With a rather understated mention on its website, music streaming platform Songza of Long Island City, NY, said yesterday it was becoming part of Google.
Terms have not been disclosed, though some reports suggest the deal could have been anywhere from $15 million to more than $39 million.
This is the second acquisition this week of a New York-based startup by a major tech company following TapCommerce getting snapped up by Twitter.
So what makes Songza interesting? There are a variety of online radio streams out there, from Spotify to Live365, but Songza specializes in curating songs that fit different moods and parts of the day. For instance, Songza puts together songs for moments such as getting revved up first thing in the morning or unwinding after a day at the office. Last September, the company raised $4.7 million in a second round of funding—some two years after its initial $2 million raise. Songza’s backers include Deep Fork Capital, Gary Vaynerchuk, Lerer Ventures, and Amazon.com.
Songza made its way last December onto Google’s Chromecast streaming media player that plugs into HDMI ports. Now its relationship with Google is far more intimate.
Songza CEO Elias Roman has not yet responded to e-mails asking for comment on his company’s acquisition. He is no stranger to landing deals for the startups he works with.
Roman and his team acquired Songza about six years ago while working on another online music startup they founded called Amie Street. In 2010, the team sold Amie Street to Amazon and focused on transforming Songza from a platform that pulled music lists from YouTube into a curation service.
