Applifier, which just launched a new platform for gamers to share replays of their best gaming moments, raised a Series B round of funding led by Finland’s Lifeline Ventures.
The $4 million round also included existing investors like MHS Capital and PROFounders along with one more new one in Webb Investment Network. Angel investors like Zynga India general manager Steven Lurie, Anthony Soohoo, Philip Reisberger, David Wright and Tekes, which is the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology
and Innovation, also participated.
Applifier, which started out on the Facebook platform, pivoted largely to mobile platforms over the last year. The company recently launched a new product called Everyplay, which is a way for gamers to share and replay their greatest moments. Everyplay lets gamers share their favorite titles by recording and replaying sessions of games — like a time they might have gotten a high score.
“This is not something we’re cramming down the throats of users,” said Jussi Laakkonen, the company’s CEO. “They’re playing games they like and they want to show off and brag. In Supercell’s Clash of Clans, I want to show off my raids.”
Here’s an example replay:
Laakkonen adds that watching replays of friends in mobile games is a much more effective form of video advertising on smartphones. He says this type of advertising monetizes three to five times better than standard video ads, which he estimates would result in a $15 to 20 eCPM for publishers. He adds that on the advertiser side, one might see a cost-per-install of around $2 to $2.50.
The company hasn’t disclosed the size of its platform yet, but says that the product has attracted more than 400 developer sign-ups and will come out with its first titles this holiday season. Applifier faces off against a number of deep-pocketed competitors that are trying to create a platform of games that generates real network effects in lowering the cost of acquiring and retaining users. GREE and DeNA both are multibillion dollar Japanese mobile gaming companies that have collectively thrown about $1 billion at this problem in acquisitions and hiring. Facebook is also emerging as another force in user acquisition for apps with new ads in the mobile news feed while there are older stalwarts like Tapjoy and Flurry.
The company says that its old Facebook products are still growing nicely, with a video advertising network that includes King.com, Zynga and SongPop maker Fresh Planet among its clientele.
Applifier also recently released an easier way to integrate its SDK into games on the Unity platform. Laakkonen says it’s a simple drag-and-drop process that takes two minutes (demonstrated below).