MUSIC IS THE TICKET FOR DICE

London independent ticketing platform DICE has raised $65m in a funding round led by Matt Pincus’ MUSIC. Other investors include Kobalt founder and Chairman Willard Ahdritz.

More than 55,000 artists and 10,000+ venues, festivals and promoters have used DICE this year to sell tickets in 30 cities. The app aims to offer an alternative to the secondary ticketing market by locking tickets to smartphones, keeping tickets in the hands of fans while ensuring fair and transparent pricing.

“The live music industry is adopting DICE faster than ever, which proves our thesis that if you treat fans well, they buy more tickets and go out more often,” said DICE CEO Phil Hutcheon (pictured). “We’re investing heavily in building even more technology and this year alone released over 60 new features for fans, venues and artists. I’m excited that Matt has joined the board, and we’re more focused than ever on our mission to get fans out more.”

Said Pincus, who will join DICE's board of directors, "DICE did the impossible: They made buying a ticket fun. And by doing that, they became much more than a transaction provider for sellers. DICE is about the fans. And people who love to go to shows are the most important consumers in music.”

Recent DICE deals include those with London's historic Alexandra Palace as well as the city's Institute of Contemporary Arts and the 3,100-capacity Troxy. The ticketer will open an office in Austin, Texas, in conjunction with partnerships TBA.

Ahdritz has invested via his Ahdritz Holding LLC. Structural Capital, Exor Ventures and Mirabaud Lifestyle Fund have also invested.

In other DICE news, Ali Byrd has joined the company as chief financial officer. Based in New York, he was most recently with AI health care technology company Olive.