New Zealand's Shuttlerock raises $2.35m Series A

Investors include Japanese digital advertising agency Opt, Air New Zealand, tour firm Black Cat Cruises, and a number of angel investors including radio host Gary McCormick, and Japanese property investor Yoshihiro Kawamura. The company is also backed by venture capital group ICE Angels, which was formed by Auckland-based incubator Icehouse.

According to a release, the funding will be used to expand Shuttlerock's presence in North America, including the opening of its US headquarters in Los Angeles.

Founded in 2011 by former ValueClick Media Japan CEO Jonathan Hendriksen, Shuttlerock is a visual marketing platform that allows companies to put social content on their websites. It integrates content from social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram with an organization's website, ensuring relevant content is shared with its customers.

"The timely content from our clients' social media networks, including photos and news shared by their customers, is funnelled into the Shuttlerock platform where it's queued for moderation," said Hendriksen. "Our clients are given the controls to pull content in and push it out to social channels, creating a social ‘hub' on their website."

The business has so far expanded into both Japan and the US and claims to have over 100 clients worldwide. The start-up's current US clients include Martha's Vineyard, George Washington's Mount Vernon and the University of Missouri.

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