Radar › Companies › Media & Entertainment · Illinois
Radar · Media & Entertainment in Illinois

Best Media & Entertainment Companies in Illinois, United States

The 437 best Media & Entertainment companies in Illinois, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Consolidated Communications.

437companies tracked
$2.5Bdisclosed funding
0unicorns
80have raised

Ranked: Best Media & Entertainment companies in Illinois

#CompanyApp-install YoYDisclosed fundingLast roundEmployeesFounderTech stackPatents & IP focusRecent signals
1Stridekick
App based social fitness platform
+20%$800K36 mo ago—John Contreras
Co-Founder & CEO
Beehiiv RSS feedTurbopackNode.js+14——
2Mode Mobile
Web3 platform with reward-based game NFTs
57Customers top 18%Tech top 33%Talent top 38%Fin. health top 42%
All 10 signals ▾
Customerstop 18%
Techtop 33%
Talenttop 38%
Fin. healthtop 42%
Fundingtop 44%
Markettop 50%
Growthbottom 48%
Productbottom 40%
Globalbottom 39%
Moatbottom 38%
Customers: Play-Store rating 4.49★ across 3,568,337 ratings (1 apps) · Review volume +5% in 6 mo
Tech: 42 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon S3, Amazon Web Services
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 57/100
+14%$5M12 mo ago20Kiran Panesar
Co-Founder & CTO
WebflowVimeoStripe+28—1 award
3Trala
App-based platform providing violin-related learning solutions
+14%$18M36 mo ago37—VarnishStripeGitHub Pages+8——
4AccuRadio
Online radio streaming platform
+5%$2M141 mo ago12—Node.jsFacebook LoginMicrosoft ASP.NET+32——
5Songfinch
Provider of custom, one-of-a-kind songs created based on customers' personal preferences and occasions
—$35M11 mo ago70Josh Kaplan
Co-Founder and Chief Legal Officer
Cart FunctionalitySentryZendesk+25——
6StreamLayer
Video content management and monetization solutions provider
37Moat top 25%Patents top 33%Innovation top 34%News top 38%
All 10 signals ▾
Moattop 25%
Patentstop 33%
Innovationtop 34%
Newstop 38%
Talenttop 38%
Fundingtop 42%
Producttop 47%
Techbottom 46%
Globalbottom 31%
Marketbottom 25%
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 24 patents
Patents: 24 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 17 filings since 2022 vs 7 in 2017-21
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 37/100
—$13M13 mo ago20John Ganschow
Co-Founder
WebflowSentryWistia+1724 patents
Real-time interactive video streaming with overlay graphics and audience engagement features
1 partnership
7Vermill
Provider of AI rights management platform protecting and licensing digital content
—$16M15 mo ago21Dan Neely
Co-Founder & CEO
WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+34——
8CharacTour
App-based content recommendation platform for movies and TV shows
—$904K9 mo ago3—PHPLaravelVue.js+98 patents
Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics
—
9Consolidated Communications
Provider of phone, voice, data, VoIP, and internet services for residential & business
35Tech top 21%Funding top 35%Product top 47%Talent bottom 49%
All 10 signals ▾
Techtop 21%
Fundingtop 35%
Producttop 47%
Talentbottom 49%
Globalbottom 37%
Marketbottom 36%
Growthbottom 36%
Newsbottom 27%
Fin. healthbottom 24%
Moatbottom 12%
Tech: 63 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare
Funding: Raised $1.8B across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 12 yrs (0.5/yr)
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 35/100
—$1.8B39 mo ago2,690Bob Udell
President and Chief Executive Officer
Cart FunctionalityDNNApple iCloud Mail+36——
10Bracketology
Operator of fantasy sports platform for reality television show competitions
—$488K8 mo ago7Kaitlyn Hurley
Co-Founder & CMO
Beehiiv RSS feedWordPressMySQL+43——
11Fello
Online platform offering mental health support through peer to peer connections
—$10M18 mo ago—Jeff Werring
Co-Founder
WebflowPostHogGoogle Analytics+18——
12ODDSworks
Platform offering game development solutions for online and offline gambling operators
—$2M13 mo ago—Shridhar Joshi
Founder & CEO
——2 partnerships
13Phenix
Provider of real-time video delivery platform for interactive experiences
—$55M24 mo ago57Stefan Birrer
Co-Founder
WebflowAmazon Web Servicescore-js+16——
14Accel Entertainment
Provides slot machines and amusement devices to bars, restaurants, gaming cafes, and truck stops
—$40M24 mo ago—Gordon Rubenstein
Co-Founder
HubSpot CMS HubSalesforceRaphael+22——
15Packback
Text book rental platform
—$11M26 mo ago117
117 → 104 (-11%)
Daniel White
Vice President
WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+28——
16Mozaic
Payment processing solution for creators
—$27M32 mo ago11Rachel Knepp
Co-Founder
WordPressMySQLPHP+35——
17GigaStar
Online platform for creators to create and sell content as collectible NFTs to their fans
—$8M28 mo ago12Mohammed Asfour
Co-Founder & COO
