.

The Washington Post predicts growing use of your location to serve relevant offers and advertising. Consumers will receive real world benefits for opening the Scoutmob app or checking in on Foursquare, not that we don’t appreciate earning a badge or two.

At the BIA/Kelsey Interactive Local Media conference last month, Scoutmob co-founder Michael Tavani joined folks from CBS, Thrillist and Belo Corp to discuss the future of the deal space. The way they see it evolving: quality, exclusivity and use of location data.

Small Business Trends predicts five key areas of internet marketing evolution for small businesses, including innovative approaches like Scoutmob.

Merchant trust, big players, experiential deals and partnerships like Foursquare + Scoutmob are at the top of Digital Trend’s 2012 predictions. 

The new partnership with Scoutmob is a good move for Foursquare because users can redeem Scoutmob’s deals without ever leaving the Foursquare app.

via Techcrunch