Hong Kong’s Frenzoo raises US$1M to create 3D lifestyle mobile games for women

Frenzoo, a Hong Kong-based startup that has developed a series of 3D lifestyle and fashion games targeted at girls, has raised US$1M in seed funding from investors in Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Investors include: Efficient Corporate, the investment vehicle of Hong Kong-based angel investor Tytus Michalski; Siemer Ventures, an early-stage, cross-border venture firm with offices in Los Angeles and Asia; K5 Ventures, a pan Europe and Asia-based group focused on media and commerce; and Metaverse Services, a China-based leader in game content creation.

Existing investor Ambient Sound Investments, an early stage venture firm backed by the founding engineers of Skype, has also participated in this round.

Joining the Frenzoo board of directors is Doug Glen, a veteran gaming and entertainment executive whose previous roles include Chief Strategy Officer of Mattel; CEO of Imagi Studios; and Director at Harmonix, the creators of Dance Central and Rock Band.

Fashion stylist and blogger Jasmine Webster, founder of the popular DressMe blog, has come on board as an advisor.

Frenzoo will use the funds to accelerate the launch of its Me Girl brand of titles that offer lifestyle and fashion mobile games for all ages.

Data from mobile analytics firm Flurry shows that women make up a majority of the mobile social gaming audience. The Me Girl titles aim to be the first 3D games crafted specifically for this market.

“We believe there is a tremendous opportunity to combine the best of mobile gaming with the world of fashion and lifestyle,” says Frenzoo CEO and co-founder Simon Newstead (see SGE’s interview with him).

“Our goal with Me Girl is to leverage glamour and emotional appeal to create fun, accessible gaming experiences. With our innovative 3D platform, we can create interactive characters with natural movements and expressions that really bring the whole story to life.”

“In the mid-1990s, Mattel pioneered computer entertainment for girls,” says Doug Glen, who currently serves as entrepreneur in rResidence at M-Lab, a technology incubator.

“Games like Barbie Fashion Designer were hugely successful, in part because the market was so underserved. Fifteen years later, the girls’ and women’s market in mobile entertainment is now underserved, and Frenzoo is releasing wonderful games that have raised the bar to an exciting new level.”

Adds Tytus Michalski of Efficient Corporate: “I believe that Frenzoo’s technology is the key to engaging with players on a more intimate level, and is truly a game changer.”

Frenzoo was previously a winner of a startup contest organized by YetiZen, a San Francisco-based game startup accelerator. The competition was held as part of Game Developers Conference 2012, an annual conference on game development, sharing tools, tips and technologies.

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