Connect with us
MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit 2024

Latest News

Hiro Capital launches second €300m (/$340m) Videogames and Metaverse Technologies venture fund

Published

2 years ago

on

Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

Hiro Capital – the leading specialist European VC focused on Videogames, Metaverse Technologies, Creator Platforms and Gamified Fitness – announces the launch of HIRO CAPITAL II, a €300m ($340m) fund focused on backing the world’s emerging Gaming and Metaverse innovators. Hiro II will be announcing its first investments in April.

Hiro’s new fund invests in entrepreneurial teams at Seed, A and B across the UK, Europe and North America (and selectively ROW), building innovative and disruptive leaders in Games, Esports, Creator Platforms and Gamified Fitness.

Founded in 2018, Hiro’s name was inspired by Hiro Protagonist, the sword-wielding, Metaverse-hacking samurai hero of Neil Stephenson’s seminal Snowcrash, a novel about video games, VR, digital assets and the neocortex. Since launch, Hiro has been investing in sci-fi, story-telling IPs and the deep future of games and metaverse technology. Hiro believes strongly in Games as a force for good.

Building on the momentum of Fund I

Between 2019 and 2022, Hiro has made 21 Series A and B Games and Metaverse investments across the UK, EU and USA. The Hiro 1 portfolio is now c.80% invested and is performing strongly, across fast-growing investments such as Polyarc (Seattle) , FitXR (London), FRVR (Lisbon), Keen Games (Frankfurt), Snowprint (Stockholm), LOCO (India) and LIV (Prague). Hiro Capital also co-led a $22m investor consortium alongside Blackrock and Westerly Winds, as part of a Series C round in London-based gamified femtech star Elvie. Hiro’s investors included some of the world’s largest games and technology companies.

“We have been believers in the Metaverse since we created the fund in 2018. Our goal with Hiro is to bring founder-focused venture funding to Games studios and Metaverse technology creators. In 2022 we are at a pivotal moment in the very early phases of the Metaverse, VR, AR and Web3 — these revolutions will take at least a decade and much of the creativity and technology innovation will start in Games. As a team, we have the experience and networks to support the incredible talent that we find across Europe, the UK and beyond. Our new fund gives us more firepower to find and develop emerging stars and level them up to global scale.” Luke Alvarez

Hiro Metaverse Acquisitions 1

In Jan 2022, Hiro Capital 1 became the lead sponsor in a new acquisition vehicle focused on the Videogaming and Metaverse sectors. Hiro Metaverse Acquisitions 1 began trading on the LSE on Feb 7th, only the second ever SPAC to list in London. Hiro MA1 raised £115m (c.$150m) to target Games and Metaverse acquisitions in the $600m-$2.25bn range.

Investing in Games and the Metaverse

With Hiro Capital 1, Hiro Capital II and Hiro MA1, Hiro’s AUM total c.$650m, entirely focused on Games and Metaverse innovators in the UK, Europe and beyond.

Partners with deep knowledge of gaming

The three Hiro founding partners have co-founded startups generating billions of value in exits, have completed five public IPO’s and have scaled six >$500m-sized games companies.

Hiro Managing General Partner, Luke Alvarez, founded Inspired Entertainment, a >$600m EV Nasdaq-listed Virtual Sports games technology leader. Luke is also co-founder of Sknups — a Web3 games skin platform — and was a founding director of The Cloud Network, an early public access cloud platform backed by Accel and acquired by Sky.

Hiro General Partner, Cherry Freeman, co-founded the global community and e-commerce brand LoveCrafts and has spent 10 years working and angel investing in venture-backed tech companies including Elvie, New Voice Media and Mimecast (currently being acquired for $5.8bn).

Hiro General Partner Sir Ian Livingstone is the co-founder and former chairman of Eidos plc (Lara Croft:Tomb Raider), co-founder of Games Workshop (Warhammer) and co-author of the Fighting Fantasy gamebook series. Sir Ian was also an early investor and chairman of Playdemic (sold to EA for $1.4bn in 2021), Tonic Games (sold to Epic in 2021) and Sumo plc (sold to Tencent for $1.3bn in 2022). Ian is also the founder of the Livingstone Academy, a creative, games and compsci focused UK Academy school. Sir Ian is passionate about games and technology playing a key role in educating the next generations of kids.

