The Backplane is backed by Lady Gaga and is making it easier for celebrities to reach fans.

AP

Startup: The Backplane



Date Founded: 2011



Founder: Joey Primiani, Matt Michelsen, and Troy Carter

Concept: A way for celebrities and other people to create their own communities and interact with their fans.



Location: Palo Alto, CA



Funding: Raised $5.8 million total. It most recently $4 million in a series A round from Google Ventures, Founders Fund, Menlo Ventures, SV Angels, and Battery Ventures.



Why You Should Care: Lady Gaga's own network of Little Monsters is just the first of many communities that will develop on this platform. It allows Lady Gaga to interact more intimately with her fans and allows her fans to all talk to each other too.

With so many big names behind this, they were able to broadcast a hackathon from SXSW to Time Square in New York.