HubSpot CMS HubAmazon Web ServicesFancyBox+21—1 job opening · 3 launchs
18The Athletic
Online sports media company
—$140M76 mo ago433
433 → 915 (+111%)
Adam Hansmann
Co-Founder & President
—19 patents
Integrated protective sports apparel and equipment for impact mitigation
—
19BetSperts
Provider of an online platform offering multi-category sport betting tips
—$12M41 mo ago28Austin Harper
Co-Founder
WordPressMySQLPHP+28——
20Reach Pathways
Platform connecting high-performing under-resourced students to companies and colleges
—$1M24 mo ago—Jeffery Beckham
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
WixSentryBootstrap+12——
21Tastytrade
Online platform publishing content focusing on investment
—$60M95 mo ago156
156 → 204 (+31%)
Tom Sosnoff
Co-Founder & CEO
ContentstackSentrySalesforce+3710 patents
Mobile securities trading and real-time aggregated market/educational data platform
1 launch
22Northernvue
Provider of AI-driven technology solutions for casino table games
—$1M26 mo ago—Lei Zhang
Co-Founder
—8 patents
Real-time video game performance monitoring hardware and analytics devices
—
23Reverb
Online marketplace for used musical instruments
—$47M106 mo ago113
113 → 249 (+120%)
—Cart FunctionalitySentryZendesk+362 patents
AI-driven word generation and personalized content profiling using NLP techniques.
—
24Here
Real estate investment and deal recommendation firm
—$7M47 mo ago44—BeehiivSentryHeadless UI+1794 patents
AI-driven dynamic object detection and location-based content management systems
—
258 Track Entertainment
Online platform providing multi-category news
—$2M33 mo ago3Bill Harbin
Co-Founder
WixSentryBootstrap+15——
26Dose
A media company that creates and distributes viral content
—$34M126 mo ago53—Node.jsGoogle CloudExpress+8——
27Atlas World Sports
Online platform offering sports betting prediction, news & tips
—$200K24 mo ago21—TypeScriptEnvoyZone.js+8——
28Tickets Now
Online Ticket Reseller
—$34M233 mo ago200Mike Domek
Founder & CEO
———
29WomensForum
Online community for women
—$32M314 mo ago15————
30NileGuide
Local travel guides for planning trips to global destinations
—$12M184 mo ago2Josh Steinitz
Founder & CEO
NginxjQuery UIjQuery+5——
31Music Dealers
Global music licensing company
—$6M132 mo ago24John Williamson
Co-Founder
———
32FeedBurner
Online platform offering management solutions
—$8M254 mo ago30Steve Olechowski
ex-Co-Founder
———
33Trippy
Online social platform to raise/answer Q&A related to travel
—$5M145 mo ago6J.R. Johnson
Founder & CEO
Microsoft ASP.NETBootstrapNginx+302 patents
Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation
—
34Wis.dm
Social network based on yes or no questions
—$5M227 mo ago—Will Koffel
CTO and Co-Founder
———
35Viewpoints
Consumer reviews platform
—$5M228 mo ago103Matt Moog
Founder & CEO
———
36Picturelife
Protect, share, store, and sell your photos with ease
—$4M163 mo ago—Nate Westheimer
Founder & CEO
———
37General Lattice
Provider of computer-aided design-based 3D modelling systems
—$1M56 mo ago3Nick Florek
Co-Founder
———
38Monument
Smart personal storage device for photos and videos
—$3M103 mo ago9—Webflow EcommerceWebflowStripe+165 patents
Personal cloud storage devices for digital media streaming and management
—
39BrooqLy
App-based social platform for connecting with friends
—$150K36 mo ago5Eleni Vardalos
Co-Founder
——1 partnership · 2 expansions
40Castos
Podcast hosting platform empowering creators with monetization and audience growth tools
—$756K59 mo ago5—WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+31——
41Lotsa Helping Hands
Online social platform for caregivers
—$2M144 mo ago8Hal Chapel
CEO & Co-Founder
WordPressMySQLPHP+16——
42Ibetcha
Social challenging and betting platform
—$3M317 mo ago22Tal Cohen
Co-Founder & CEO
———
43ReadOz
Provide platform for sharing publication online
—$2M187 mo ago11Andrew Menasce
Co-Founder
———
44EQDerivatives
News and research platform for investors
—$1M84 mo ago19Rob Mcglinchey
Managing Director & Co-Founder
WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+17——
45Where I've Been
Interactive Travel Map
—$2M194 mo ago10Michael Dalesandro
ex-CEO
—4 patents
Travel booking and itinerary management software with graphical user interfaces
—
46Cliqueshare
Online platform to share images and videos with a selected group of people
—$875K84 mo ago1Jason Schoepke
Co-Founder
———
47Foresyte
App-based community platform for travelers
—$200K49 mo ago6Dani Hristeva
Co-Founder
WordPress Block EditorWordPressMySQL+14——
48Fandium
Social Sports App
—$1M156 mo ago—Larry Lucas
Founder & CEO
———
49Hearken
Online platform for journalists and audience to collaborate
—$750K126 mo ago41Jennifer BrandelWordPressMySQLPHP+15——
50CFE Media and Technology
Provides a cloud based content marketing platform
—$700K193 mo ago34Jim Langhenry
Co-Founder
CKEditorBootstrapMarionette.js+12——

