Kleiner Perkins goes Shazam

US VC Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) has led a funding round of UK mobile music provider Shazam.

The iPhone application specialist also received backing from existing investors DN Capital and Acacia Capital Partners.

The deal comes just as Shazam announced that it now has 50 million users, an increase of 15 million since February this year.

Founded in 2001, the company raised its first VC money the same year in a US$7.5m round led by IDG Ventures Europe, which later became Acacia when IDG sold its European portfolio. IDG returned again in a series B round in a US$6.5m round in 2003, before DN Capital came on board the following year.

Matt Murphy, partner at KPCB, said: “We’re delighted to be leading this round of financing for Shazam. Their iconic application is among the most popular and sticky in the mobile industry. We’ve met hundreds of companies and received thousands of mobile app business plans, but none have distinguished themselves on par with Shazam. We’re still in the early days of the mobile application phenomenon and Shazam’s leadership in the massive mobile entertainment and discovery category, positions them to be at the forefront as it evolves.”