Venture Capital investments into Online games and Related Entertainment

Last updated 2008-11-17. Data collected by Jussi Laakkonen and Adam Martin.

 

Investments into Virtual worlds, Casual MMOs, Casual games and Social games

Date
Company Invested Series Country Lead investor Other key investors Description
Oct-08
Playfish $17,0 Series B UK Accel Partners Index Ventures Social games developer and publisher
Oct-08
Metaplace $6,7 Series B USA Charles River Ventures Crescendo Ventures Platform for creating your own casual MMO, virtual world
Oct-08
Second Interest $0,5 undis Germany Angel investors Virtual worlds agency developing content for Metaversum's Twinity
Oct-08
Kirkland North $0,2 Seed USA Harrison Metal Capital Turf, online risk-style strategy game over real-world neighborhoods
Oct-08
Booyah $4,5 Series A USA Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (Mixed reality?) games with real-world social impact
Oct-08
Ray Flame Entertainment $0,8 Series A USA InnoBridge Ventures Browser-based MMO
Oct-08
Oberon $20,0 undis USA Infinity Equity developer & publisher of casual games
Oct-08
Farbflut Entertainment undis undis Germany undis Browser game www.pennergame.de with 400k players
Oct-08
MindFuse $1,0 Debt/bridge USA Keiretsu Forum angels 3D high-end MMO for casual audiences
Oct-08
Taatu $2,5 undis Belgium BAMS Angels Fund Virtual wolds as extensions to media properties
Sep-08
Challenge Games $10,0 Series B USA Globespan Capital Partners Asynch PvP duels (e.g. duels.com, Baseball boss)
Sep-08
Big Fish Games $83,0 Series A USA Balderton Capital developer & publisher of casual games
Sep-08
RobotGalaxy $5,0 Series B USA Bachmann Industries Angel investors Virtual World extension of real world toy franchise
Sep-08
Hollywood Interactive $5,0 Series A USA BlueRun Ventures MyHollywood.com targets women 18-34 with casual games and a community based around celebrity gossip
Sep-08
RobotGalaxy $7,0 Series A USA Bachmann Industries Virtual World extension of real world toy franchise
Aug-08
Nonoba $1,7 Series A DK Mangrove Capital Partners Flash game portal & platform
Aug-08
LOLapps $4,5 Series A USA Polaris Venture Partners White-label social apps developer
Aug-08
Webcarrz $4,0 Series A USA Meakem Becker Venture Capital multi-player online game promoting social activities without fixed game rules
Aug-08
Knowledge Adventure $5,0 undis USA Azure Capital Partners TeleSoft Partners developer of educational games & virtual worlds for children 
Aug-08
Dizzywood  $1,0 Series B USA European Founders Fund virtual world developer & operator
Jul-08
Challenge Games $4,5 Series A USA Sequoia Capital Asynch PvP duels (e.g. duels.com)
Jul-08
Zynga $29,0 Series B USA Kleiner Perkins Union Square Ventures Social games developer and publisher
Jul-08
Virtual Tweens $1,0 Seed Israel Angel investors Ekoloko, a green themed new virtual world for 7-12 year olds
Jul-08
Monte Cristo Games $7,0 undis France Arts Alliance 360° Capital Partners Cities XL, a video game merging social networking and virtual worlds
Jul-08
Playfish $1,0 Debt/bridge UK Accel Partners Social games developer and publisher
Jul-08
Gaia Interactive $11,0 Series C USA Institutional Venture Partners Redpoint Ventures Virtual world, MMO, "world's largest forums"
Jul-08
Six Degrees Games $7,0 Series A USA Prism VentureWorks  Clearstone Sports virtual world
Jul-08
Social Gaming Network $3,0 undis USA Jeff Bezos Expeditions Social games developer and publisher
Jul-08
Young Internet $4,7 undis Germany undis Panfu.de, a virtual world for kids with over 1M registered users
Jul-08
Riot Games $7,0 undis USA Benchmark Capital FirstMark Capital League of Legends: an online game that combines quick-hit sessions with fantasy action settings
Jul-08
Atomic Moguls $1,0 Series A USA Second Avenue Partners Fantasy sports games (e.g. fantasy football)
Jul-08
8D World $1,0 Series A USA Spark Capital Fantasy casual MMO
Jun-08
Erepublik $0,7 Seed Spain Angel investors Civilization-style strategy casual MMO
Jun-08
I'm in like with you $1,5 Series B USA Spark Capital Online dating & games
Jun-08
Lumos Labs $3,0 Series A USA Pequot Ventures Norwest Venture Partners Brain training and brain games
May-08
Social Gaming Network $15,0 Series A USA Greylock Partners Founders Fund Social games developer and publisher
May-08
Grockit $8,0 Series B USA Integral Capital Benchmark Capital Massively Multi Player Online Learning Game
May-08
