Entertainment VCLink’s Post

Exclusive: Lucra Sports has raised $10 million to grow its B2B gamification software business. 🏀 Lucra offers software that companies can use to gamify their own apps. The startup has 17 partners, including Dave & Buster's Inc., Five Iron Golf, TouchTunes and RPM Raceway | Race Play More. 💰 7GC & Co, SeventySix Capital and Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn co-led the latest funding round, and were joined by basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ark Invest and Simplex Ventures. 🗣️ CEO Dylan Robbins says. "We're not trying to bring competition where it doesn't exist. We're trying to digitize what's an already happening fun interaction for fans and actually give them a platform to do it with incentives to do it on our platform." More details on Axios Pro: https://lnkd.in/erCQRD_D

🗞️Exciting news 🗞️ Once again learning about yet another biometrics magic, the possibilities, the future, how this tech can be beneficial and how Innovatric talent is the driver of these positive outcomes. 👤💻🛂🌐 And this is just beginning I believe! 🤓 #biometrics #biometrictechnology #facerecognition #softwaredevelopment #newventure #newopportunities

✅ Sports Tech Funding News of the week: 💰 National Football League (NFL) owners have approved new ownership rules that will allow private equity firms to buy passive minority stakes in franchises. 💰 Native American PE Firm Bright Path Sports Partners acquired a 44% stake in newly promoted Premier League team Ipswich Town FC. 💰 TickPick raised $250 million from Brighton Park Capital. This represents the largest fundraise in the ticketing industry to date. 💰 Slingshot AI, a New York and London based AI mental health startup, raised approximately $30 million in seed funding. 💰 Home Run Dugout, Austin based entertainment provider featuring indoor soft-toss baseball, raised $22.5 million in Series A funding. 💰 LegitFit raised €1.74 million as they aim to bolster growth in the lucrative UK market. 💰 Fanton Fantasy Football raised $1 million in a seed funding round. 💰 DraftKings Inc. acquired Simplebet for an undisclosed amount, which will enhance its in-play betting offering.

🌟 Welcome to Marquee Equity’s Exclusive Testimonial Series! 🌍 🚀 Elevating Founders: Marquee Equity Testimonial Series Welcome to an exclusive series where we celebrate the success stories of visionary founders and businesses driving innovation. https://shorturl.at/siXxF 🌟 Spotlight on Wagering Technology x Inspired Entertainment: Here’s how Inspired Entertainment's award-winning virtual sports games are transforming iGaming: 🏟️ 24/7 Sports Betting Action: Simulates real sports betting with unmatched precision. 🎯 Targeting Younger, Sports-Minded Players: Engaging gameplay tailored to new-age audiences. 🎮 Ease of Play: Attracts both first-time players and seasoned bettors. 📲 Multi-Platform Availability: Accessible via floor units, kiosks, mobile devices, and online (where legal). 📢 What Sets Inspired Apart? Dazzling virtual sports contests. Software enabling both virtual and live sports betting. ✨ Marquee Equity's Role in Their Success: 📑 Created professional content decks to showcase their unique story. 🌍 Connected them with the right global investors. 🤝 Anchored their fundraising journey, ensuring a seamless process. 🎤 Insight from Cyril Kauchik, CEO, Wagering Technology Inc.: Hear from Cyril as he shares his experience working with Marquee Equity to navigate the fundraising ecosystem and bring their vision to life. 💡 Ready to raise funds for your business? Let Marquee Equity help you connect with investors and craft your success story. 👉 Learn More: https://lnkd.in/gn47FUuF #Entrepreneurship #FundraisingJourney #iGamingInnovation #VirtualSports #MarqueeEquity #MarqueeEquitySuccessStories

Next.io is known for giving insight to investors and iGaming professionals. NEXT covered FoodFight as a Start-up Story, explaining the who, what, when, where, and why of the app. Thank you to Next.io for the opportunity and get to know FoodFight better by checking out the article.  #nextio #startup #iGaming 

📈 October Milestones: Just the Beginning! Last month, we hit new records: 📲 36,000+ app downloads 👀 14M organic social impressions 💰 Largest revenue month yet With up to 70,000 monthly and 20,000 daily active users, the numbers speak to the momentum behind our global sports community 🌍. The question now is, how do we deepen engagement and keep pace with this incredible growth? Our focus is clear: building even better experiences for fans worldwide and evolving alongside the needs of our community. Here’s to what’s next for Linemate—and to what’s possible when we put fans at the center. #Milestone #iGaming #SportsTech #Startup

✅ #SportsTech Funding News of the week: ⚽ The Arnault family is set to acquire a majority stake in second-tier football club Paris FC , investing alongside Red Bull in a move to diversify into sports. 💰TOCA Football, a California-based soccer experience company, raised approximately $100 million in Series F funding. 💰Roy, a sports tech company reshaping the NIL landscape, closed a $2 million seed funding round led by the Idea Fund of La Crosse and Groove Capital. 💰 BreezeLabs successfully closed a pre-seed funding round of an undisclosed amount. 💰 Chaifetz Group announced a new strategic investment of an undisclosed amount in The Picklr, North America's fastest-growing indoor pickleball franchise. 💰 Sporttrade, a Philadelphia-based sports betting operator, announced that it added SIG Sports Investments Corp as a strategic investor. 💰 Runtrip Social Media, which operates apps and media for runners, issued a small number of privately placed corporate bonds using the platform operated by Siiibo Securities Co., Ltd. 🤝 Infinite Reality acquired the premier, London-based XR platform and award-winning creative studio, Zappar, for $45 million. 🤝 Fanatics Live announced the acquisition of the assets of Voggt, an European live-commerce platform specialising in live shopping for collectibles, for an undisclosed amount. 

Betr Holdings, Inc., a prominent player in the sports gaming and media industry, has recently secured $15 million in strategic equity financing, marking a significant milestone in its journey to accelerate growth across various divisions. This financing, obtained from a premier group of investors, brings Betr’s total funding to date to an impressive $100 million, with a valuation now standing at $375 million. The funding round, co-led by Harmony Partners and 10X Capital, saw participation from Betr’s major existing investors, including Fuel Venture Capital, Aliya Capital Partners, and Roger Ehrenberg/Eberg Capital, among others. This achievement follows a highly successful year for Betr in 2023, during which the company witnessed substantial growth in paying users and revenue, all achieved efficiently and profitably. Read the full article ➡ https://lnkd.in/dVb2BYw7 #business #finance #gambling #gamblingnews #sports #media

‼️ 🔔 Partnership announcement! Vamos Venture Partners & Iterpro! In a move aimed to define the soccer technology landscape, Iterpro and Vamos Venture Partners have announced a strategic partnership designed to expand their footprint in the United States. This collaboration brings together two industry leaders with a shared vision for advancing the game of soccer through Iterpro’s advanced sport-tech solution and Vamos Venture Partners’ expertise in strategic business development and consulting. David Ricca, founder of Vamos Venture Partners: We are thrilled about our strategic partnership with Iterpro. Together, we’re poised to revolutionize the tech landscape, combining our expertise, networks, and passion for innovation. Marco Savino, CEO & founder of Iterpro: Partnering with Vamos Venture marks a pivotal step for Iterpro, enabling the widespread adoption of our revolutionary technology across the US market, from grassroots organizations to professional teams. https://lnkd.in/dwfRbQVK #soccer #Football #USA #USExpansion #VamosVenture #DigitalInnovation #SportsTech #SportsAnalytics #SportsBusiness #SportsBiz #athleteperformance #iterpro

"However, a closer look at the gaming industry reveals a conspicuous lack of product differentiation, specifically in the user experience, and innovation in prize types. This presents an invaluable opportunity for disruption and a chance to attract a larger share of fans to the sports betting market, an opportunity that we at FoodFight are keen to seize." Check out my full interview with Curious Gambler, here: https://lnkd.in/eFiZRgX3