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Firefly Games raises $8M to bring top Asian mobile games to the West
Firefly Games has raised $8 million to bring mobile games popular in Asia to the western world. Only founded last month, Firefly said it plans to release four games in 2015, including Rising Heroes, a tactical strategy role-playing game which will debut in April and was created by China’s 4Inch. The company plans to use innovative game design, Western-style tournaments, and AAA content to launch its games. It will also use recent funding to buy and internally develop games. [Firefly Games raises $8M to bring top Asian mobile games to the West: VentureBeat]
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TigerText sales grow more than 300 percent in 2014, driven by demand for Secure workplace texting
TigerText, a secure SMS enterprise app startup, said its 2014 sales were up 300 percent due to demand for secure communications. The company makes a text communications app that is HIPAA compliant (patient privacy law) and has also found success providing secure text messaging to the financial industry. According to the company 38 percent of Fortune 500 companies use the app and more than 500 million messages per month are sent across the platform. [TigerText sales grow more than 300 percent in 2014, driven by demand for Secure Workplace Texting: Business Wire]
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Washio goes truly on-demand with launch of ‘Washio Now’
Washio, the laundry service app, has launched version 3.0. Now customers can have their laundry picked up within 30 to 60 minutes, and returned clean within about 24 hours. Currently, about 70 percent of Washio orders are placed for same-day pickup, so the new feature gets right to the core of its user interests. The company had to create a new routing and dispatch algorithm to efficiently coordinate the on-demand service. Using the new app drivers are now making up to nine stops per hour in highly dense areas like San Francisco, said CEO Jordan Metzner. [Washio Goes Truly On-Demand With Launch Of ‘Washio Now:’ TechCrunch]
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Culver City’s DataPop sold to French firm
Criteo, a French marketing analytics company, bought DataPop, a Culver-city based ad tech firm for an undisclosed amount. DataPop’s OmniAds, which launched last October, turns online product listings into online advertisements that run on Google, Bing, Pinterest, Polyvore, eBay and Amazon. DataPop had raised $9 million in capital. Local investors included Rincon Venture Partners in Santa Barbara and Pasadena’s Momentum Venture Management. DataPop’s customers include NewEgg.com, Pier 1 Imports, OpenSky, and Sport Chalet. [Culver City’s DataPop Sold to French Firm: Los Angeles Business Journal]
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Snapchat said to seek up to $19 billion value in funding
Just after raising $486 million, at a reported $10 billion valuation, Snapchat is at it again, raising a new round of capital that would value the company at $19 billion. That would make it the third-most valuable venture investment backed company in the world, behind Uber and Xiaomi. Snapchat has been rapidly raising capital, launching new features and acquiring new users rapidly. Founder Evan Spiegel said in leaked emails that he thinks it is vital that the company finds a steady revenue generation model sooner rather than later. [Snapchat said to seek up to $19 billion value in funding: Bloomberg]
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Science Inc. receives $20M, eyes portfolio growth
Science has raised $20 million in debt funding from Silver Lake Waterman. The startup studio plans to use the money as growth capital for its existing portfolio businesses, to make additional investments and to acquire new companies. CEO Mike Jones said the studio would still be largely focused on the mobile sector. Science portfolio companies include DogVacay, Dollar Shave Club and MeUndies. [Science Inc. receives $20M, eyes portfolio growth: Built In LA]
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Nativo announces appointment of comScore CEO Serge Matta to board of directors
Nativo, a programmatic native advertising network, has added comScore CEO Serge Matta to its board of directors. As banner advertisement performance declines many brands are shifting to native advertisements– advertisements written to look like news articles– and Nativo is in a race with other startups like Sharethrough and Polar for market share. By adding Matta to the board Nativo positions itself for possible partnerships with comScore, and maybe a buyout down the road. [Nativo announces appointment of comScore CEO Serge Matta to board of directors: MarketWatch]
