Vivox obtains $7.8 million funding

Vivox, a provider of voice services for online games and virtual worlds, has secured USD 7.8 million in a second round of equity financing.

Benchmark Capital led the round, and its general partner Mitch Lasky was appointed to the Vivox board. Strong support was also received from the company's existing investors, Canaan Partners and GrandBanks Capital.

"We are incredibly excited to have Benchmark Capital and Mitch Lasky involved with Vivox," said Rob Seaver, founder and CEO of Vivox. "Benchmark's clear visions and track record in the sector, and Mitch's successful background in senior roles with Disney, Activision, JAMDAT and Electronic Arts are tremendous assets to Vivox."

"The proliferation of virtual worlds and online games has created a tremendous opportunity for the Vivox communications platform," said Lasky.

"Voice is a transformative feature in games, creating an entirely new level of engagement and social connection among players. Vivox is uniquely positioned to deliver scalable, carrier-grade voice services through its industry-leading technologies and expertise."

Vivox will use the funding on product development, sales support and marketing. It's current customers and partners include CCP Games, The Electric Sheep Company, IBM, Icarus Studios, K2 Network, Linden Lab, Pixel Mine and Wizards of the Coast, among others.