In addition to the success of Hiro Capital I, on Jan 1 2022 Ian Livingstone CBE became Sir Ian Livingstone CBE as he was formally knighted by HM Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the videogames industry.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Latest News

Bosera HashKey Bitcoin and Ether Spot ETFs Officially Launch on HKEX with Two-Way Investment Flexibility

Published

33 mins ago

on

April 30, 2024

By

HONG KONG, April 30, 2024  /PRNewswire/ — The Exchange Traded Funds, Bosera HashKey Bitcoin ETF and Bosera HashKey Ether ETF (the “ETFs”) have officially launched on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange today. In respect of the ETFs, Bosera Asset Management (International) Co., Limited and HashKey Capital Limited are the Investment Manager and Sub-Investment Manager respectively. The ETFs are part of the first batch of Bitcoin and Ether spot ETFs to launch in a major financial hub in Asia and they are now listed under the tickers  BTC: 3008.HK (HKD); 9008.HK (USD) and ETH: 3009.HK (HKD); 9009.HK (USD) respectively.

One of the key features of these ETFs is that they introduce an ‘in-kind’ subscription mechanism, which allows investors to directly subscribe for ETF shares using Bitcoin and Ethereum. Investors can purchase the ETFs with Bitcoin or Ethereum and subsequently sell them for cash, or vice versa, enabling seamless two-way investment flexibility.

Additionally, the Bosera HashKey Bitcoin ETF and Bosera HashKey Ether ETF track the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate – Asia Pacific Variant and the CME CF Ether-Dollar Reference Rate – Asia Pacific Variant respectively.

“The launch of the Bosera HashKey Bitcoin ETF and Bosera HashKey Ether ETF marks a significant leap forward in democratizing access to cryptocurrencies,” said Deng Chao, CEO of HashKey Capital. “These innovative ETFs not only provide a convenient entry point for investors but also underscore our commitment to driving innovation in the virtual asset ecosystem.”

Importantly, non-Hong Kong nationals can also subscribe for or purchase units in the ETFs if they meet local regulatory requirements, such as passing customer due diligence.

The Bosera HashKey Bitcoin ETF and Bosera HashKey Ether ETF are now available for trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Note: The tickers BTC: 3008.HK (HKD); 9008.HK (USD) and ETH: 3009.HK (HKD); 9009.HK (USD)are now officially listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX).

About HashKey Capital

Global in influence and crypto-native, HashKey Capital is a digital asset and blockchain leader helping institutions, founders and talents advance the blockchain industries.

As one of the largest crypto funds and the earliest institutional investor in Ethereum, HashKey Capital has managed over US$1 billion in client assets since its inception, with over 500 investments in infrastructure, tools, and applications.

With our deep knowledge across the blockchain ecosystem, HashKey Capital has built a robust network connecting founders, investors, developers, and regulators.

For media enquiries, please contact [email protected] ; [email protected] 

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2400243/CAPITAL_Logo.jpg

Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bosera-hashkey-bitcoin-and-ether-spot-etfs-officially-launch-on-hkex-with-two-way-investment-flexibility-302130349.html

Continue Reading

Latest News

Xceptor advances APAC growth plans with appointment of Keith Man as General Manager for the region

Published

2 hours ago

on

April 30, 2024

By

  • Xceptor strengthens commitment to the region with appointment of Keith Man as APAC General Manager; with responsibility for expanding Xceptor’s sales, business development and operations in the region while advancing expansion into new markets and segments
  • With over 15 years of experience in fintech, Keith brings a wealth of expertise in the capital markets space as well as hands-on experience in the APAC region

NEW YORK, LONDON and SINGAPORE, April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Xceptor, the intelligent automation platform for financial markets, today announced the appointment of Keith Man as General Manager (GM) for Asia Pacific (APAC), based in Singapore. The appointment underscores Xceptor’s continued investment and further penetration into the APAC region.

