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Mobile Entertainment

Comedy Central to Sell Mobile Entertainment Through Amp'd Mobile

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 6, 2006 - 5:28am.
Las Vegas - Viacom's Comedy Central announced on Friday that it will distribute mobile content for its "South Park" and "Chappelle's Show" series through Amp'd Mobile. Mobile "South Park" content will include ringtones, wallpapers, video and games; Amp'd will also be the exclusive carrier for a promo video for the third season of the network's "Chappelle's Show."
tags: Amp'd Mobile | Comedy Central | Mobile Entertainment | Mobiles |

Mobile Entertainment Publisher Mforma Raises $30 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 5, 2005 - 11:19am.
San Francisco - Mforma, a publisher and distributor of mobile entertainment content, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $30 million in its third round of venture capital financing. Institutional Venture Partners led the investment round; previous investors Bessemer Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and General Catalyst Partners also participated. Founded in 2001, San Francisco-based Mforma distributes mobile games and subscription content services through over 100 wireless carriers in 39 countries. Media partners have included Atari, Billboard, Viacom, Universal, Activision, Marvel and Primedia. The funds will be used to develop new product lines and to expand global operations and marketing initiatives.
tags: Mobile | VC | Mforma | Mobile Entertainment |

Mobile Entertainment Firm Dwango Wireless Lays Off 30% of Staff

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 30, 2005 - 3:28am.
Seattle - Mobile entertainment publisher Dwango Wireless announced on Friday that it will lay off 30% of its staff as part of a plan to reduce expenses and focus on "high-potential" branded services for Rolling Stone, Napster, Playboy and USA Today. Seattle-based Dwango, which powers Napster's branded ringtone retail service, said that it will provide severance for affected employees. The company anticipates severance costs of $34,000 in the third quarter, and expects the restructuring will result in annual savings of $1.5 million.
tags: Staff | Mobile Entertainment | Dwango Wireless |

Mobile Entertainment Firm Sennari Raises $5 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 26, 2005 - 7:38am.
Los Angeles -- Sennari Entertainment, a developer of mobile entertainment and loyalty applications, announced on Monday that it has raised $5 million in its second round of venture capital financing. UV Partners led the investment round; previous investors Novak Biddle Venture Partners and Blacksmith Capital also participated. Los Angeles-based Sennari provides mobile carriers like Amp'd Mobile with loyalty applications including rewards programs and mobile games. The company will use the funds to further build out its mobile loyalty platform.
tags: VC | Sennari | Mobile Entertainment |

Japan's Cybird Buys Mobile Entertainment Firm Airborne for $90 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 22, 2005 - 8:29am.
Montreal -- Canadian mobile entertainment publisher Airborne Entertainment announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to be acquired by Japan's Cybird, a provider of mobile content services, for about $90 million. Founded in 2000, Montreal-based Airborne has produced mobile games based on licenses from MAXIM Magazine, Fox, Donald Trump and others; Cybird has created mobile content sites for NTT DoCoMo, au and Vodafone that count a combined 3.6 million subscribers. Cybird said it would benefit from Airborne's content library and distribution deals with North American wireless carriers, while Airborne will gain greater access for its products in the lucrative Asian wireless market. Airborne will become a subsidiary of Cybird and maintain its current management team.
tags: Japan | Airborne | Mobile Entertainment | Cybird |

Mobile Entertainment Firms Sorrent, Macrospace Merge to Form Glu Mobile

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 2, 2005 - 3:05am.
San Diego -- California-based mobile entertainment publisher Sorrent and U.K.-based technology provider and mobile game studio Macrospace announced on Thursday that they have merged their brands to form a new company, Glu Mobile. The combined company will offer more than 100 original and branded titles, including games like "DRIV3R," "Deer Hunter" and "Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Mobile," and video clips from Cartoon Network, Fox Sports and Celador International. "Glu Mobile is the culmination of two world-class publishers coming together under a single global identity," said Glu Mobile president and CEO Greg Ballard. "The mobile entertainment market has evolved tremendously in the past few years, yet it's still early in consumer adoption and understanding, making the time right to launch a new brand."
tags: Glu Mobile | Mobile Entertainment | Sorrent | Macrospace |

Mobile Entertainment Firm Airmedia Gets Investment from Sierra Ventures

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 27, 2005 - 6:43am.
San Francisco -- Airmedia, a developer and publisher of mobile entertainment applications, announced on Wednesday that it has raised an undisclosed amount in a new financing round from Sierra Ventures.
tags: Investment | Mobile Entertainment | Airmedia | Sierra Ventures |

