Applications
Online music channel BalconyTV gets PE funding, former MTV head joins as advisor
MUMBAI: Global online music video channel, BalconyTV–Music With A View,has announced its first institutional funding from Polaris Venture Partners, Lerer Ventures and Greycroft Partners.
Former MTV US CEO Judy McGrath will also join the channel in an advisory role. “Being a music fan, I love how BalconyTV has grown in such an underground way. I‘m excited to see how far they can go,” McGrath said.
BalconyTV was founded by three Dublin friends who began filming daily performances of new and upcoming artists from their apartmentbalcony. The concept soon caught on and today BalconyTV is produced in over 30 cities around the world and has more than 7,000 videos archived that have been viewed over 30 million times.
Artists that have performed on BalconyTV include international chart toppers Mumford and Sons, The Script and Jessie J.
Polaris venture partner Noel Ruane said, “BalconyTV stood out on several fronts. Here is a concept that is not only unique, but already has a very real footprint around the world and is growing completely organically.”
Last year, BalconyTV was one of 10 companies that pitched at the Copenhagen Demo-Day of Startup Bootcamp – the European affiliate of Techstars.
BalconyTV co-Founder, CEO Stephen O‘Regan said, “Up until now, we‘ve had the passion of our producers, and the love of the artists who have performed. But not unlike busking on the streets, it‘s been all hustle. I‘ve always felt that emerging bands deserved a truly independent, engaging and most importantly artist-centric platform to showcase their talent to the world. BalconyTV does that. It‘s resonated with artists from Sydney to LA to New York to Seoul. Since joining @dogpatchlabs Europe, we‘ve added more cities. Now with our new support band – Polaris, Lerer, Judy and Greycroft – we‘re aiming to play to many more fans around the world.”
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
