Norfolk startup MyBalbo recently raised a $400,000 seed round to launch its mobile app that aims to raise civic engagement.
“These funds will help bolster our go-to-market plan,” said Johnathan Celestin, MyBalbo co-founder and CEO. “We’ll be making sure that we have enough content on rollout and stellar marketing.”
With plans for a spring launch focusing on the midterm elections, the free social app for “the next generation of voters and gen Z-millennials,” fosters community engagement, with features that encourage discussion and provide real-time accountability for elected officials, Celestin said.
Celestin began developing the idea with his sisters, Stacy and Sarah. Stacy, a co-founder and chief operations officer, has held various executive-level positions within the federal government, including the Department of Homeland Security. Sarah, who is also a MyBalbo co-founder and senior adviser, manages multimillion-dollar contracts between the U.S. military and foreign assets.
“We'll be providing authentic content to diverse audiences across America, across markets and across different views and values,” said Johnathan. “We streamline all of your elected officials to the palm of your hand from the federal level, all the way down to your city council, school board members and everyone in between.”
The idea for the app grew out of the siblings’ experiences and observations during the social upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests, as well as casual conversations about politics, including basic questions like who was on their city council or school board. They found they were not alone.
“We tried to get the information ourselves and it was hard and taxing to find all of our representatives in one space. And so we were like: ‘Let's come up with the solution ourselves,’” said Stacy. “With MyBalbo, you'll never have to do the guesswork or filter through the white noise to find real, factual information.”
A social component allows various people, including those with opposing points of view, to connect with video chats and roundtables. Absent from the app will be the zingers and vitriol found in other social media platforms, the founders said.
Now at a pre-revenue stage and with a staff of five, MyBalbo — which is short for My Ballot Box — garnered its new investment from a group of angel investors. While the app will make money from nonpartisan Google ads, the company’s current challenge is identifying and nabbing investment funds to continue their mission beyond launch.