Riverside, a podcast recording platform, announced on Monday that it has secured $30 million in Series C funding led by Zeev Ventures, with participation from Seven Seven Six and angel investor Sam Lessin. This investment brings the company’s total funding to date to $80 million.
Growing Team and Expanding Solutions
With this new funding, Riverside aims to grow its team and build out solutions for the podcast and content creation space. The startup was founded in 2020, and since then, it has made significant strides in developing a comprehensive platform for creators. Riverside’s founder, Nadav Keyson, expressed his vision for the company: "We want to become a one-stop shop for all things video and not be restricted to podcast recording."
Founding Story and Early Investors
Riverside started as a podcast recording platform during the pandemic, with participants in different locations. The tool focused on features like recording separate audio tracks with automatic backups so that if there is a glitch in one participant’s feed, the recording doesn’t break down.
The company has attracted several notable angel investors, including Casey Neistat, Marques Brownlee, Guy Raz, Elad Gil, and Alexander Klöpping. Seven Seven Six’s founder and general partner, Alexis Ohanian, was personally looking for solutions to help him record podcasts. He discovered Riverside and noted that the company understands creator pain points very well.
Key Features and Growth
Over the last year, Riverside has launched its iOS and iPad apps for better on-the-go support for podcast recording in HD resolution. The platform also debuted a new design that allows recording, editing, and sharing tools to be in one place.
The new editor features AI transcription with support for more than 100 languages, separate audio and video tracks, and automatic clip creation of memorable moments to share on social platforms. Riverside recently introduced an AI-powered editing feature to replace or remove text in the transcript to have them reflected in the video or audio recording.
According to the startup, these tools have reduced editing time for companies — including Google, Microsoft, and Marvel — and creators by 80%. Keyson stated that just in 2024, creators have recorded over 100 million minutes on the platform.
Expansion into Live-Streaming
Riverside has also expanded its tooling for live-streaming, including support for multiple stream destinations and custom branding. Earlier this year, Spotify expanded its partnership with Riverside to offer its creators podcast recording and editing tools within the browser window.
Competition and Future Plans
Riverside competes with other remote podcast recording tools such as Podcastle and Zencastr. Camo is another app that started out as a tool to improve webcam quality — it has then invested in live-streaming tools.
Keyson emphasized that Riverside wants to become a one-stop shop for all things video, not just restricted to podcast recording. The company plans to continue growing its team and expanding its solutions to meet the evolving needs of creators.
Investors and Future Plans
With this new funding, Riverside is poised to continue its growth trajectory. The investment from Zeev Ventures and Seven Seven Six will help the company further develop its platform and expand its reach in the market.
As Riverside continues to innovate and improve its offerings, it’s clear that the company is well-positioned for future success. With a strong team, a solid product, and significant funding, Riverside is set to become a leading player in the podcast recording and content creation space.
