Canadian mobile content platform Play It Interactive raises $1.1M funding, to open office in Mumbai

Canada-based mobile content platform provider, Play It Interactive, has raised $1.1 million in funding from unnamed investors. It plans to use the funds to establish its presence in India, and drive its business and  product development activities in the country, the company said in a statement.

"This round of financing will allow us to build on opportunities in India and surrounding countries," says Cory Cleveland, co-founder and president of Play It Interactive, which is planning to open an office in Mumbai and hire local talent.

The company has already roped in Ray Newal as its head of business development in India. In the past, Newal had launched a mobile video streaming startup for the Indian feature phone users, with funding from Indian Angel Network. The startup was later acquired by world's largest independent mobile video and media firm, Vuclip.

Founded by Cleveland, Play It Interactive provides a mobile content platform designed to engage sports fans in emerging markets. The mobile gaming startup delivers a connected gaming experience to both users on feature phones as well as Android devices.

For the Indian audience, the startup piloted its engagement platform via an app called Fantasy Football during the FIFA World Cup 2014. It claims that during the event, it saw over five lakh users with an average user session time of over 14 minutes.

Cleveland was previously involved with startups like UrtheCast, a earth video camera; Slyce, a mobile visual based buying system; cDemo Mobile Solutions, an app for collecting and distributing asset data online; Frendo.com, a charitable online campaign management and fee free money movement; and Enthrill Entertainment Inc, an eBook distribution and publishing technology.

(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)