Latest News
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

Latest News
New User Interface Redefines Gaming Experience
We are thrilled to launch our newly revamped user interface, specially engineered to elevate the gaming experience for your players. As a leading Live Game Solution provider, it is SA Gaming’s goal to empower our clients with various functions and features that encourage player retention and acquisition.
The new interface adopts modern design principles and is optimized for mobile devices of various screen sizes. We aim to provide a more intuitive and responsive gaming experience for your players. This revamp shows our commitment to creating an engaging environment using the latest technology.
Here are some of the key features of our new interface:
- New Games and Distinct Features: Your players will have access to all our newly launched games including Thai HiLo, Fish Prawn Crab, along with all upcoming titles. Additionally, features like new side bets at Baccarat are exclusively available at the new interface.
- Featured Section: Here your players can discover the top-performing games in their region, and good road display. This section also logs their recently played games so they can enjoy them again in the next login.
- Favorite Section: Players can save the games they love, which will be shown here. We hope to foster deeper player engagement and establish stronger player loyalty by offering personalized recommendations tailored to their preferences.
- Bet Area Position Switch: Our new user interface allows players to switch certain parts of the betting area to suit their individual needs, allowing them a greater control over their gaming experience.
- Updated Dealer Profile Pictures: At every table, profile pictures of dealers displayed in the lobby are now taken at the beginning of each shift. This enhancement boosts the immersiveness of our games and creates a more engaging atmosphere.
- Responsive Design: The new interface is designed to be responsive, seamlessly adapting to any screen size. Whether your players are using a desktop, tablet, or smartphone – portrait or landscape – the interface ensures an optimized and consistent experience.
The new interface can definitely attract more casual players who are looking for a taste of casino while also providing a more responsive and intuitive experience for your loyal veteran players. The interface revamp hails our commitment to customer-centricity, and empowers you to establish a greater player community with enhanced loyalty.
Explore the new user interface now:
Should you have any inquiry regarding the new product, please feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected]. Your feedback is highly appreciated and will help us to improve our ability to serve you better in the future.
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Latest News
Melco publishes Company’s annual sustainability report “RISE to go Above & Beyond”
Melco Resorts & Entertainment has announced the publication of its sustainability report for the year 2024. The strategy continues to guide the Company to go “Above & Beyond” — to strive to achieve its commitments to restoring the environment, inspiring its people and communities, sustaining its supply chain and empowering its business to impact positive change. As Melco’s strategy, pillar goals and targets evolve in response to shifting environments through wide-reaching efforts as highlighted in the report, the Company aims to actively engage stakeholders on its journey towards a climate-fit and equitable future.
Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman and CEO of Melco Resorts & Entertainment, said, “Much more than a service, hospitality is about the experience it creates, the people it supports and the impact it leaves behind. Each year, Melco challenges itself to push this further, believing that luxury and responsibility are not opposing forces but partners in progress, which is reflected in how we uphold strong governance, manage our environmental impact, support our people and communities and lead in responsible gaming. This commitment to progress shaped our approach in 2024, as a year of recalibration in which we continued to strengthen operations, reignite momentum and ensure our integrated resorts remain at the forefront of excellence.”
Key performance highlights from Melco’s latest “RISE to go Above & Beyond” sustainability strategy.
Awards/Recognition
- DICJ RG Implementation Index – Ten Melco facilities have received recognition as ‘Responsible Gambling Model Units’ with nine earning perfect scores of 100% against the criteria.
