Launch of the new Harry Potter game anticipates big Go with $200 million boost
From a fascinating story from the Wall Street Journal we find the creator of Pokémon Go, Niantic, raises $200 million in new funding. There's noted participation from Javelin VC, Founders Fund, Meritech, Megan Quinn from NetEase, Inc. Spark and You & Mr. Jones are all joining in the Series B venture that's raising eyebrows on Wall Street.
Many know Niantic as a key player in games of augmented reality, notably Ingress, the sci-fi spy multiplayer game that came about during its startup days within the Google empire. Niantic then spun away as its own entity in 2015, and shortly afterward launched the much lauded Pokémon Go which attracted all kinds of interest at its launch. Massive gatherings of real-world players came together as part of a very exciting incentivization program which spiked the in-game success of the Pokémon AR game.
Notable addition is that Niantic also raised $30 million in its Series A round after gathering funding from various investors including Google, Nintendo, The Pokémon Company, Alsop Loui Partners, Scott Banister, Cyan and a host of others who bet big on Niantic. More noteworthy news includes Niantic's first acquisition announced earlier this year. It scooped up Evertoon, a mobile social network development company and more importantly made it official that it plans to develop a Harry Potter based game, so Harry Potter Wizards Unite!
HARRY POTTER GO?? – Niantic announces Harry Potter: Wizards Unite