Caspian Learning $2,8 undis UK undis Learning Based Games: Caspian Learning are global leaders in the use of simulation games tech to solve learning issues
Apr-08
Serious Business Inc $4,0 Series A USA Lightspeed Ventures Social games (e.g. Friends for sale)
Apr-08
Kongregate $3,0 Series B USA Jeff Bezos Expeditions Flash game portal & platform
Apr-08
Northworks undis undis Germany High Tech Gründerfonds Browser game developer
Apr-08
Club Cooee undis undis Germany Aurelia Private Equity free 3D Live community
Apr-08
Akoha $2,0 Seed USA Angel investors Mixed reality "pay good deeds forward" game
Apr-08
Metaversum  several m€ undis USA Balderton Capital  Metaversum’s virtual world Twinity mashes up the real with the virtual life
Apr-08
Nurien Software $15,0 Series A Korea Northern Light Venture Capita Globespan Capital Partners 3D social network
Apr-08
Bunchball $4,0 Series B USA Granite Ventures Adobe Ventures Social games and white-label games
Apr-08
Play Hard Sports $5,0 Series A USA New Enterprise Associates Interactive fantasy sports games
Apr-08
Numedeon  $1,0 Series B USA BankInter's Venture Capitol Group Portfolio of virtual worlds
Apr-08
Eximion Undis undis Netherlands Techno Stars 3d games in your browser
Mar-08
Hangout Industries $6,0 Series A USA Polaris Venture Partners Highland Capital Partners 3D virtual world for social networking
Mar-08
Playfish $3,0 Seed UK Accel Partners Social games developer and publisher
Mar-08
9You   $100,0 undis China Temasek Holdings   Digital lifestyle entertainment operator for casual gaming, interactive entertainment portal sites
Mar-08
Simmersion Holdings $1,9 undis USA Blue Cove Ventures 3D virtual world & technology platform
Mar-08
Chapatiz  $0,5 Seed French Angel investors virtual worlds for pre-teens
Mar-08
EveryScape  $7,0 Series B USA Dace Ventures Draper Fisher Jurvetson Virtual World/3-D mapping site for virtual tours
Mar-08
Fluid Entertainment  $3,2 Series A USA Trinity Ventures  Kids social games / MMO
Mar-08
Gamook $1,5 Series A USA US Venture Partners Platform for online casual games
Mar-08
Handipoints  $0,8 Seed USA Charles River Ventures virtual community where children’s everyday “real world” chores earn them prizes and adventures
Mar-08
Alamofire $2,0 Series A USA Founders Fund Social games developer and publisher
Mar-08
PopJax $4,7 Series A USA Draper Fisher Jurvetson Online user generated trivia games
Feb-08
Dizzywood  $1,0 Series A USA Shelby Bonnie Charles River Ventures virtual world developer & operator
Feb-08
Sparkplay Media   $4,3 Series A USA Redpoint Ventures Prism VentureWorks  Browser-based MMO Earth Eternal
Feb-08
Flowplay $3,7 Series A USA Intel Capital Ambient Sound Investments Virtual world wrapper around flash games
Feb-08
Atomic Moguls $1,0 Seed USA Second Avenue Partners Amazon.com Fantasy sports games (e.g. fantasy football)
Feb-08
RocketOn $5,0 Series A USA D.E. Shaw Group Avatars layered on top of any web page
Jan-08
C3L3B Digital $3,0 Series A USA BlueRun Ventures web 2.0 & casual MMO & VW destinations for the mass market.
Jan-08
Zynga $10,0 Series A USA Union Square Ventures Founders Fund Social games developer and publisher
Jan-08
Rebel Monkey $1,0 Series A USA Redpoint Ventures Casual games developer
Dec-07
Playfirst $16,5 Series C USA DCM Casual games developer and publisher
Dec-07
WildTangent $20,0 Debt/bridge USA Hercules Technology Growth Capital Casual games developer, publisher and platform provider
Nov-07
Hidden City Games $15,0 Series B USA Trinity Ventures Rustic Canyon Ventures Bella Sara, a collectible card game about horses tied to an online world for girls
Nov-07
Zweitgeist undis Series A Germany T-Online Venture Fund Avatars layered on top of any web page
Nov-07
Apaja Online $2,3 Series A Finland Martinson Trigon Venture Partners Flash game portal & developer
Oct-07
Numedeon  Undis Series A USA Pat Sajak (angel) Portfolio of virtual worlds
Oct-07
Star in Me Undis undis USA Electric Sheep Company children’s virtual world
Oct-07
GameLayers $0,5 Series A USA O'Reilly Alphatech Ventures Passive-Multiplayer MMO played on top of existing web pages
Sep-07
Emote $8,0 Series A UK Electra Quoted Management Games across social networks, challenging gamers and friends, communicating with like-minded players
Sep-07
Watercooler $4,0 Series A USA Canaan partners Social apps, largest community online for TV and Sports fans
Sep-07
RocketOn $0,8 Seed USA undis Avatars layered on top of any web page
Aug-07
