Tout (company)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social networking service |
| Founded | April 2010 |
| Founder | Michael Downing (technology originator at SRI International) |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Stephanie McMahon (board member, WWE Chief Brand Officer) |
| Products | Microblogging platform for 15-second video clips ("touts") |
| Owner | SRI International (partial ownership) |
Tout was a digital microblogging and social networking platform that allowed users to create and share brief 15-second video clips known as "touts." The underlying technology originated at SRI International through the work of Michael Downing, utilizing two patents held by SRI.
In April 2010, Tout became an independent entity with SRI retaining an ownership stake. The service experienced a surge in popularity in June 2011 when basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal chose Tout to announce his retirement. By early 2012, the platform had attracted more than 12 million visitors and had seen 75 million touts posted.
Investors
On July 11, 2012, Tout raised $13.4 million during its Series B financing round, including a $5 million investment from WWE, which also established a strategic alliance lasting two years. WWE's Chief Brand Officer, Stephanie McMahon, became a member of Tout's board of directors. This collaboration involved WWE endorsing Tout across its media channels, encouraging its performers to utilize the platform, and incorporating Tout content into its television broadcasts.
Although WWE actively promoted Tout initially, the platform failed to maintain widespread user engagement. WWE discontinued its promotional activities in early 2013 and formally ended the partnership in 2014, leading to Tout's rapid shutdown.