Sydney startup Livewire, which brings gaming marketing to corporate promotions, has raised $4.7 million in a Series A.
The round was led by RealVC, with participation from Perennial Private Ventures, Alua, Hills Cider Company Co-Founder Toby Kline, EA Asia Pacific Founder by Regional President Nigel Sandiford, and gaming strategic investors. RealVC managing partner Matt Berriman joins the board.
Livewire plans to use the capital to scale and increase its workforce for further global market expansion.
The 16-month-old gaming marketing company develops integrated gaming marketing solutions for advertising agencies and brands. Recent clients include Uber Eats, which commissioned a research and insights program to shape its gaming strategy, as well as streaming site Binge, and Warner Music Australia.
The Livewire Ad Marketplace partners with companies like Candy Crush, parent company Activision Blizzard Media, and provides adtech for Roblox and Xbox and Playstation games.
The company now operates in four markets and has opened new offices in Mumbai and Singapore in addition to London and Sydney.
Livewire co-founders and co-CEOs Brad Manuel and Indy Khabra said that while gaming has approximately 3 billion unique users per day worldwide, most brands struggled to engage gamers with a well-considered long-term strategy.
Khabra said they were excited about this next phase of the business after the raise.
“Our Series A funding round enables Livewire to scale and invest in our gametech products, talent and our business,” he said.
“We are adding new skills and staff to continue to drive growth within the gaming marketing industry with our unique offering. Livewire sits horizontally across the entire gaming ecosystem, providing advertisers with a single point of access to the entire spectrum of gaming marketing opportunities. Our capabilities span strategy, creative, content and media.”
RealVC’s Matt Berriman said: “What Indy and Brad have accomplished in such a short space of time is indicative of their experience leveraging one of the fastest growing, most lucrative industry sectors in the world. The Livewire team, technology and a huge and TAM’s growth was an irresistible opportunity for RealVC.”