Top 12 Media & Entertainment companies in Illinois

#1
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2015 · 70 employees
$35.3Mraised
▾

Provider of custom, one-of-a-kind songs created based on customers' personal preferences and occasions. It is a digital platform that enables customers to commission personalized, one-of-a-kind songs based on their preferences and memories. The platform connects customers with professional musicians, allowing them to create unique soundtracks for special occasions.

Funding rounds
  • Jun 2025Series A$1.9M
  • Jun 2023Series A$9.5M
  • Aug 2022Series A$17M
  • Apr 2022Seed$4.9M
Founders & team
Josh KaplanCo-Founder and Chief Legal OfficerScott KitunCo-FounderRob LindquistCo-Founder / CXO
Investors
Valor Equity Partners, Corazon Mining, Goodwater Capital
Tech stack
Amazon AlbAmazon CloudfrontAmazon Web ServicesAttentiveBootstrapCart Functionality
#2
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2018 · 20 employees
$12.8Mraised
▾

Video content management and monetization solutions provider. It offers technology solutions for video content and video monetization. It offers an audience engagement platform focused on streaming video that provides engagement between viewers, premium rights holders, and sponsors.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 37how this company ranks against its industry peers
Moat
top 25%
Patents
top 33%
Innovation
top 34%
News
top 38%
Talent
top 38%
Funding
top 42%
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 7/10 · IP moat: 24 patents
Patents: 24 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 17 filings since 2022 vs 7 in 2017-21 · Latest publication 2025
Innovation: 24 patents (top 47% of patent-holders) · 17 filings since 2022 vs 7 in 2017-21 · 3 new-product events in 24 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 744 LinkedIn followers
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. Curated.Media) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • May 2025Series A$1.8M
  • May 2025Conventional Debt—
  • Oct 2024Conventional Debt—
  • Oct 2024Series A$756K
Founders & team
John GanschowCo-FounderTim GanschowCo-Founder / Head Of Product Strategy
Investors
Las Vegas Sands, KB Partners
Tech stack
CdnjsCloudflareGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle Hosted LibrariesGoogle Workspace
#3
Series A · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2021 · 21 employees
$16Mraised
▾

Provider of AI rights management platform protecting and licensing digital content. The platform offers tools to manage terms, conditions, and usage rights for content. It helps content owners protect against unauthorized use, deepfakes, and distribution. The platform also provides content monitoring and risk assessment services. It aims to enable content owners to capitalize on revenue streams from generative AI.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 3k LinkedIn followers
Activity: 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Mar 2025Series A$16M
Founders & team
Dan NeelyCo-Founder & CEOBrad LehnerCo-FounderRyan MchaleCo-Founder & CTO
Investors
Sony Music, DNS Capital
#4
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2017 · 20 employees
$4.6Mraised
▾

