Roundscapes, a Lincoln technology startup and immersive media specialist, today announced it has relaunched as 42, a digital agency and software lab. As part of the relaunch, the company has closed a $1.5 million, multi-year round of funding from Lincoln-based firms Nelnet and Nebraska Global to scale development of a project working with augmented reality and next-generation digital experiences.
42 will continue to produce integrated digital campaigns, working with longtime clients like Duncan Aviation, Landscapes Unlimited, Nelnet and Haberfeld. Meanwhile, the company’s development arm, 42 Labs, is working on two software products scheduled to be released late this year. One of the projects comes from 42’s experience with immersive media and aims to transform the way people view the world through their smart devices.
“This is the most interesting time in our history; it’s pretty surreal,” Christopher Kingsley (left), the founder and CEO of 42, said in a press release. “We’ve worked so hard over the last few years to produce valuable digital tools and experiences for our clients, and we’ve built an incredible team along the way. Our 42 Labs projects have been a dream of ours for years, and it’s such a privilege to make them a reality.”
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Steve Kiene, the managing principal of Nebraska Global, described the investment in 42 as groundbreaking for his firm’s $37.3 million fund. Nebraska Global has made five prior investments in other Nebraska-based software companies, including Beehive Industries, Don’t Panic Labs, EC3H, EliteForm and ICORA.*
“Nebraska Global normally invests in pure software companies at early growth stages, and 42 is an interesting opportunity to add velocity to the software side of a more diverse digital business,” Kiene said in the release. “We’re excited about the new software products being produced at 42 and have great faith in their team and mission.”
Mike Dunlap, the CEO of Nelnet, said in the release he has been “impressed by the agency’s work done for Nelnet companies.”
Roundscapes enjoyed a strong 2011, which included the company earning a Nebraska Addy award and an International Internet Advertising Competition award for a campaign it did for Duncan Aviation. Now, the company will look to carry that momentum forward with an overhauled identity and new financial backers.
“42 is really fortunate to acquire two incredible new partners in Nebraska Global and Nelnet,” Kingsley said in the release. “They have been so awesome and are always ready to rock when we need them. They’re entrepreneurs at their core with tons of experience across a lot of technical fields and we’re so excited to have them on our team.”
Credits: Photo of Kingsley from the42.com.
*Updated March 27, 9:00 a.m. – Nebraska Global made investments in five companies prior to 42. Per a press release, a previous version of the story indicated Nebraska Global had invested in six companies.
