Interacta, an app that makes TV shows interactive via sound detection, raises $220k

Pakistani startup Interacta, which aims to redefine conventional television broadcasting, announced today that it raised US$220,000 in seed funding. The round was led by investment company Fatima Ventures.

Interacta is one of the most exciting startups to graduate from the LUMS Center of Entrepreneurship in Lahore. Founder Maaz Kamal tells Tech in Asia that their core focus is to make television broadcasting interactive with millions of viewers across the world. “With social media, businesses are free to interact with their customers. Why not through television?” he asks.

How it works is fairly simple. Similar to music detection service Shazam, Interacta’s smartphone app senses the sound coming from the television content currently showing, which then triggers a response on the phone. In the case of audience-driven shows such as quiz competitions, users can view questions on the app and participate directly without being physically present in the broadcast studio.

The same concept can be applied in other cases, such as cooking shows, where audiences can view the recipe shared directly on the app. Broadcasters can also use Interacta’s app for advertisements, by promoting special offers or products that appear on the screen.

On the flipside, each media channel must integrate Interacta’s platform into their architecture for the app to function. It cannot simply detect any kind of content, anywhere in the world. However, Kamal remains confident about the global viability of his idea and reveals his team is already in preliminary discussions with broadcasters in Turkey to market the app.

He hopes to use this and similar partnerships to build traction around his product, before aggressively targeting other markets.