setting the scene
new technologies have disrupted industries to make content creation more accessible ⬇️
writing: blogs, newsletters, and social platforms allow anyone to be a journalist 💬
music: streaming services enable independent artists to distribute their music and bypass a record label 🎧
video: YouTube and TikTok allow creators to reach audiences without TV networks and movie studios 📺
until now, the gaming industry has been dominated by well-funded gaming studios and required creators to have deep technicals skills
this week’s company democratizes gaming by allowing users to easily create and discover games while rethinking how creators and brands interact with their audiences
in a sentence
Overplay is a mobile gaming platform that enables users to create, share, and play games from personal videos
create: record or upload a video and add gaming features through a no-code editor (demo here)
share: post games to a feed
play: explore games created by other users
bulleted version: similar to how TikTok enables users to create, share, and discover video content, Overplay allows users to design, play, and discover video games 👾
the basics
industry: gaming, social media, creator economy
headquarters: New York, NY 🥨
year founded: 2021
company size: 5 employees
amount raised: $2.6m
currently raising: $1.5m (invest in their crowdfunding campaign here)
business model: in-app purchases, ads, b2b SaaS licensing, b2b partnerships
early traction: 1m games played, 150k alpha downloads, 7k creators on waitlist, partnership with GoPro
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due diligence
what we like
👆 interactive marketing: Overplay helps brands and content creators engage their audiences through interactive content
the company has attracted marketing teams from sports leagues, film studios, streaming networks, music labels, and consumer brands
potential risks
🏢 content giants: Overplay faces competition from well-funded players with millions of users and relies on creators and users adopting another platform
competitors like TikTok consistently offer creators new effects, which could compete with Overplay’s offerings
🎥 quality and quantity: Overplay must ensure consistent, quality games with enough variety to acquire and retain users
⚖️ early focus: while b2b customers diversify revenue streams, will dealing with early customers detract from explosive user growth?
weekly cartoon
founder profiles
Dan Projanksy (CEO; prev. founder @ Mytograph, Sesame Workshop)
Caroline Strzalka (COO; founder @ It’s By U, prev. @ Sandbox Group, Scholastic, Sesame Workshop)
comps
Buildbox (acquired by AppOnboard)
GDevelop (raised from Seedcamp, Kima Ventures, Ascension)
why Overplay: with a $0.10 CAC pre-public launch, seasoned founders who have scaled apps to 25m+ downloads, a video gamification patent, and brands interested in signing checks, Overplay is positioned to emerge as a major player in social gaming 🕹
bulletin board
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