YouNow raises $15 million to expand its live streaming social network

If you want to make or watch live, streaming video, you have lots of ways to do that: Meerkat and Periscope will let anyone stream (just about) anything, whenever, to whoever wants to watch. Facebook and YouTube will let people who have some degree of clout do it, too. YouNow has a different approach: The startup also lets anyone stream whatever they want from their phones. But the point of YouNow isn’t just to broadcast live — it’s to interact with your audience, and to let them chat with you, and each other, at the same time. This isn’t an idea that appeals to everyone, which means YouNow is still a niche product, where people watch other people sing, talk and even sleep. But it has enough people — most of whom are very young — and enough traction to attract more money from investors: The New York-based company has raised another $15 million, in a round led by Venrock and angel investor Oren Zeev. The round also included money from Comcast Ventures*, which is backing the company for the first time, and Union Square Ventures, which has invested for a few years. YouNow CEO Adi Sideman says his company has now raised $30 million since 2011; he won’t provide a valuation, but my hunch is that he’s now in the $150 million range.