Spill Group undis undis Netherlands Van den Ende & Deitmers  distributer/developer of  online games through more than 45 gaming portals worldwide.
Aug-07
GameForge undis undis Germany Accel Partners Free to play, browser based games publisher
Aug-07
Kongregate $5,0 Series A USA Greylock Partners Flash game portal & platform
Aug-07
D2C $6,0 Series A USA Rubicon Ventures casual games for a variety of platforms, including consoles
Aug-07
Conduit Labs $5,5 Series A USA Charles River Ventures Prism VentureWorks  Games to let people meet new people, e.g. LoudCrowd dancing games
Aug-07
Doppelganger $11,0 Series D USA ComVentures Trident capital vSide virtual world for young adults
Jul-07
Weblo $3,2 Series A USA VantagePoint Buy and sell representations of real-world locations and people
Jul-07
Grockit $2,7 Series A USA Benchmark Capital Massively Multi Player Online Learning Game
Jul-07
Geewa $2,0 undis Czech republic MCI Management Free multiplayer games for variety of devices
Jul-07
WatAgame $4,0 Series B Denmark Accel Partners GoSupermodel, a girl's fashion community for web and mobile
Jul-07
Three Rings $3,5 Series B USA True Ventures Chance Technologies Developer and operator of casual MMOs (Puzzle pirates, Bang! howdy & Whirled)
Jun-07
Metaversum several m€ undis Germany Balderton Capital Metaversum’s virtual world Twinity mashes up the real with the virtual life
May-07
Frenzoo undis Series A Hong Kong Ambient Sound Investments 3D social networking platform
May-07
Multiverse $4,2 undis USA Sterling Stamos Angel investors Virtual World platform
May-07
Avaloop Undis undis Austria i5invest Papermint virtual world for casual audiences
May-07
World Golf Tour several m$ Series A USA Panorama Capital Battery Ventures Flash-based realistic golf game & world
May-07
Two Way Media $10,6 undis UK undis creates and distributes cross media TV shows and games
Mar-07
Kongregate $1,0 Seed USA Reid Hoffman Joe Kraus Flash game portal & platform
Mar-07
Flowplay $0,5 Seed USA Angel investors Virtual world wrapper around flash games
Mar-07
Gaia Interactive $12,0 Series B USA Benchmark Capital Redpoint Ventures Virtual world, MMO, "world's largest forums"
Feb-07
Zweitgeist $0,6 Seed Germany High Tech Gründerfonds Mountain Partners weblin makes you and others on the Web visible as small avatars
Feb-07
Virtual Air Guitar $0,2 Seed Finland undis Machine vision based rhythm game
Feb-07
Doppelganger $5,0 Series C USA Greycroft Partners vSide virtual world for young adults
Dec-06
Metaplace $5,0 Series A USA Charles River Ventures Crescendo Ventures Platform for creating your own casual MMO, virtual world
Dec-06
D2C $1,5 Seed USA Rubicon Ventures casual games for a variety of platforms, including consoles
Nov-06
WatAgame Undis Series A Denmark Vaekstfonden Seed Capital Denmark GoSupermodel, a girl's fashion community for web and mobile
Nov-06
Bunchball $2,0 Series A USA Granite Ventures Adobe Ventures Social games and white-label games
Oct-06
Mind Candy $7,4 undis UK Accel Partners Index Ventures Developer & operator of social virtual world for kids
Aug-06
WildTangent $13,0 Series D USA Granite Global Ventures Greylock Partners Casual games developer, publisher and platform provider
Jul-06
Sulake $8,0 Series C Finland Movida Group Habbo, world's largest teen virtual world + social media properties (e.g. IRC-Galleria and Luupo)
Jun-06
Stardoll $6,0 Series B Sweden Sequoia Capital Paperdoll dress-up virtual world
Jun-06
WeeWorld $15,5 Series B UK Accel Partners SocNet where you can meet and interact with WeeMees, play games and create your own online cartoon 
Feb-06
Stardoll $4,0 Series A Sweden Index Ventures Paperdoll dress-up virtual world
Dec-05
Doppelganger $8,5 Series C USA Draper Fisher Jurvetson Trident capital vSide virtual world for young adults
May-05
WeeWorld $5,5 Series A UK Benchmark Capital SocNet where you can meet and interact with WeeMees, play games and create your own online cartoon
Apr-05
Doppelganger $2,5 Series B USA Draper Fisher Jurvetson vSide virtual world for young adults
Jan-05
Big Fish Games $8,7 Seed USA Angel investors developer & publisher of casual games
Jan-05
Sulake $24,0 Series B Finland Benchmark Capital Habbo, world's largest teen virtual world + social media properties (e.g. IRC-Galleria and Luupo)
?
Sulake undis Series A Finland 3i Habbo, world's largest teen virtual world + social media properties (e.g. IRC-Galleria and Luupo)
May-04
WildTangent $16,5 Series C USA Advanced Technology Ventures Casual games developer, publisher and platform provider

