Punchup Live Raises $2.3 Million Seed Round
Revolutionizing How Fans Discover Live Performances and Connect with Talent
New York, NY — Punchup Live, the dynamic live entertainment platform founded by former Meta employees Danny Frenkel and Alex Dajani, raised $2.3 million in an oversubscribed seed fundraising round. Led by Social Leverage, the round saw participation from all major existing investors including Hustlefund, and Evil Twin Capital.
This new injection of capital accelerates Punchup Live’s mission to reimagine how fans discover and engage with live entertainers. The company is investing in new consumer-facing experiences, deepening its presence in the comedy scene, and expanding their ticketing technology footprint—building on recent wins such as successfully fulfilling over 55,000 ticket requests without a single disruption as the official ticketing partner for San Francisco’s historic Stern Grove Festival. More on that partnership here.
In addition to recent strides in ticketing, Punchup is quickly establishing itself as a premier content destination with over 5,000 hours of hosted material. The platform recently debuted a 15-minute performance by comedian Michelle Wolf reflecting on her experience hosting the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a set that landed with added relevance given the absence of a comedian at this year’s event. Punchup also continues to debut new hour specials, most recently releasing veteran comedian Joe List’s Small Ball on June 5. In parallel, the platform is rolling out the next installment of Page to Stage—an ongoing series created in collaboration with stand-up favorite Mark Normand that follows the journey of a single joke from fledgling idea to refined performance, offering fans a rare window into the craft of comedy.
Leveraging the momentum and strong foundation in comedy, Punchup is also entering the early stages of expansion into music, magic, and live-podcasting shows—aiming to bring the same insights and creator solutions to a broader ecosystem of entertainment.
“Comedy is having a cultural resurgence, and it deserves modern infrastructure,” said Danny Frenkel, CEO and co-founder of Punchup Live. “This raise allows us to double down on building tools that serve both fans and performers—while continuing to win trust with premier venues and festivals. We're also excited to extend that value to new verticals.”
Punchup’s momentum has been driven by rapid, organic adoption: the platform surpassed 750,000 Monthly Active Users in May, representing 42% month-over-month growth—with no dedicated marketing spend. This traction reflects Punchup’s deep alignment with the needs of modern comedians and their audiences.
With this funding round, Punchup is poised to continue its breakout trajectory—bringing live entertainment into the digital age and rewriting how audiences discover and engage with artists they love.
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About Punchup Live
Punchup Live is the premier digital destination for live comedy, offering audiences a vibrant mix of stand‑up, improv, comedy music and specials alongside exclusive content from today’s top performers. With powerful show discovery tools and seamless ticket purchasing built right into the platform, Punchup Live makes discovering and attending live shows easier than ever.
Founded by former Meta employees Danny Frenkel and Alex Dajani, Punchup Live is transforming the comedy ecosystem—connecting comedians directly with their fans, empowering artists to navigate their careers independently with minimal censorship, and providing in‑depth analytics to help them share their voice or increase their audience. By uniting creators and audiences in one dynamic space, Punchup Live is redefining how live entertainment is experienced in the digital age.
MJ Brackin
