Audio avatar company Voicemod has raised $8 million USD in a Series A funding round led by BITKRAFT Ventures. 

Voicemod says its vision is to enable gamers and content creators to find their true voice by providing immersive audio experiences via personalised voice avatars. 

The company intends to use the new capital to launch mobile applications, expand further in Asian markets, and invest in neural network-based (AI) voice and speech conversion technologies to create more unique and realistic voices. 

Voicemod uses a combination of AI and Digital Signal processing technologies, enabling users to change their voice in real-time, enhancing gaming, streaming and social experiences, and allowing people to experiment with alternate personas. 

Sophisticated enough to allow for nuances as fine as creating an echo while driving through a tunnel in Grand Theft Auto, or being out of breath after parachuting onto the island in Fortnite, Voicemod adds depth and engagement to video games. 

Discussing the investment Voicemod CEO & Co-Founder, Jaime Bosch, said:

“We create sound effects that can take gamers and content creators anywhere and allow them to become anyone or anything. We believe that everybody should be able to express themselves creatively through sound so that every experience is amplified.

“Image and video filters have increased in popularity and Voicemod is bringing the missing piece – a voice filter that enhances gameplay with fully immersive audio experiences. Thanks to the backing from BITKRAFT Ventures, we will be able to advance our mission to create more entertaining and engaging interactive audiovisual communication.”

While BITKRAFT Founding General Partner, Malte Barth, added:

“Voice is a fundamental signature of human identity. Being able to alter your voice in digital platforms/games is an important tool to elevate human expression and create greater entertainment experiences. 

“Voicemod is changing the way we interact both socially on digital platforms and while playing online and the wide customer adoption of the Voicemod’s service proves that the product is driving the future for real-time voice creation and customization.”

Voicemod has already racked up over 10 million downloads on PC, and has doubled the size of its team since January, now employing 55 people. 

In addition to being compatible with popular games including Players Unknown Battleground, Apex Legends, League of Legends, VALORANT, CoD Warzone, Minecraft, Roblox, GTA V, and Fortnite, Voicemod also works with social, chat and video tools, including Discord, Skype, and Zoom. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With companies across the video gaming, esports, iGaming and social media industries always looking to drive engagement, audio has been a relatively neglected area, but the technology Voicemod is developing could be changing that very quickly. 

Yesterday Japanese Esports content provider PlayBrain announced it had secured $6M USD in a Series A funding round involving BITKRAFT Ventures. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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Mastercard has been confirmed as official payment partner of DreamHack’s Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC) for the 2020 season. 

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but it is known that Mastercard will be offering rewards through a “Priceless Play of the Match” initiative. 

A new regional league covering Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the UK, and Ireland, the NLC now serves as the top-tier competition for a number of ecosystems with Riot Games’ European Regional Leagues system, 

Commenting on the partnership DreamHack Co-CEO, Roger Lodewick, said:

“Esports continue to grow and thrive, so we couldn’t be happier to welcome Mastercard to the DreamHack family and their ongoing support of this industry. We greatly value this partnership and look forward to offering even more content to our fans of the NLC.”

While Head of Marketing, Nordics & Baltics, Mastercard, Jessica Ståhlbom, added:

“League of Legends is one of the most significant titles for the vigorously expansive esports that we support all over the world. We are therefore very pleased to be able to work with DreamHack on a new league in Northern Europe, a region where esports is strongly established and widely viewed as fantastic entertainment.

“It is our hope that fans of League of Legends and NLC will appreciate the priceless experiences and competitions that we will present on an ongoing basis throughout the league.”

DreamHack has also established a partnership with Telia to support the league through 2021, while the UK League of Legends Championship, which is part of the NLC system, recently announced Currys PC World as a sponsor. 

Mastercard entered the world of League of Legends esports back in late 2018, when it partnered with Riot Games as a global event partner. It has since also sponsored the League of Legends Championship Series. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Mastercard has obviously realised esports is a fantastic way to connect and engage with younger demographics, and we’re sure its support will help the NLC’s inaugural season prove a roaring success. 

Staying with Mastercard, last month the company helped G2 Esports raise funds for those on the front-line battling against COVID-19. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Latin American esports events organiser Live Media has announced a broadcasting deal with Chinese live streaming giant HUYA. 

Live Media Esports Entertainment runs Peru-based Movistar Liga Pro Gaming, which offers competitive gaming for Clash Royale, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Fortnite, and StarCraft. Earlier this month, the company announced plans to expand into Bolivia, Chile, and Colombia, and add League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, and Teamfight Tactics. 

The deal with HUYA will see Liga Pro Gaming get a dedicated channel for Peruvian Dota 2 content, in Mandarin. The Chinese platform will be supplied with the master feed from Live Media’s studio, and be in charge of cast and coverage. It will launch on HUYA tomorrow (2 July), with the broadcasting of a show match. 

Discussing the deal CEO of Live Media Esports Entertainment, Luis Carrillo Pinto, said:

“It is a giant step in the internationalization of our content. Getting to Asia is really playing in the big leagues of electronic sports. The big beneficiaries will be our sponsors and the teams that will be able to expose their players and their own sponsors to the world’s largest esports audience. 

“Our goal together with Movistar has always been to promote the talent of Peruvian players and in less than twelve months we have achieved a series of milestones that have marked incredibly fast and sustained growth. Being a startup allows us to make risky decisions without bureaucracies. 