 

Investments into MMORPG and "Other related" sector

Date
Company Invested Series Country Lead investor Other key investors Description
Oct-08
Twofish $4,5 Series B USA Triplepoint Capital Rustic Canyon Virtual economy engine that seamlessly integrates into any online experience
Sep-08
Trion World Network $70,0 Series C USA Act II Capital DCM MMORPG developer and publisher
Sep-08
Shanda Interactive Entertainment $175,0 Debt/bridge China Instutional buyers MMORPG developer and publisher
Sep-08
Raptr $12,0 Series A USA Accel Partners Founders Fund Social network for gamers
Sep-08
Ukash $14,4 undis USA Blue Label Telecoms DataCash Pre-paid card payment provider
Jul-08
GameDuell $17,0 Series B Germany Wellington Partners MMORPG developer and publisher
Jul-08
Heatwave Interactive $7,5 Series A USA Syncom Venture Partner central studio for developing multiple video game properties with strong online components
Jun-08
ESNation Undis undis Denmark undis eSports news, browser-based games and social networking features
Jun-08
mGami Undis undis UK undis games platform for the social networking generation
Jun-08
Virgin Play $3,9 undis Spain undis distributor and publisher of video games for video game consoles
Jun-08
Mochi Media $10,0 Series B USA Shasta Ventures Accel Partners Advertisement network for flash games
Jun-08
Bihu.com $10,0 undis China undis In-game advertising network
Jun-08
Turbine $40,0 undis USA Time Warner GGV Capital Creator of MMOs Lord of the Rings Online, Asheron's Call: Throne of Destiny, and Dungeons and Dragons Online
May-08
Linekong Online $25,0 undis China undis MMORPG developer and publisher
May-08
Orbster Undis undis Germany undis designs and publishes online entertainment products for GPS-enabled handsets
Apr-08
Metaboli $7,8 undis France undis Download and play several hundreds of full version PC games on Metaboli.co.uk. 
Apr-08
G10 Entertainment  $38,0 Strategic investment Korea The9 Casual online game developer, incl. Audition (dancing)
Apr-08
Chengdu Seasky Digital Entertainment $3,0 Strategic investment China Perfect World MMORPG developer
Apr-08
gamerDNA $3,0 Series A USA Flybridge Capital Partners Social network for gamers
Apr-08
VOIPlay Undis undis Sweden undis multi-game deathmatch platform with voice chat integrated
Apr-08
FIX8 $2,0 undis USA SK Telecom an avatar chat tool that animates expression based on webcam input
Mar-08
Realtime Worlds $49,0 Series C UK Maverick Capital Video game & MMORPG developer and publisher
Mar-08
Gizmoz $6,5 undis USA DoCoMo Capital, Inc.
Mar-08
Mochi Media $4,0 Series A USA Accel Partners Advertisement network for flash games
Mar-08
Neowiz Games $15,2 undis Korea undis MMORPG developer and publisher
Feb-08
iOpener $6,0 undis Germany Triangle providing and facilitating real-time data into games and virtual worlds, through satellite navigation technology
Feb-08
YOOWALK Undis undis France CITA Gestion 3D Web browsing
Jan-08
Outspark $11,0 USA Tencent DCM publisher and operator of free to play games
Jan-08
IGA Worldwide $5,0 undis USA Translink Capital Presidio STX, LLC In-game advertising network
Jan-08
IGG Inc. $4,5 Series A USA IDG Technology Venture Investment IGG has successfully released and operated 6 MMORPGs through www.igg.com
Jan-08
Kadoink $7,0 undis USA Sutter Hill Ventures combines widgets, telephony, and music, distributes in SocNets, expanding to virtual worlds
Jan-08
Unisfair $10,0 Series B Israel Norwest Venture Partners Sequoia Capital a virtual events provider
Dec-07
Bahu $1,0 undis France undis Social network for people under 25
Dec-07
Live Gamer $24,0 Series A? USA Charles River Ventures Kodiak Venture Partners publisher-supported virtual items training
Dec-07
XLGames Undis undis Korea GigaMedia Limited MMORPG developer and publisher
Nov-07
Aria Systems $4,0 Series A USA Hummer Winblad Venture Partners billing services for online games, virtual worlds, and software-as-service applications
Nov-07
Mikoishi $8,5 undis Singapore undis Cross-plaform (PC, mobile + more) game developer, publisher and platform
Oct-07
Vivox $7,8 Series B USA Benchmark Capital Canaan Partners a voice provider for virtual worlds and online games
Oct-07
ZeniMax Media $300,0 undis USA Providence Equity Partners Video game & MMORPG developer and publisher, parent company of Bethesda (Oblivion and Fallout 3)
Oct-07
FatFooGoo $10,0 undis Austria undis From trading platforms to commercial ecosystems, we monetize your game
Oct-07
Millions of Us Undis undis USA Diversified Agency Services Design agency for virtual worlds, marketing campaigns
Sep-07
PlaySpan $6,5 Series A USA Easton Capital Menlo Ventures publisher-supported virtual items training
Aug-07
La Cartoonerie $0,7 undis France undis Share your animation: once created, you can spread your online cartoon. Everybody can see, vote and respond
Aug-07
Xendex Entertainment Undis undis Germany undis european mobile games company
Jul-07
Trion World Network $30,0 Series B USA Rustic Canyon Partners Time Warner MMORPG developer and publisher
Jun-07
In2Games $15,5 undis UK undis   Wiimote-like game peripherals and technology
Jun-07
K2 Network $16,0 Series B USA Intel Capital Greycroft Partners publisher and operator of free to play games
May-07
Minoto Undis undis Netherlands undis videos of people playing games
Apr-07
Brand New World $4,3 undis Germany undis Develops, markets, and promotes innovative mobile apps in the entertainment, multiplayer, and casual gaming
Apr-07
StageSpace (now Bailamo) Undis undis Germany undis "3D sexy", flirting/dating
Apr-07
TVfun Undis undis Netherlands undis international publisher of multimedia family games
Apr-07
ESNation Undis undis Denmark undis eSports news, browser-based games and social networking features
Mar-07
Short Fuze $2,0 undis UK undis mass market movie-making
Mar-07
Exit Games $4,6 undis Germany undis “Neutron” multiplayer platform enables multiplayer capabilities on mobile applications
Mar-07
Xtract $2,7 undis Finland undis helps to monetize digital communities
Feb-07
Electric Sheep Co $7,0 undis USA CBS Corp Gladwyne Partners VW design agency turned into white-label VW tech provider
Jan-07
Wazap! $7,9 undis Germany undis Vertical search engine, database and SocNet for gaming news, rankings, cheats, downloads and reviews
Dec-06
Realtime Worlds $31,0 Series B UK CIM Fund New Enterprise Associates Video game & MMORPG developer and publisher
Aug-06
Unisfair $5,0 Series A Israel Sequoia Capital a virtual events provider
?.2006
Twofish $5,0 Series A USA Venrock Rustic Canyon Virtual economy engine that seamlessly integrates into any online experience
May-04
Realtime Worlds $1,8 Series A UK CIM Fund Video game & MMORPG developer and publisher

