Shotcall raises $2.2 million to build gaming community hubs

Shotcall has raised $2.2 million in a seed funding round to build a platform to form gaming communities and marketplaces for fans. The Atlanta-based company is creating an ecosystem for gamers, creators, celebrities, and influencers to better engage with their fans and build stronger communities. A recent Techstars accelerator alumni, Shotcall lets people create communities […]

Dataloop raises $16 million for data annotation tools

AI data management and annotation startup Dataloop today announced that it raised $16 million in funding, a combination of an $11 million series A round and a previously undisclosed $5 million seed round. A spokesperson for the 35-person company says the proceeds will enable Dataloop to increase its recruitment efforts and grow its presence in […]

Donut Lab raises $1.6 million for Kids vs Zombies mobile game

Game studio Donut Lab has raised $1.6 million to finish making its Kids vs Zombies multiplayer shooter mobile game. The game is an example of taking something potentially violent and serious and transforming it with cartoon art so that it’s suitable for young folks to play. It’s the same kind of Looney Tunes strategy that […]

Thirdverse raises $8.5 million to expand its VR business

VR developer Thirdverse has completed a Series A funding round worth $8.5 million. Thirdverse worked on the multiplayer sword-fighting VR game Swords of Gargantua, which came out in 2019. JAFCO lead the investment round, with Presence Capital, Sisu Ventures, and Incubate Fund also investing. The studio’s next game, Frostpoint VR: Proving Grounds, is coming out […]

HaptX wins $1.5 million NSF grant to create full-body haptics for VR

Virtual reality headsets are already advanced enough to make your brain believe you’re moving through an artificial 3D space, but VR hardware makers are still working to replicate the physical sensations of touch and force — not just in hands, but across users’ bodies. Today, VR glove maker HaptX announced it has won a $1.5 […]

Seismic raises $92 million to automate sales processes

Seismic, a startup developing a sales enablement and market orchestration platform, today raised $92 million at a valuation of $1.6 billion. (That’s up from a $1 billion valuation in December 2018.) A company spokesperson tells VentureBeat that the capital will be put toward international growth, mergers and acquisitions, and product R&D. Sales enablement is a […]

Rocket League Passes 1 Million Concurrent Players After Free-To-Play Switch

It appears Rocket League’s conversion to free-to-play has been a success. Following the change in business models on September 23, the soccer-with-cars game reached 1 million concurrent players for the first time in its history. Corey Davis, the co-studio head at developer Psyonix revealed the news, posting a screenshot of the game’s gigantic player population. […]