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GFR Fund Opens New $20M Investment Fund for Tech Startups Disrupting Digital Media and Entertainment
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New Fund Seeks Founders and Technologies in VR/AR, eSports, Live Streaming, AI and Blockchain
GFR Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund, today announced it has raised $20 million to launch its second fund, GFR Fund II, with a focus on technology startups disrupting the digital entertainment sector. GFR Fund is backed by multiple strategic investors from Asia and is an affiliate of leading mobile gaming company GREE, headquartered in Japan. GFR Fund offers its portfolio global business opportunities in the Asian market combined with deep connections in Silicon Valley and decades of experience in digital media.
“We are looking beyond traditional game developers to invest in disruptive entertainment technologies,” said Teppei Tsutsui, Managing Partner of GFR Fund. “There is a new wave of founders and creators who are creatively combining existing technologies to offer new, scalable experiences, and that is very exciting. We have seen this already in products like Discord, and the market is ready for more new innovations.”
Some of GFR Fund’s notable investments to date have blended emerging technologies in creative ways to produce new opportunities in entertainment. For example, Sliver.tv combined blockchain and live streaming content to create the next generation eSports entertainment platform for top games like “Fortnite,” “League of Legends,” “CSGO,” and more.
The first two investments under GFR Fund II are in the eSports category.
Santa Monica-based Fan.AI is the leading audience monetization platform for sports and esports. The platform increases franchise and sponsorship revenues by making audience data actionable. GFR has invested in FanAI’s latest multi-million dollar round that will be announced in the next two months.
“GFR Fund has a deep understanding of gaming and esports in both Asia and U.S. markets, that combined with their focus on entertainment makes GFR a great partner as we expand into new verticals,” said Johannes Waldstein, founder and CEO of Fan.AI. “We will use the investment to expand our team and scale our business from an esports-focused SaaS model to a platform that encompasses sports and entertainment.”
Los Angeles-based ProGuides is a freemium eSports platform for gamers to learn, connect, and play together. “We enjoy working with GFR Fund and the guidance they provide when navigating Japanese video game publishers is extremely valuable to our business,” said Sam Wang, CEO of ProGuides. “GFR invested in our pre-seed stage round, which will be used to expand our platform to include more games and influencers.”
Virtual Beings at Game Developers Conference
GFR Fund is bringing together industry experts from the U.S. and Asia, investors and entrepreneurs to share their views on what Virtual Beings bring to entertainment. This invite only event will take place on March 21st in San Francisco, during the Game Developers Conference. Contact GFR Fund for details.
About GFR Fund
The GFR Fund is a venture capital fund that works with strategic investors to give early-stage technology companies the opportunity to accelerate growth in the digital entertainment sector. GFR Fund is an affiliate of GREE, Inc., a global leader in mobile gaming industry. To date, the GFR Fund has invested in more than 30 companies, including VRChat, SPACES, Sliver.tv, Littlstar, Insidemaps, YBVR, Experiment 7, TheWaveVR, Sturfee, InsiteVR, Streem, DottyAR and Torch3D. For more information visit www.gfrfund.com.
SOURCE GFR Fund
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: GFR Fund Opens New M Investment Fund for Tech Startups Disrupting Digital Media and Entertainment

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Spinomenal expands Dutch presence with Starcasino partnership
Spinomenal, the leading iGaming content provider, has extended its footprint within the Dutch market following a partnership with casino operator Starcasino.
The content collaboration delivers a wide selection of Spinomenal titles to the superb Starcasino offering, including Reign of Seth, 1 Reel Buffalo, Super Miner – Golden Treasure, and the special bespoke title “Starcasino! Mega Wild Fruits”.
Spinomenal has already enjoyed a successful collaboration with Starcasino within the Belgian market and plans are afoot to enter new markets.
Lior Shvartz, CEO for Spinomenal commented: “Our partnership with Starcasino has produced excellent results in the Belgian market and we expect more of the same in the Netherlands. Our games have really captured the attention of Starcasino’s players and we look forward to showcasing more titles in the future.”
Pieter van den Bos, Director at Starcasino NL added: “Spinomenal’s games have already made a lasting impression with Belgian Starcasino players and we’re thrilled to build on our partnership with the launch of Starcasino in the Dutch market.”
