9GAG releases mobile app, raises $2.8M to spread giggles like the flu

Continuing in its effort to fill the world with laughter, 9GAG rolled out a mobile app today that makes sharing its “wildly popular irreverent and hilariously funny content” easier than ever. Now, you can spread giggles as quickly as a text message. 9GAG also received $2.8 million in seed financing. Who said venture capitalists don’t have a sense of humor? Or maybe they just like companies with massive followings.

9GAG is a large online comedy community where users can discover and post content they find amusing and share it across social media networks. The platform generates millions of Facebook shares and likes a month and has over 850,000 Twitter followers. It is an extremely efficient way to make memes go viral, with 70 million global unique visitors and more than a billion page views a month. Apparently, the world is starved for laughter.

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Aspiring comedians and comedy junkies can put their bit online in an environment far more forgiving than the harsh light of the open mic. Members can collect anything that tickles their fancy and share or comment as desired. Chances are, if you have seen absurd cat photos, cutting cartoons, or painful blooper videos online, 9GAG was somehow involved.

Now with the mobile app, people craving for a chuckle can access 9GAG’s content, photos, and videos from smart devices, download entertainment to peruse offline, and disseminate it. The app is currently available on iOS and will be available for Android later this year.

This initial investment was led by Freestyle Capital and True Ventures, with participation from First Round Capital, Greycroft Partners, returning investor 500 Startups, and notable angel investors like Kevin Rose, Tim Ferriss, and David Tisch. It will be used to help the company accommodate explosive growth and expand the team as well as the platform.

9GAG is based in San Francsico and Hong Kong.