Adrenaline Interactive 🎮

Opening Remarks

This week, I had a great conversation about NYC vs. SF—and why both remain incredible hubs for startups.

But what makes NYC so compelling right now isn’t just the talent density—it’s the diversity. Founders from finance, media, health, climate, and consumer are building side by side, often in the same coffee shop.

When it comes to startups, we don’t just need technical skill—we need people who think differently. Contrarian thinking doesn’t come from sameness. It comes from friction, unexpected collisions, and perspective. That’s NYC’s edge.

You can check out my full thoughts here, and towards the bottom of the newsletter you can check out our upcoming NYC events. Now, onto this week’s feature:

Bulletpitch’s publication covers the hottest early-stage startup before being picked up by larger media outlets. If that’s you, apply here.

Setting the Scene

• Gen Z and Gen Alpha now spend more of their leisure time gaming than watching TV or scrolling social, yet many brands are still relying on traditional ads and falling behind.

• But placing products inside games is easier said than done:

  • It’s Expensive: Brands often need custom 3D assets built by game studios.

  • It’s Slow: Campaigns can take months, bogged down by revisions, approvals, and manual setup.

  • It’s Hard to Measure: Unlike digital ads, most in-game placements lack clear performance data.

• This week’s company helps brands automatically insert their products into games, using existing logos, images, and media kits instead of building anything from scratch.

In a Sentence

Adrenaline Interactive is building an ad-exchange that enables product placements directly in video games.

• Exchange: An automated system that matches advertisers with games at scale.

• Product Placements: Branded items are embedded inside virtual worlds.

• Directly: Instead of building 3D assets from scratch, Adrenaline uses AI to repurpose what brands already have.

The Basics

• Industry: AdTech / Gaming

• Headquarters: Austin, Texas

• Year Founded: 2024

• Employee Count: 3

• Investors: eLab, Antler, Michigan Rise

• Business Model: Marketplace take rate

• Early Traction: Enabled branded placements in games reaching 1M+ daily players, with $5M in signed LOIs from design partners like Bomb Pop, Sargento Cheese, and H&R Block.

Sponsored Content*

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

• Your cash burn is more than a metric. It’s how much time your business has to make its ambitions possible.

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• With Mercury you get the tools and insights you need to make more possible for your business.

Weekly Feature Continued

Due Diligence

WHAT WE LIKE

• Market Opportunity: The in-game advertising market is expected to nearly triple over the next few years as brands shift spend away from passive media and into interactive environments.

• Cultural Momentum: Gen Z and Gen Alpha now spend more time gaming than watching TV or using social media—advertisers are racing to catch up.

• Frictionless: Adrenaline eliminates the need for custom 3D asset creation, letting brands launch campaigns using media kits they already have.

POTENTIAL RISKS

• Emerging Category: In-game programmatic is still new—some legacy advertisers may need education or proof before shifting spend.

• Content Safety Concerns: Brands may hesitate to appear in user-generated content without strict controls.

• Platform Dependence: Adrenaline operates within closed platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, which control access, distribution, and monetization—policy changes or restrictions could limit scale or margins.

Founder Profile

• Max Albert, CEO: Previously ran a gaming agency that built two iOS apps, both reaching the App Store’s Top 100.

Comps

• 4D Sight: Backed by Riot Games, XRM Media, and others

• Frameplay: Backed by Liquid 2 Ventures, Hiro Capital, zVentures, and others.

Event Board

• Los Angeles Founder’s Dinner: On May 20th, we’re hosting a curated and intimate dinner for Los Angeles based founders. Sign up HERE.

• Tech Carnival NYC: As the event flyer suggests, we’re June 3rd, we’re bringing our famous Tech Carnival to NYC. A bigger announcement is coming soon—but early birds can sign up HERE.

• Founding GPs Dinner NYC: On June 5th, we’re co-hosting a curated and intimate dinner for founding GPs and emerging managers. Sign up HERE.

Note: Spots are limited for dinners. If you apply and aren’t approved for a dinner, we will try to get you to a future event.

Cast Your Vote

Last Week Today

• The Results Are In: Radicle Science, a proof-as-a-service company, enabling brands to develop and validate their products through large-scale, AI-powered, D2C clinical trials, was favored in last week’s poll.

• Subscriber Feedback: Most wellness brands stretch the truth about their health claims, this finally gives brands the tools to back up those claims.”