Gaming

ADMIX RAISES $25M SERIES B TO MONETIZE THE METAVERSE WITH IN-PLAY

Published

2 years ago

October 27, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Admix, the leading In-Play monetization company that bridges the gap between gaming content and brands, today announces that it has raised USD $25 million in a Series B round to scale up its In-Play solution worldwide; and establish it as the content monetization layer for the metaverse.

Arriving just one year after Admix’s Series A round, this latest raise is the largest secured by any non-intrusive games monetization company and brings Admix’s total funding to USD $37 million. Participating in the Series B round are renowned VCs Elefund, Force Over Mass, DIP Capital, Notion Capital, Speedinvest, Rocket Capital, Colopl Next, Sure Valley Ventures and Sidedoor Ventures as well as growth investor Kuvi Capital and angels from the gaming industry.

Founded in 2018, Admix pioneered In-Play advertising; an unrivalled solution that bridges the gap between brands, creators and advertisers using non-intrusive product placements integrated inside video games. Over 300 global games and thousands of advertisers currently use Admix’s end-to-end platform which utilizes drag and drop SDKs for game publishers to integrate into their games, a platform for advertisers to access the gaming world, independently verified measurement and data reporting. The company has recently made key hires in the Americas and APAC where its presence will now be expanded further.

The first phase of Admix’s development has proven its commercial model, which is on track to deliver 1,000% year-on-year revenue hypergrowth. This fresh capital is set to power Admix’s evolution as a set of monetization tools for the new creator economy, and its second critical phase of product development that will set standards in the formative metaverse. In building the technology and tools to empower creators to make money from their content, Admix will iterate on its state-of-the-art proprietary rendering technology which can digitally inject complex 2D or 3D constructs into any 3D environment, with zero impact on virtual world engine performance.

Samuel Huber, CEO and Co-founder at Admix, commented:
“We’re delighted to have secured this substantial funding round which signifies the start of Admix Phase 2. This funding round validates the incredible hard work which the entire team has worked so tirelessly to reach. We see the internet entering a new stage: Web 3.0 or the metaverse, characterized by real-time 3D interactions and a new creator economy, spearheaded by the video games industry. We are establishing In-Play as the monetization layer for gaming and the metaverse. While many players in our industry are essentially agencies, Admix is building critical infrastructure for creators to monetize their content in the best way possible.”

Admix COO and Co-Founder, Joe Bachle-Morris, added:
“This Series B round – the most significant in our industry by far – comes at a time when household name brands and some of the highest-grossing games ever are joining either end of the Admix ecosystem. Research we released last week demonstrates just how hot an area this is for brands, with 93% of media buyers intending to conduct an In-Play campaign within the next few years. We’ve built an unbeatable tech stack, proved our model commercially and recently put boots on the ground in North America, LATAM and APAC, where our presence will now be ramped up. Admix is at the forefront of gaming as a media channel and we’re excited to be able to put even greater firepower behind creating the infrastructure that will enable our creators and clients to maximize the opportunity.”

Serik Kaldykulov, Founder and Managing Partner at Elefund, commented:
“Sam and Joe are exactly the type of founders we want to work with at Elefund. They created Admix and In-Play with their incredible vision for the future of digital gaming, and we believe that they will continue to play a significant role in shaping how consumers and businesses exist and interact in what the world will come to know as the metaverse.”

Lucas Stoops, Investment Manager at Force over Mass Capital, commented:
“We are delighted to invest in Admix again. This Series B shows the wider market is waking up to new monetization tools. The investment will allow Admix to continue to innovate with its platform, enabling developers to monetize their games and advertisers to reach a new and growing audience.”

Admix is experiencing hypergrowth driven by unprecedented inbound and direct sales and has doubled in size to more than 80 staff this year. It has recently signed deals for In-Play campaigns with Calvin Klein, Schuh, Movember and Sky.

Gaming

Midjiwan opens Stockholm’s first co-working space for game developers

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Midjiwan, the award-winning independent studio behind The Battle of Polytopia, today announces the opening of Game Town, Stockholm’s first coworking space for game developers.

In addition to being a new home for Midjiwan, Game Town will also serve as a base for Toppluva AB, the makers of Grand Mountain Adventure; Warm Kitten AB, the developers behind Justin Wack and the Big Time Hack; Gro Play AB, a studio creating educational games; and Dataspelsbranschen, Sweden’s trade association for video game companies. More game development companies are expected to join over the next few months.

The Swedish games industry, including subsidiaries abroad, generated SEK 86.5 billion (USD $7.9 billion) in 2022, according to a Dataspelsbranschen report. Gaming is a strong growth industry, accounting for over 4 percent of Sweden’s total service exports. Game Town will become a creative, innovative, and social meeting place, further solidifying Stockholm as a key games industry hub with industry meetups, mixers, and game showcases hosted for indie and AAA developers.

Södermalm, the Stockholm island where Game Town is located, has one of the highest concentrations of game developers. The nearby areas constitute a cluster for companies within game development, housing among others Paradox, DICE, Fatshark, and Epic Games.

Christian Lövstedt, General Manager at Midjiwan, commented:

“Game Town will become a professional and playful environment for smaller game studios that want to work and develop among other developers. We’re looking to create a community of people who share our same passion for gaming and game development. Game Town will bring together indie developers and freelancers to create an open and welcoming place for the entire industry to gather.”

Per Strömbäck, Chairman of Dataspelsbranschen.

