PlayVS raised $50 million to help high school students play competitive e-sports. The platform, which partners with the NFHS, has raised $96 million in just 13 months and has 13,000 schools on its waitlist. [Built In LA]
AvantStay secured $20 million to offer luxury rental homes for group trips. Travelers can go on AvantStay's website or mobile app to browse more than 150 posh properties in more than 10 destinations. [Built In LA]
Two entertainment veterans launched a gaming TV network. Ben Kusin and Ariel Horn, formerly of Vivendi Games and Riot Games, respectively, raised $17 million to launch VENN, a gaming network featuring e-sports events and streaming content with higher production values. It will be available on Hulu TV, YouTube and Twitch in 2020, with live studios in LA and New York. [Built In LA]
Kitchen United raised $40 million to help restaurant brands reach customers off site. Kitchen United operates strategically-placed commercial kitchens that house multiple brands, so restaurant chains can expand into new areas without the capital and technology barriers. The company already has a presence in Pasadena and Chicago and is working on sites in Scottsdale, Austin, San Francisco, Los Angeles and, most recently, New York City. [Press release]
Mobcrush hit 84 million unique monthly users. Mobcrush is a mobile livestreaming service where users can create, watch or share streaming content. Since launching its "Go Live, Get Paid" sponsorship platform in 2018, the company said it's paid $5 million in ad funds to e-sports players and game streamers. [VentureBeat]
BallerTV acquired FieldVision for an undisclosed amount. BallerTV livestreams amateur sports and broadcasts as many as 17,000 games in a weekend. FieldVision's proprietary computer vision-driven software and autonomous cameras will help BallerTV cover more games. [Press release]
DISQO appointed Jean-Philippe Durrios as CFO and COO. DISQO is a market research platform that collects and analyzes data on consumers for marketers. Durrios has 20 years of experience with global companies, most recently serving as vice president of strategic finance and operations at ServiceTitan. [Press release]