 

Investments into Mobile games

Date Company Invested Series Country Lead investor Other key investors Description
Jun-08 Xendex Entertainment $3,6 undis Germany undis european mobile games company
Oct-07
Tag Games Undis Seed UK Multiple angels independent game developer and publisher for mobile devices and game consoles
Sep-07 Trutap $6,5 undis UK undis Free mobile service that combines all the elements of a young person’s social life into one application
Sep-07 SharpCards $3,1 undis UK undis From ‘Pimp my phone” to “hot or not”, our personalisation services (for mobile) have met with huge success
Aug-07 Xendex Entertainment Undis undis Germany undis european mobile games company
Jun-07 Handmade Mobile Entertainment $4,0 undis UK undis flirting service for people connected to the Internet either via PC or mobile phone
Jun-07 Blue Lion Mobile Undis undis Germany undis qeep is a global, fast-growing mobile community with over 200,000 users
May-07 Cometa Wireless $2,0 undis UK undis white label casino for mobile devices
Jan-07 Player X $5,0 undis UK undis mobile media company specialising in games and mobile TV & video
Oct-06 LemonQuest $2,5 undis Spain undis global publisher of mobile games and personalization products

Note: Mobile deals are included as they were part of Adam Martin's original list. Further research has not been done into this sector.

Notes

The data on VC investments has been collected from publicly available sources including but not limited to

The data was gathered by Jussi Laakkonen and Adam Martin. The data is most accurate for year 2008. Year 2006 and earlier years have been only covered sporadically and typically only for companies that have received follow-up funding in years 2007-2008. The data is provided AS IS and the authors make no warranties about its accuracy.

Creative Commons, Attribution, Non-commercial The data is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial license.