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DeNA Sets Up $27.5M Social Gaming Fund

Tokyo-based mobile social network operator DeNA and a number of other private Japan-based backers have set up a $27.5 million fund dedicated to investing in social game companies.

Eric Caoili, Blogger

June 16, 2010

1 Min Read
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Tokyo-based mobile social network operator DeNA and a number of other private Japan-based backers have set up a $27.5 million fund dedicated to investing in social game companies. The Incubate Fund No. 1 Limited Partnership seeks to find and invest in social gaming projects or startups that are at the seed level or higher stages, according to a report from VentureBeat. DeNA, which has an 83.3 percent stake in the fund, also plans to back game developers that can work on Mobage-Town (or MobaMingle, as its known in the West), its mobile gaming platform. While not so popular yet in North America, Mobage-Town has more than 18 million registered members in Japan. DeNA is working to expand its international reach, developing games for Facebook, preparing to launch a social gaming platform in several English-speaking countries, and building on MiniNation, its recently launched mini-games social network app released for iPhone. DeNA also announced a business partnership with Yahoo! Japan two months ago to create and operate a PC-based social gaming platform called Yahoo! Mobage, which will combine with Mobage-Town so users can play games and take advantage of other services across both platforms.

About the Author

Eric Caoili

Blogger

Eric Caoili currently serves as a news editor for Gamasutra, and has helmed numerous other UBM Techweb Game Network sites all now long-dead, including GameSetWatch. He is also co-editor for beloved handheld gaming blog Tiny Cartridge, and has contributed to Joystiq, Winamp, GamePro, and 4 Color Rebellion.

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