Swedish Startup Rides `Serial' Wave Taking Podcast App to U.S.
- Acast investors include Rovio co-founder, Bonnier Group
- Acast U.K. chief is ex-Spotify European sales director
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Acast, the Swedish podcast application backed by Angry Birds creator Kaj Hed and Nordic publishing group Bonnier AB, is crossing the Atlantic to start service in the U.S. Monday, riding demand that podcasts like “Serial” ignited last year.
The Stockholm-based startup, which currently operates in Sweden and the U.K. with 24 million listeners a month, has deals to air content from the Financial Times, Buzzfeed and youth-brand Fusion, Chief Executive Officer Mans Ulvestam said in an interview. Acast will also carry popular podcasts such as “Call Your Girlfriend,” formatted like a phone call between two, long-distance best friends, and “Ask a Clean Person,” for cleaning tips such as how to get rid of armpit stains.