Mobile Entertainment Firm Dwango Raises $15 Million in Private Placement

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on February 4, 2005 - 3:16am.
Seattle -- Dwango North America, a publisher of mobile entertainment content, announced that it has raised $15 million through a private placement of its shares with four investor groups. Seattle-based Dwango Wireless has created ringtones, games and mobile phone applications for Napster, Playboy and Rolling Stone. "This financing allows us to continue the strong growth we are experiencing and to enhance our presence in the mobile arena. We see significant opportunities to develop and acquire additional content as well as to expand our distribution channels," said Dwango Wireless CEO Rick Hennessey.
tags: VC | Private Placement | Mobile Entertainment | Dwango |

Mobile Entertainment, Marketing Firm Enpocket Raises $9.5 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 8, 2004 - 7:31am.
Helsinki -- Enpocket, a provider of integrated mobile entertainment and marketing services, announced on Monday that it has raised $9.5 million in a third round of funding. Straumur Investment Bank led the round, with existing investors Nokia Venture Partners, GrandBanks Capital and Dolphin Equity Partners also participating. Enpocket said it plans to use the funds to develop new products and expand sales and marketing in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Separately, the company announced that Peter Larsen, Enpocket's former managing director for the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), has been promoted to chief executive officer. Enpocket, whose clients include Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica, Nokia, the BBC and Microsoft, is headquartered in New York and has offices in London, Helsinki and Reykjavik.
tags: VC | Mobile Entertainment | Enpocket |

Mobile Entertainment Firm Airborne Buys Development Studio of Tira Wireless

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 7, 2004 - 2:45am.
Montreal -- Mobile entertainment publisher Airborne Entertainment announced on Thursday that it has acquired the mobile publishing division of Tira Wireless, a provider of wireless application developers' tools. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Toronto-based Tira Studios has created mobile content applications for customers including TV Guide, Maxim, the NFL, Fox, HBO and The Food Network. Montreal-based Airborne creates games, messaging services, ringtones and graphics that are distributed in both North America and overseas. "The acquisition underscores our vision and success in addressing the needs of consumer and business brands to create new revenue streams and to reach their customers through the mobile channel," said Airborne CEO Garner Bornstein. "It allows us to further our goal of providing a world-class branded mobile media publishing platform at a time when consumption of mobile content is at an all-time growth inflection point."
tags: Airborne | Mobile Entertainment | Tira Wireless | Development Studio |

Mobile Entertainment Publisher Mforma Acquires Game Porter FingerTwitch

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 19, 2004 - 2:18am.
Bellevue, Wash. -- Mobile entertainment publisher Mforma Group, which earlier this week announced raising $40 million in new financing, said on Thursday that it has acquired San Francisco-based FingerTwitch, a developer of technology used to port mobile games to multiple devices and wireless platforms. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Mforma also named FingerTwitch CEO Jimmy Giliberti as head of its porting and QA department, which will be based out of San Francisco. FingerTwitch is "able to scale to accomplish hundreds of ports per month, making them an extremely valuable part of our production cycle as we deliver dozens of applications to more than 100 operators worldwide," said John Brimacombe, president of Bellevue, Wash.-based Mforma.
tags: Games | Mforma | Mobile Entertainment | FingerTwitch |

Mobile Entertainment Publisher Mforma Raises $19 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 17, 2004 - 2:38am.
Kirkland, Wash. -- Mobile entertainment publisher Mforma Group announced on Tuesday that it will soon close on a new $40 million round of financing, having just closed a $44 million round in June. The new round includes a first close of $19 million led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, with participation from existing investors General Catalyst Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners. The company said additional funding will be based on pending acquisitions currently under review. Kirkland, Wash.-based Mforma was founded in 2001, and its entertainment content is now available to over 500 million subscribers through deals with 100 wireless carriers worldwide. The company will use the funds to continue its global expansion and add new geographic territories, channels of distribution, and infrastructure in high growth areas like Asia and Europe.
tags: VC | Mforma | Mobile Entertainment |

Japan's For-Side Acquires Mobile Entertainment Firm Vindigo for $36.5 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on August 17, 2004 - 2:37am.
New York -- Mobile entertainment and applications publisher Vindigo Studios has announced that it was acquired earlier this month by Japanese mobile content provider For-Side.com, for $36.5 million in cash. Founded in 1999, New York-based Vindigo achieved profitability in early 2004; the company has developed 20 wireless applications with partners including MapQuest, The New York Times and The Sporting News. Following the merger, Vindigo will continue to operate as an independent entity led by existing management. Japan's For-Side has a market capitalization of $1.7 billion and operations in Japan, Korea, the U.K. and the U.S. The company said the acquisition will allow it to expand its product offering both in the U.S. and abroad.
tags: Japan | Mobile Entertainment | Vindigo | For-Side |