As APAC GM, Keith will play a critical role in driving client success, as well as strategic partnerships and alliances in the region. He will also have responsibility for expanding Xceptor’s sales, business development and operations in the region while advancing growth into new markets and segments.

Keith brings a wealth of expertise in the capital markets space, coupled with extensive experience in the APAC region. He was most recently Head of APAC at Duco and has also held senior roles in Standard Chartered Bank and TriOptima (now OSTTRA). 

“The APAC region is dynamic and has tremendous potential. We have made a strategic decision to continue investing in the APAC region to ensure we are well-positioned to serve our clients effectively. While we see some firms scaling back, we believe in the long-term growth potential of this market, and are delighted to welcome Keith to the Xceptor team as we embark on a new chapter of growth in this dynamic region,” said Michiel Verhoeven, CEO of Xceptor.

On his appointment, Keith Man, APAC GM, Xceptor, said, “Xceptor is the industry leader that is trusted by leading financial institutions. I am excited to join an established team that is poised for successful expansion in this region, and look forward to setting the direction for our long-term growth as we deepen engagement to support client success.”

Xceptor first opened its Singapore office in 2017. It has since expanded to serve as its APAC hub, including sales, client success, delivery and support teams that serve local, regional and global clients. 

About Xceptor: 

Xceptor is the intelligent data automation platform for financial markets providing data ingestion, standardization, normalization, and validation services. Catering to thousands of unique use cases, its highly configurable and enterprise-grade platform offers proprietary solutions for tax, reconciliations, confirmations, client onboarding, and allocations. Since 2003, Xceptor has been empowering businesses worldwide to trust their data and digitize their operational workflows. With offices in London, New York, Singapore, and Cape Town, Xceptor serves nearly 125 clients and over 11,500 users across 60 countries, including banks, asset managers, hedge funds, custodians, and asset servicers. For more information, visit www.xceptor.com.  

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/xceptor-advances-apac-growth-plans-with-appointment-of-keith-man-as-general-manager-for-the-region-302130477.html

Continue Reading

Latest News

EPAA forms working group with IBM, HSBC, AP+, and PayPal to explore quantum-safe cryptography

Published

3 hours ago

on

April 30, 2024

By

 

The EPAA (European Payments Acceptance Association) has taken a significant step towards enhancing cybersecurity in the financial sector by forming a working group in collaboration with industry giants IBM, HSBC, AP+, and PayPal. This partnership aims to explore the adoption of quantum-safe cryptography, a critical measure to safeguard financial systems against emerging cyber threats posed by quantum computing.

As quantum computing technology advances, traditional cryptographic methods used to secure financial transactions face the risk of being compromised. Quantum computers have the potential to unravel existing encryption algorithms, posing a serious threat to the security of sensitive financial data.

In response to this looming challenge, the EPAA has joined forces with leading technology and financial institutions to investigate quantum-safe cryptography as a proactive security measure. Quantum-safe cryptography utilizes algorithms that are resistant to attacks from both classical and quantum computers, ensuring robust protection for sensitive financial information.

By establishing this collaborative working group, the EPAA aims to drive research and development efforts in quantum-safe cryptography, with the goal of implementing robust security measures across the financial industry. The involvement of key stakeholders such as IBM, HSBC, AP+, and PayPal underscores the importance of addressing cybersecurity challenges proactively and collaboratively.

Through this initiative, the EPAA and its partners are committed to staying ahead of the curve in cybersecurity and ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of financial transactions in an increasingly digitized world. By leveraging the expertise and resources of industry leaders, the working group aims to pave the way for the widespread adoption of quantum-safe cryptography, safeguarding the future of financial systems against emerging threats posed by quantum computing.

Source: fintechfutures.com

The post EPAA forms working group with IBM, HSBC, AP+, and PayPal to explore quantum-safe cryptography appeared first on HIPTHER Alerts.

Continue Reading

Trending