Japan's KLab raises $9.3M for mobile games

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Japanese mobile firm KLab has raised $9.3 million in funding as it starts a marketing expansion.

The money came from two sources: Oak Capital Corp. and Hakuhodo, according to market analyst Serkan Toto. Hakuhodo is a big marketing and ad company in Japan. The company plans to promote games such as its card-battle mobile game, Lord of the Dragons. For the period from September 2012 to May, Klab lost $7.7 million. The company’s stock is trading up in Japan as a result of the announcement.

Tetsuya Sanada founded KLab, and he says that his vision for the company was inspired by Japanese politician Ryoma Sakamoto, who envisioned a Japan without feudal trappings. Klab, he writes on the company’s site, has built a system for making games and carved out its niche in social and smartphone markets.