Participated · Equity · Mar 2022

Anzu.io is an in-game advertising platform. The company announced it closed a $20M funding round. NBCUniversal and HTC joined as investors alongside existing backers WPP, Sony Innovation Fund and BITKRAFT Ventures. The post also lists HBSE Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Chicago Cubs, GOAL Ventures and Marc Merrill among backers. The raise brings Anzu's total funding to $37M since 2017. The announcement did not disclose operating metrics or future product plans. Anzu.io provides in-game advertising technology that embeds real-world ads into high-quality video games, esports tournaments and live streams across console, PC and mobile. Its clients include game publishers Ubisoft, Lion Castle and Nacon, and global brands PepsiCo, Samsung and Vodafone. The company positions gaming as an increasingly important advertising channel as the industry grows (the article notes gaming is larger than music and film combined and expected to reach about $257 billion by 2025). Anzu received $9 million in new funding to fuel international expansion. With the new capital it plans to expand in the US (starting in Los Angeles and New York) and into Asian markets including Singapore and China. No revenue or user metrics were disclosed in the article. Anzu.io provides a programmatic in-game advertising platform with real-time analytics that serves dynamic, IAB-recognized ad formats directly inside games without disrupting player experience. The company emphasizes hyper-targeting and personalized advertising to enable Fortune 500 brands to reach audiences in-game and helps developers monetize the same user in multiple ways. Anzu.io recently launched the first ad-verification solution in console gaming to ensure viewability, brand safety, and fraud protection. Its technology deploys real-world ads through exclusive inventory in top video games and promises improved programmatic delivery and real-time data optimization. The company plans to expand offerings to target triple-A PC and console franchises and to scale business development in European and North American markets. Anzu.io has 13 employees and raised $6.5 million in the financing announced in the article.