2 - 3 minutes readNowadays App Raises $2 Million to Simplify Corporate Event Planning

Nowadays, an event-planning platform co-founded by sisters Anna Sun (CEO) and Amy Yan (COO), says it will transform the way companies organize and execute large-scale events. The app, which has already facilitated over $4 million in event bookings—including for major tech firms like Google, Amazon, Notion, and Supabase—offers a streamlined solution for corporate event planners looking to save time and reduce complexity.

At its core, Nowadays helps clients plan events with budgets starting at $20,000. The platform charges a 5% fee on services it sources for the event, or offers event planners an option to subscribe annually. Though its primary focus is on corporate events, the platform has also been used for weddings and significant milestones like 50th anniversaries.

Sun, a graduate of MIT, and Yan, who worked at Google after earning her degree from Johns Hopkins, had both experienced the struggles of organizing large events during their university years. “I remember spending hours calling ice cream trucks for quotes or having to personally pick up 2,000 McNuggets because bulk delivery wasn’t an option,” Sun said to reporters. “There had to be a simpler, more efficient way to manage these logistics.”

That frustration the twins went through at several incidents sparked the idea for Nowadays, a platform designed to streamline the process. To use the app, clients begin by filling out an intake form with details about the event—location, budget, and any specific needs or creative requests. For example, Sun noted, “Some clients want meeting spaces with high ceilings because they have taller team members. The requests can be quite unique.”

Since its launch, Nowadays has largely grown through word of mouth. Corporate event planners, its primary users, have been introducing the platform to investors. One such connection led to a $300,000 investment from a venture capitalist, who was impressed by the app’s potential. Additionally, the client who made the introduction also chose to invest directly in the startup.

In its most recent funding round, Nowadays raised $2 million in seed funding, with contributions from investors including Y Combinator, Basis Set Ventures, Hike VC, VentureUs, Underdog Labs, Decacorn Capital, E14, and a number of angel investors.

The event-planning industry is becoming more competitive, with established companies like Cvent and Eventbrite adding AI-powered tools, and new apps like Partiful gaining attention (named Google’s App of the Year). However, Nowadays says it stands out by offering an intuitive, user-friendly platform that simplifies the event-planning process—something that the founders believe will continue to resonate with corporate clients and beyond.