The post Spinomenal expands Dutch presence with Starcasino partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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SOFTSWISS Rolls Out Red Carpet for F1 Film – and a Tech-Fueled Vision of iGaming
As F1: The Movie races into theatres worldwide, SOFTSWISS, a global tech company providing software for the iGaming industry, has chosen to support the film as a reflection of its commitment to innovation, performance, and teamwork. With former Formula 1 driver Rubens Barrichello serving as the company’s Non-Executive Director for Latin America, SOFTSWISS draws a meaningful parallel between the high-speed world of racing and the fast-moving, data-driven nature of online gaming.
SOFTSWISS joined the momentum by hosting exclusive premiere screenings for its partners and clients in São Paulo and Malta. Guests experienced the adrenaline of Formula 1 and Hollywood glamour, with red carpets, champagne towers, and photo zones setting the scene for a celebration that bridged entertainment and technology.
The highlight of the event was a personal video greeting from Rubens Barrichello, former Formula 1 driver and Non-Executive Director for Latin America at SOFTSWISS, who shared his emotional response to the film and reflected on how closely it mirrors both his racing legacy and his current work in tech.
Ahead of the event, SOFTSWISS released a “react video” in which Barrichello watched and commented on the movie trailer. In the video, he draws a compelling parallel between Formula 1 and the iGaming industry, emphasising the role of precision, teamwork, and real-time decision-making in both worlds.
“In the world of iGaming, we also deal with large amounts of data, adjust solutions in real time, and rely on teamwork. Just as a driver trusts engineers and mechanics, we trust our developers and analysts. Both worlds share the same values, and I am happy to be part of each of them,” comments Rubens Barrichello.
Rubens Barrichello has been a SOFTSWISS partner since 2024, when he was appointed as Non-Executive Director for Latin America. Known for his analytical approach and data-driven mindset on the track, Barrichello now supports the company’s business growth across one of the world’s fastest-growing iGaming markets.
His presence bridges two industries deeply rooted in Latin American cultural passion – motorsport and digital entertainment.
By partnering with figures like Barrichello and aligning with major cultural moments like the F1 movie premiere, SOFTSWISS demonstrates its commitment to innovation, regional relevance, and storytelling that resonates with players and partners alike.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 30,000 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team counts over 2,000 employees.
The post SOFTSWISS Rolls Out Red Carpet for F1 Film – and a Tech-Fueled Vision of iGaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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NetBet Partners with Fight Disciples
NetBet, a leading online gaming platform, has announced an exciting new partnership with world-renowned boxing & MMA podcast the Fight Disciples, co-hosted by award-winning broadcasters Adam Catterall and Nick Peet.
The partnership will span some of the UFC’s biggest events, including Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 318, as well as major upcoming boxing bouts.
This partnership builds on NetBet’s recent announcement as the official betting partner of the UFC in the UK and other parts of Europe. It will play a key role in boosting visibility for NetBet’s popular UFC Predictor Game. As part of the collaboration, NetBet branding will feature across all Fight Disciples UFC content, including behind-the-scenes access and exclusive fighter interviews.
Part of this deal will also see the Fight Disciples and NetBet team up to provide all-encompassing coverage for three huge upcoming boxing fights; Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois, Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs Terrance Crawford.
Adam Catterall, co-host of the Fight Disciples Podcast, said: “We’ve always prided ourselves on being the voice of the fight fan, so teaming up with NetBet – the official sportsbook and betting partner of the UFC – is a massive moment for us. This partnership gives us the opportunity to get even closer to the action and, more importantly, bring our audience along with us. Whether it’s behind-the-scenes insight, exclusive content, or on-the-ground access at the biggest events, it’s all about delivering that front-row feeling to our listeners.”
Tristan Wootton, Head of UK at NetBet added: “With NetBet making huge waves in the world of fight sports, this partnership with the Fight Disciples represents another exciting opportunity with regard to brand development. We feel confident that our players will enjoy the engaging content produced from this partnership, with so many brilliant UFC and boxing shows just on the horizon!”
The post NetBet Partners with Fight Disciples appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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