- “RG Check” accreditation – International, third-party Responsible Gambling Council accreditation across Melco properties in Cyprus and Manila
- Member of the “S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2025” and recognized as an Industry Mover, scoring in 93rd percentile in industry group
- Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) scores: B for Climate and B for Water
- Green Key and Green Hotel Awards for Studio City, Nuwa, Morpheus and The Countdown
Engaging our People
- Invested an average of US$582 per full-time-equivalent (FTE) employee on learning and development activities, equating to an average of 38 training hours per FTE, with 100% of colleagues attending training
- 3.5% of Macau colleagues participated in over 4,100 Foundation Acceleration Program (FAP) experiences, of which 12% were related to non-gaming activities; 86% of Culinary FAP participants were retained within the Company with a 17% promotion rate upon completion
Community Engagement & Investment
- Close to 3,600 participants volunteered their time and efforts across 359 volunteering initiatives
- Over US$17.42 million donated to worthy causes in Melco’s local communities
Energy & Climate Resilience
- Energy-efficiency measures (EEMs) since 2018 have resulted in annualized savings of over 62.5 million kWh, an increase of 9% over 2023
- More than 25,000 PV panels at all properties in Macau, Manila and Cyprus onsite, generating close to 10,000 MWh annually
Material Use & Waste
- Avoided 13.2 million SUP bottles with the NORDAQ water filtration system serving nearly all hotel rooms at Melco’s integrated resorts
- Expanded recycling of playing cards across properties in Macau, Manila and Cyprus
- City of Dreams Manila has established a circular economy where food waste is composted on site and excess compost is donated to a local farm to grow some of the vegetables served to guests
Sustaining our Supply Chain
- 100% cage-free eggs sourced for Melco F&B operations in Manila and Macau with 74% at City of Dreams Mediterranean
- Accelerated adoption of recycled fabric uniforms, working to establish guidelines and adopt recognized certifications
- Strengthened data tracking and credibility in certified sourcing and chain-of-custody verification for key categories such as seafood and chemicals, while equipping local suppliers to meet Company expectations
Empowering our Business
- Continued ethics training and capacity building programs for colleagues and suppliers
- Implemented onsite, real-world cyberattack simulation drills for relevant colleagues and teams across the Group to test awareness, readiness to respond and system effectiveness.
Melco remains steadfast in its commitment to sustainability and invites stakeholders, partners, and communities to join in its journey towards a climate-fit and equitable future.
The post Melco publishes Company’s annual sustainability report “RISE to go Above & Beyond” appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
Maono Unveils DM40 PRO: AI-Powered Wireless Microphone for Gamers & Streamers
Maono’s new DM40PRO introduces wireless freedom, AI-powered voice effects, broadcast-quality sound, and customizable RGB lighting for a professional-grade gaming and streaming experience.
Maono, the global best-selling Internet microphone brand, has officially announced the release of its latest innovation in audio technology, the DM40PRO – AI Wireless Gaming Microphone. Engineered for gamers, streamers, and content creators seeking uncompromising performance, the DM40PRO combines cutting-edge features with exceptional sound quality, offering an all-in-one solution for immersive, high-quality content creation.
The DM40PRO is available from Amazon US in white and black and the Maono website with pricing starting from $85.99/£65 (Currently with an additional 20 percent coupon available on Amazon). It will also be available on Amazon UK and Amazon EU Mid- May.
The DM40PRO is a testament to Maono’s commitment to empowering creators with tools that elevate their performance. At the core of its appeal is the wireless and wired dual-mode design, which provides unparalleled flexibility and mobility without sacrificing audio fidelity. With ultra-low latency and an extended wireless range, users are free to move seamlessly within their space, enjoying smooth, uninterrupted transmission.
Featuring 48kHz/24-bit recording with a large 16mm condenser capsule, the DM40PRO delivers rich, detailed broadcast-quality sound. Whether capturing the excitement of a fast-paced game or delivering commentary during a live stream, the microphone ensures professional-grade clarity. Advanced noise cancellation with a single tap allows the DM40PRO to cut through environmental distractions, making it especially ideal for creators working in shared or noisy environments.
Setting the DM40PRO apart is its built-in AI voice changer with 10 distinct voice modes, allowing for engaging and interactive content with a creative twist. Coupled with vibrant, customizable RGB lighting, the microphone also adds visual personality to any setup, enhancing the overall streaming aesthetic.
Designed for convenience and control, the DM40PRO includes intuitive onboard controls for gain, EQ, and more, allowing real-time adjustments directly on the device. Its durable build and premium materials reflect Maono’s focus on quality and longevity, while the ultra-long 2600mAh battery supports up to 75 hours of use after just two hours of charging—ensuring creators can stream, record, and game for extended periods without interruption.
Compatible across multiple platforms, the DM40PRO is crafted to meet the demands of today’s most dynamic content environments. Whether used in a home studio or on the go, it offers a versatile solution for anyone seeking clear, consistent, and engaging audio.
With the launch of the DM40PRO, Maono once again reaffirms its place at the forefront of creator-focused audio technology. Perfect for professionals and advanced users, the DM40PRO represents the pinnacle of USB gaming microphones—merging wireless freedom, studio-grade sound, and a spectrum of customizable features into one powerful device.
The DM40PRO is available from Amazon US in white and black and the Maono website with pricing starting from $85.99/£65 (Currently with an additional 20 percent coupon available on Amazon). It will also be available on Amazon UK and Amazon EU Mid-May.
MAONO is also offering up to 10 percent commission on its affiliate programme
The post Maono Unveils DM40 PRO: AI-Powered Wireless Microphone for Gamers & Streamers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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