FanUp Closes $4M Seed II Round With Lead Investors of DraftKings, Skillz and The Score
Continues Explosive Growth With Young Professionals and Casual Gamers
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 08, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FanUp, Inc., an ultra-innovative mobile gaming company (U.S. and India), announced the successful close of its oversubscribed Seed II Round of $4 million led by industry titans, including Accomplice (DraftKings, Skillz), Alumni Ventures Group (Circle – Crypto), John Albright (co-founder, Relay Ventures, lead investor in The Score), Ruttenberg Gordon Investments, and The Carpenter Family (former owners of the Philadelphia Phillies).
The superstar roster of investors was captivated by FanUp’s game-changing approach, meteoric rise, and appeal to young professionals and casual fans — the most coveted demographics. Since launching its app (iOS) in February 2021, FanUp has expanded exponentially, achieving monumental success and traction with customers, acquiring more than 100,000 users, surpassing $5 million in revenue and 45 million views on TikTok.
“As sprachgefühl (shprak-ge-fool) defines the essential character of a language, we’ve re-defined the character and natural idiom of gaming by variegating the gaming experience to include perspectives that appeal to every type of fan, specifically 18- to 34-year-olds, who help grow our industry. The Seed II raise is a catalyst that helps us on our journey to even greater accomplishments moving forward,” said Tej Bodiwala, founder and CEO at FanUp.
“I want to thank our team, who have the same voracious appetite for winning that I do. We’re inspirited by our traction, investors, success, and, most of all, by our customers and their feedback. We have something special here, and I look forward to our Series A in 2023.”
FanUp’s universal appeal is its simplicity, gameplay, elegant UI, custom content, and innovation, including:
- Flex Ball Contests™
- First-ever Cross League Flex Contests
- Multiplayer groups
- Entertaining, personalized content based on user data
- The most engaging social fan community
- Heavy Social Media presence (TikTok, IG)
- Peer-to-peer challenges
- Real-Money Parlays
- Brand partnerships
FanUp’s proprietary blend of gaming levels the playing field; driving equality across fandom. In fact, FanUp has engaged segments of fans other apps have failed to, with 52% of its user base being women, and 34% of customer acquisition organic. Users can’t get enough — launching the app in all 50 states and every Canadian province 12 times a day, with 35 daily touch points, from contests and parlays to GIF battles and group play.
“FanUp is like Nadal at the French Open or Federer at Wimbledon — it just wins! It’s exciting to invest in a team that consistently crushes all their goals. The app is brilliant, with the best UI and innovation in the game. We look forward to being an integral part of FanUp, and believe that FanUp will continue growing towards being a mobile gaming empire for every type of fan,” said David Ruttenberg, Managing Partner, Ruttenberg Gordon Investments.
FanUp’s latest round of funding provides rocket fuel for marketing and growth across sports, esports, pop culture, and brand partnerships, building upon the popularity of in-app interactions with Fanatics, Peloton, Mirror, Nike, Louis Vuitton, and Lululemon. FanUp will also expand its all-star team, which brings deep industry expertise in gaming, product design, technology, and D2C at Fortune 100 companies.
“We’re far from the copestone, but going to take it all the way,” said Bodiwala. “I’d say we just received a kickoff, took it out of the end zone and had a pretty good return to the 35-yard line. Still have some big plays to make before we can celebrate in the end zone.”
ABOUT FANUP
FanUp is the best way to enjoy fantasy sports, esports, and pop culture events together (from NFL, NBA, and MLB to IPL Cricket, The Grammys, and The Bachelor Finale), the way they’re meant to be — with friends and rival fans. No more boring salary caps, 100,000 bros fantasy contests or days of endless text scroll. Sports are a social and visual experience, and so is FanUp. Check out our feed and view others’ picks, talk trash with the best of them, and .GIF’em what you got. Build your brand. Gamified so you earn points for every like, comment, copy bet, share, and invite. Grow your fanbase with our immersive player community and user-generated content. Win big, with the most fun, quick, and easy contests and parlays on the planet. We got you covered so you can just be fans.™
CONTACT
To inquire about press, investment and partnership opportunities, contact Kaya Brooks: [email protected].
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