Gamevice raises $12.5m as ex-Kabam CEO Kevin Chou joins board
Known for its iPhone controller, Gamevice intends to "rapidly" increase its production and global distribution
Gamevice, which has created a range of attachable controller for iPhones and iPads, is in expansion mode. The company today announced that it's raised $12.5 million through a Series A funding round led by TransLink Capital and California Technology Ventures (CTV), with participation from BAM Ventures, TYLT Ventures, and Kevin Chou, the former CEO of Kabam who now joins Gamevice as a board member.
Additionally, David Jeon, formerly of Apple, Beats by Dre and Harman International, has joined the company as its new Head of Product Development. While smartphone gaming is not in the same league with the Nintendo Switch, Gamevice does believe that the explosive popularity of the Switch is a sign of "consumer demand for amplified mobile gaming experiences."
Phillip Hyun, CEO, Gamevice Inc, commented, "The market demand for our products have been phenomenal. Having been sold out for most of the holiday season, we will look to launch additional products while rapidly increasing our production and global distribution. Our Series A funding and growing team will expedite this growth along with our partnerships with gaming and non-gaming companies."
Jay Eum, Co-Founder and Managing Director, TransLink Capital, added, "Gamevice's design and patented technology transforms traditional mobile games, which is a $38bn per year global market that will continue to evolve with new and better technology. We invested in Gamevice because it is one of the few companies trying to innovative and provide consumers with a unique experience that leverages mobile devices. We expect Gamevice to generate strong demand from consumers and game developers globally, especially in Asia where mobile is considered the primary platform for gaming."
Gamevice sells online and in 490 Apple retail stores worldwide. Hyun commented that they've been "selling extremely well in Apple stores and frequently sell out." When asked about the Android market, Hyun told GamesIndustry.biz, "We plan to bring out versions of Gamevice for Samsung phones. We'll have more information on that soon.”