“Within a kilometer radius of Södermalm, there are at least 3,000 game developers, making it perhaps the most densely populated place for game developers in the world. Here, games are created for billions of players worldwide. Perhaps there is something in the Earth’s magnetic field that makes local games particularly good? Game Town will be located right in the middle of this hub, so it is only right that our own office should be right here.”

The post Midjiwan opens Stockholm’s first co-working space for game developers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Gaming

Metaverse Studio Karta Reaches Huge Milestone with New Game Beat Builder

Published

4 days ago

April 16, 2024

Alan Campbell

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Reading Time: 3 minutes

Karta pushes the boundaries of music game innovation with Built Builder on Fortnite – reaching 100k players

Beat Builder is Fortnite’s first-ever build-based rhythm game
Karta partners with NoCopyrightSounds for the game’s music library
Two new big songs just added: Royalty by Egzod & Maestro Chives and Invincible by Deaf Kev

Karta, an award-winning metaverse studio pioneering the world of in-game experiential marketing, continues to push the boundaries of music game innovation as its latest project, Beat Builder, reaches 100,000 players.

Beat Builder is an interactive music rhythm game where players put down walls, ramps, floors and cones to the beat of the music. Centred on building a core Fortnite gameplay feature used in its very popular Battle Royal, Beat Builder is the first-ever build-based rhythm game on the platform. As well as being a music-filled experience played for fun, the game is also used as a practice tool for players to improve their game-playing skills on Fortnite.

To create the game’s eclectic music library, Karta has partnered with NoCopyrightSounds, a copyright-free record label and music platform. Focusing on drumstep, phonk and trap electronic music for now, with artists such as Twisted, if found, XTOM and Lost Sky, players interact with the stems of each song that have their own visual world to match the vibe. Karta aims to develop the game further, updating it with a plethora of new music and genres such as metal, K-pop and rock. The long-term aim of Beat Builder is to integrate artists into Fortnite to share their music with fans, with the game becoming a recognised platform for exploring new artists and music.

Reaching 100,000 players is a significant milestone for a new metaverse game with Beat Builder continuing to grow in popularity since its launch recently. To mark the milestone, Karta has updated the game with two of NCS biggest songs; Royalty by Egzod & Maestro Chives and Invincible by Deaf Kev and is already planning further extensions, partnerships and new seasons.

“We’re thrilled that Beat Builder has gotten off to such a great start,” the Chief Executive Officer for Karta, Erik Londre, said. “We wanted to create a rhythm game that felt 100% Fortnite native, where the music is connected to the platform’s core building gameplay. A rhythm game that makes you a better gamer is an idea that excites us a lot.”

“Beat Builder truly encapsulates what Karta is all about; innovative and forward-thinking design that combines incredible music with interactive gaming in one entertaining place,” the Chief Growth Officer for Karta, Tony Barnes, said. “Music’s presence in the metaverse is evolving and we think Beat Builder has the potential to become its own platform for artists and brands to authentically connect to a Fortnite audience through gameplay and new music. We can’t wait to develop it and see how it grows.”

Since launching in 2021, Karta has worked with brands such as Amazon Music, McDonald’s and Hugo Boss. As well as working with Spotify on its iconic global campaign, Spotify Wrapped, to gamify the listening habits of Spotify users and bring this into the metaverse. Through these partnerships, Karta is reshaping entertainment experiences in the metaverse and creating meaningful connections between brands and their audiences. In the past year, the London-based studio has also worked with global artists like Nicki Minaj for her Gag City experience in Roblox, K-pop giant Blackpink with its hugely popular Blackpink the Palace and Twice with its Twice Square, which has become the most successful persistent music experience on Roblox.

“We’re very happy to provide the music for Beat Builder, a brilliant new game that gives players the chance to interact with the music like never before,” the Brand Manager for NCS, Charlotte Lee, said. “It has the potential to become a go-to platform for music gaming and we’re proud to support it.”

Beat Builder is available now to explore on Fortnite. For more information, go to www. Karta. game.

The post Metaverse Studio Karta Reaches Huge Milestone with New Game Beat Builder appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

eSports

Denis ‘electroNic’ Sharipov is a New Virtus.pro Player

Published

5 days ago

April 15, 2024

Alan Campbell

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Reading Time: 2 minutes

Denis ‘electroNic’ Sharipov (pictured), one of the most decorated and famous players in CS2, a Major champion and winner of the Intel Grand Slam, is moving to Virtus.pro.

“The arrival of star players always generates excitement within the club and among its fans,” the Chief Executive Officer for Virtus.pro, Nikolai Petrossian, said. “Denis is a well-known figure in the world of eSports with an impressive list of major victories and exceptional skill. Few players won both at Major and Intel Grand Slam events.

“Our CS2 roster is strong thanks to teamwork, a clearly defined playstyle and the individual talents of our players. Transferring players with outstanding skills to improve specific areas is a common practice in sports. I am confident that Denis joining will give a powerful boost to the team in the upcoming challenges in Dallas, London and beyond.

“Denis will replace Nikolay ‘mir’ Bityukov in the VP lineup. Nikolay has been a loyal and valuable member of our team and we express our gratitude for his contributions. Nikolay ‘mir’ Bityukov is open to offers from other teams.”

“Virtus.pro is a top team,” Sharipov said. “The core of the roster has won a Major not a while ago and all the players are in their prime and ready for victories right now. We share the same ambitions and goals. Besides, I’m also excited about the idea of playing with Jame as he’s one of the most unique IGLs in the game. Can’t wait to adapt to my new team and start doing what I came here for, winning trophies.”

Sharipov has dozens of victories at elite tournaments, including: