In-game advertising platform Anzu has raised $9m (£6.56m) in its latest round of funding, with the likes of BITKRAFT Ventures and Sony Innovation Fund becoming investors.
The capital raised will be used to expand the company’s commercial growth alongside funding sales and marketing initiatives to assist in moving it forward on a global scale.
RELATED: Anzu expands partnership with Axis Games
The funding round was co-led by BITKRAFT Ventures and HBSE Ventures. Other participants in the funding round include marketing services organisation WPP, The Chicago Cubs, and Alumni Ventures Group, alongside the Sony Innovation Fund. Riot Games co-founder Marc Merrill and the publishers former Co-CEO Dylan Collins were also revealed as investors.
Itamar Benedy, Co-Founder and CEO at Anzu, spoke on the funding round in a release: “We are proud to have global leaders in advertising, entertainment, gaming, esports, and venture capital invest in Anzu’s next stage of growth. These trailblazers are the perfect combination of strategic partners to help us maintain our dominating position as we enter 2021.”
RELATED: Anzu’s CEO on The Clutch victory and immersive ad developments
This is the second funding round that the in-game advertising platform has closed. In August 2019, BITKRAFT led a £6.5 million (4.74 million) Series A round, which also saw participation from WPP.
Jens Hilgers, Founding General Partner at BITKRAFT, also spoke on the investment: “Since our initial investment, the Anzu team has built the most sophisticated platform to deliver blended in-game advertisement at scale in the higher-end games segment. The impressive line up of game integrations combined with brands executing unique campaigns on the platform has validated Anzu’s market position and technology.
“We are proud to invest alongside this stellar group of co-investors and look forward to seeing the Anzu team continue to redefine in-game advertisement!”
According to the release, Anzu’s investors will act as strategic partners, with the advertising platform remaining an independent company.
Esports Insider says: This latest round of funding consolidates the company’s position as the top in-game advertising platform in the esports industry. With global expansion on the cards thanks to the capital raised, expect more publishers, developers, and brands to utilise Anzu’s technology to advertise throughout 2021.