Norfolk tech startup plans $1M expansion

Norfolk-based digital magazine startup Magazine Jukebox Inc. (MJB) will invest $1 million to expand, moving from a coworking space into an office, and will create an estimated 20 jobs.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the expansion Tuesday.

“We are proud that Magazine Jukebox, an emerging leader in the technology services sector, was founded in Virginia and continues to reinvest in the commonwealth,” Youngkin said in a statement. “The entrepreneurial drive demonstrated by its founders has already generated an impressive list of clients and reinforces our commitment to ensuring an innovation economy that supports Virginia’s startups and small businesses.”

The investment will help MJB secure an office space and remodel it, according to Magazine Jukebox Chief Experience Officer Bronston Carroll. MJB is currently considering leases with options to purchase over 36 months, since the company doesn’t know how much space it will ultimately need in the coming years, he said in an email.

The startup, which currently has a staff of seven, plans to hire a minimum of 20 employees, mainly for sales roles with some service and marketing roles, according to Carroll. They will work in a hybrid in-person and remote model.

Founded in 2020, Magazine Jukebox is a subscription service that provides digital magazines as alternatives to print magazines for commercial spaces with waiting rooms, like salons, car dealerships and medical centers. The company distributes QR codes and displays for guests to access digital magazines, and access continues for up to 36 hours.

Choice Hotels International Inc. and more than 100 medical offices with Baptist Health South Florida and the University of Miami Health System use MJB. In Virginia, Massanutten Resort recently added MJB’s offerings to its website, and the company is working on launching its services on Ziosk, a tabletop ordering platform used in more than 2,000 quick service restaurants.

“We are proud to be a Virginia-based company, and we believe Norfolk is the perfect place for us to grow,” Magazine Jukebox co-founder and CEO Scott Janney said in a statement. “The city’s investment and support of technology startups like ours has been a driving force in our decision to launch our company in this community and remain in this community.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the city of Norfolk and the Hampton Roads Alliance to secure the project. VEDP will provide funding and services to support employee recruitment and training through its Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP).