It’s been a bit of a banger month for Anzu.io, the world’s most advanced in-game advertising platform. The very end of February had Anzu announcing a content focused partnership with NBCUniversal. The two companies are back together, but this time it’s all about funding.
NBCUniversal and HTC have both stepped in to fund Anzu, increasing its total capital raised to $37 million since 2017. The total list of investors for this round also include Sony, WPP, Riot Games’ Marc Merrill, and many others. Also the Chicago Cubs.
Yes, the baseball team.
All of the investors will act as strategic partners going forward, while Anzu itself will remain an independent company.
Advertising and the metaverse
“Everyone is talking about the impending metaverse, and we are starting to see it emerge from several different angles,” said Anzu.io boss Itamar Benedy. “However, if you want to see it in action right now, you just need to look to today’s most popular gaming platforms, which are hosting virtual concerts and film screenings. This funding will further expand our in-game advertising solution, helping even more advertisers understand where their brand fits in, and how they navigate these immersive, digitally-connected spaces.”
It’s easy to imagine the nightmare scenario of the metaverse. Futurama painted it perfectly back in its second season when the characters entered the internet. As soon as they entered the virtual space they were besieged by ads.
Nobody wants that. It seems like content focused companies like NBCUniversal and Sony see a better way through Anzu. It seems like metaverse-dabblers like HTC know the best way for ads to succeed is through Anzu’s signature unobtrusive integration.
“I am proud to have iconic investors who share in Anzu’s vision and enable us to bring in-game advertising and our best-class tech to more gaming platforms and global brands,” said Benedy.