“And in the entertainment business, you need to know how to make these kinds of decisions to create a blockbuster. LPG is an export product, with a brand value that multiplies every day and the most important thing is that it was created in Peru, which fills us with pride for everything that is part of this great revolution in the digitization of sport. ‘

HUYA currently holds exclusive streaming rights in China for the Tencent, League of Legends European Championship (LEC), League of Legends North America Championship (LCS), and League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK), plus  broadcast rights in China for League of Legends Pro League (LPL).

AYO.NEWS says:

HUYA has been expanding its non-native content recently, responding to a growing appetite of Chinese fans for international esports. Earlier this month the platform extended its exclusive streaming partnership with European esports organisation Team Liquid. 

Of course, for Live Media, this deal opens up a whole new world of possibilities, and will give Liga Pro Gaming’s reach a massive boost. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

North American esports organisation and lifestyle brand 100 Thieves has appointed Jeremy Azevedo as Vice President of Content. 

Previously Head of Gaming Programming at IGN Entertainment, Azevedo has also worked in programming and development at Machinima, CraveOnline, Group Nine Media, Jukin Media, and Discovery Digital Networks. 

Los Angeles-based 100 Thieves was founded in 2017 and now fields teams in League of Legends, Fortnite, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Valorant. 

AYO.NEWS says:

With tens of millions of people losing their jobs around the world due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, it’s great to see esports organisations are continuing to invest in talent, and we’re sure Azevedo will be a valuable asset to 100 Thieves. 

Only yesterday we reported that Malta-based Esports Entertainment Group had made two senior leadership appointments, while on Monday tournament organiser ESL named Patricia von Halle as new Director of Consumer Marketing, and esports betting platform Luckbox revealed it is recruiting for 5 key positions.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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Japanese esports content provider PlayBrain has secured USD $6 million in a Series A financing round. 

The round saw BITKRAFT Esports Ventures as a returning investor, and brings PlayBrain’s total funding since launch to $8 million. Buddy Marini, Founder and CEO of Mangamo, has also been appointed as a member of PlayBrain’s advisory board. 

According to the company, the new capital will be used to grow its footprint, expand into more esports and entertainment properties, and double down on its support on leading the creative direction, operation, and commercialisation of Riot Games’ League of Legends Japan League (LJL). 

A full-services esports tournament and media company, PlayBrain helps brands and publishers reach fans via large-scale event production and marketing. Its partnership with LJL is now in its second year, and has helped the league set viewership records. 

PlayBrain also counts major names like Activision Blizzard, EA, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Twitch, Supercell, Alienware, and Intel as clients. 

Discussing the news Playbrain Founder, Mike Sheetal, said:

“PlayBrain helps global games and brands reach Japanese audiences by producing market-leading esports events and by creating our own portfolio of major esports platforms and formats, tailored to the Japanese market.

”Although the Japanese esports market had a late start in comparison to the rest of the world, the esports market in Japan is expected to grow 250% over the next four years. We are proud to play an integral role in establishing and building the esports market in Japan and helping it gain more ground in the global esports industry.”  

While BITKRAFT Founding General Partner, Malte Barth, added:

“We not only saw the momentum and growth of the Japanese esports market as a whole but also witnessed PlayBrain’s instrumental role in establishing the esports-ecosystem in Japan. We are very excited to be backing the next phase of growth with this financing and our active support.

“If you are a brand or publisher that wants to get your foot in the door in the Japanese esports market, PlayBrain is undoubtedly the go-to-partner.”

PlayBrain also recently soft-launched taiyoro.gg, a media platform that houses esports content that introduces esports culture and entertainment to Japanese esports fans. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Japan is something of an anomaly when it comes to esports – despite being a world leader in video games, it has been slow to embrace competitive multiplayer esports. But, this means companies like PlayBrain still have a vast field of opportunity in front of them, and we’re sure they’ll put this latest investment to good use. 

As we reported earlier this year, the Japanese government is also keen to promote the local esports industry, and has unveiled ambitious plans to boost the sector. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020

Curacao-licensed betting operator Pinnacle has entered an esports data partnership with Abios. 

The deal will see Abios supply Pinnacle with enriched data, including a greater selection of odds across a range of titles and markets, to enhance its esports offering. 

Discussing the partnership Pinnacle Trading Director, Marco Blume, said:

“A lot has changed at Pinnacle since we started trading esports over a decade ago. The industry is doing its best to catch up with odds for the biggest titles and major events now available at most bookmakers. However, there’s an important difference between simply offering odds and providing customers with a true esports betting experience.

“Whether it’s the quality of our odds, the number of titles and markets we offer, or the engaging content we produce, we know we’re second to none. It’s no secret that we need data to continue to improve and we’re pleased to be able to take things to another level through our partnership with Abios.”

While Abios Founder and CEO, Oskar Fröberg, added:

“With the continued growth of esports betting, an increase in demand for reliable and well-structured data has followed, especially among top tier clients around the world. It’s therefore a natural fit for Abios to partner with Pinnacle, one of the front runners and power-houses in esports betting. 

“Given the long esports history and reliability of the Abios and Pinnacle product offerings, both having been first movers in our respective fields, this is just the first step in what will be a long and thriving partnership.”

Abios also has partnerships in place with other esports betting operators, including Unibet, Luckbox, and Win.gg. 

Staying with Pinnacle, earlier this month the operator re-opened its Swedish site after a two-year absence from the market. 

AYO.NEWS says:

For a large mainstream online bookmaker, Pinnacle has invested heavily in esports for some time. Not only does the operator offer an extensive range of titles and markets, but it also supports esports events. In March the operator became the first sponsor of CS:GO League FLASHPOINT.

Want to find out more about how Pinnacle is capitalising on the rapidly growing esports sector? Check out Simona’s chat with Pinnacle CEO, Paris Smith. 

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020