UK-Based Creator of the 5 Million + Subscriber Mobile App, Flirtomatic, is Diversifying its Slate of Mobile Content With New Development Deals and Operations
HME Acquires Doppelgames, Inc. founded by Brent Bushnell, Eric Gradman and Peter Wilkness, to Develop Social Gaming Apps and Closes A New Round of Funding From Edge Performance VCT
LOS ANGELES, CA/LONDON, UK (February, 2012): Handmade Mobile Entertainment, a UK-based mobile app developer, has appointed Neil Goldberg as CEO charged with expanding operations internationally and white-labeling the brand to develop and distribute social/mobile games and apps.
HME garnered commercial success with their launchpad mobile application, Flirtomatic – a mobile dating app that has garnered more than 5 Million users in the UK, US and EMEA territories. Launched in 2005, Flirtomatic has earned over $15 million in revenue using a business model that engages a free-to-use application monetizing sales of virtual goods. Flirtomatic averages 400,000 users on a monthly basis and on a daily basis garners 100,000 users, over 2000 virtual goods sold and 200,000 messages sent.
“I’m so delighted to have the opportunity to join the Handmade Mobile Entertainment team at such a pivotal stage of its growth,” states Neil Goldberg, CEO Handmade Mobile Entertainment. “With mobile now being the first screen, the time is right to capitalize on our proven recipe for success that combines virtual goods with social interactivity wrapped into engaging and exciting content applications.”
Goldberg joins Handmade Mobile Entertainment with 16 years of leadership experience building global companies in the entertainment and technology industries. Most recently Goldberg was a senior executive with, SayNow, a Silicon Valley social, voice-based mobile entertainment platform who was acquired by Google early 2011. Prior to SayNow, Goldberg served as COO at Akimbo, Director of Worldwide Acquisitions for Warner Bros. Studios. and founded On Demand Media Group providing strategic management advice and implementation for the digital media, entertainment, gaming and telecommunications industries. Over the span of Goldberg’s career, he has also served as a writer and producer of network TV, studio movies and reality/game shows.
Goldberg’s first strategic initiative was expanding operations of Handmade Mobile Entertainment into the US, establishing offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco to increase access and visibility across the entertainment, mobile and technology sectors. In January, Goldberg struck a branded content deal with FremantleMedia Enterprises and ITV to develop & distribute the Take Me Out Flirting mobile dating app for the 3rd season of the hit ITV comedy dating show, Take Me Out.
Last week, Goldberg finalized the acquisition of mobile & social gaming developer, Doppelgames, co-founded by Brent Bushnell, Eric Gradman and Peter Wilkness. Under HME, Doppelgames takes over responsibilities as the internal development team, based in in Los Angeles, creating new applications and social gaming content for HME and their partners. Wilkness will take over as CTO and Gradman and Bushnell as innovation engineers.
“We are so excited to become a part of the Handmade Mobile Entertainment team to develop and expand its slate and array of content,” states Brent Bushnell, Doppelgames. “HME’s vision of fusing entertainment and interactivity into compelling mobile apps reiterates our passion and excitement of development.
In late 2011, Handmade Mobile Entertainment closed a new $3.5 million investment round with Edge Performance VCT. Edge Performance is the UK’s biggest VCT with a slate of investments which already embraces live music, digital marketing and intellectual property licensing. Edge Investment Manager David Fisher led the round for Edge Performance VCT and will join the Handmade board effective immediately. From its origins in a legal and advisory business serving some of the biggest names in the creative industries – Alexander McQueen, Nick Cave, Fatboy Slim and Giorgio Locatelli – Edge Group has developed into one of the UK’s biggest specialist investment and corporate finance houses in the media and entertainment sector.
Handmade Mobile Entertainment staffs 35 employees between London, Los Angeles & San Francisco.
About Handmade Mobile Entertainment
Founded in 2005, Handmade Mobile Entertainment develops and distributes rich multimedia content and applications by marrying key elements of social media with dynamic interactive features that heighten the users’ experience. Established by veteran digital and mobile entertainment entrepreneurs, Handmade’s first social app, Flirtomatic, quickly became a multiple award winning property with over 5 million registered users. Handmade consistently explores innovative ways to enhance user engagement and seamlessly integrates monetization principles into the user’s journey in an non-obtrusive fashion. Handmade’s unique plug-and-play platform works with any business model including virtual goods, premium, subscription, advertising, and free-mium. Headquartered in London, the company also operates satellite offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
About Doppelgames
Founded in 2010, Doppelgames is an alternative game developer focused on mobile games and game development tools. Doppelgames’ content leverages the usage of sensors becoming more prevalent in mobile devices and its platform enables rapid development client-server focused games. A few releases included augmented reality-style game ColorSpot, GPS-based Nio Quest and real world conquest game Hexcursion. Early-stage investors, pre-acquisition, include XG Ventures, Tomorrow Ventures, the BlackBerry Partners Fund among others. Acquired by Handmade Mobile Entertainment in early 2012, the company is located and operates in downtown Los Angeles, CA.