Anzu, the trailblazer in intrinsic in-game advertising solutions, announced a triumphant Series B fundraising round, raking in $48 million and gaining an impressive boost in its valuation. The latest fundraising round also involved the conversion of SAFE notes and investors leaving with a tenfold increase in their valuation.
The lead investor for this round was Emmis Corporation, a highly respected US company specializing in media, sports, and entertainment. Further investments came from PayPal Ventures, Evolution, Simon Equity Partners, and Bandai Namco Entertainment 021 Fund, the venture arm of the global entertainment giant, Bandai Namco Entertainment. Among the existing investors of Anzu are Sony Innovation Fund, NBCUniversal, WPP, Bitkraft, Samsung Next, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) Ventures, Axel Springer and Marquee Ventures, the latter being the venture capital fund of the parent company of the Chicago Cubs.
A New Era for In-Game Advertising – Anzu’s Expansion Plans
In-game advertising is witnessing explosive growth as more advertisers and developers discover the immense potential it holds for tapping into a fresh gamer market. Following Anzu’s recent hiring of Nerissa MacDonald as EVP Global Sales, the newly raised funds will be utilized to strengthen its global leadership team. Anzu also plans to extend its US presence by establishing teams nationwide. The funding will ensure Anzu’s continued independence, allowing them to stay devoted to their mission of elevating in-game advertising.
“We’re delighted to successfully conclude our Series B fundraising round and welcome some exciting new investors,” shared Itamar Benedy, Co-Founder, and CEO of Anzu. “In-game advertising is poised to become a multi-billion dollar market, and Anzu is ideally placed to seize this massive opportunity. In the past year, we’ve reached significant milestones, teamed up with more exclusive AAA games and high-quality content, enhanced our advertising measurement capabilities, and secured patents for our proprietary intellectual property.”
“Investor Insights on Anzu’s Fundraising Success”
Jeff Smulyan, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of lead investor Emmis Corporation, spoke about the new funding: “In-game advertising is on the brink of becoming the next significant advertising category as marketers align their brands with billions of gamers across cloud, PC, console, and mobile platforms worldwide. We eagerly anticipate our collaboration with Anzu as they deliver the technology and business system to make in-game advertising a key component of every marketer’s media buying plans.”
James Loftus, Managing Partner at PayPal Ventures, shared: “As the undisputed market leader in the emerging field of in-game advertising, Anzu introduces highly sophisticated advertising into complex, 3D environments. We’re thrilled to back Anzu as they build on their proprietary technology, expand their solid ecosystem of partners, and grow their team in the U.S. and worldwide.”