Mobile Entertainment Publisher Sorrent Raises $20 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 29, 2004 - 4:06am.
San Mateo, Calif. -- Mobile entertainment publisher Sorrent announced on Thursday that it has raised $20 million in its third round of venture capital financing. BA Venture Partners led the investment round; previous investors New Enterprise Associates, Globespan Capital Partners and Sienna Ventures also participated. San Mateo, Calif.-based Sorrent develops games for cell phones, and has partnerships with companies including Atari, Fox Sports Interactive Media and Viacom. The company will use the funds to expand its global reach and distribution. Separately, Sorrent announced that it has signed a direct publishing agreement with Korean telco SK Telecom.
tags: VC | Mobile Entertainment | Sorrent |

Mobile Entertainment Publisher Airborne Raises $22 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 28, 2004 - 4:19am.
Montreal -- Mobile entertainment publisher Airborne Entertainment announced on Wednesday that it has raised $22 million in a recent round of venture capital financing, led by Insight Venture Partners. Montreal-based Airborne develops wireless games, ringtones and other mobile entertainment for partners including Maxim and YM magazines, the National Hockey League, Fox Filmed Entertainment, The Food Network and Dr. Deepak Chopra. The company also claims distribution agreements with all major wireless carriers. Airborne will use the funds to expand its mobile entertainment products and services, as well as to support international distribution efforts and strategic acquisition opportunities.
tags: VC | Airborne | Mobile Entertainment |

iTouch Buys Jippi Mobile Entertainment for $37 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on July 21, 2004 - 4:53am.
Dublin -- iTouch, a U.K.-based mobile services group, said on Wednesday that it would buy Jippii Mobile Entertainment, a unit of Finland-based telecommunications provider Saunalahti Group, for more than $37 million. Under the terms of the acquisition, iTouch will pay 5 million euro in cash and 7 million euro in iTouch shares. The remainder, which is dependent on Jiippi's financial performance, will also be paid in shares, iTouch said. iTouch said deal would give it access to new markets in Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Russia.
tags: Mobile Entertainment | iTouch | Jippi |

Report: Mobile Entertainment to Generate $8 Billion in Europe by 2008

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on May 21, 2004 - 7:44am.
London -- Mobile consumer applications like video games, ringtones, video and music will drive the take-up of data and generate traffic and revenues for mobile operators of just under $8 billion in Western Europe by 2008, according to a new study from market research firm IDC. Operators including Vodafone, O2 and DoCoMo have already launched some video and music services in Europe, although IDC notes that video and especially music streaming or downloading services will take a bit longer to deploy than did ringtones or mobile games, which are already extremely popular. "This underlines that the wireless industry will not see the one killer application that many are still seeking and talking about," said IDC senior analyst Paolo Pescatore. "All these applications -- ring tones, gaming, video, and music -- will eventually find their place on a mobile. Clearly operators need to start marketing and selling mobile data services, which is something they have not been used to, as previously voice sold itself."
tags: Europe | Reports | Mobile Entertainment | Generate |

Mobile Entertainment Publisher Dwango Raises $2.3 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 26, 2004 - 4:09am.
Seattle -- Mobile entertainment publisher Dwango North America announced on Friday that it has raised $2.3 million in a financing round led by Alexandra Global Master Fund. Seattle-based Dwango publishes mobile games, ringtones and other entertainment services, and holds technology and content licenses from its Japanese counterpart, Dwango Co. Ltd. The company will use the funds for general corporate purposes and for license acquisitions related to consumer and media brands.
tags: VC | Mobile Entertainment | Dwango |

Mobliss Acquired by Japanese Mobile Entertainment Firm for $15 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 27, 2004 - 2:26am.
Seattle -- Mobliss, a provider of mobile entertainment and messaging applications, announced that it was acquired by Japanese mobile phone content provider Index Corp. in a transaction valued at $15 million. The deal, which closed on Jan. 13, will maintain the current staff and management of Seattle-based Mobliss. The company said on Tuesday that it will once again power AT&T Wireless' cell phone text-message voting feature for viewers of Fox's "American Idol" series.
tags: Japanese | Mobile Entertainment | Mobliss |