FaceIt, a U.K.-based e-sports startup that runs an online multiplayer game platform, has raised $15M in venture-capital funding and is "eyeing U.S. expansion," according to Todd Spangler of VARIETY. The Series A funding, from investment firms Anthos Capital, Index Ventures and United Ventures, comes after FaceIt raised a $2M "seed round last year led by United Ventures." The company said that it will "use the investment to expand its team and continue to build out its technology and platform." FaceIt this month "opened an office" in L.A. Founded in London in '12, FaceIt "claims to have more than 3.5 million users" on its e-sports platform. In the past year, FaceIt "has worked with various partners" in the e-sports space, including Amazon’s Twitch, Valve, and the Turner-WME/IMG joint venture (VARIETY.com, 1/26). In L.A., Paresh Dave noted the influx of cash is "meant to grow FaceIt into a bigger hub for players, gamemakers and advertisers." FaceIt’s basic team management tools are "free to maximize the number of users." It costs "about $3 a month to join higher-caliber matches or get fancier statistics." FaceIt offers "virtual coins for actions on the service to encourage people to play more often." The coins can be "redeemed for computers, accessories, merchandise and an assortment of perks." The more users, the "greater expected interest from gamemakers, who see FaceIt as a way to attract players" (L.A. TIMES, 1/26).