Web3 platform with reward-based game NFTs. It provides games that are integrated into the Blockchain network, which enables players to trade in in-game assets. Its features include play-to-earn and engage platforms, games, and fan rewards.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 57how this company ranks against its industry peers
Customers
top 18%
Tech
top 33%
Talent
top 38%
Fin. health
top 42%
Funding
top 44%
Market
top 50%
Customers: Play-Store rating 4.49★ across 3,568,337 ratings (1 apps) · Review volume +5% in 6 mo
Tech: 42 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon S3, Amazon Web Services · Devops: Envoy
Talent: 2 named leaders on record · 2 C-suite/founder profiles curated
Audience (LinkedIn): 25k LinkedIn followers — 10.3% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • May 2025Seed$3M
  • Dec 2024Seed$33.4K
  • Dec 2023Seed$1.3M
  • Apr 2020Conventional Debt$354.4K
Founders & team
Kiran PanesarCo-Founder & CTODan NovaesCo-Founder & CEO
Investors
Mercurius Media Capital, IU Ventures, Tribal Ventures, Kosmos Ventures, Hayek Capital, Crux Capital
Tech stack
Amazon S3Amazon Web ServicesApache Http ServerBootstrapCloudflareCloudflare Bot Management
#5
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2013 · 3 employees
$903.5Kraised
▾

App-based content recommendation platform for movies and TV shows. It enables users to connect with other fans on the platform based on their interests. It also provides a database of fictional characters in various movies and tv shows.

Funding rounds
  • Aug 2025Seed$60K
  • Aug 2024Seed$40K
  • Jun 2023Seed$17K
  • Jun 2022Seed$90K
Investors
Harbor Street Ventures
Tech stack
Apache Http ServerCloudflareCloudflare Browser InsightsGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font ApiGoogle Optimize
#6
Acquired · Mattoon, Illinois · founded 1894 · 2690 employees
$1.8Braised
▾

Provider of phone, voice, data, VoIP, and internet services for residential & business

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 35how this company ranks against its industry peers
Tech
top 21%
Funding
top 35%
Product
top 47%
Talent
bottom 49%
Global
bottom 37%
Market
bottom 36%
Tech: 63 technologies across 6/8 capability areas · Cloud: Cloudflare · Devops: Nginx
Funding: Raised $1.8B across 6 rounds · 6 rounds over 12 yrs (0.5/yr) · Last round Post IPO (Mar 2023)
Product: 0 product launch events in 12 mo · 1 published app (7.5k installs) · Company stage: Acquired
Audience (LinkedIn): 18k LinkedIn followers — 7.3% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships · 2 awards · 1 expansions announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Mar 2023Post IPO—
  • Dec 2021Post IPO$75M
  • Jan 2021Conventional Debt$150M
  • Oct 2020Post IPO$350M
Founders & team
Bob UdellPresident and Chief Executive Officer
Investors
Searchlight Capital, Maine Connectivity Authority, Ojp, Spectrum Equity, Providence Equity Partners
Tech stack
Apple Icloud MailApplication Request RoutingBootstrapCart FunctionalityCraft CmsDnn
#7
Seed · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2022 · 7 employees
$487.5Kraised
▾

Operator of fantasy sports platform for reality television show competitions. It provides a platform for users to create fantasy leagues and predict outcomes. The platform offers various game modes, including daily pools and season-long fantasy leagues. Users can earn coins and other rewards by participating and winning in these games.

Funding rounds
  • Sep 2025Seed$100K
  • Feb 2025Seed$387.5K
Founders & team
Kaitlyn HurleyCo-Founder & CMODavid PawlanCo-FounderJonah FialkowChief Executive Officer
Tech stack
Amazon Web ServicesAstroCore-JsFacebook PixelGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font Api
#8
Seed · Winnetka, Illinois · founded 2024
$10.4Mraised
▾

Online platform offering mental health support through peer to peer connections. It connects individuals facing challenges with peers who have overcome similar experiences by leveraging the power of shared lived experiences.

Funding rounds
  • Dec 2024Seed$10.4M
Founders & team
Jeff WerringCo-FounderAlyssa PollackCo-Founder & CEOPete KadensCo-Founder and Chairman of the Board
Investors
62 Ventures, Capital Factory, Katalyst Capital, Offline Ventures
#9
Seed · Downers Grove, Illinois · founded 2020
$2Mraised
▾

Platform offering game development solutions for online and offline gambling operators. The company is involved in developing various online and offline gambling games like slots, casinos, and table and scratch-off games. It also provides content management solutions for casinos.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 292 LinkedIn followers
Hiring: 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Analyst
Activity: 2 partnerships (incl. Bloberi) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Apr 2025Seed$397.7K
  • Mar 2023Seed$2M
Founders & team
Shridhar JoshiFounder & CEO
#10
Series B · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2013 · 57 employees
$55.2Mraised
▾

