Rusk Media, which creates content for GenZ audiences, raised more than $9.5 million in an extended series A funding round.
With the inflow of fresh round of funding, the company is aims to establish a UGC-driven social gaming platform even though it now creates entertaining video content for its users. Globally, user-generated content (UGC) game production is growing in popularity, with platforms like Roblox becoming go-to locations for individuals in the 8–14 age range in the US and Southeast Asia. Game developers will be able to create games using freely accessible Rusk IP assets thanks to Rusk’s platform.
The New Delhi-based company is known through its content & IPs on social channels Alright! and Playground with over 500M+ monthly views, and their shows on OTT Platforms.
Speaking about its investment, Chihoon Hyun, Partner at DAOL Investment and co-lead investor for current round said, “We have confidence in Rusk Media’s competitiveness in IP creation across fiction, non-fiction, and e-sports entertainment. As Investors from Korea, we have seen the immense potential of locally generated premium content and scalability of strong IPs. We believe Rusk is well positioned to become an entertainment powerhouse with their plans on their IPs and IP led gaming platform.”
Rusk Media with NODWIN Gaming recently launched gaming entertainment IP, Playground, built with some of India’s largest gaming entertainers like CarryMinati, Triggered Insaan, ScoutOP and Mortal. It received over 200M+ views – creating a new space within the gaming entertainment ecosystem. The IP is slated for a global launch for the upcoming edition in December 2022 – January 2023.
Rusk Media targets to scale its content with OTT Partners
“With the behavioral shift of the digital native audiences – entertainment has transformed across 30-second snackable social videos, OTT shows, casual & AAA gaming,” said Mayank Yadav, CEO, Rusk Media.
“Our future plans are two-fold – firstly, scaling our content with OTT partners via our IPs in India and the rest of the world, with Playground leading the way for our expansion globally. Secondly, building a UGC-led social gaming platform that will enable game developers to create games and publish them on our platform using our game developer app that plans to leverage blockchain technology.”
Seoul based DAOL Investment and Audacity Ventures led the extension round with existing investors InfoEdge Ventures (IEV), Mistry Ventures, Survam Partners also participating in the round.
Rusk Media has raised a total of $12 million in the last three years and counts Nazara Games, and NODWIN gaming as their investors, among others.
