Michael Avon started ICX Media to help creators more easily monetize their work. So, it makes sense that after raising a $6.6 million round in October, his media and technology startup would eye the Los Angeles area, the hub of the entertainment industry, for its third office.
As of today, ICX's Santa Monica location is now open with Brian Kurtzman, the company's business development lead for the West Coast, heading up the office. Most recently, Kurtzman was the chief operating officer at Pixilated, a Baltimore-based marketing tech firm.
Founded in 2015, ICX Media is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has a second office in New York City. The company's offerings cater to both independent content creators and large companies.
For independent content creators, such as independent YouTubers, they can use ICX Media's publication and management platform to see where their content is shared and how far their reach goes. ICX can publish and track media on larger platforms, including YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.
For large companies, they receive access to the content creators for possible brand content collaborations. Companies pay ICX a licensing fee.
With the opening of its Santa Monica office, Avon hopes the company will be able to grow its network of digital content creators and its client base. It's unclear how many employees are working from the L.A. offices.
"The opening of our L.A. office is just the latest in a series of big moves for ICX Media as we further immerse our business into the growing and rapidly-changing digital media and content environment," said Michael Avon, founder and CEO, in a statement. "We are excited to see where this venture takes us, having already seen tremendous interest from digital studios and others in the entertainment industry located in L.A."
To date, the company has raised $12.1 million, with its Series A closing late in 2017 and led by Grotech Ventures. At the time, Avon said the funds would be used for the new L.A.-area office and to ramp up its marketing efforts.
