From Launching &FRIENDS Festival to $7M Seed Raised: Clouted is Engineering the Future of EDM Virality

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Published on Sunday, 24 May 2026 01:20

Clouted, the AI-powered “Virality Engine” built for artists, festivals, labels, and culture-driven brands, has closed a $7 million seed round to revolutionize how short-form content gets discovered, clipped, and distributed across social platforms.

The round was led by Slow Ventures, with participation from Gold House Ventures, Weekend Fund, LINE-Yahoo’s Z VC, Gondor Capital, Iterative, AppWorks, Peak XV’s Surge, and a16z Speedrun.

Founded by Southeast Asian entrepreneur Justin Gorriceta-Banusing (CEO), Clouted came from a simple but powerful observation: in today’s algorithmic world, great music and culture don’t spread themselves — distribution is everything.

“I built Clouted because I lived the problem firsthand” said Justin. “As a DJ and festival producer, I had great music, great shows, and almost no one seeing them… It was always distribution.”

Justin, a longtime DJ and festival producer, first tested the system on his own event, &FRIENDS Festival — now one of the largest EDM and pop-culture festivals in the Philippines, drawing over 20,000 attendees per edition. What started as an in-house tool to turn raw festival footage into viral clips quickly proved it could move the needle on ticket sales, streams, and cultural momentum.

How Clouted Works

Clouted’s Distribution Intelligence platform automates the entire short-form content process:

AI identifies the most viral-worthy moments from long-form footage

A global network of 100,000+ gig creators handles clipping and editing at scale

Proprietary testing and optimization decides where, when, and to whom each clip should be distributed

Results are measured in real outcomes: streams, chart positions, ticket scans, and brand lift

In just six months, Clouted has powered 250+ campaigns and generated over 1 billion views for clients in music, entertainment, tech, and consumer brands.

Why This Matters for EDM Right Now

The electronic music industry has never been more fragmented. With hundreds of thousands of tracks released monthly and algorithm changes shaking up TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, labels and promoters are struggling to cut through.

Clouted offers a repeatable, data-driven alternative to traditional performance marketing or hoping a clip randomly blows up. For festivals, it means turning every set, backstage moment, and crowd reaction into thousands of micro-touchpoints that drive real attendance and loyalty.

In an interview with TechRadar, Justin explained why his AI works and how it continues to improve. “The result is that every campaign Clouted runs makes the next one faster, smarter, and more effective. The platform learns which formats win, which audiences convert, and which distribution channels compound over time.”