Hummingbirds Raises $3.3M in Seed Funding to Accelerate Hyperlocal Growth Across the U.S.
We’re delighted to announce the closing of a $3.3 million seed round of funding led by Indianapolis firm, Ground Game. In 2023, we gained tremendous traction, expanding from 3 cities to 14 across the Midwest. As part of the momentum, Hummingbirds plans to expand to 30+ cities nationally and significantly invest in technology and growth.
about hummingbirds
A spin on influencer marketing, Hummingbirds is a community of people in specific cities who try brands and share about their experience on social media to local friends and followers. Brands access the platform offer perks for locals to experience their offer and create content as part of a campaign.
“Instead of chasing bigger influencers and shiny logos, we specifically went after everyday, local voices and the brands that need to drive geo-specific behavior like performing arts organizations, gas stations, multi-location wellness centers, and more. Large influencers don’t drive local behavior, but local everyday people with a couple thousand followers can,” says Steele, CEO and cofounder of Hummingbirds.
hummingbirds drives results
Today’s consumers are more difficult to reach because they’ve grown numb to traditional advertisements and are paying for ad-free streaming services. Many customers first approach Hummingbirds feeling frustrated by the limitations of conventional marketing and are met with a peer-to-peer solution that’s incredibly effective.
“Hummingbirds are our friends, neighbors, family, and favorite baristas sharing their experiences on social media because they genuinely love showcasing brands they believe in. It brings a refreshing and relatable perspective that modern day consumers respond to,” says co-founder and COO Charise Flynn.
To date, Hummingbirds has proven product movement off shelves for multiple CPG brands, increase in appointment booking for local service businesses, and impressive reach and engagement for brands driving hyperlocal awareness.
about the fundraising round
“Emily, Charise, and the Hummingbirds team are crafting something truly extraordinary for businesses with their technology platform. Authentic, community-driven human connection matters more than ever, and Hummingbirds rapid growth and profound customer impact reinforce this unmet need in the market. We are thrilled to back these exceptional founders on their mission to enable hyperlocal growth through their innovative software,” says Aman Brar of Ground Game.
The round was led by Indianapolis-based venture capital firm Ground Game with participation by Allos Ventures, FJ Labs, M25, Next Level Ventures, InnoVentures Iowa, ISA Ventures, Mango Seed Investments and a handful of prominent angel investors.
About ground game
Ground Game has founded, built, operated, and sold in the enterprise, but now their experience is committed to supporting founders and ground game portfolio companies for decades to come. They invest in early revenue, seed-stage B2B SaaS companies with strong customer signals.
