Secret, the anonymous social posting app startup, has managed to bring in a funding of $36.3 million total from multiple interested parties. Patrons involved in Secret’s “Series-B” funding include Index Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Garry Tan and Alexis Ohanian, SV Angel, Fuel Capital, and Ceyuan Ventures. The group of patrons put in $25 million and managed to put Secret over $36 million.
Danny Rimer of Index Ventures will join Secret’s board of directors. He was announced as their “first addition” so more from other venture capital groups could make it to the board. The main thing to take away from the announcement was the improvements and expansion approach the company will take.
First, there’s “Collections” which is a kind of social network where Secret users share their secrets anonymous in categories such as Dating, Reflections, Funny, Work, and Loss. On browsers, the “Popular” category showcases the most popular posts while the Explore shows the most popular on the app.
The expansion as a social network is unique when considering the very nature of Secret is anonymity. Users won’t make friends with others via the app and they’re recognized as either a crown for OP (original poster) or the icon and/or color of the system they’re posting under.
Second, you have the Facebook Login feature. Apparently the feature was in high demand by Secret uses because content from friends on the social network was wanted in their Secret feeds. Facebook Login allows for users to connect Secret to Facebook for that purpose.
With the success of Whisper—a startup with an app that does roughly the same—managing to get $60 million, these kinds of apps will likely populate marketplaces in the future looking for patrons to fund their development.