Boom raises $3.5M to bring 3D live streaming to e-sports

It’s easy to forget when you’re not immersed in e-sports, but the audience represented in the competitive gaming space is massive (predicted to reach nearly 292 million this year). With so many available eyeballs, streamers aim to reflect their personalities in the most animated way possible to build loyal fans and a subscriber base that follows them across platforms.

Boom offers streamers one more entertaining burst to bring excitement into their streams in a way that heightens excitement in a uniquely cinematic quality. The software takes the 3D data from the game and allows streamers to call up multi-angle replays.

Boom allows live-streamers to directly integrate the tech into their existing setups without adding complexity or anything else to worry about. The streamers can load the software, then simply call up Boom with a voice cue that shows off the glorious multi-angle recap of the latest headshot or melee in heightened dramatic fashion.

The key to success for Boom is really its simplicity, CEO Sumit Gupta said. He was repeatedly told in conversations with streamers that this was key, “They said, ‘I’m not going to use this if I have to change one thing in my setup.’ ”

The startup announced today that it has closed a $3.5 million seed round with participation from First Round Capital, Tandem Capital, Crosscut Ventures, Betaworks, Boost VC, BITKRAFT eSports Ventures and select angel investors.

As Boom brings its cool little feature to streamers broadcasting content on the major platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming, it’s also working on its major next-gen play: a 3D virtual reality streaming platform that exports the streamer’s feed into a headset so viewers can dive into the maps while battles are ongoing and follow their favorite e-sports athletes in real time.

Users across VR platforms will be able to use the Boom app to experience e-sports matches in a method unique to virtual reality, giving 3D-rendered insights to viewers that get them closer to the action than ever.

Boom is available now for League of Legends and Counter Strike: Global Offensive, with additional popular e-sports titles on the way. Streamers can sign up for the free beta on Boom’s site.