Marketing tech startup Livewire bags $4.7 million Series A

Sydney startup Livewire, which brings gaming marketing to company promotions, has raised $4.7 million in a Series A.

The round was led by RealVC – the first investment for Matt Berriman’s new fund – with participation from Perennial Private Ventures, Alua, Hills Cider Company cofounder Toby Kline, EA Asia Pacific founding regional president Nigel Sandiford and strategic investors in gaming. RealVC managing partner Matt Berriman will join the board.

Livewire plans to use the capital to scale and ramp up the headcount with an eye to further global market expansion.

The 16-month-old gaming marketing company develops integrated gaming marketing solutions for  advertising agencies and brands. Recent clients include Uber Eats, which commissioned a research and insights program to shape its gaming strategy, as well as streaming site Binge, and Warner Music Australia.

The Livewire Ad Marketplace has partnered with the likes of Candy Crush parent company Activision Blizzard Media and deliver adtech for Roblox and Xbox and Playstation games.

The company now operates in four markets, having opened new offices in Mumbai and Singapore alongside London and Sydney.

Livewire cofounders and co-CEOs Brad Manuel and Indy Khabra said that while gaming has around 3 billion unique users a day globally, but most brands were struggling to engage gamers with a considered, long-term strategy.

Khabra said they were excited for this next phase of the business following the raise.

“Our Series A funding round will enable Livewire to scale up and invest in our gametech products, talent, and our business operations,” he said.

“We’re adding new skills and staff to continue to drive growth within the gaming marketing sector with our unique offering. Sitting horizontal across the entire gaming ecosystem, Livewire provides advertisers a single-entry point to the entire spectrum of gaming marketing possibilities. Our capabilities cover strategy, creative, content and media.”

RealVC ‘s Matt Berriman said: “What Indy and Brad have achieved in such a short period of time is indicative of their experience to leverage one of the fastest growing, most lucrative industry sectors in the world The Livewire team, technology and a large and growing TAM was an opportunity irresistible to RealVC.”