In the beginning, it was the Steelers.
Then the Pirates and University of Pittsburgh signed on, followed by several other local universities, and the company was off and running, crisscrossing the nation. With sweet new features and the NFL and Nike and Gatorade clamoring for the service,
Songwhale is basking in success and has grown from two to 12 full-time employees in less than a year.
"It's a cool story because it's so Pittsburgh centric," laughs Ty Morse, who brought the company here from Manhattan with co-founder John Greenlee. (For the Pop City story, click
here.) "The best single decision I've made was to open an office here. Pittsburgh is a hotspot where everything is happening."
Songwhale is a free entertainment service that delivers premium digital content to your handheld, no matter what service you use. No WiFi? There's Touchtooth or Textwhale. The content is available at participating sporting events, concerts, retail stores, festivals and more. Event sponsors pay to offer the service.
Future plans include driving more retail sales through Songwhale. The real estate business is perfectly suited for our service, says Morse. Caldwell Banker has already signed on, adding text codes to real estate signs so prospective buyers driving buy can get the lowdown instantly on a house on the market. Kennywood and Fox are also using Songwhale for ticket sales.
"Our company has grown because of this city," says Morse. "The people here, the relationships we have built. We've hired brilliant students from CMU and Pitt. We are here to stay for a long time."
Writer:
Debra Diamond SmitSource: Ty Morse, Songwhale
Photo courtesy of Songwhale