On Tuesday (April 12), it was announced that Proto Inc, formerly known as PORTL, has raised $12 million in a Series A round led by TRUE Capital Management. According to MBW, entrepreneur and mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has invested in the company and has been named an advisor. Proto claims that their proprietary, state-of-the-art technology allows one to “beam” to another location in real time when they cannot physically be there. Proto refers to this process as “interactive holoportation." The Los Angeles company says that this technology is already being utilized across many industries; including education, entertainment , retail, enterprise, business, marketing, fashion and the art world.

Protos Series A round also saw participation from tech investor Tim Draper of Tesla, Space X and Twitch; and early Uber investors Jillian Manus and Mike Walsh of Structure Management. Quavo of Migos and retired and active pro athletes; including Marshawn Lynch, Albert Pujols, Robert Griffin III, Luke Walton and Breanna Stewart; have also invested in the company. According to Proto, the technology has also been used by such brands as AT&T, T-Mobile,DHL,Christies, Chase Bank, Kia and at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

"Sean Combs has always been an inspiring pioneer in music and business, constantly changing the game with whatever he does," said Proto CEO and founder David Nussbaum. "We were honored to bring his family together last Spring and it became the perfect example of how Proto connects people for meaningful emotional interactions unlike any other technology. We are so excited to be working with him as we continue to make the future a reality now."