Switchcam Raises $1.2 Million From Mark Cuban, 500 Startups, Turner Media Camp, And Others

San Francisco-based startup Switchcam has created technology that combines videos from multiple sources and allows users to watch concerts, political rallies, conferences, and other events from multiple different points of view. And it’s attracted investment from one of the biggest names in video, raising $1.2 million in a seed round led by Dallas Mavericks owner, HDNet founder, and billionaire Mark Cuban. But he’s not alone: 500 Startups, Turner MediaCamp, Vikas Gupta, David Beyer, Jeffrey Schox, Niket Desai, and Reed Morse also participated in the round.

So far, Switchcam’s killer app seems to be pulling together full concert performances from multiple video sources. The platform collects videos from YouTube, Vimeo, and other sites, determines which order they fit in based on audio recognition, and then stitches them together into one big video timeline. Based on the video and audio quality, it attempts to show the best stream of a particular scene available, but users are free to switch between videos when there are multiple sources to choose from.

(A good example is this Lady Gaga performance, which pulls together 15 songs and has 41 different camera angles.)

Switchcam was part of the latest 500 Startups Winter Class, and also recently joined another accelerator program, Turner’s Media Camp. While 500 Startups helped the company to refine its product, founder Brett Welch tells me it chose to follow that up with Turner’s new media-focused accelerator in part to get more exposure to big media companies Switchcam could partner with.

Welch also sees Mark Cuban as an important ally in helping to make introductions in the media world. Strangely enough, Cuban’s interest in Switchcam actually came through AngelList, where he initiated discussions with the team through the Messaging feature. But Cuban, who also invested in Flingo and Condition One, has been betting on a lot of video startups lately.

When asked why by email, Cuban said he sees an opportunity for those apps to be applied to more traditional TV applications. “I also see these as complimentary applications that HDNet/AXS TV can offer to consumers via our distributors. Not as 2nd screen apps, but as standalone applications. In addition, Switchcam and Condition One offer technology that can in future versions can be offered via traditional digital television,” Cuban wrote.

Switchcam has a headcount of four, but it’s looking to add another three employees with the funding. Those jobs include backend and front end development, as well as helping the company translate its web experience into mobile apps. Welch envisions a scenario in which users can browse different event videos through an app and send the best ones to the TV via AirPlay. For now, though, it’s mostly busy working with event promoters and others to use its app.