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Anzu.io Raises $9 Million To Fuel Expansion of the World’s Most Advanced In-Game Advertising Platform
Anzu, the global advertising platform dedicated to gaming, has announced $9 million in new funding. The round was co-led by BITKRAFT Ventures and HBSE Ventures, with participation from the world’s largest marketing services organization WPP and Sony Innovation Fund, the investment arm of one of the world’s largest gaming groups and the owner of PlayStation, as well as Alumni Ventures Group, the leading LGBT+ VC Gaingels, iconic baseball team The Chicago Cubs, Goal Ventures, and prominent angel investors Marc Merrill, Co-Founder, Co-Chairman, and former Co-CEO of Riot Games and Dylan Collins, Co-Founder and CEO of SuperAwesome, the industry’s leading kid-safe ad platform recently acquired by Epic Games. This funding will be used to catalyze Anzu’s commercial growth and fuel sales and marketing activities to propel the company forward on a global scale. The investors will act as strategic partners and Anzu will remain an independent company.
The gaming industry is now larger than the music and film industries combined and is expected to reach approximately $257 billion by 2025. Brands have recognized the potential of gaming and have finally begun to venture into gaming as an advertising channel. “Gaming is one activity that has exploded over the past year and increasingly an important advertising channel,” said WPP CEO Mark Read. “In partnership with Anzu, together with our agencies, we can make it simpler for them to reach the growing audience in the esports and gaming space.”
Operating across console, PC, and mobile platforms, Anzu’s state-of-the-art programmatic technology blends real-world ads into the highest quality video games, esports tournaments, and live streams, enhancing games’ realism and transforming game objects into valuable advertising opportunities. Clients include game publishers Ubisoft, Lion Castle, and Nacon and global brands Pepsico, Samsung, American Eagle, and Vodafone.
“Anzu has been delivering the technology they promised and growing their industry footprint. We are excited to join this funding round and support Anzu, entering a new phase of growth in in-game advertising. The company’s gamer-first attitude will enable developers to access new business models and bring advertisers closer to gamer audiences without disturbing gameplay,” says Gen Tsuchikawa, CEO and Chief Investment Officer at Innovation Growth Ventures, Sony Innovation Fund.
With battle-tested technology in place, Anzu’s roadmap includes new products that will complement and amplify its core technology. Planned expansion to the U.S., starting with Los Angeles and New York, as well as to Singapore, China, and other core locations will strategically position Anzu globally, facilitating opportunities to network and nurture relationships with global game developers and local advertisers critical to Anzu’s growth.
“We are proud to have global leaders in advertising, entertainment, gaming, esports, and venture capital invest in Anzu’s next stage of growth,” says Itamar Benedy, Co-Founder and CEO at Anzu. “These trailblazers are the perfect combination of strategic partners to help us maintain our dominating position as we enter 2021.”
“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!” says Jens Hilgers, Founding General Partner at BITKRAFT.
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Aristocrat Leisure Completes Acquisition of Neo Group Ltd. (f/k/a NeoGames) for $29.50 per Share
Neo Group Ltd. (formerly known as NeoGames S.A.), announced today that Aristocrat Leisure Limited, an entertainment and content creation company delivering world-leading mobile and casino games, has completed the previously announced acquisition of all of the outstanding ordinary shares of Neo for $29.50 per share in an all-cash transaction, representing an enterprise value of approximately $1.2 billion for Neo.
“We are excited to have successfully closed this transaction and joined forces with the Aristocrat team to further drive our success across iLottery, iGaming, and online sports betting,” said Moti Malul, Chief Executive Officer of Neo. “We firmly believe that this Transaction represents a great outcome for all of Neo’s shareholders, customers and employees. We are very grateful to all our stakeholders who have supported us since our inception. I would also like to thank all our employees for their commitment in making Neo the great company it is today.”
The transaction was announced on May 15, 2023.
The post Aristocrat Leisure Completes Acquisition of Neo Group Ltd. (f/k/a NeoGames) for $29.50 per Share appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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PRAGMATIC PLAY DELIVERS BRAND NEW DEDICATED LIVE STUDIO FOR BETSSON
Pragmatic Play, a leading content supplier to the iGaming industry, has expanded its partnership with Betsson Group to deliver an exclusive dedicated Live Casino studio featuring a mix of premium Blackjack and Roulette tables.
Incorporating all the fan-favourite features of Pragmatic Play’s Live Casino games, including multiplayer mode, chat functionality, and bet behind, the nine custom-built tables have been uniquely crafted to immerse players in the Betsson Group brands.
In total, eight new dedicated Blackjack tables and one new Roulette table will be broadcast from the custom-built live studio, every detail of which has been designed to Betsson’s precise requirements.
It is the latest dedicated studio to be delivered by Pragmatic Play, whose operator partners can also use Smart Studio to customise elements of the Live Casino titles to produce bespoke environments that showcase their brands.
Irina Cornides, Chief Operating Officer at Pragmatic Play, said: “Delivering a dedicated studio for Betsson marks another milestone for Pragmatic Play’s award-winning Live Casino offering. Betsson is a much-valued partner, and we are delighted to provide them with an immersive live environment that is fully dedicated to their brand.”
Chellyanne Cassar, Live Casino Manager at Betsson Group, added: “We are delighted to collaborate with Pragmatic Play to ensure delivery of a bespoke dedicated studio, where we can showcase our brand-new Blackjack and Roulette tables.
“The partnership highlights our shared commitment to delivering unparalleled gaming experiences, and we’re thrilled with the final results of the studio.”
The post PRAGMATIC PLAY DELIVERS BRAND NEW DEDICATED LIVE STUDIO FOR BETSSON appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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EL Executive Committee Names Mr Ionut-Valeriu Andrei as New Member
The EL Executive Committee has named Mr. Ionut-Valeriu Andrei as its newest member during its meeting on April 5. Mr. Andrei is the General Manager of Loteria Română since 2022, and succeeds Mr. Olgierd Cieslik, whose term as CEO of Totalisator Sportowy (Poland) has concluded.
”It is with great pleasure to welcome Mr Ionut-Valeriu Andrei as a new Executive Committee member. As an experienced executive, Mr Andrei has already contributed in various ways to our Association and the EL Executive Committee members trust he will continue to do so in the future,” Arjan van ‘t Veer, Secretary General of EL, said.
Mr Andrei will oversee the learning and development activities of EL. His appointment underscores the further commitment of the European Lotteries to inclusivity and collaboration among its members.
”I am honoured to join the EL Executive Committee and look forward to working closely with my colleagues to advance the mission and values of the Association,” Ionut-Valeriu Andrei said.
Mr Andrei’s co-optation will be formalised during the upcoming EL General Assembly in Salzburg (Austria) on 17 June 2024.
The post EL Executive Committee Names Mr Ionut-Valeriu Andrei as New Member appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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