The Dots, Dubbed the ‘LinkedIn for Creatives’, Raises £4m to Fund Further Growth
The Dots, a fast-rising
social network which describes itself as “a professional network for the people
and teams that don’t wear suits to work” – in other words it’s LinkedIn for
those in more creative roles – looks set to enjoy some healthy expansion as the
company recently secured £4m in funding via investments, which will be used to
facilitate further growth.
The network raised the £4m sum in an investment round led by
Hambro Perks, which also saw investments being made by advertising agency gurus
Sir John Hegarty and Tom Teichman, whose investment fund The Garage Soho
invested, and female-focused investors Angel Academe. The funds will now be
used in an effort to secure lucrative overseas expansion of the network’s user
base, drawing from a global pool of an estimated 80 million “no collar” creative
millennial professionals.
The creative individuals often cost a lot when it comes to
recruitment, and therein lays The Dots’ value. The network has already accumulated
around 250,000 members since it was first launched by founder Pip Jamieson in
2014, with current clients including the likes of Google, Burberry, Sony
Pictures, Viacom, M&C Saatchi, Warner Music, Tate, Discovery Networks, and
VICE, among others.
The Dots facilitates networking by collecting data on full
teams that create projects, making their network “high-trust”, since members
have actually worked with another connected member.
The plan for the future is to incorporate machine learning into
their operations, utilising gathered data to make personalised recommendations
to clients and in the longer-term enable the hiring of full teams, rather than
limiting their service solely to individuals.
“Everyone thinks LinkedIn is insurmountable, but that’s
exactly why I believe it’s ripe for disruption,” says Pip Jamieson. “LinkedIn
was built around the networking needs of a traditional workforce of ‘White
Collar’ professionals. However, there is a new professional class emerging, who
have different networking preferences and need an alternative solution that
reflects their behavioural and career preferences.”
Sir John Hegarty also commented, “Whole waves of traditional
industries will disappear or radically change due to automation. But there is
no algorithm for creativity - creators are our future workforce. So if we want
our economies to thrive, we need to support the people and teams that bring
ideas to life. That is what The Dots is all about; connecting, supporting and
championing the people, teams, and brands that make ideas happen.”
Sam Bonson
Sam
is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He is currently
working as a content writer, journalist & editor as he continues to expand
his horizons.
The Dots, Dubbed the ‘LinkedIn for Creatives’, Raises £4m to Fund Further Growth
Reviewed by Unknown
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Thursday, December 14, 2017
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Reviewed by Unknown
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Thursday, December 14, 2017
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Unknown
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