American Stories app raises $3.2 million

HearHere, an immersive storytelling and entertainment app, has raised $3.2 million in seed funding led by Camping World, according to information from Phocus . wire. The app aims to enhance historical links, understandings and curiosity about the places that users visit during the trip.

Founded by actor Kevin Costner and Woody Sears, HearHere is a GPS-enabled app that provides stories based on a traveler’s geolocation and interest. With users’ permission, the app sends information to users while they are driving, giving them three to five minute explanations of their surroundings.

Launched in 2020, the app offers more than 8,880 stories across the US told by celebrities like Costner, John Lithgow, and Phil Jackson.

“We created this product because we are travelers and we are huge fans of road trip American. Getting to know the places we travel to is also part of the fun. Oftentimes when we’re on a highway or highway, we’re curious about what we’re seeing through the window,” Woody Sears said in a statement on Application site.

Also in an official statement, Kevin Costner said he has always cherished the history of the places and intends to highlight the people who have inhabited each area. “The most important thing to me, and why I chose to be a part of this idea, is that we agreed as a group that, regardless of region, we would always start with the first people story and first contact stories. It is not only our responsibility, but our duty to understand and faithfully convey the stories of the people who They thrived here for thousands of years.”

Regarding the new financing, Sears said in an interview with technology crisis That the investment will be used to further grow the app’s content library and expand its functionality in various ways, such as offering offline listening capabilities.

The startup also plans to use the funding to grow its team, as there are 26 people on its content team, most of whom are experienced travel journalism contractors. The team also includes researchers, writers, editors, and narrators.