Pokémon GO creator, Niantic, is raising a $200m Series C at a $3.9B valuation.
According to WSJ, if successful, the round would bring the company’s total funding to $400m, with VC firm IVP leading the charge, along with activity from strategic investors like Samsung and aXiomatic Gaming.
Investors are betting users still ‘gotta catch ’em all’
The San Francisco-based AR platform builder started within Google in 2010 and became its own entity in 2015.
In 2016, Niantic’s Pokémon Go became an instant success and has remained steady, earning $2B since its 2016 release (mostly through in-app purchases).
The game was once the leader on Apple Inc.’s app store charts (and still remains in the top 200 most-downloaded US apps), but, according to App Annie Inc., Pokémon Go’s download rates have begun to decelerate.
Nothing a little black magic can’t fix
As Confucius once said, “Never bring a Pokémon to do a Wizard’s job.”
Not true, but, the company does have an upcoming Harry Potter mobile-game in the works. Along with continued success of Pokémon Go, investors are hoping Niantic can wave its magic wand and turn another franchise behemoth into a massive mobile phenom.