New Investment Opportunity: Edge
Turning best game moments into playable games
- Social platform allows online gamers to capture, share and play highlights multiple times
- Huge global social gaming market of 1.2B viewers growing 25% YOY, valued at $17.6B, 14% CAGR
- Beta test with thousands of users showed higher avg daily usage time than TikTok, Instagram; each clip viewed avg 255 times vs 5.71 times on TikTok; 30%+ d30 retention
- Pipeline of 40+ game studios planning to integrate Edge technology
- Launch planned for Q3, freemium-subscription-premium model, in-app purchases, revenue share with creators, projecting $60K annual run rate by end 2022, $7.5M end 2023, $36M end 2024
- Strong comps: Roblox (NYSE: RBLX) $18B cap, Twitch acquired by Amazon for $914M in 2014, now reportedly valued at ~$15B
- Oversubscribed $30M round; investors include Playtika, two financial institutions specializing in gaming; angels include Snap Chairman, ex-EVP Warner Media, ex-Chairman Warner Media, ex-CEO Sony
BOOK A CALL
with your Investor Relations representative
Dear Josb,
Over 1.2 billion people watch gaming experiences as video content on platforms such as Twitch, TikTok and YouTube. These videos are not interactive, and do not truly convey the in-game experience to the viewers.
OurCrowd is investing in Edge, an Israeli startup creating a playable social platform where gamers can share "Playables," scenarios captured from live games that can be shared, played, reenacted, re-lived, and experienced by others. The details in this email are based on information received from, and verified solely by, the company.
The Opportunity
TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and the other major social platforms are heavily driven today by creators who generate content for friends, family, and the community. Over 1.5 billion people play video games, yet sharing game highlights today is a passive experience, happening by way of watching videos or streams on Twitch, TikTok and other platforms. Even in today's passive form, online games have over 1.2 billion viewers – an audience that is growing 25% YOY and is valued at $17.6B with a 14% CAGR.
There is a huge opportunity for an interactive social platform for gamers that would let users go beyond just watching game highlights.
There are strong comps in this sector. Twitch was acquired by Amazon for $914M in 2014 and is now reportedly valued at ~$15B. Online game platform Roblox (NYSE: RBLX) has a $18B market cap.
The Solution
Edge lets gamers create "Playables" - scenarios captured from live games that can be shared, played, reenacted, re-lived, and experienced by others.
Revenue is shared with gamers who create content, and game studios have opportunities to sell add-ons through the platform, providing an additional revenue stream for both and enabling successful gamers to monetize the following they have built.
Initial Beta Test Results
Edge is a pre-revenue company. A Beta test with thousands of users showed:
- Average daily usage time of more than 45 mins, compared to 33 mins on TikTok, 29 mins on Instagram;
- An average of 255 times each user plays each content, compared to 5.71 times on average that content is rewatched on TikTok;
- Over 30% d30 retention (users returning to platform after 30 days)
Launch Plans
Commercial launch is planned for Q3 2022. The company plans a freemium-subscription-premium revenue model with in-app purchases. Revenue will be shared with creators, and game studios will be able to sell add-ons through the platform. Edge projects $60K annual run rate by the end of 2022, $7.5M by the end of 2023, and $36M by the end of 2024.
The company has a pipeline of more than 40 game studios planning to integrate Edge technology.
The Round
This $30M Series A round is oversubscribed. Investors include Playtika, the world's leading social casino publisher and two financial institutions specializing in gaming. The company's early angel investors include the Snap Chairman, ex-EVP of Warner Media, ex-Chairman of Warner Media, and ex-CEO of Sony.
Funds will be used to continue development of the technologies, pursue partnerships with large studios and creators, and expand into other regional markets.
Meet the CEO
We're hosting a webinar/conference call on Tuesday, July 5th, at 7PM Israel / 12 Noon New York / 9AM San Francisco for investors to meet CEO Asaf Gazit and learn more about Edge.
Can't make the webinar? Register and we will send you a recording of the call.
The Edge Solution
The technology the company has created to enable playables is a software development kit (SDK) on game engines. This makes the technology scalable to multiple games easily. So far, the company created an SDK for games on Unity and Unreal, the most popular game engines where more than 90% of games have been developed. This means any game developed on Unity or Unreal integrating Edge's SDK will enable the seamless creation of playables on those games.
The company plans to introduce "Mini Cloud" Playables in 2024, which will allow people to play Playables without owning the game, providing studios with a huge promotion opportunity.
Next steps:
0 Comments