Provider of real-time video delivery platform for interactive experiences. The platform delivers synchronized, low-latency video streaming. It supports various applications, including sports, betting, and auctions. The platform offers features such as server-side ad insertion and digital rights management.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 2k LinkedIn followers
Activity: 2 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Jun 2024Series B$3.4M
  • Dec 2022Series B$12.4M
  • Mar 2021Series B$16.9M
  • Aug 2020Series B$3M
Founders & team
Stefan BirrerCo-FounderRoy ReichbachCEO
Investors
KB Partners, Verizon, Manheim, Permit Ventures, Kirenaga Partners, Rush Street Companies
Tech stack
Amazon SesAmazon Web ServicesCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCloudflare Browser InsightsCore-Js
#11
Public · Bolingbrook, Illinois · founded 2009
$40.4Mraised
▾

Provides slot machines and amusement devices to bars, restaurants, gaming cafes, and truck stops

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 8k LinkedIn followers — 3.2% of this cohort's audience
Activity: 1 expansions announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Jun 2024Post IPO—
  • 2017Series B$7.9M
  • Jun 2016Series B$32.5M
  • 2010Seed—
Founders & team
Gordon RubensteinCo-FounderAndy RubensteinCEO
Investors
Lakewest Venture Partners, Clairvest, Avance
Tech stack
BootstrapBugherdCallrailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-Js
#12
Series B · Chicago, Illinois · founded 2012 · 117 employees
$11.1Mraised
▾

Packback is an online textbook rental platform.Packback has served over 130K students nationwide and is backed by $3M+ in venture funding from notable investors including Mark Cuban, Howard Tullman, and Mark Tebbe. Packback also provides a price Comparison tool to compare prices from the textbook renters on the web. Packback also operates Packback questions, a social Q&A platform.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 11k LinkedIn followers — 4.4% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
  • Mar 2024Series B—
  • Jan 2019Series A$2.5M
  • Jan 2018Series A$4.2M
  • Sep 2017Seed$1.5M
Founders & team
Daniel WhiteVice President
Investors
Wintrust, Achieve Partners, Wildcat Capital Management, PSG, HPA, ICG Ventures
Tech stack
AngularCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCore-JsEnvoyGoogle Analytics

Funding & investor landscape

$2.5Btotal disclosed funding
77companies funded
162disclosed rounds
0rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Techstars6 rounds
Lightbank5 rounds
G2T3V3 rounds
HPA3 rounds
M253 rounds
Tribal Ventures3 rounds
Y Combinator3 rounds
Chicago Early Growth Ventures2 rounds
Civic Accelerator2 rounds
DFJ2 rounds

Notable founders

Josh Kaplan
Co-Founder and Chief Legal Officer · Songfinch
Scott Kitun
Co-Founder · Songfinch
John Ganschow
Co-Founder · StreamLayer
Tim Ganschow
Co-Founder / Head Of Product Strategy · StreamLayer
Dan Neely
Co-Founder & CEO · Vermill
Brad Lehner
Co-Founder · Vermill
Kiran Panesar
Co-Founder & CTO · Mode Mobile
Dan Novaes
Co-Founder & CEO · Mode Mobile
Bob Udell
President and Chief Executive Officer · Consolidated Communications
Kaitlyn Hurley
Co-Founder & CMO · Bracketology
David Pawlan
Co-Founder · Bracketology
Jeff Werring
Co-Founder · Fello
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 18,519,051 docs

Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage

Share of Media & Entertainment coverage by sub-theme.

Regulatory-risk over time rising

Funding & growth over time

funding rising · growth rising

Common questions

How many Media & Entertainment companies are there in Illinois, United States?
Radar tracks 437 indexable Media & Entertainment companies headquartered in Illinois, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Media & Entertainment companies in Illinois, United States?
The Media & Entertainment companies in Illinois, United States on this list have raised a combined $2.5B in disclosed equity funding across 77 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Media & Entertainment company in Illinois, United States?
Consolidated Communications is the highest-funded Media & Entertainment company in Illinois, United States, with $1.8B in disclosed equity funding.
How many Media & Entertainment companies in Illinois, United States are funded?
77 of the 437 Media & Entertainment companies in Illinois, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Media & Entertainment unicorns are there in Illinois, United States?
None of the Media & Entertainment companies in Illinois, United States on this list currently has a disclosed valuation of $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in Illinois, United States Media & Entertainment companies?
The most active investors in Illinois, United States Media & Entertainment companies on this list include Techstars, Lightbank, G2T3V, HPA, M25.
Sweetie IyerMarkets & Momentum

Sweetie watches where the money and the users are piling in. She covers sector wealth and momentum — the install curves and revenue pools that show which corners of the market are quietly on fire.

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